Baldur: Norse God of bravery

Baldur is the second son of Odin, King of the Norse Gods, and the younger brother of Thor. Much like his elder brother, Baldur is entrusted with countless missions on his father’s behalf so that Odin can remain hidden away in the impregnable Valhalla Club.

In ancient times, Baldur was princely and handsome in appearance, but his reawakening has seen him become grizzled, rugged and world-weary. When the Norse scientists resuscitated Baldur, his parents, Odin and Frigg, recalled the ancient prophecy of his death, and fearing this outcome, they devoted much sorcery to ensuring his invulnerability. Their rituals, taking many months to complete, were indeed successful, but at the cost of Baldur’s youthful good looks. He can be wounded, but cannot be slain by any weapon not fashioned out of mistletoe. Accordingly, Odin and Frigg, with Thor’s assistance, have sought out and destroyed all Earth’s mistletoe. This plant is now believed to be extinct, though some enemies of Odin remain determined to find any remnant to weaponize.

Baldur’s campaigning for his father is the more formidable for his great ship Hringhorni, believed to be the greatest vessel on all the world’s seas. Practically an entire city in her own right, Hringhorni is a floating fortress packed with enough weaponry to level coastal cities and the enchantments to protect her from non-magical assaults almost as well as Baldur himself is impervious to ordinary weapons.

When venturing onto land, Baldur travels in smaller vehicles constructed of salvaged materials, though he does so rarely, knowing that, despite his magical protection against death, he could still be captured and imprisoned by his foes. There are those, however, who believe that all this is an elaborate ruse, and that the mighty Hringhorni is simply a maritime decoy allowing Baldur to travel terrestrially in disguise.