Appearance

Sverin is a shapeshifter and is either depicted as a emaciated and lithe male Einher, with pale white skin, red eyes and thinning white hair or, in his beastial form, a white hyena. Rarely does he find himself in combat but when cornered, with no chance for escape, he will employ a plethora of psionic weapons, never using the same combat tactic twice. Outside of combat he favours two psionic stilettos, often twirling them about his hands while performing tricks to keep himself amused.

Tenets

Five things a follower of Sverin should do:

1. Use discord and change to achieve your goals.

2. Be accountable to yourself, first and foremost.

3. Exploit the weak and stagnant for humour and personal gain.

4. Be greater than others and carry the responsibility to teach them lessons so they may grow and change.

5. Take risks and live on the edge, defy death and boredom.

Five things a follower of Sverin should not do:

1. Allow stagnation, in your own life and the life of others.

2. Allow others to see your plans or motivations. Your true colours are yours and yours alone.

3. Risk yourself for others or show mercy unless you can benefit from that outcome.

4. Allow the rules of man to dictate your actions or stop yourself from doing what you desire for fear of repercussions.

5. Hide from your desires. You must pursue them and allow them to control you.

History

Sverin was the first of the savage gods to be born from Yggdrasil, the World Tree. The World Tree produced five golden acorns, each destined to be born into a family of new gods. However, Sverin, even while trapped inside the maturing acorn, had other plans. Sverin grew discontent with simply sitting idle, waiting to be born. Instead he bounced and rolled his way out of the nest, striking many branches that cracked and split his protective shell before landing hard on the ground and rolling into the cold shade of a large mistletoe tree. This restlessness nearly cost Sverin his life. The magics of the World Tree had not yet finished and when the acorn finally split open, an imperfect and unfinished god spilled forth.

Sverin spent a great deal of time under that mistletoe tree, fearful of the dangers that walked Yggdrasil’s vast root systems. His only friends were a pack of cowardly hyenas that would retreat to the safety of his makeshift home when their prey fought back. They taught him how to survive in the shadows, using guile over muscle and wit over weapons. Sverin might have stayed there longer but boredom and restlessness grew inside him. He wished to see the place where he was born and thus began the long and dangerous climb to the branches of the world tree to find the nest where this family lay maturing. Upon reaching the nest’s edge he spied the four golden acorns that were destined to be his kin. Sverin was not content with simply leaving things be. What fun is there in that? He said to himself out loud. So, one by one, he removed the golden acorns from their protective home. The first one, his sister Eindridil, was accidentally dropped and landed in the sea. The second, his would-be younger sister Magnora, he threw to his hyena pack far below, commanding them to hide it in the deepest mountain. The third acorn, Haldora, Mother of the Gods, he kept for himself. Later he would regret that decision. The last acorn Sverin dared not touch. It was larger than the others and demanded respect. Sverin did not like being forced to accept this authority so he left it alone.

A short time later, Sverin, in the safety of his mistletoe tree, watched as his mother was hatched from her golden acorn. Sverin had grown terribly bored being alone and he found himself excited at the prospect of another god to join with him on his adventures. To his dismay, when Haldora emerged she was not what he was expecting. He quickly grew tired of her insistent nurturing and caregiving. He convinced her to leave with him to a place his hyena brethren had told him was devoid of gods, a great hall called Valhalla, in the land of Asgard. Haldora, eager to spread her compassion to the glorious dead in need, did not question her misshapen son. Thinking he had rid himself of her for good, Sverin left the halls and crossed the rainbow bridge that gave it entrance. Unfortunately, Sverin did not anticipate the appearance of Valdr, his father. Using his quick wit, Sverin lied to Valdr in an attempt to divert his attention so he could escape. He told Valdr that Haldora was a creature of evil and that she was consuming the spirits of the valiant dead inside the great hall. His ploy worked and Valdr left in a great rage, eventually casting Haldora from the Bifrost Bridge into the void of nothingness below. Sverin escaped, enamoured with the trickery he had just caused, his blood rushing from the thrill of his deception.