"Wait, what do you mean I can't buy mead?"Driessen, Sieglinde (Sigi)
Magic nameMemoriam323 : "For my own remembrance"
GenderFemale
NationalityIcelandic
AffiliationNecessarius, very loosely. They get a little fussy about people operating in Academy City without affiliation.
PersonalitySieglinde is a friendly and affable girl at first glance, seeming to possess little ambition or drive. Her greatest aspiration most of the time seems to simply be the continuation of her travels, seeing new places and meeting new people. Her attitude isn’t quite lackadaisical, she doesn’t shy away from work. Anyone who asks for some help is almost guaranteed to get it. But she’s content with a simple life, just enjoying her day to day existence. Academy City seems to be where she’s stayed the longest in a very long while, long enough to start developing preferences for where she hangs out, goes for food, et cetera. Truthfully, she can seem a bit klutzy and without focus. Certainly it seems strangely difficult to ruffle her. This impression belies strongly held convictions about personal responsibility and a keenly focused mind, provided you draw her attention. Even then she is largely without malice, unless pushed to the very brink.
Her ambition, however, is another matter. Despite her relaxed exterior, Sieglinde deeply aspires to do something of note, to leave behind some memory of herself after she has passed. The source of her power is a constant reminder of her own mortality, and that the only measure of immortality one can hope for is the recollection they leave behind. Despite her belief in fate she deeply and vehemently rejects the idea that any one person’s actions matter any less, believing that if fate has decided her birth and her death than all that matters is what she does in between.
Sieglinde mostly wants to enjoy her life, and help other people enjoy theirs. What has prompted her to remain in Academy City so long when she clearly would rather roam is unclear but to its residents she is merely a passing foreigner, content to explore the city and its inhabitants.
HistorySieglinde was born in Iceland, and spent her formative years there too with her family. From them she learned the basis for her craft, and the history behind it, but it was not until she began to explore the wider world that she learned of her own potential. Like a human being could be born a Saint, an entity closer than a normal being to the image of God, she was born a Valkyrie. Between the two there was difference, but little distinction. She was simply in the image of something different. It made her a stronger practitioner of her family’s craft than any that had preceded her for many generations, and she quickly grew bored. So as soon as she was old enough, a teenager, she set out on her own to explore the world. She crossed through Europe and Asia, stopping where she pleased, and continuing ever eastward. It wasn’t until she was seventeen, about six months ago, that she reached the shores of Japan but Academy City she reached quickly and there she has remained.
She had no prior association with the Church of England, but she agreed to become affiliated, at least for the duration of her stay, upon arriving in the city as a courtesy. Seeing as she generally keeps a low profile, they haven’t really bothered her nor she them. The inhabitants of Academy City have little enough idea of who she is, and the Church only a little more so.
Sieglinde draws power from the beliefs of her ancestors, and from her inherent attributes. As a Valkyrie, the Nordic equivalent of a Saint, she possesses truly incredible strength without the requirement of magic enhancement. More related to the rest of her craft, she possesses a greater capacity for magic than the average practitioner able to manage workings that they could not.
The Eye of Wuotan is foremost of Sieglinde’s magics, a technique few in her family have been capable of for many years. The Allfather cast an eye into Mimir’s Well in exchange for his all-knowing capabilities, a trade he made without hesitation though the knowledge of the future made him solemn for all his days. Sieglinde's own left eye was removed and placed into water, sealed and protected within her ancestral home to ensure her continued power. Her right eye is, itself, a magical construct; a replica in the image of Odin’s remaining eye, to grant her some measure of the same power. A mortal mind could not handle omniscience, even if the replica were of a good enough quality to match the original, but with Sieglinde’s capacity it can provide a fraction of it; while her eye is unimpaired she will have perfect awareness of her surroundings for a distance of five meters in any direction as well as a glimpse a few precious moments into the future. Beyond that, even if she were to try, the possibilities become too numerous. But her ten second preview is invaluable. She cannot, however, use this at all times; to do so would be too great a strain upon both strength and senses. With the appropriate focus and preparation, not suitable for use on the fly, she could use it to look in on specific things or people at a distance. To do so she must also be aware of what she is looking for, however, and be able to picture it in her mind. In other words she has to have seen it before. Her left eye was replaced by a glass replica, and she wears glasses to help disguise that it doesn't move or change dilation. She's a touch self conscious about it.
Berserkergang allows her to act as a berserker of old, another gift from the Allfather. It does not endow her with greater strength, of which she has already, but imbues her with a spirit of ferocity that will not waver in the face of any injury. If she is physically capable of remaining standing, she will with no attention to pain nor fear. Not that it spares her the injury; when the magic ends, she will feel it as surely as anyone else.
Tyrfing was a sword of Dwarven make that would never fail in its stroke, would never rust, and would cut through stone and iron as easily as cloth. But its make was cursed, and it demanded a death every time it was drawn and would be the death of he who had forced its creation. The curse was satisfied with Svafrlami's death, but the thirst for blood remains. Sieglinde can apply its attributes to anything she conceives of as a weapon, but their potency is proportional to the similarity of the replica. Given a sword she could reach its full effect, but with a more incongruous weapon it would be lessened. With the tools usually at her disposal, the effects merely translate to heightened accuracy and penetrative power defying its mortal means. Similarly, the curse’s demand is lessened but not foregone; she must draw blood with the weapon if she invokes that idol’s power.
More mundanely, Sieglinde can invoke the nature of the Bifröst to travel from one bridge to another within twenty miles at a whim, and farther with proper preparation. Using her ‘steed’ she can do so without too much effort though subsequent jumps will tire her and she must make use of a bridge. To an outside observer, she will seem to simply ride onto one side of a bridge and disappear without crossing it only to reappear on the other end of her destination. Owing to Odin’s association with the wind, Sieglinde can dabble in Wind elemental magic though she requires greater preparation than a true specialist. Mostly, she uses it to change the wind’s intensity and direction or conjure a sudden fog in a small area.
Magical ItemsThe Eye, of course, she can’t be without it. Glasses that adjust her vision to mitigate it, though purely mundane. Her ‘steed’, a bicycle with four spokes on each wheel. A Swiss army knife, for various purposes including self defense, and an old fashioned revolver smuggled into the country. Owing to the local legislature, she keeps it hidden and is unable to replenish her munitions. Six shots is all she gets.
ExpertiseExcellent cyclist, owing to how she has gotten around in her travels. Used to be an excellent driver. Until Academy City denied her a license. “Glasses that mitigate the Eye of Wotan” was not a special enough case to mitigate failing the eye exam. Decent survivalist, owing to her time on the road. Excellent markswoman, amateur philosopher, excellent sense of direction. Nearly encyclopedic knowledge of Norse myth. Multilingual, as well, with varying degrees of fluency. Quite fluent in Japanese. And owing to her family’s teachings, a familiarity with medieval weapons and a passable degree of prowess in hand to hand combat.
Family and FriendsSieglinde has a warm relationship with her family, but a somewhat distant one. She has not been home in many years. She uses the Eye to look in on them, from time to time, even though they can't see her. She calls them regularly.
She doesn't have many friends in Academy City, but she has a few acquaintances. Her temporary residence is too spartan to invite company, so she settles for chatting with the people she sees at all regularly.
OrganisationsLoosely affiliated with the Church of England during her stay in Academy City, as a gesture of deference and respect. Though not a member, she recognizes and bows to their jurisdiction.
