Held Yggdra

"I am not fit for God's duty."

- Held

Held is one of the three dragon gods of the Levin religion incarnated as the Tree of Held, later dubbed the Millennium Tree. He is the guardian of the main forest of Elphegort and is an old friend of Elluka Clockworker.

Early Life
During the time after the Second Period came into existence, Held resided there with his friends, the fellow gods Levia, Behemo, and the god of creation, assuming the form of a young, green-haired man. When the Third Period was created, the creation god used Held as the model for the world's Elphe people. After Levia and Behemo became Levia-Behemo and rebelled against the god of creation's rules, Held was incarnated as a tree about 528 years before the start of the EC calender, tasked with protecting the non-human creatures from the twin gods. He then created a forest around him and all the flora and fauna present in it. Required to not directly involve himself with human affairs, he ordered his spirits never to leave the forest or come near humans. At some time afterward the Tree of Held became known to the people in the nearby country of Heldogort and was worshiped as part of a cult sect in the Levin religion.

Original Sin
"If you do not want to interfere with the human world, then why did you give me this misson?" "Elluka... because Sin has been produced. Since I have no direct relationship with it, I cannot interfere, and for that reason, I send you, a “human”, out to gather them."

- Elluka and Held

After the events creating the Original Sin in EC 001, Held ignored them, believing he should not interfere with the mortal world. At some point, Held secretly met and became close with the sorceress, Elluka Chirclatia. Once Hänsel and Gretel murdered Eve and split the Original Sin into the Seven Deadly Sins, Held realized the danger they posed. Having no direct connection to the Sins, Held summoned Elluka in EC 015 and tasked her with collecting them in his place. Expecting Elluka to complete her mission in about a hundred years, the earth deity placed the responsibility upon her and awaited her mission’s completion. At some point, Irina Clockworker, in the form of a red cat, began visiting Held, appearing with different female bodies as her mediums with each visit.

Trials of Gloom
"Oh, well, well. A visitor more unusual than the last one has come."

- Held regarding Irina Clockworker

Around EC 137, Elluka visited the god and described her failure to acquire the vessels of sin owned by Duke Sateriasis Venomania and Count Kachess Crim, as well as how one of the girls in Venomania's harem, Mikulia Greeonio, had Eve Moonlit's appearance. Centuries later, Elluka visited Held again in EC 325 and mentioned that one vessel, the Twin Swords of Levianta, had been located at Levin Church in Lucifenia. The sorceress returned sometime later and Held understood something must have occurred. Disappointed to hear the Twin Swords of Levianta she collected were fake, the god was punched in the face as Elluka became frustrated by her continued failures. After noting how hitting him was pointless, Held brushed it off, saying they could only be patient.

Elluka, outraged, reminded him that she was only volunteering to find the vessels born in his forest and the god countered that she was the reason the Demons of Sin were freed in the first place. After the sorceress admitted her part in destroying the Magic Kingdom Levianta, she punched him in the face again and he reiterated that it didn't hurt him before mentioning how the "evil" kingdom had been rebuilt. Elluka assured him they were nothing alike and were unlikely to have inherited the Magic Kingdom's legacy. Still uncertain, he voiced his worry of them recovering his era's relic. The spirit Michaela then perched on Held's branches and greeted the sorceress before being promptly sent away and she asked how many spirits served him. The earth god admitted he didn't remember and asked if she wanted to discuss something related to Divine Levianta but the sorceress brushed it off, claiming there was something else bothering her.

Elluka stated she had forcibly hired a new servant and the god asked if her odd choice was because the individual had magical talent, though the sorceress stated she had none. Curious why the woman was traveling with her, Elluka mentioned Mikulia Greeonio and Held recalled what she had said about her, realizing she meant that the girl also had the Original Sinner's appearance. As Elluka questioned how so many had the failed Ma candidate's face if she had no descendants, Held brushed off her worry as something that happened in his Period as well, although seemingly more pronounced in the current world. The sorceress inquired why and Held told her to ask Levia-Behemo, claiming they were the creators of the world's humans, not him.

After the sorceress questioned where she could find them, Held remained silent before asking whether Mikulia had a demonic presence in her. Once Elluka confirmed neither she nor her servant had such a presence, Held reassured her that their likeness to Eve was only accidental. Questioning if the sorceress brought her along, Elluka claimed she'd wreak havoc on the spirits and left her locked at their residence. Noting her cruelty, he ask if he left her any food and the sorceress, shocked, remember she had forgotten and quickly left.

Several hours later, Held saw Irina approach him with a male medium and asked what she wanted. Noting he'd never see her use a man before, Irina responded that it was a necessity, though refusing to divulge the details. As the cat scratched his trunk, he told her it didn't hurt him and told her to stop. The sorceress asked for Elluka's location in return and Held scoffed at her unusual request; the cat explained that she was disturbing one of her subordinates and wanted to try to reclaim her. Refusing to tell her, the god questioned if she'd turn him to ashes if he answered. Irina pointed out that doing so would fail to kill his real self and Held added that he in turn was helpless to stop her in his tree form. Explaining how he would likely stop existing in the mortal world if his body was destroyed, he mentioned the possibility of using his godly power to destroy her in the moment before he left.

Admitting she wished to avoid that outcome, Irina continued scratching Held's face and he reminded her not to damage his trunk. Interrogated on why he never told Elluka about her, he answered that the two of them couldn't meet, claiming it wasn't about the mage's HER. Stating her plans to approach Elluka herself eventually to take both sides of "that" from her, Held questioned if that meant she wasn't planning to approach her now. The sorceress reiterated that she only desired to reclaim her "pawn" and would send her other subordinates since she was so busy and continued scratching him. Commenting how even if he told her, his trunk would take time to regenerate, Held remained silent throughout Irina's interrogation until the sorceress finally conceded and left.

Immediately, the god called for Gumillia and tasked the spirit with telling the other spirits to strengthen the forest's barrier to keep out individuals with powerful magic. Gumillia noted that Elluka would be unable to enter in that case and he brushed off the concern, stating it was probably for the best. When the spirit inquired if they had gotten into a fight, Held confirmed it was a separate problem. Struck with an idea, Held told Gumillia he may one day need the spirit to leave the forest in order to protect Elluka from a certain person. Questioning how the spirit would manage that, he stated he'd think about it until that time came and entrusted the barrier to her. Yawning, he decided to return to sleep.

Reign of Evil
"In that case, how about this arrangement? I will give you two spirits. One will be your disciple and the other one will stay in Elphegort and look for the Sin fragment. With this, all of the problems will be addressed at the same time."

- Held

In early EC 499, Elluka returned to Held, warning him that she predicted Lucifenia's destruction, asking him if it was possible to reincarnate spirits as humans. Sighing, Held noted how few pilgrims arrived anymore before returning to the topic, agreeing that it was possible, but that he doubted such a large country could be destroyed. Elluka responded it was connected to the Demons of Sin, to which he noted that Princess Riliane, like Banica and Venomania, would cause a disaster, asking if they could exorcise the demon instead. Elluka explained she had but the demon appeared to possess her a second time, rooting itself so that it could not be easily removed.

Held, realizing Elluka’s intent, said that she wanted to use Clockwork magic, warning her that if she failed, she would destroy the country like she had done to her own. Elluka brushed it aside, questioning why Riliane was still under demonic possession, to which the god speculated that the mirror Elluka exorcised and sealed was only a piece, with the rest of the vessel living somewhere else. Held then asked the specifics of Elluka’s premonition, asking which of the four images was purple. Learning it was the invasion of Elphegort that was inevitable, the earth deity asked Elluka what she would do if she failed. When Elluka declared she would simply leave and avoid the mess, Held mused she was that kind of person, but noted how it was different than before.

After a brief silence, Elluka asked Held to clarify, and he elaborated that she was afraid to lose the people she cared for and would rather run away than repeat the Levianta Catastrophe. Enraged, Elluka punched Held's face, albeit unaffecting his composure. Lecturing her, Held told the sorceress it wasn’t her place to serve “justice", describing that Lucifenia’s existence may or may not be better for the world. Hearing Elluka’s excuse that it was her duty to suppress the vessels of sin before the calamity, Held returned to the topic of needing an “apprentice” but became tired, yawning. Despite Elluka’s violent attempts to stop him, the deity slipped into a slumber, resting for some time.

He later awoke, learning that Michaela, one of his forest spirits, had fled the safety of the forest and was missing. Held roared upon Michaela’s return, reproaching her the entire night for breaking his regulations and being caught by humans. The next day, Held heard Michaela’s apology, calmly explaining that he just wanted her to learn from her mistakes, describing how important she was to him and how worried he had been. After Michaela apologized again, Held forgave her then slipped into another slumber. Days later, Held awoke and was immediately approached by Michaela, who explained that Clarith prayed to him while he slept. Held explained the discrimination facing the Netsuma Clan, noting that, with her mother sick, Clarith would be unable to flee. As Michaela pressed the tree deity for a solution, he reiterated that the spirit should not interact with humans, as not even god should interact with the human world.

With a timely arrival, Elluka retorted that she never expected Held to say that, asking then why she was given her mission. Held explained his reasoning and Elluka asked if he made his decision. Having forgotten their conversation from weeks before, Elluka angrily chastised the tree god and described that she believed he was right. Meditating on this, Held looked upon everyone for a long while before finally answering the sorceress, permitting her to take two of his forest spirits for reincarnation, one as her apprentice and the other as a detector of the sin. Met with Elluka’s surprise, the god expressed his guilt over not taking responsibility over the Sins born in his forest and that he now could not leave the forest and so was willing to help her.

When asked who would be appropriate, Held responded that Gumillia would be an excellent disciple. Secretly deciding to have Michaela succeed him as the Millennium Tree, Held used the opportunity to prepare Michaela, asking her if she would like to be the locator. Met with confusion, the god clarified that, due to her fascination with humans, he offered her a rare chance to learn about them, giving them three years to complete the task. After the sorceress accepted Held's plan, the two discussed different topics before she departed with the two spirits.

Green Hunting
"It was abominable, being fooled by that old man..."

- Elluka

When the Millennium Tree Forest was burned in EC 500, Held was worried for all the life in the forest; due to Elluka’s intervention, a rainstorm doused the flames, saving Held and much of the forest from destruction. At the conclusion of The Green Hunting, Held was approached by Elluka and Gumillia, curious as to why Michaela’s body became tree saplings. Held revealed to them that his mortal form depended upon the life of the Millennium Tree and that it was soon his time to depart from the mortal plane. Explaining his plan for Michaela and his reasons for sending her with the sorceress, Elluka intensely argued with him before finally accepting it. Afterwards, Gumillia told the earth god that she chose to remain human and help Elluka; saddened, he accepted her decision and then fell back into another deep slumber.

Reunion
"Is it here, Clarith?" "Yes, this should be her original home."

- Rin and Clarith while planting Michaela with Held

In EC 505, he contemplated his fate, entrusting the resolution of “Sin” to humanity and his successor. He watched as two visitors, Clarith and Rin, came to him, praying before planting Michaela’s sapling in the ground. Seeing his child return to him, he decided to impart all his knowledge to her, finding it to be his atonement for his past mistakes. Witnessing their interchange before returning to prayer, the god wondered who Rin was apologizing to and why she was crying. Shortly afterward, Clarith joined her in asking for forgiveness and the god watched as they cried like that until nightfall.

After Kyle Marlon was possessed and transformed by the Demon of Pride, Gumillia, Yukina Freesis, and Germaine Avadonia fled into Held's Forest; Gumillia consulted the deity on how to defeat Kyle. Held answered that the only way to defeat Kyle was to strike during the full moon, which would bring Gumillia's magical power to its peak. The deity then clarified that the possessed Kyle would also be at his full strength during that time. During Kyle's battle with the group two weeks later, Held convinced Michaela to sing to help subdue Kyle and she complied, helping to pacify the possessed king. Sometime afterward, Held's earthly form perished and he passed on from the mortal realm, leaving Michaela with what he taught her.

Sometime after his return to the Second Period, Held discovered a black box floating in the sky and peeked inside to find Allen Avadonia sleeping within its confines. Held later saw the Master of the Heavenly Yard approach, noting how he was still farming even though cultivating the "ended world" was meaningless. The god of creation countered that the old world hadn't "ended" but was a place for everyone to return to after death. The green-haired god pointed out how his friend's mentality would infuriate Levia for ignoring the Hellish Yard. Asked his thoughts on the issue, the Master of the Court described his belief that selection was necessary and that mixing good and evil was what caused the Second Period's downfall, citing he should at least isolate HERs from the rest. The sickle-wielding god then questioned why he had left Michaela as a successor, despite obeying the duty he was assigned.

Held remained silent before changing the subject, pointing out the black box in the sky and stating he too was plotting something and questioned why the boy was being given special treatment. After the Master of the Heavenly Yard explained it was because he was "irregular" and outside his realm of creation, the perplexed Held considered that his friend was excluding the boy, though the scythe-wielding god denied it. Once the Heavenly Yard's master refused to continue their conversation, Held admitted that Sickle had free reign to do as he liked, as the world's creator, and left.

Legacy
"The sorceress Elluka has been asked by the guardian deity of the forest, Held, to go out on a journey... and to collect the seven vessels of sin. The characters are most confusing."

- Excerpt from Gammon Octo's writings.

After Held's earthly demise and departure from the mortal plane, Michaela succeeded him as the Millennium Tree, acting as the guardian of Millennium Tree Forest and mankind. Centuries after his "death", Ma and Gammon Octo wrote several screenplays concerning Held and his interactions with Elluka and Michaela. The scripts were subsequently reviewed by the Master of the Court, considering Held's disappearance from the mortal world crucial to the theater's origins.

Personality and Traits
"Sin was born from the filth of the forest. I would do it myself, but as you can see, I cannot leave the forest. Even so, I cannot make this as an excuse for everything. I pushed the responsibility so I have considered helping you..."

- Held to Elluka

Held was calm, meditative, and thoughtful, carefully considering a situation and its repercussions before making a decision or taking action. As a result, he was very cautious and did everything within his power to prevent anything worrisome from happening. Despite this, he was negligent in preventing the Demons of Sin from leaving his forest. Observant of others as well as himself, Held recognized the strengths and flaws of those around him as well as himself, and listened carefully to everything he was told before giving his input. Because of this, he often appeared sagacious, supplying prudent advice or insight regarding affairs. Coinciding with this, the god spoke like an enigmatic old man despite originally having a youthful appearance, almost always speaking with a low, calm voice.

Due to his cautious nature, Held was stubborn and rarely budged on his regulations, though willing to concede in special circumstances. Though he rarely expressed anger, even when ignored or disrespected, Held became outraged by Michaela's disobedience. Held also had a degree of laziness and randomly fell asleep for months at a time without finishing a discussion, sometimes even forgetting that the discussion ever took place. Similarly, he didn't bother to remember how many forest spirits he had though, because of his long life, the god sometimes struggled to recall certain people or events he had been told about in the past. Because of his failures with the vessels of sin, Held believed he failed in his duty as a god and entrusted Michaela with his knowledge as atonement.

Believing heavily in segregation, Held blamed the mixing of both good and evil to have caused the end of the Second Period. Likewise he considered both HERs and the Demons of Sin to be dangerous and a serious threat to the Third Period's survival. As a result, he found the Master of the Heavenly Yard's choice to allow all humans, even HERs, a place in the Heavenly Yard was foolish. Similarly, he disagreed with the Master of the Heavenly Yard's lack of consideration for Levia and the Hellish Yard, recognizing the god of creation had purported the twin gods' anger. Still, the god respected the creator deity's wishes, keeping his existence secret from everyone else, and acted according to his regulations for the Third Period, though refusing to explain his plans for Michaela when the creation god pressed him for answers.

Held also believed humans to be aggressive by nature and that it was not the place of either gods or spirits to interfere with humanity, limiting his influence in their affairs whenever possible. However, the god sometimes complained about humans' increasing independence from the divine and was disappointed by the increasing decline in pilgrims visiting his tree over the centuries; regardless, he considered humans to be stronger than gods and had faith in their ability to solve the Seven Deadly Sins issue.

Although largely staying out of human affairs, Held often interacted with Elluka and Irina Clockworker, becoming close friends with the former and bitter enemies with the latter. Since meeting Elluka, Held had given her advice and acted as her longtime friend. Holding a great amount of trust in her, the god believed she could easily collect the vessels of sin within a century. He also was worried for her wellbeing, knowing she was a vessel for Levia-Behemo, and did everything he could to keep her from knowing about either the twin gods or Irina. In the same vein, he felt guilty for pushing the responsibility of collecting the Seven Deadly Sins on Elluka while he was rooted to the forest. At the same time, he considered Elluka emotionally evasive and sometimes cruel, usually being assailed by her when she vented her anger.

As its guardian, Held loved all the humans, animals, and plants in his forest, considering the forest spirits he created to be his children, and was extremely concerned with their safety. Like a protective parent, the god was strict with his spirits' interactions with humans and forbade them from leaving the forest. Similarly, he was saddened to hear Gumillia wished to remain a human, though respecting her decision, and overjoyed to see Michaela return to him when she was planted by Clarith and Rin.

Skills and Abilities
"God’s power and mine cannot be compared."

- Elluka

As a god, Held wielded divine power over life and the earth, capable of spotaneously generating an entire forest around him and all the life in it, including the spirits with their great magical power. Similarly, he had the capability to manipulate life, providing the means for the forest spirits to transform into physical animals while in his forest, allowing them to interact with the world, and turning Michaela into a tree sapling after her physical death. Conversely, he could eradicate a mortal being's soul should he will it, assuming he knew of the entity's location. Worshipped as part of the Levin religion, Held implicated he was responsible for providing bountiful harvests to humans before they began mastering the land themselves.

Because he was incarnated as a tree by Sickle, Held was unable to move, being rooted in the ground, and therefore had to assign others tasks that he couldn't complete. Likewise, his divine power was also limited, stretching only as far as the borders of his forest. He also could not harm anyone while restricted by his physical form and was unable to defend himself from being attacked. However, his body was also unable to feel pain and the tree could regenerate over time, making him resilient to torture or other violent means. Should his mortal form be destroyed, the god could momentarily use his full power in the Third Period. He was an impressive heavy sleeper as well, easily slipping into a comotose state for months at a time.

Character Connections.
Elluka Clockworker: An old friend of Held. Held valued Elluka's skills as a sorceress and trusted her to collect the Seven Deadly Sins, although he was disappointed when she failed to complete the task with a century. He often urged her to be more cautious and considerate in her endeavours, but ironically would hide information from her for what he believed to be her own good, such as concealing Irina's existence.

Michaela: Held's creation and successor. Held deeply cared about Michaela and was often worried about her safety, furious when she disobeyed his orders and discouraging her interest in humans. At the same time, he valued this same interest as necessary for when he chose her to be his successor, maintaining the hope that she would be able to correct his past mistakes. Held considered her most dear to him among all the forest spirits.

Gumillia: Held's creation. Held recognized the value of Gumillia's serious and methodical nature as a means to keep Elluka on track, and so trusted her to be the magi's apprentice. He was saddened to learn of Gumillia's intention to remain a human rather than returning to him, although he openly accepted it; Held continued to give her aid in the future, such as helping her to stop the possessed Kyle.

Master of the Heavenly Yard: A fellow god and good friend of Held. The two were close from before the creation of the Bolganio continent and Held aided him in the maintenance of the Third Period. Held demonstrated great respect for the Master of the Heavenly Yard and his rules for the world, knowing they were his to create as he wished. Despite this, Held was at times frustrated by his friend's enigmatic and indiscriminately benevolent nature, and hid from him his true intentions concerning Michaela.

Levia: A fellow god. Held and Levia were presumably close before the Third Period, but after Levia and her brother caused trouble for the people of Bolganio he saw it necessary to protect others from their malice. Despite this, he considered her feelings more carefully as a result of Sickle's actions, such as when her Hellish Yard was neglected as an afterlife.

Behemo: A fellow god. Held and Behemo were presumably close before the Third Period, but after Behemo and his sister caused trouble for the people of Bolganio he saw it necessary to protect others from their malice.

Master of the Court: An awakened vessel of sin that shares Held's title of "Master of the Court."

Conceptualization and Origin

 * Held's name is derived from the Old English word eld, meaning "old age" or "antiquity"; in Swedish, it means "fire".
 * Trees and tree spirits often appear in mythology as holy or sacred entities of nature and the universe, such as the Yggdrasil of Norse mythology and the Kodama of Japanese mythology.
 * Master of the Court's relation to the Court is connected to the event of Judgment in Hieronymus Bosch's The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things.

Curiosities

 * Held, ironically, falls asleep easily, loosely connecting him to Elphegort, where his forest resides, which is associated with laziness, sleep, and the sin of Sloth in general; similarly, the Elphes were modeled after his appearance during the Second Period.
 * Interestingly, Held refers to the Seven Deadly Sins as "filth of the forest", paralleling Hänsel and Gretel's lines from Chrono Story about the "filth" created by their "pretentious mother".

Gallery
Song Apparitions=