«The Hylja»

Hylja is old norse for «Bury; Conceal; Hide».

Little is known about the Hylja except for what is told through song and tales to frighten young children throughout the north. Recurring themes speak of powerful undead warriors relentlessly on the march, day and night, with no goal and no aim. Every village they pass through is torn asunder, its people left maimed and bloody with no survivors. However, some bards will also add that, before they leave their slaughter behind, a beautiful young woman will suddenly stand in the midst of it all and sing a song so beautiful some of the corpses will rise and follow the Hylja on their aimless wandering.

Like most tales sung by the proud bards of the north, much of this is true. In truth, however, the Hylja are tools of the Storgothi - the Hight Priest of the North. Their goal is as single as it is secret: Inquisition. Following their leader, the Hyljagothi, they are on an everlasting mission to find any trace of blasphemous human sacrifice among the many villages of the Greatking’s domain. If discovered, they are to dispatch of any who may have broken this first rule of worship. Without mercy or empathy, a single blasphemous individual is enough to doom an entire village. Indeed, in their mind, the second human blood touches and breaks an altar of the Silent One, the village and its inhabitants are already far beyond redemption.

To still the all-consuming corruption stemming from sacriligious practice, a secret song passed on from ancient times is sung by the Hyljagothi. This is the Varásang, the song of spring, which seems to be the only tool available to dampen the dire consequences of allowing the Silent One too far beyond the veil. The otherwise mute Hylja tend to join their priest with drums and wordless humming. Indeed, the Hylja will blindly follow and tirelessly protect their priest whereever she takes them on their mission, like children following their mother.

From my personal Norse fantasy project - «Efla Blót»