Valhallas

Standing from 240 to 260 feet tall on average, the Valkyries represent a curious mix of organic and synthetic technology of unknown origins. Certainly whichever civilization built them must have been staggeringly advanced, but the Valkyries themselves are unable to determine their origin. The earliest Valkyries awoke when the threat of the Dark advanced upon the galaxy, arming themselves with the weapons and armor of their creators. Valkyries appear as humanoid females on a massive scale, slender and feminine with synthetic parts embedded on their bodies.

The Valkyrie frame is clearly built for combat, as their bodies have a series of connector hardpoints for armor and weapons to be attached. However, they were also built in the image of humans to facilitate communications with the human race, so Valkyries appear as aesthetically pleasing women with classically beautiful features. It is not entirely clear how their bodies are powered; human understanding of valkyrie anatomy, physiology, and biology is highly limited at best, with many a technology that has defied all attempts at reverse engineering. Multiple redundant systems and superb architecture combined with sophisticated engineering permit a Valkyrie to continue fighting long after a normal human would have been felled by severity of injury. Valkyries can also communicate with each other in electronic or computer languages; while astoundingly fast for data transfer and precision, as well as lowering the misunderstanding rate amongst Valkyries to nearly zero, Valkyries tend to prefer human speech when expressing more abstract concepts such as emotion. Valkyries are capable of seeing a much wider range of electromagnetic spectra than humans, as well as hearing a much broader range of auditory frequencies, and are also theorized to be able to peer into other dimensions.

Unlike humans or human technology, Valkyries are capable of detecting and interacting with Dark Matter. With the actual mechanism for doing so still unknown to human science, Valkyries alone are empowered to fight against these ethereal invaders with weapons that seem part technology and part magic at times. All Valkyries can generate powerful energen shields that repel kinetic and radiant energy alike, and do not seem to be entirely subject to kinematic laws. Essential for deep space travel, their shields also provide defense against Muspelheimr and Niflheimr. Human scientists theorize that they may phase into alternate dimensions; the Valkyries themselves refuse to say one way or the other.

However, their two most important traits are related closely to their purpose.

Valkyries are first and foremost made to protect humans and humanity as a whole. Because of this, and out of respect for the fearsome power that they wield, all Valkyries are hard-coded to be incapable of violence or harming another sentient being on their own. This is a fundamental aspect of Valkyrie architecture and cannot be hacked, overridden, or circumvented in any way except for one highly specific method. The Valkyries themselves are the fiercest and most fervent defenders of this feature, maintaining that it is essential to permit intermingling of Valkyrie and human culture. Valkyries gain from it the ability to approach humans without those humans fleeing in terror; humans know that a Valkyrie will not harm them, even in self-defense.

As society does require force to police itself, however, and Valkyries are the pinnacle of pure power in their co-mingled civilization, there is a method built into the Valkyrie by which the restrictions on the Valkyrie can be overcome. Every Valkyrie has an armored piloting pod built into her chest, nestled between or right under her breasts and sheathed in half a meter of retractable plate. A Valkyrie can permit a single human to enter into her pod and integrated the human's nervous system with her computers and neural clusters. Doing so delivers control of the Valkyrie's body to the piloting human entirely as her body's neural signals overrides the human's. Piloting in therefore fairly intuitive, as the pilot sees, hears, and senses everything as though he were the Valkyrie and controls her body like his own. Only when integrated with a human and being piloted is a Valkyrie capable of harming another individual. However, this piloting pod is also a vulnerability of a Valkyrie; destruction of the pod guarantees the termination of the Valkyrie.

Valkyries come in almost as many personalities and types as human women themselves. Some are queenly, regal, and command respect, revered as untouchable goddesses and empresses on many a distant, primitive world. Some are friendly, affable, and fun-loving, happily playing with humans and children while enjoying the beautiful aspects of life. Some are motherly, protective, and caring, doting over fledgling human cultures and carefully teaching them the tools of civilization. Some resemble young children in their natural inquisitiveness and guileless acceptance. Regardless of personality, however, all Valkyries are far more intelligent than humans, partly a result of their longevity and partly a result of having brains several orders of magnitude faster than a human's, and they are all capable of combat. Yet while they were designed as machines of war, their makers clearly wished for them to build a civilization of their own and enjoy the finer aspects of life.

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The original Valkyries selected the best and most skilled of warriors as their first Einherjar, taking them to Valhallas in order to fight against the encroaching darkness. But far fewer humans were capable of the rigors of combat compared to the Valkyries, and eventually the leaders of both races agreed that it might be better for a human settlement to be integrated into Valkyrie culture upon Valhallas. Although much shorter-lived, weaker, and less durable than Valkyries, humans had no behavioral constraints. This made them vitally important for combat against the Dark, as only a Valkyrie piloted by an Einherjar is capable of harming the invaders from the depths of space.

As the protection of the galaxy is the primary concern of Valhallas, children who grow up on Valhallas study the arts of war almost from infancy. They tend to be longer-lived than most other humans scattered around the galaxy due in no small part to the extremely advanced technology of the Valkyries, and it is not uncommon for a human to live to three hundred years or beyond with little loss of physical or mental acuity. Humans greatly outnumber Valkyries on Valhallas, although this disparity of numbers is tempered somewhat by the fact that a single Valkyrie can have multiple Einherjar as her pilots. Einherjar are chosen from the ranks of the humans in a competitive process, and accorded a high social station so long as they serve as pilots. Once chosen, an Einherjar undergoes some invasive surgery in order to help his body interface with a Valkyrie.

Einherjar typically become eligible to serve after four years of training, beginning at the age of sixteen at the earliest. Most Einherjar start young and continue to serve until voluntarily discharged from the piloting corps, although some of the greatest aces have worn their wings for a century or more. The Einherjar corps tends to comprise around two-thirds women and a third men, with slight variations from year to year. Humans tend to keep mostly to themselves in society, although a great deal of interaction with Valkyries is often necessary due to the mutual interdependencies of the two races. Human-exclusive settlements and intra-city zones do exist on Valhallas, but most are found as offshoots or segments of Valkyrie dwellings.

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Since humans and Valkyries interact closely on Valhallas, a unique social structure has evolved to meet the needs of both in a harmonious attempt to integrate the two races together. Valkyrie installations, buildings, and structures tend to dominate the skyline of Valhallas; under the standard building codes, human walkways and highways are built several dozens of feet higher than the tallest Valkyrie. This ensures that Valkyries have freedom of locomotion without having to constantly check their feet for humans, and giving humans a safe elevation to gather or travel. Most Valkyrie settlements also have human-exclusive zones; these districts are reserved for humans alone, with Valkyrie intrusion being strictly forbidden under the law except for specific emergencies. Since humans are usually obligated to live several hundred feet above the ground, safety features figure prominently in Valhallan architecture. Most cities are characterized by massive buildings and broad, wide streets for Valkyries to walk, with a much smaller and more intricate secondary grid above their heads for human transport.

As a highly militaristic society, the government of Valhallas is structured along the lines of a military chain of command with the Valkyrie Queen as the final authority. The Queen is appointed for fifty years at a time by a General Staff comprising both senior Valkyries and humans of distinguished military or civil service. A tribunal also exists to serve as a court where humans and Valkyries can petition to have their cases examined under the law; notably, the court is inquisitorial rather than adversarial in nature. Provinces have a human regional governor who reports to the General Staff, and from there the chain of command diffuses down even to the household level. Life is regimented, but not without flexibility. Humans and Valkyries alike are free to engage in private interests in their own free time, provided that such pursuits do not disrupt the harmony of the planet. Honor is highly valued; to occupy a place of honor for a human or a Valkyrie is to be seen as a contributing member of society willing to exert effort and risk one's life protecting civilization against the Dark. To earn or keep honor, one must adhere to the law and contribute to the defense of Valhallas and the galaxy.

Human-Valkyrie relations are warm and cordial on Valhallas as each race recognizes that it needs the other; without the humans, Valkyries will not stop the Dark; without the Valkyries, humanity cannot stop the Dark. The greatest artistic and cultural projects on Valhallas have always been joint endeavors between the two races. Socially, Valkyries consider themselves to be the guardians and protectors of humanity, but in practice this translates to a relationship not unlike that of an older sibling to a younger. Valkyries are permitted to have certain human individuals or families under their especial protection and care, almost like pets. As most Valkyries also live long enough to learn the subtle arts of conflict resolution, arguments amongst humans are often smoothly resolved while conflict amongst Valkyries is nearly unheard of.

Law enforcement is handled by humans and Valkyries working together. Human police are usually sufficient to deal with most human incidents; it is a standard policy that human affairs should be left to human authorities and Valkyries to Valkyries. If necessary, a Valkyrie can be sent to provide assistance and support; while Valkyries are not able to harm other citizens, most incidents can be resolved without inflicting injury. In critical situations such as a rogue Einherjar rampaging in a hijacked Valkyrie, up to several full squads of Valkyries can be deployed and piloted if needed. (Incidentally, an Einherjar going on a joyride in a kidnapped Valkyrie can have his license revoked at the very least, with harsher punishments for destruction of life or property. If the Valkyrie was found to have aided and abetted her pilot, her chest pod may be sealed rendering her unable to be piloted ever again.)

Humans and Valkyries are also permitted to marry and such civil unions are recognized by the state. Humans are often attracted by the Valkyrie's beauty and power, while the Valkyrie finds herself fascinated by the ephemeral transience of humanity. In such relationships, it is customary for the Valkyrie to be the wooer and the human to be chased, and it is almost always the Valkyrie who will eventually propose to the human. The human then moves into the Valkyrie's residence. If the human is attached to another Valkyrie (such as being her Einherjar, for example), the proposing Valkyrie will also request permission from the other Valkyrie to court and marry the human. While Valhallan law usually forbids Valkyries to be piloted except by a trained and carefully monitored Einherjar, a married human is exempt from this restriction. Married Valkyries and humans are exempt from military service, but many choose to serve together.

Valkyries have fully-functional wombs and can reproduce, although this is a rare event and always produces a female Valkyrie. The mother provides one half of the genetic and synthetic template; the other half can be supplied by a human or another Valkyrie, and is a privilege usually reserved for the Valkyrie's closest circle. Doing so causes a new Valkyrie body to form in the womb of the mother while the Valkyrie raises her daughter's mental consciousness in an artificial sandbox construct formed in her own mind. Philosophers have hotly debated whether a Valkyrie has a soul or not. If the answer is inconclusive, still the daughter's consciousness is introduced into the body and born only after the mother is fully satisfied that she is prepared to live in greater Valhallas society as a whole. Since the daughter is raised almost exclusively by the mother in her mind during her formative years, pregnant Valkyries are usually excused of duties. Gestation periods can vary greatly from as little as five years to as many as eight centuries while the Valkyrie carefully ensures that her daughter is introduced as painlessly as possible to Valhallas. "Aborting" a child by wiping the consciousness from one's mind is considered one of the worst possible crimes in Valhallas; even if the child is utterly intractable, the mother Valkyrie must provide a safe mental haven for her, indefinitely if need be. All Valkyries born of a Valkyrie union or a Valkyrie-Human union retain the hard-coded lack of capability for harm.

Since Valkyries are unable to use deadly force unless piloted, Valkyries wear certain insignia and also broadcast various wireless identifiers to denote their status. Valkyries piloted by an Einherjar wear armor and a uniform which displays their mission, rank, and pilot's identity. A Valkyrie piloted by her human spouse in public is also obligated to wear various insignia showing her status, as well as submitting to the authority of public servants. Electromagnetic broadcasts also permit any nearby Valkyrie or any human with the proper computer to view the status of a piloted Valkyrie. Valkyries not being piloted wear different insignia and broadcast a different status in public. With practice, an experienced citizen of Valhallas can instantly identify a Valkyrie's state of occupation and assignment with but a glance.

Valhallas stands at the center of an intricate network of sensors and relays, able to deploy rapid response forces across the galaxy at a moment's notice once confirmation of Dark attacks have been confirmed. Shielding an entire planet is cost-prohibitive from an energy standpoint and even advanced Valkyrie technology is not capable of it, but the Valkyries usually have at least one safe zone on each garrison planet which is heavily shielded and defended. Valhallas itself, with its tall and graceful Valkyrie spires rising to the sky, is the most heavily defended planet in the galaxy. Urban population centers have energen shields prepared in case of attack and the citizenry are drilled semi-annually on evacuation procedures. In the event of a full-scale assault, the Valkyries intend to avoid the uncertainties and chaos of urban warfare at all costs and keep the invaders confined to the open plains where their firepower can be much more decisive.

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Most children, upon finishing primary education at the age of 16, will elect to join either the Civil Service which maintains Valhallas and other planets, the Piloting Corps where they receive training as Valkyrie operators, or the Force Reconnaissance which surveys new planets and carefully monitors the movements of the Dark. All three serve vital roles and functions to Valhallas as a whole, although the members of Force Reconnaissance are charged strictly with non-interference in undeveloped worlds barring emergencies.

Young Valkyries are usually assigned proven and capable Einherjar as their first pilots, to acclimate them to the cooperation and mutual understanding needed to help them function in the Valkyran Navy. After a Valkyrie has proven herself, she is permitted to start choosing her own Einherjar and accepting her own missions. Conversely, piloting candidates are carefully trained and psychologically assessed, working in simulators years before they ever have a chance to pilot an actual Valkyrie. The most experienced Valkyries double as instructors for candidates, helping young recruits adjust to the rigorous demands of piloting the deadliest war machine in history.

Iggdrasil refers to the vast military network which defends the galaxy, centered upon Valhallas and protecting far-flung human civilizations. Garrisons are all linked together via Bifrost gates, portals which allow for swift travel to even the most distant outposts. In recent times some of the Bifrost bridges have become unsafe to travel; these are carefully sealed until the Valkyries can secure them again. Iggdrasil is described as the lifeblood of the Valhallas defense network, but it is not completely safe; Nidhog, one of the greatest monstrosities of the Dark, is ever assailing the pathways of Iggdrasil.

Valkyries and Einherjar alike are further divided into various ranks and specializations within their organizations, but all three branches of the Valhallan military adhere to a standard grade system. Regardless of rank, every Valkyrie is a warrior maiden capable of handling and using weaponry.

Valkyrie Shieldmaiden - These Valkyries are charged with defending their human citizens above all else, responsible for the safety of humanity. As such they are usually not equipped with any weapons, but carry enormous shields and project powerful energen barriers capable of repelling even the heaviest of attacks. Their bodies also contain large cavities where a number of humans can take refuge. Shieldmaidens are authorized to operate without Einherjar assistance.
Valkyrie Sturmmaiden - Sturmmaidens following the path of Odin wield spears, Sturmmaidens following the path of Thor wield hammers, Sturmmaidens following in the path of Tyr wield swords, and Sturmmaidens following the path of Loki wield ranged weapons. Together they form a cadre of warriors dedicated to hunting down and exterminating the Muspelheimr and Niflheimr.
Daughters of Hermod - Found primarily within Force Reconnaissance as a rapid reaction force, the Daughters of Hermod serve as the critical duties of recon and first response. As such, they tend to comprise the best of the Valkyries, attracting the most skilled Einherjar as pilots. Critically, they are often required to handle both varied and delicate tasks until a more conventional response can be mounted.
Valkyrie Meadbearer - An army marches on its stomach. Meadbearers are responsible for the crucial role of logistics and supply, ensuring that their warrior charges are well-armed and well-rested. They also take care of the Einherjar and keep the entire Valhallan military running smoothly and efficiently. In civil service they fill the bureaucracy along with human assistance, making sure that the government operates well.

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Dark Matter and Dark Energy remain a poorly understood phenomenon at best, even to the Valkyries sent to study and monitor them directly. Humans and human technology are unable to detect them at all, except indirectly as a result of gravitational effects on a cosmic scale. Valkyries are capable of seeing Dark entities and refer to them as Muspelheimr or Niflheimr, although the distinction is largely academic. Normally nascent in the cold vacuum of intergalactic space, Dark entities awaken into terrible threats once they approach close enough to a galaxy.

Muspelheimr and Niflheimr normally cannot interact with luminous matter directly across intergalactic distances; up close, however, they manifest as spectral monsters and abominations which nevertheless cannot be seen through human eyes and are only detectable by Valkyries. At close ranges they are capable of interaction with ordinary matter and most are lethal to humans and Valkyries; humans who come in contact with one are usually quickly killed, dropping dead of no apparent effect. Dark entities come in all sizes and shapes, from several times human-sized to beings that could swallow the entire galaxy whole. The overwhelming majority tend to manifest as monsters on a scale comparable to Valkyries and the Valkyries believe that they are mere spawn of the galaxy-spanning Muspelheimr or Niflheimr lurking in the lonely reaches between galaxies.

Seen through a Valkyrie's eyes, Dark entities seem to have no solid substance or form, instead appearing as ephemeral wisps of smoke or translucent beings. They can pass through ordinary matter as if it were not present, but are stopped or repelled by Valkyran energen shields. Whether Muspelheimr and Niflheimr possess intelligence is still fiercely debated; reports by Valkyrie surveyors and scientists seem to indicate that they do respond in an adaptional manner to stimuli, however. A Dark entity attack upon a location is a fearsome event, for they seem to lack no end of number as they flood upon a planet and the Valkyries are always severely outnumbered. Rather grimly, it has been theorized that the universe ought to contain much more luminous matter according to various cosmological models, but that Muspelheimr seem to have devoured most of it. In sufficient numbers and density it has been observed that Dark entities can slowly consume luminous matter altogether and fuel the birth of even more Muspelheimr.

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Some of the most important individuals to Valhallas can be found below. They aren't required for any RPs, but I thought it would be better than simply presenting a setting without any personalities to populate it.