Skuld
by Marco Dalmonte English translation by Gary DaviesPatroness of Fate, Keeper of the Future
Level, Alignment, Sphere: 17th (Celestial), N, Entropy
Symbol: a head of a woman with a black veil that hides the face
Portfolio: future, fate, death, divination, visions
Worshipped in: Hollow World (Antalians), Known World (Northern Reaches, Heldannic Territories), Norwold
Appearance: a woman of a tiny build and an emaciated physique, whose face is perennially covered by a black veil and by a large hood that hides her features, dressed in a black tunic that completely envelops her, leaving exposed only her hands with long tapered fingers that end with nails pointed like blades.
History: PROBABLE THEORY: no one is exactly sure about the past of Skuld, an extremely cold and detached entity, even if one thing is certain: despite her low profile in the entropic hierarchy, she is one of the most ancient Immortals. There are many stories circulating about her origins, on her true interests in the Multiverse, and especially on her link with two other Immortals of different Spheres, Urd (ancient Lawful hierarch of Matter who vanished during the Great Rain of Fire) and Verthandi (Neutral hierarch of Time who is no longer present in the Multiverse by the end of the Fury of the Immortals), but no one has ever been able to discover exactly what is the nature of this Immortal. The most credited hypothesis among the Celestial Spheres is all based on the fact that Urd, Verthandi and Skuld were a group of closely linked Immortals known by various names by the mortals (the Norne according to the Northmen), marking the dominions of fate and of destiny of mortals and Immortals. Urd always represents the past and birth, Verthandi the present, the unending flow of time, and life, while Skuld embodies the future and the final death. According to a theory, maybe Verthandi existed before as Urd (the unchangeable past), and is now Skuld (the chaotic future), and like a wheel that turns, when she becomes a Hierarch she will probably vanish to return as Urd, or (as is presumed the most) following the conclusion of this cycle of the universe and the rise of Entropy as new cosmic order. Others instead prefer to believe that the three Immortals are simply three aspects of just one Immortal called Holle, who often appears in the mortal myths (a female Immortal represented with three faces: the Maiden, the Mother and the Hag). The vital essence of Holle had been split in the past by a mysterious cause, becoming three different Immortals in three different Spheres, probably for maintaining the balance in the Multiverse. There are some willing even to believe that this Immortal was an Old One, who sacrificed himself to seal the Multiverse after the completion of the Dimensional Vortex and balanced it, always reminding the mortals and Immortals that all must submit to their Fate. It maybe that his aspects of Urd and Verthandi have disappeared however, remaining ominously inexplicable, as a omen of the imminent end of the established balance. One thing that is certain is that, even if Urd and Verthandi have vanished, their priests continued to receive spells (the most famous on Mystara are the three Crones of Crystykk in Norwold), probably from Skuld.
Personality: Skuld is a shy and solitary creature, who never leaves his outer plane and always seems withhold information and precious knowledge. Each of her interventions have always a precise purpose in the order of things, and when she expresses herself it is always in a cryptic manner, both with his own followers and with the other Immortals.
Patron: unknown (probably none)
Allies: none
Enemies: none
Alignment of followers: any; clerics must be Neutral
Favourite weapon: short spear (allowed all bludgeoning weapons)
Clerics’ skills and powers: anyone killed by a cleric of Skuld must make a ST vs. Spells, and if they fail, they cannot be resurrected with anything but a wish or a raise dead fully cast by a priest of equal or higher level; free predict the future general skill but based on Wisdom, and with a probability of really knowing the future of the person if the result rolled is at least 4 points higher than the value of the ability
Domains: Entropy, Luck, Death, Oracle
Preferred weapon: half spear
Source: Master and Immortal set