Fire-Etin
*Keep in mind that all work with the Etin is done on the other planes, through projection and similar means*
Personality/Appearance:
Fire jotun come from Muspellheim, which is a realm of creation and destruction. And fire. (I wouldnt recommend pathwalking here for too long. Many places are described as being painfully hot, and if not used to something like this it may not end well for the person doing the projection). Unlike the frost jotun, they tend to be a little more outgoing and social. Emphasis on the word little. They are still territorial and much like the frost-jotun in some regards. Again, though, it depends on the individual.
They embody or personify fire. They live loudly, laugh loudly, fight loudly, act wildly, are wild, have raging anger, etc. Spirit workers say that they are often laughing, dancing, singing, and otherwise just being cheerful and wild with each other. Probably not a good idea to make one angry, however, as we all know how fast a fire can spread and the destruction it can leave in its wake. They can be very hot-headed (bud um chh) and quick to anger, and once angered it can take them awhile to cool down. The best way to befriend one of these guys is to show respect, and at the same time join in their festivities. They love all forms of entertainment, and often poems and songs are given to them as offerings. Also things to burn. They like to burn things. Alcohol, as with many other jotun, is a great offering to befriend them. High proof is the best, as it reacts best with fire. They like things that go BOOM.
*Note: Ive heard that should you anger one, especially Surt, that you should avoid candlework for awhile.
Surt is seen as the leader of the fire etin. He is one of the elder etin. In the Eddas, it is said that Surt was there guarding Muspellheim long before Ymir and Audumhla broke from the ice. As such, Surt is the oldest living being in the Nine Worlds, and may well be some kind of primal androgyne, although he does not make this a public issue . Raven K. If you already didnt know, he plays a big role during Ragnarok: Where he goes to battle, kills Freyr, and covers the world in fire which pretty much destroys everything. Ill go into further detail on him in his own section.
Unlike the frost-thurses, fire-etins tend to be more social and civil with each other. They come together in large gatherings, all ruled under Surt, and are otherwise much like a giant connected community- not as broken up as the tribal frost-etins. All of the fire-etin show respect to their leader, so it may be in the pathwalkers best interest to befriend him (as best you can) before making friends with his folk. Ive heard it suggested that if you work with Surt, he introduces you to the rest of his family. Loki would be a good one to ask for help as well, as he has fire-etin blood in him and has close ties with Surt. On top of that, much like the frost-thurses, the fire-etins have a deep respect for Hel and the dead. Should you come into trouble, if you work with her you may be able to drop her name and get out of said trouble.
Again, you shouldnt try playing a game of twenty-questions with the fire-etins. They do not necessarily have the patience that other jotunfolk have, and may get extremely irritated if you give long-winded replies. They do not like questions, period, if you are an outsider and have not taken the time to participate in their games, drinking, laughing, etc. They may be extremely blunt and cut you off. Be careful what you say to one of these guys. In a way, they have an ego that they like to maintain (which is not unlike the frost-thurses) and should you bruise that ego- it wont end pretty. Fire-etin are very outgoing, very courageous and bold- they have no problem getting in your face or in your business. Its been suggested that if a fire-etin is NOT in your business, is not outgoing and is being subdued- youre in deep trouble.
Appearance-wise, the fire-etin show themselves in several ways. Like true jotunfolk, they have several forms that they enjoy taking. As you can imagine, some of their forms reflect their nature and environment. Their humanoid form *again they are not physical beings* is said to look just slightly taller than the tallest human, almost dirty-black looking due to soot which sometimes flakes off and shows clean tan skin beneath. They take the form of fire, sometimes looking to be humanoid in shape but made completely out of sparks and coals. Sometimes to scare people they make themselves into blizzard-like shapes, massive in size, completely made out of flames. Its more common to see them, in their flame forms, as giving off an orange/red glow. But when they become more intense they turn a blueish color. Surt is described as being short, as the older generations are often smaller than the newer ones. Sometimes you may not even be able to see a fire-etin, as they like to sit encompassed in puffs of smoke and ash.
Variations:
Sky jotun are actually less a specific type and more like fire-etins who are placed in the sky- though this is not the case for Skoll and Hati. They often have specific tasks and goals to accomplish, hence why they are there in the first place. There are a handful of them that personify certain things like the day (Daeg), night (Nott), sun and moon (Sunna/Mani). Hati and Skoll, who I will explain below, are technically in the sky with the rest of these Jotun but are considered Iron Wood. There are, supposedly, some storm-giants (who are throwbacks of frost-giants) who have learned to fly, as they are associated with the winds- and sometimes they consider themselves sky jotun. Outside of this, there is technically no such thing as a sky-giant. And like I said before, dont get too caught up in things like this, because it doesnt really matter.
Why work with a fire-etin?
- Learn about fire and understand its nature
- Learn how to endure harsh heat
- Control emotions such as rage
- At the same time, live vibrantly with strong emotions
- Courage and strength
Why avoid a fire-etin?
- Potential for destruction
- Still somewhat antisocial
- Quick to temper a good portion of the time
- Go to the extremes with emotions
- Fierce loyalty and passion, which can be overwhelming
