08/20/2026 - 09/20/2026 | 11:59:59PM IST

Crescent's Guiding Heart

A few hours prior to Hymn's arrival upon Ulfrheim, Ylva sat quietly beside a campfire within Hymnlaeja. Through the underbrush and nearer to the coast she could see Skorgrim and Hel together. Over the last few weeks the two had grown rather close. Hel had taken it upon herself to mentor him, teaching him her ways and helping him find his place among them. He was no longer an outsider, and it wasn’t only Hel he had grown close to. He and Ylva had begun building a relationship of their own. Things seemed peaceful, and for the first time in a very long time, Ylva felt at peace too. She missed those she had left behind on Ulfrheim more than she cared to admit, but here, with Hel at her side and without the judgment of those who had cast doubt upon their relationship, Ylva finally felt as though they could move on.

As night drew in, the three settled into the small settlement they had begun building upon Hymnlaeja with Hymn's blessing. It wasn't much, but it was theirs all the same. Even though Ylva's days had grown quieter, her nights had not been so kind to her. The nightmares were as violent as ever, and worse still, they were the same each and every time. Fenrir, her father, dying before her very eyes. Plagued by a sickness she could neither understand nor cure. Ylva would toss and turn, crying out in her sleep until Hel woke her each and every time, holding her through the worst of it until she realized where she was. Hel had tried everything from medicinal teas to soothing herbs, but nothing seemed to help. In truth, Hel was worried, though she refused to say it aloud. Most nights she simply laid awake beside Ylva, watching her sleep and silently praying this would finally be the night she found some peace.

This night was much like all the others, only this time Ylva woke herself. She laid exhausted beneath the open sky, staring toward the brilliant display of moon and stars overhead as she waited for her heart to settle. Hel slept soundly nearby, and for a moment Ylva considered waking her when something caught the corner of her eye. The shape of a Felvarg stood within the darkness, its entire body bathed in an ethereal blue light. “Hello?” Ylva called out, but silence answered her. Slowly she rose to all fours, taking one last look toward Hel and Skorgrim before cautiously pushing through the underbrush. The spirit appeared again within a meadow nearby, standing upon the opposite side beside the hollow of a hulking tree. “Hey, wait!” Ylva called out, but the spirit turned and disappeared into the hollow without a word.

Ylva broke into a run. By the time she reached the tree she was breathless from bounding across the meadow in pursuit, yet she did not hesitate before following the creature inside. What waited beyond the hollow was unlike anything she could have expected. The inside stretched impossibly far beyond the tree that contained it, bathed in dappled blue light while cyan wisps danced effortlessly through the air around her. Ylva cautiously continued onward until the hollow opened into a clearing, where a quiet spring rested at its center. A shrine rose from the water itself, consumed by foliage. “Hello?” Ylva called again, but still there was no response.

Ylva approached the spring and gazed cautiously into its waters. Her reflection rippled beneath her at first, but as the surface settled, what stared back caused her to recoil. It was another Felvarg. Ylva looked frantically toward her own paws, searching herself as though somehow she might have changed without realizing it, but she was herself in every way. Slowly she approached the water once more, and there the unfamiliar creature remained, staring back at her from where her own reflection should have been. “What do you see?” A voice sliced through the silence, causing Ylva to spin as she searched left and right until she noticed the spirit perched upon the statue at the center of the spring.

“Who are you?” Ylva demanded.

The spirit leapt effortlessly from the statue and landed upon the surface of the spring, though the water beneath its paws remained perfectly still. “My name is Eptara.”

Ylva gasped as her eyes widened in disbelief. “You? You're real.”

Eptara chuckled softly before approaching her. “You have lost your way, Ylva, Crescent's Guiding Heart.”

Ylva pinned her ears back in confusion. “What do you mean?”

The spirit remained quiet for some time before finally speaking once more. “You don't belong here. They need you, Ylva.”

“They don't!” Ylva lashed out as tears immediately welled within her eyes. “I don't belong there with them. They don't understand.”

Eptara waited patiently for her anger to settle before answering. “Not them, Ylva. Your people.”

Ylva frowned as she shook her head. “You're confused. They are my people. I am Ylva, Daughter of Fenrir.”

Eptara approached her now, but Ylva stood her ground. “You are more than the daughter of Fenrir. You are far more.”

Ylva's ears slowly lifted as she searched the spirit's expression for some indication of what she meant. “Speak clearly, please.”

“Your people are waiting for you in Helvalla, Crescent's Guiding Heart, where the throne lays barren in wait of you.”

Ylva immediately shook her head, stepping backwards as though distance between herself and Eptara might somehow change what she had heard. “You're wrong. I lead no one.”

Eptara did not follow her. “You cannot change fate, Ylva, Crescent's Guiding Heart.”

Ylva's expression twisted with frustration as she lashed back, “I don't care what fate you believe I have! That throne is cursed, and I don't want it.”

Eptara watched Ylva quietly for some time. “That is a choice you can make, Ylva, Crescent's Guiding Heart, but one that would hold consequences.”

Ylva frowned. “What do you mean?”

The spirit's expression softened before she continued. “Fate rests upon you bringing balance to Helvalla. It is not a role I would have given myself, but it was one I had to take for the Yggdravixen. Should you refuse the throne, Ylva, all those you love upon Ulfrheim will perish.”

Ylva recoiled in disbelief. “No! No, I don't believe you.”

Eptara remained calm despite the desperation in Ylva's voice. “Nightfall's pawn is reigning terror upon Ulfrheim as we speak. You must find Hymn. Find her and tell her to seek out the beast called Orvar. Should Oracle strike him down, he will pay an unspeakable debt, for his brother will die.”

Countless thoughts raced through Ylva's head as she tried desperately to make sense of what Eptara was telling her. It wasn't until she understood exactly who the spirit meant that her eyes widened. Fenrir. “No,” she whispered as tears streamed freely down her face now. “Please, no.”

“Go, Ylva. Find Hymn. Find Hymn, and then find me. There is little time to waste. I'll be waiting here.”

Ylva did not wait for Eptara to say another word. She turned and raced from the spring, leaving the spirit behind as she tore through the hollow. She scarcely remembered crossing the meadow when her paws finally found familiar soil again. Hel and Skorgrim were no longer resting where she had left them, but Ylva did not stop to search for either of them. There was only one soul she needed to find. “Hymn!” Ylva called desperately as she pushed through Hymnlaeja's underbrush. “Hymn!”

It wasn't long before a familiar golden light flickered between the trees ahead. Hymn emerged quietly from the forest, her brilliance casting long shadows across the earth as she approached. “Ylva,” her voice echoed softly, concern woven into her otherwise gentle tone. “What troubles you?”

Ylva scarcely allowed her to finish before responding. “You have to go to Ulfrheim.”

Hymn's expression shifted almost immediately. “I cannot.”

“Please,” Ylva pleaded as she approached the goddess. “You have to find Orvar.”

For the first time uncertainty crossed Hymn's features as she repeated the unfamiliar name, “Orvar?”

Ylva nodded desperately. “Yes! He's there now. He's hurting them, and if you don't go they're going to kill him. If Orvar dies, my father dies with him.”

Hymn watched Ylva carefully for several moments before asking the question Ylva had been dreading. “How do you know this?”

Ylva opened her mouth, but nothing came out. How could she possibly explain something she hardly understood herself? “I can't tell you.”

Hymn's expression hardened slightly. “Ylva.”

She shook her head desperately. “I can't! I know how that sounds, but you have to believe me. Please.”

Hymn remained silent for some time as Ylva waited anxiously before her. “I believe your intentions are true, Ylva, but I cannot interfere with matters upon Ulfrheim, nor Helvalla. I was forbidden from doing so long ago.”

“By who?”

“Eptara.”

Ylva froze where she stood. Hymn continued, unaware of the realization painted across Ylva's face. “When the Yggdravixen fled into Niflheim seeking refuge, Eptara forbade my interference in the conflict that followed. It was necessary to protect them and the balance they preserved. I answer only to the Keeper of Balance.”

Ylva's heart pounded violently within her chest as she looked away from Hymn. For so long she had run from everything Helvalla represented, from even Ulfrheim. Its throne had destroyed families, driven creatures mad with power, and left countless others fighting over something Ylva wanted absolutely no part of. She had spent her entire life beneath the shadow of another Felvarg's name. Fenrir's daughter. The Great Father's child. She didn't want another title, another responsibility, or another reason for everyfel to look upon her and expect her to be something she wasn't. Yet somewhere deep within herself, Ylva knew Eptara had been right about one thing.

She was more than the daughter of Fenrir.

“Then I'm taking it.”

Hymn tilted her head softly as Ylva finally looked back toward her. “Taking what?”

Ylva swallowed hard, forcing the words free before fear could swallow them again. “The throne.” Somewhere within the underbrush nearby, Hel stopped dead in her tracks, her attention immediately turning toward the two as Ylva continued. “I'm taking the throne of Helvalla. I don't want it. I never wanted it, and I don't care about the power that comes with it. I'm tired of watching everyfel fight over it. I'm tired of watching them hurt each other because they believe sitting upon some cursed throne will make them worthy of something.” Her voice trembled, but she refused to look away from Hymn. “If taking it means I can stop them, then I will. If it means I can bring peace to Helvalla, then I will.”

Hymn did not appear surprised, something that frightened Ylva more than anything. “I don't know what I'm doing,” Ylva admitted quietly as the bravery she had found moments ago began to falter. “But I know I can't let my father die.”

For a long moment Hymn simply studied her, until slowly the faintest smile pulled at her expression. “Then I will grant you this favor.” Ylva's ears lifted as Hymn stepped closer, lowering her head respectfully toward the Felvarg standing before her. “Crescent's Guiding Heart.”

Ylva's heart skipped a beat. Before she could question the familiar title, Hymn erupted into a brilliant pillar of golden light. The force sent Ylva stumbling backwards as countless spectral creatures burst free from the heavens above. Wolves, stags, foxes, and birds raced through Hymnlaeja before gathering around their goddess, twisting through the brilliant light until Hymn disappeared alongside them into the night sky, bound for Ulfrheim. Ylva stood beneath the fading brilliance in silence, her heart still pounding within her chest as she tried to comprehend everything that had happened. Eptara had called her Crescent's Guiding Heart, and now Hymn had done the same. There was no longer any part of Ylva that could convince herself the strange encounter had been nothing more than another nightmare.

A branch snapping behind her caused Ylva to spin around. Hel stood quietly within the underbrush, watching her with an expression Ylva couldn't quite understand. For several uncomfortable moments neither of them spoke. Ylva's stomach sank as she realized just how much Hel must have heard. “Hel…” she called softly as her ears folded tightly against her head.

Hel stepped free from the darkness before looking toward the heavens where Hymn had disappeared. “You're taking the throne,” she spoke quietly, though it wasn't a question. Ylva searched Hel's expression for anger, confusion, perhaps even betrayal, yet strangely she found none of them.

“Yes,” Ylva whispered. Hel's attention remained fixed upon the heavens for a moment longer before slowly returning to Ylva. There was something within her expression Ylva couldn't place, something that only confused her further given everything she had just overheard. Eventually Hel approached, closing some of the distance between them before she did something she had never done before, she lowered herself to the ground in a respectful bow.

Objective:

Depict or write your character somewhere within Sanna’s Grasp as Hymn answers Ylva’s plea. Night has settled peacefully in the sky, the moon and countless stars shining brightly overhead, when without warning a brilliant pillar of golden light erupts from the heavens. The light is blinding, illuminating everything it touches. From within the brilliance, countless spectral creatures burst free. Wolves race effortlessly across the meadow, stags bound through the underbrush, foxes weave between the trees, and birds soar high overhead, each formed from a shimmering magical golden light.

Reward:

1,500 Felcredits, 1x Chest of War, Peace, Power, Knowledge, 5x Bleeding Hearts, 1x Celestial Blessing, 1x Opal (BoA)*, 50% chance for Import Background Set: Hymnlæja

Optional:

Each visual and literature entry will be placed into separate community votes, with Digital Art and Literature being voted on independently. The entry receiving the most votes in each category will be awarded 50x Relics. Additionally, the owner will select one Digital Art entry to be permanently featured on the new Storybook/Lore Guide, accompanied by one selected Literature entry. Both featured creators will receive an additional 50x Relics each for having their work immortalized within the official storybook and credited appropriately. If your entry is a collaboration, the reward will be split.

08/01/2026 - 08/31/2026 | 11:59:59PM IST

Forest Interlude

The sunlight that trickles through the canopy casts little speckles of light on the forest floor in the Path of Valhalla. Overhead several birds jump from branch to branch singing songs and barely acknowledging your presence. As you move deeper in the forest, you hear the familiar rustling and chattering of small creatures. A strong wind whips through the thick pines. It rocks their trunks and draws from them a slow, strained creak. The sound stretches through the forest and settles behind your ears, a warning that puts your nerves on edge. For some time now you had trusted the path beneath your paws, its worn edges clearly defined from countless travelers before you. It thins without warning, crumbling into an array of roots, stones, and brambles as though it had never existed in the first place.

The ground that now settled around your paws is fresh and unfamiliar. Each step forward feels more uncertain than the last. All at once the insects fall silent. Trees stood still, their trunks rigid, and ever watchful. Your gaze naturally flows upward only to notice that the birds had abandoned the skies, their fluttering wings and melodic songs had simply vanished. The air grows heavier around you and the silence stretches into something uncomfortable. Instinctively, you sniff the air and swivel your ears in search of something, anything, familiar. Suddenly, a snap of a twig felt like thunder as it cut through the silence. It commands your attention as if Fenrir himself had called your name and you quickly turn your head towards the sound only to find a stranger in the distance.

Your hackles prickle as you spin around to face the sound just as a stranger emerges from the shadows between the trees. “You must be truly lost to have made it this deep into the Path of Valhalla.” The stranger’s words wrap around you like a challenge and you pin your ears back instinctively. “You’ve nearly made it to Rootstocks Hollow…or are you searching for the Path of Blight?” The stranger pauses for a moment, their eyes study your every move. Your paws tense underneath you, ready to act should there be a need for a hasty retreat. “I could help you.” Their offer carries a faint kindness to it but something in the way that it is spoken, every word carefully plucked from a thought, makes it feel as though it is unfinished. Like a door that is left slightly ajar.

Objective:

Depict or write your character becoming stranded within one of Ulfrheim’s many forests when an unfamiliar stranger offers help. Show how your character reacts — with gratitude, suspicion, pride, or something entirely their own.

Reward:

1,000 Felcredits, 1x Long Lost Treasure, 3x Long Lost Map Pieces, 1x Headlamp, 1x Empty Vials, 1x Flask of Instincts*

08/03/2026 - 09/02/2026 | 11:59:59PM IST

Himinnsormr

What was once an evening full of birdsong accompanied by the hum of insects, had suddenly fallen eerily silent. The sky became dull, heavy with the promise of rain, though you had a feeling this wasn’t the cause for the sudden silence. No matter how much you strained your ears, flicking and swiveling them in each direction, you couldn’t hear a sound. You tread the outskirts of the Vale of Whispers, the tall grass thinning as you neared the Caves of Vaskar. A flock of birds screeched as they exploded from the thickets around you. They flew in a panic as they reached the skies, their chatter echoing down the mountain side. A few deer leapt from the hills and raced past you, their eyes wild with fear. Then you finally heard it, the high-pitched whine of the earth as the ground shifted. A quake roared across the land, shaking the ground violently, showering you with loose dirt and debris.

You tumbled to the ground, falling in a small pocket of brambles as the quake wracked your body. Just before the last quake settled, a loud rumble came from the direction of the Caves of Vaskar. Your eyes widened with dismay as part of the mountain side fell in, creating a cavity that quickly filled with a great many rugged rocks. You pulled yourself free from the brambles, their tendrils scraping your fur as you found your balance. The quakes had now ceased and left the earth and mountainside shattered. Just then, the first pip of rain hit your nose. You carefully traced your way towards the mountainside to investigate the damage when a fierce hiss called out in frustration. Making a run for the cave entrance, darkness soon swallowed your form.

Blinking through the dark, you were greeted by several passageways having collapsed. The hiss called out again, this time more panicked and accompanied by thrashing. Peering through small cracks in the fallen rock, a flash of red scaled alerted you that it was Himinnsormr stuck in between passages. A flash of lightning lit the cavern through tiny cracks which was then followed by a roll of thunder outside the caverns. Himinnsormr squirmed, her tail whipping as she desperately tried to find a way out as you both came to the same realization; these passages would flood, sealing your fate among the water. Your paws felt cold as water rushed in. You flicked your paws in aggravation, the water quickly saturating the parched cave walls as it bubbled and whirled in small waves. Heart beating rapidly, you needed to get both Himinnsormr and yourself out before the caves flooded, swallowing the passages whole.

Objective:

Depict or write your character helping Himinnsormr escape the collapsed cave before it floods and takes both of your lives.

Reward:

1,000 Felcredits, 1x Geode, 1x Headlamp, and 1x Snake Eggs