Well, the Aesir really aren't big on animal totems, so either is a possibility for a new Scion to start introducing the concept. However, I'd probably lean toward the arctic fox; while there are reindeer in Aesir territories, foxes are much more widespread, and while neither animal appears in Norse myth proper, I have read Norse folktales about foxes but never any about reindeer.
Also, they are adorable.
But the choice is yours! The Aesir don't have a strong inclination one way or the other, so I'd say choose the one that best fits your Scion's personality and enjoy your oh-so-necessary layer of winter fur!
I always thought that since this batch of Scions is new, and comes from the modern world, and as likely to be from a region that is not the traditional seat of power for their parent pantheon, that it shouldn't matter as much if the totem animal is even found in the pantheon's original sphere of influence. Sure, some in the pantheon will raise an eyebrow at this strange choice, and there may be other consequences, but it's part of the game.
ReplyDeleteOh, definitely - this guy could have Animal (Giraffe) if he wanted to! He specifically asked which would be more mythically appropriate for the Aesir, though, which is why we answered from an Aesir perspective. :)
DeleteOk, gotcha!
DeleteQuestioner her!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the response! Yeah, I know the Aesir aren't huge on Animal, but for some reason I can't seem to play a Scion that doesn't eventually end up with it.
Though Itzhak is right, with Scions not always coming from the pantheon's sphere of influence, Halvard (the Scion) was born and raised in Ullanger, Sweden and he's a survivalist. Not one of those TV personality types, but like a serious one. His mother was also an Olympic biathlete and cross-country skiier. I imagine Uller was like "Hellooooooo". Not that he could be suave, but it's a funny image.
I'm still deciding on the Animal totem, since both animals work well for the Perception/Dexterity stats I want to get with Animal Feature. And the thought of having either giant antlers or arctic fur is hilarious and awesome.
The ST makes us list a bunch of stuff in a journal of sorts and one of them is their god name and what they would be the god of and I imagined Halvard becoming StÃgandr, God of the Untamed Wilderness, Frost, and Hunting - and I figure having kin relations with the wild animals of the arctic north was appropriate.
I now have a mental image of suave Uller, hitting on this woman mid-skiing, and it's pretty hilarious.
DeleteSounds like an awesome concept to start shooting (ha!) for!
I would go with arctic fox. It fits more with the Aiser's warlike nature as a predatory animal. Or if you want to spend the xp, just get both and developed each as much or as little as you want. If you are going to be god of the wilds, then it would be almost obligatory to have more than one animal purview.
ReplyDeleteHere's a question I have in response: Why choose? You can have BOTH animals in your repertoire and be an awesome antlered-fox Aesir! You can get more versatility in the various animals you can influence and you can diversify Animal Aspect and Feature (Foxes I can see giving a Dex boost, Reindeer either Stamina or Strength for their draft animal nature).
ReplyDeleteSure, there's XP expenditures, depending on how your ST deals with Animal, but this seems like a place your character would benefit in investing.
Lastly: D'aaaaaawwwwwwww
That's a huge waste of XP though. No other purview in the game requires you to buy the entire purview over again.
DeleteIm not sure you know what waste means. Getting both would allow you a vastly different array of powers, just like buying any other two purviews.
DeleteIf you don't want both animals with their different specializations, then sure, it's a waste of XP. If you do, it's not a waste at all; you're getting exactly what you want to buy.
DeleteI think I'm going to go ahead and get both, because choosing is hard and having both would be awesome. I just have an image of a giant Aesir on skis with antlers and arctic fur shooting jotuns with his ice arrows.
ReplyDeleteawesome, and you don't need to keep them equal because once you hit protean understanding, you'll have them both equally. I hope you get to legend 12. I would love to see the beast as a trancendant reindeer of ice and snow charging across the worlds.
ReplyDelete