| “ | It is the ashen god's fault. She told us. The witch. Said the ashen god murdered Baldur and in doing so started Fimbulwinter. She said if the god dies, Fimbulwinter will end. No more night. No more cold. No Ragnarök. We ran out of food a week ago, no matter. Soon we will feast on godflesh. | ” |
–A message by the Raiders on Kratos | ||
The Raiders are common enemies found only in Midgard in God of War Ragnarök, mostly during the first parts of the game.
Like the Reavers, the Raiders are one of the very few people that had not fled during during the Desolation as they chose survival over fleeing to a safer place. They are known for having adapted to the climate of Fimbulwinter, due to having transformed their Fylgia (Guardian Spirit) using magic, which allows them to take on animalistic traits. Because of their extreme ways of survival, they will act hostile towards anyone who is an outsider.
Furthermore, like the Reavers, some of the raiders that were killed were immediately reanimated as Hel-Walkers.
Description
Raiders are berserker-like marauders who chose to stay and survive the harshness of Fimbulwinter rather than flee to safety. They wear a coat of animal fur and sometimes masks to cover their faces. Male Raiders are mostly seen wearing deer hides with masks decorated with stag antlers and wield an antler-like mace which gives them the appearances of stag. Raider Scouts are seemingly only women who are adorned with owl feathers and an owl-like mask or tribal face paint and are armed with deadly bladed slings for hurling projectiles from a distance. Lastly, the Raider Chief is much larger and burlier, sporting a thick hood made of ox pelt with tusk-like decorations that make him look closer to a wooly mammoth; wielding a massive bone bident, the Raider Chief are considered to be the strongest of the raiders which makes him to be leader of their tribe.
Codex
Few humans are left in the Wildwoods these days. Those who survive have either stashed themselves away in the warmest places they can find, or-should they choose not to hide-have only fended off the cold by transmorgrifying their fylgia -their "Guardian Spirit". This part of their soul takes the traits of an animal, allowing them to adapt to Midgard's unforgiving climate. As of late, the various remaining Raiders around the Wildwoods seem Hel-bent on murdering the lot of us. The protection stave keeps interlopers at bay, bit every hunting trip beyond its borders inevitably results in a scouting party or two.
Raider Scout
While most Raiders favor the strength and pride of the stag for their fylgia, Scouts favor the owl for its sharp eyes and sharper talons. They often claim to be able to peer through the eye of owls, but this strikes me as boastful havers. They favor ranged attacks, and are deadly accurate with their slings.
Raider Chief
The Raider Chiefs adopts the strength of the mighty ox for their fylgia, and visually speaking, it's quite oblivious-massive hulking forms that weaponise nearly every part of their body should they throw their weight behind it. According to Raider tradition, Chiefs are chosen several days and nights of combat trials. Only the strongest warriors are even given a chance, and by the end of the trials, most (if not all) of the contestants are dead-including the winner! Due to drastically dwindling numbers, I think they may have changed their methods.
Kol Raiders
These counterparts of the Raiders are notoriously known for their habit of setting themselves on fire upon death.
Tis a peculiar schism in the culture of Raiders that a group such as this may entirely turn over their focus of their devotion from blood to fire, while maintaining such mainstream Raider traditions as their castes of animal fylgia, and their immediate and lethal hostility towards all outsiders.
Kol Raider Scout
Lest, we grow too accustomed to the ordinary plains from the slingshots of ranged Raider Scouts, we are blessed to encounter this variant, who instead throw fire all over the bloody place.
Hel-Raiders
They are Raiders who have been reanimated into undead after death.
Your standard Stag-styled Raider, only dead-and far more dangerous for it. Relentless, frenzied, rageful creatures... Lighting them on fire should help them calm down.
Hel-Raider Scout
The frozen, undead "Hel" variant of your Owl-styled Raider Scout-faster, louder, colder!
Hel-Raider Chief
Take your garden-variety "Ox" of a Raider Chief, and replace his blood with the frozen malevolence of Hel itself. Sounds terrible, and rightly so!
Trivia
- There was also going to be a bear raider, in which concept arts were made for this enemy. However, the bear raider didn't make it to the final game for reasons unknown.
- Their reasoning for attacking Kratos is due to Freya, as part of her plot for revenge, convincing them that he is the cause of Fimbulwinter by his murder of Baldur, and killing him will end the winter.
- Apparently, the Raiders also intend to cannibalize Kratos after killing him.
Gallery
Deer Raider
Concept Art
3D Model
Owl Raider
3D Model
Raider Chief
3D Model
Bear Raider
Hel-Raiders
3D models
Hel-Raiders
Valhalla
