| Halvar | |
|---|---|
| God of Battle | |
 | |
| Details | |
| Race | God |
| Birthplace | Kaldheim |
| Parents | Alrund (adoptive father) |
Halvar is the white-aligned god of battle from Kaldheim.
Description[ | ]
Halvar is selfless, stalwart, unwavering, and always the most sensible person in any room. He's an accomplished warrior but is more likely to lead by example than with inspiring speeches. He speaks with a quiet confidence that leads most people to trust him instinctively, especially in times of crisis. Halvar considers himself the protector of the Skoti and acts as their self-appointed bodyguard on their adventures and exploits—even though he'd prefer to stay home.[1] [2]
History[ | ]
When the god Alrund was on his quest to fight every Cosmos monster, he discovered an orphaned baby in a giant eagle's nest on Axgard. Alrund adopted the baby as his son and named him Halvar, but he was too preoccupied with his quest to take the boy back to the Gods' Realm at the time. He left the boy as a ward of the dwarf king for twenty years until he remembered to come back for him as promised.
An ancient saga tells the tale of the Skoti's battle against the then reigning gods, the Einir.[3] The Skoti triumphed, thanks in part to the dwarf-crafted axe Galdrimel, which Halvar wielded to devastating effect against the Einir. The axe could sever any substance, even the Cosmos, and Halvar used it to split the elf race in half, creating the wood elves and the shadow elves.
Halvar was about to receive the legendary Sword of the Realms from the dwarf Koll before it was stolen by the planeswalker Tibalt. The blade, like Galdrimel, is capable of cutting through the Cosmos itself.
During the Doomskar that Tibalt had caused, Halvar defended a bridge that leads to a Bretagard village and fought the Dread Marn (zombies from Karfell). Kaya handed Halvar the Sword of the Realms, after much effort to reach the god, so that he could close the Doomskar. Halvar asked Kaya and Harald to protect the bridge while he tried to close the Omenpaths. Harald asked the god what is so important in the village for it to be defended, and Halvar answered "people". By focusing Halvar managed to close all the cracks and end Tibalt's Doomskar. The remnants of the invading army and the monsters that failed to cross back to their realms were trapped in Bretagard.[4]
Trivia[ | ]
- Halvar seems to be based on Týr, the Norse god of battle also associated with the broad sword.
- Like Tyr, he is also honorable and reasonable, traits that are also shared with Baldr (the god of light) which may be a secondary inspiration since he was killed by a sword rather than mistletoe in Gesta Danorum.
Story appearances[ | ]
| Title | Author | Publishing date | Set | Setting (plane) | Featuring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Episode 5: The Battle for Kaldheim | Roy Graham with contributions by Jenna Helland | 2021-02-03 | Kaldheim | Kaldheim | Kaya, Tyvar Kell, Arni, Fynn, Inga, Sigrid, Alrund, Hakka, Varragoth, Cosima, Harald, Halvar, Koma, Niko Aris, Esika, Vorinclex |
In-game references[ | ]
- Represented in:
- Associated cards:
- Depicted in:
- Quoted or referred to:
References[ | ]
- ↑ Ari Zirulnik (January 8, 2021). "Planeswalker's Guide to Kaldheim, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Ari Zirulnik and Jenna Helland (January 21, 2021). "The Legends of Kaldheim". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Ari Zirulnik and Jenna Helland (January 14, 2021). "Planeswalker's Guide to Kaldheim, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Roy Graham (February 03, 2021). "Episode 5: The Battle for Kaldheim". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.