Sigrun: Victory Rune

Sigrún 
Valkyrie of Victory
Demi-Goddess, Medium Humanoid, Lawful Neutral
Armor Class: 16
Hit Dice: 11 (88hp)
BHB +11
Attacks: 1 × spear (1d8+5)
Move: 90’ (40’)
Save: D1 W11 P12 B13 S14 (F12)
Morale: 17
XP: 1950
TT: F

Str: 19 Dex: 18 Con: 18 Int: 14 Wis: 15 Chr: 28

• Spear of Victory: +5.
• Victory Rune: this can be activated to guarantee herself or an ally a melee hit. Can be used up to 3 times/day. 

Sigrún’s name means "victory rune". She is the knower of the mysteries of victory. She was the daughter of King Hogni, and was Svava reborn.

The hero Helgi Hundingsbane first meets her when she leads a band of nine Valkyries

Sigrun was due to marry Hodbrod (Hodbrodd), son of King Granmar, whom she despised and had no intention of marrying. So when Sigrun met Helgi, son of Sigmund, she urged the hero into battle against Hodbrod.

The two fall in love, and Sigrún tells Helgi that her father Högni has promised her to Höðbroddr, the son of king Granmarr. Helgi invades Granmar's kingdom and slays anyone opposing their relationship. Only Sigrún's brother Dagr is left alive on condition that he swears fealty to Helgi.

Dagr is however obliged by honour to avenge his brothers and after having summoned Odin, the god gives him a spear. In a place called Fjoturlund, Dagr kills Helgi and goes back to his sister to tell her of his deed. Sigrún puts Dagr under a powerful curse after which he is obliged to live on carrion in the woods.

The sons of Hunding, enemies of Helgi, became allies of Hodbrodd. Helgi had killed their father in an earlier war. Helgi with the help of his half-brother Sinfjotli, defeated and killed Hodbrod in battle. Hunding's sons - Alf, Eyolf, Herward and Hagbard - were also killed.

Helgi is put in a barrow, but returns from Valhalla one last time so that the two can spend a night together.

Sigrún died early from the sadness, but was reborn again as the Valkyrie Kára.

The Book of Valkyries

 The Book of Valkyries is an OD&D style book of Norse Mythology that focusses on those fierce Shield-maidens of Asgard: the Valkyries.

A while back I did a review of the original Gods, Demigods, & Heroes. This is my effort to produce a book that is what I wish that book had been like. Also to address some of my criticisms towards the AD&D Legends & Lore books.

The first criticism is the lack of sound scholarship. I don't mean the kind of in depth knowledge a professor of Mythology who teaches at the college level would have (though that would be ideal). But something a good journeyman who studied and researched the material would have. After doing the research then taking those myths and D&Difying them. Turning them into gameable material suitable for use in any D&D campaign. This step necessitates extrapolating and even inventing beyond what is in the canon. This shortcoming is excusable in GD&H because it is more or less an amateur production, but by the time AD&D rolled around TSR had the resources to produce a much higher quality book of lore.

In the case of Norse Mythology there is really only the Eddas, and a few scraps of other material. The Icelandic Sagas, while valuable, are generally written far later than the time of the Viking era. In the case of translating to game material though anything and everything is fair game excepting more modern additions. So I'm generally avoiding the lore of modern Paganism, Wicca, and related material. Those are interesting, but for purposes of the Book of Valkyries I'd rather stick to the old stuff.