Valkyrie Profile Hrist: Initiating Battle

.Hrist is required to be in your party at all times.

.Your party may contain between one and four party members.

.Enemies wander the fields of Midgard and Asgard in the visible form of shadowy figures of darkness. The size of the enemy's form on the map can tell you what kind of enemies may await you if you engage that enemy in battle.

.If you hit an enemy with Hrist's weapon before it makes contact with you, you will start the battle at an advantage.

.If you hit an enemy with a crystal before it makes contact with you, it will temporarily be turned to stone and be unable to move. Touching a petrified enemy will not incite battle.

.If you use a crystal to shake the ground an enemy is standing on, that enemy will be confused and will briefly stop moving. Contact with a confused enemy will incite a battle, but you will automatically be at an advantage.

.If you hit an enemy with a Grand Crystal, battle will immediately commence, but you will be at an advantage and the enemies will take damage before the battle begins. Note that the enemy must be hit by the Crystal itself, not by the explosion from it.

.If an enemy makes contact with Hrist rather than her weapon or a Grand Crystal, combat will commence with Hrist and her party at a disadvantage.

.When Hrist is at an advantage, all characters start with an empty Charge Gauge and the allied team will get to attack first. The Break Gauge will also be filled by a small amount.

.When Hrist is at a disadvantage, all characters start with one CT in their Charge Gauge and the enemy team will get to attack first.

Valkyrie Profile Hrist: Artifacts

.While exploring dungeons, you will come across artifacts: items from Asgard long lost to mortals and the undead. Upon discovering an artifact, you have the choice of keeping the artifact for yourself - thereby lowering your Evaluation Level - or sending it up to Odin - losing the item, but increasing your Evaluation.

.Regardless of your decision, finding an artifact will increase your Hero Level slightly.

Valkyrie Profile Hrist: Ley Lines

.Sealstones' effects only affect a small area in dungeons. To spread their effects into different areas of the dungeon, you must utilize ley lines - lines of power that run between different sections of dungeons and can carry a sealstone's power with them.

.Ley lines are frequently blocked by mini bosses or sealing puzzles that must be overcome to free the flow of power. Once unblocked, a ley line will run to the nearest Dais and pick up the attributes of the placed sealstone.

.If Hrist contacts a Dais that has a ley line connected to it, she has the option of spreading that line to all other nearby Daises.

.Using crystals, Hrist can block the flow of ley lines between Daises or shut the line off entirely by shooting a crystal at the source of the line.

Valkyrie Profile Hrist: Sealstones

.While in dungeons, Hrist will come across sealstones, crystallized energy from Yggdrasil that possesses special powers.

.When held, a sealstone will grant Hrist its benefit or detriment.

.When placed on a Dais, sealstones will project their effects onto all enemies in the surrounding area.

.When placed on a Shell, sealstones will have no effect.

.Springs are openings into Yggdrasil that you can use to store or retrieve sealstones. Placing a sealstone into a spring allows you to retrieve that sealstone from any dungeon in Asgard. Dungeons in Midgard, however, are limited to the sealstones native to their dungeon.

.Some sealstones will have different effects on allies than enemies.

Valkyrie Profile Hrist: Dungeons

.While exploring locations suffused with evil, Hrist has many tools at her disposal.

.Hrist can doublejump to avoid enemies or surmount obstacles.

.Hrist can attack with her equipped weapon to destroy objects or initiate combat. Swords have short range but a quick swing. Spears have a longer range but a slower swing. Bows have a long firing time but a very long range.

.Hrist can project stone crystals at her foes. While Lenneth's ice crystals could freeze enemies and create platforms and Silmeria's photon crystals could hold enemies and teleport them, Hrist's stone crystals serve a different function. In addition to encasing enemies in an immobile but temporary stone prison, these crystals can forcefully push objects they make contact with from a great distance - including petrified enemies!

.Shooting a crystal into the ground will create shockwaves that will distract enemies or knock over certain objects, and holding the firing button will charge up a Grand Crystal that can cause the object it impacts to explode.

.Hrist can push and pull movable objects of reasonable weight with ease.

Valkyrie Profile Hrist: Malice Sense

.Lenneth has Spiritual Concentration; Silmeria has object reading; Hrist has the ability to sense malice and evil-doing in the air, which she calls her "Malice Sense." When the Malice Gauge on the side of the screen fills and begins to flash, be it in a town, a dungeon, or the world map, activate this ability with the Select button to uncover the source of the negative energy.

.If the Malice Gauge only rises partway in an area, make note to come back later once you hear rumors, find artifacts, or recruit Einherjar related to that location.

.In a town, the Malice Gauge will often respond to the beginnings of an Einherjar Character Quest or recruitment scene.

.In a dungeon, the Malice Gauge may uncover a new section of the dungeon or a hidden monster.

.On the world map, the Malice Gauge will usually reveal the location of a new dungeon.

Valkyrie Profile Hrist: Endings

.There are four possible endings to the game. Your actions, Evaluation Rating, and Hero Level all influence which ending you receive.

.Fail in your duties and you will get the Bad Ending, wherein Freya slays you and reacquires your soul.

.The C Ending ends at the boss fight against Genevieve. Hrist is praised for her work and allowed to continue.

.The B Ending ends at the boss fight against Lady Beliza. Hrist is praised but considered to be going rogue, so Freya renews her seal, wiping her memories.

.The A Ending ends with Lenneth and Silmeria joining your party, a boss fight against Queen Hel, and the salvation of Dyn. In this ending, Hrist is viewed with suspicion by Odin, but Lenneth and Silmeria stand up for her. You must have a high Hero and Evaluation rating to obtain this ending and have performed a certain number of Character Quests.

Valkyrie Profile Hrist: Leone

.When around mortals, Hrist takes on the form of the mercenary Leone. In this form, Hrist can only jump once and cannot project crystals.

Valkyrie Profile Hrist: Sending Einherjar to Odin

.Your purpose as a Valkyrie is to supply Odin with warriors to cross swords with the enemies of Asgard. To this end, you are obligated - from Chapter 2 onward - to send up at least one Einherjar per chapter that fulfills basic requirements Odin has requested through Freya.

.During the Sacred Phase between chapters, Freya will inform you of Odin's requests for the coming chapter. He might request a specific type of unit such as an archer; a character who knows or has mastered a specific skill; a character with a Hero Level greater than a certain number; a character who knows certain skill or has been trained to a certain level; or any myriad of other requests.

.During the chapter following the Sacred Phase, train as many or as few Einherjar as necessary to fulfill Odin's requests, then use the menu command to Send those Einherjar to Asgard. Note that the sent Einherjar will be removed from your party after doing so and can only be returned to it during War Battles or the Seraphic Gate.

.During the next Sacred Phase, your compliance with Odin's requests will figure prominently in your evaluation. Follow them to the letter to reap great rewards.

.Note that you cannot send an Einherjar whose Character Quest you have started but not completed.

Valkyrie Profile Hrist: Einherjar

.All the forces of Asgard are at your command...as long as they are not already on assignment. Request the services of any inactive Einherjar from Odin during the Sacred Phase to have them added to your party for the next chapter.

.At times, Odin will require that you find him a warrior to complete a specific task for him in Asgard. You must send up an Einherjar trained to suit Odin's needs or risk displeasure and divine punishment. Successfully answering the request will result in a windfall of rewards.

.While traveling Midgard, Einherjar may encounter old friends, old enemies, or old schemes that haunt them even after death. Einherjar vie for positions on Hrist's journeys because they know she will take vengeance for them despite her position. Complete these Character Quests for a variety of rewards, including items, new quests, new Einherjar, and augments or strength or skill buffs for participating Einherjar. Note that, if you are in the middle of undertaking a Character Quest, any participating Einherjar cannot be returned to Odin's employ until the quest is complete.

.Unlike the gods, human Einherjar possess character traits that influence their Hero Level, which players of Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth will be familiar with. Hero Level is often a crucial characteristic for Odin's requests and influences a character's performance in battle. Hero Level can be raised by leveling up, raising character traits with skill points, or completing Character Quests.

Valkyrie Profile Hrist: Sacred Phase

.At certain periods, Freya will contact you and request your return to Asgard. These periods are known as Sacred Phases.

.Unlike those of Valkyrie Profile Lenneth, several events occur during Sacred Phases:

.Freya will present you with goals for the next chapter.

.Your performance will be rated against the performance of Lenneth and Silmeria, and you may receive rewards and Evaluation points for doing better than they did.

.You may accept and/ or report the completion of various quests from your fellow gods.

.Odin may request that you train a particular type of warrior for his uses, or that you raise a certain character's Hero Level.

.If Odin made such a request during the previous Sacred Phase, you must fulfill it here or risk his great displeasure.

.If conflict is brewing, a War Battle may commence.

.You may explore Asgard for experience and quest rewards.

Valkyrie Profile Hrist: The Passing of Time

.While in Asgard, time does not flow the way it does in the mortal world of Midgard. You can spend as much time as you desire fighting, forging, and visiting locations in Asgard without worrying about time passing in the game as a whole. This makes Asgard the ideal place to grind for levels.

.When on Midgard, time does flow as we are used to. Visiting any location will take up time, bringing you closer to the eventual sealing of the portal to Nifelheim and the end of the game.

Valkyrie Profile Hrist: Our Protagonist

~ Hrist ~
Gender: Female
Race: God
Age: N/A
Weapon: Light Sword/ Spear/ Bow
Soul Crush: Nibelung Valesti

.Eldest of the three Valkyrie sisters, she is much respected in Asgard for her devotion to her duty. Einherjar desire to serve under her with the knowledge that, if they serve her well, she may avenge them upon their still-living foes.
.As your protagonist, and a Valkyrie besides, it's no surprise that Hrist is one cool customer on the battlefield. Unlike most of the gods, she can learn any skill in the game and can actually acquire a Hero Level through certain actions and events in the story, and unlike any other character, she can equip three different types of weapons.
.Hrist has very high strength and agility, making her a powerful and slippery fighter. She can equip several very durable pieces of divine armor as well, giving her high defenses. This is all good, as her DME is rather low and you will want to keep her alive.
.Hrist can never be removed from your party, although she will not be present in all battles.
.Should Hrist perish in battle and not be revived within three turns, all Einherjar in your party will immediately be K.O.'d as well. Gods, humans, and undead may continue fighting, however.

Valkyrie Profile Hrist: Gameplay

@ Asgard

.Learn of and accept assignments for the destruction of the undead or human heretics from Freya.

.Learn of and accept assignments for the destruction of various unholy creatures in the realms of the gods from Odin, Freya, and other gods.

.Learn of and accept fetch quests from various gods to locate materials and/ or artifacts in Asgard, Midgard, and other realms.

.Outperform your sisters Lenneth and Silmeria at the duties of a Valkyrie and collect rewards for doing such.

.Aid the gods in their battles against the undead and other foes.

.Request the services of Einherjar from Odin. Einherjar may already be on assignation and thus be unavailable for questing.

.Return a previously commissioned Einherjar to Odin at his request for their services on an assignment unrelated to your duties.

.Utilize divine fusion and dwarven forgery to craft new weapons and artifacts for your usage.

@ Midgard

.Hunt down various monsters or human heretics to fulfill your assignments from Freya.

.Locate various materials and/ or artifacts to fulfill fetch quests.

.Train Einherjar under your command that Odin is requesting to participate in separate jobs.

.Learn of the tragedies and betrayals that haunt your Einherjar and mete out vengeance on their behalf.

.Find the souls of the worthy who are close to death and bring them to Valhalla as new Einherjar.

.Locate rumors and reports of monsters and the undead from mortals in order to hunt them down and slay them.

.Foil the diabolical workings of Genevieve, Hel, and Lady Beliza.

Valkyrie Profile Hrist: Introduction

Some of you are hopefully acquainted with the magnificent old PS1/ PSP game Valkyrie Profile, which, despite its creative liberties with the world of Norse mythology, was in all ways a truly stellar game. (If you're not, you should seriously check it out.) The game spawned two sequels: the first (Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria) almost killed the series, and the second (Covenant of the Plume) was an interesting successor to the original but suffered from the damage Silmeria had caused to the franchise. Due to the underwhelming performance of these two prequels, it is up in the air whether a Valkyrie Profile starring the third Valkyrie sister, Hrist, will ever be produced. As such, it's fair game for me to imagine it! Seize your weaponry, my loyal Einherjar, and follow me into creative battle with this elusive creature: Valkyrie Profile Hrist.