Appearing in "Blood Demands Blood"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Norn Witches
- Balder (Death)
- Aesir
- Heimdall
- Hoder (Main story and flashback) (Death)
Other Characters:
- Sleipnir
- Garm
- Seeress (First appearance)
- Idunn (Only in flashback)
- Valkyrior
- Mimir (On map)
- Dragon Nidhogg (On map)
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Yggdrasil
- Asgard
- Vanaheim (On map)
- Alfheim (On map)
- Midgard (On map)
- Bifrost Rainbow Bridge (On map)
- Jotunheim (On map)
- Muspelheim (On map)
- Svartalfheim (On map)
- Nidavellir (On map)
- Niffleheim (On map)
- Hel (On map)
- Hvergelmir (On map)
- Lake Urdar
- Valhalla (Mentioned)
Items:
- Golden Apples of Idunn (Mentioned)
- Arrow of Hoder
Synopsis for "Blood Demands Blood"
Loki visited the Norn Witches under Yggdrasil and they assumed that he came to them to know his destiny. Later, he visited Balder at the edge of Asgard and learned about his dreams that were tearing at him. Loki swore that nothing bad would happen to Balder before they went to the Aesir to reveal the latter's nightmares. Odin planned to visit the Norns in order to learn the meaning of Balder's nightmares although Loki insisted that he visit the Seeress in Hel instead, claiming that she was bound to the truth. Odin rode Sleipnir to Hel and the Seeress told him that Hel's gates were open and waiting for Balder, that his death would be the first of the gods, and that Balder would die by one of his own. Odin asked the Seeress how Balder's death could be prevented.
Odin returned to Asgard and made plans to prevent Balder's death by naming everything that could kill him and having them swear an oath not to do so with Yggdrasil swearing to Loki not to kill Balder. When Loki visited the Norns, he asked if he would ever take a place among the Aesir and they told him that he would do what Balder, Thor, and Odin could not do. Yggdrasil whispered that he would start with the death of Balder. That night, in Gladsheim, the gods held a celebration and took turns standing by Balder although his twin brother Hoder did not take part.
Once, a drunk Hoder sexually assaulted Idunn, so she denied him the Apples of Youth which she was the keeper of. "Idunn" appeared before the old Asgardian and promised him "her" apples to make him young again if he struck Balder with a mistletoe branch. The branch hit Balder, mortally wounding him, as Loki snuck into a crowd. As Odin turned his attention towards Hoder, Loki took Heimdall's sword and killed Balder's slayer, claiming that "blood always demands blood."