| “ | Atreus: How's it going, Chaurli? Is your witch friend here? Kratos: What is that name? |
” |
Chaurli is the giant tortoise that lives above Freya's home, as thanks for having saved her, since she was confined to the forests of Midgard, without escaping from the Aesir.
'In God of War' series[]
Chaurli is first encountered following the disastrous boar hunt Kratos and Atreus conducted, as the target of their efforts turned out to be Freya's friend Hildisvini, a member of the Vanir. Carrying the wounded boar warrior to Freya's abode, she calls out Heimili (home) and Chaurli rises from the earth. Shocked and filled with awe at this new sight, Atreus rushes headlong to greet the new and marvelous creature.
Kratos then carries the boar inside, where Freya uses her knowledge of herbs, medicinal plants, and Vanir magic to save his life. Throughout their journey, Kratos and Atreus would stop back periodically to see Freya, whether for additional help or simply to check in on their friend. Though Chaurli is always in the background, his role is always felt.
Following Mimir's requested decapitation by Kratos' hand, the pair once again visit Freya -- and by extension, Chaurli -- to reanimate the Smartest Man Alive's head.
The next time Chaurli would be seen would be when Kratos, desperate to save Atreus' life, rushed back to Freya's doorstep. Knowing what was at stake, Freya called for her friend to rise from the earth again so that Kratos could take a boat and return to his home, so as to gather a weapon from his past. At the same time, Freya's magic and Chaurli's capacity for providing safety allows Atreus to remain safe from the Aesir pursuing them while Kratos goes to Helheim.
During Fimbulwinter, Chaurli was abandoned and left to die by a grief-stricken and vengeful Freya after she lost Baldur. After running away from Kratos, Atreus finds himself in Sanctuary Grove where he is horrified to find Chaurli near-death, his hearth having gone out from the years of neglect. Atreus manages to get his fire going, saving the tortoise's life.
After Ragnarok, Kratos and Freya travel to meet Chaurli, where the latter apologizes and has no excuse for the abandonment. Chaurli allows her back into her former home, but states that Freya will have to earn his trust again which she intends to do. Birgir soon becomes the new occupant in Freya's home to retire, which Freya approves as it will keep Chaurli company.
Description[]
Chaurli is a gigantic tortoise with a large tree on his shell, whose leaves are crimson red. The underside of his body holds a house Freya has constructed, allowing symbiosis between the two. In return for safety from the evils of the forest, he provides Freya with a place to rest her head. This house also has the added benefit of warming his body in the colder seasons.
Trivia[]
- In Vanaheim, There are some smaller tortoise-like creatures that share some resemblance with Chaurli. This could indicate that he was originally from Vanaheim and brought to Midgard at some point by some other means, as Freya only met him after her exile, or that Midgard has similar creatures.
- There would be ideas to include a colossal turtle, in the multiplayer mode of God of War: Ascension and would be a boss, with the ability to spit fire, but changed their minds, removing it as planned. Later, the possibility of adding such a species to history, would lead in the fourth installment.
- Chaurli's name is a reference to GameSpot's article about God of War's E3 2016 reveal, in which they name Atreus Charlie (for some reason).
- Also, In the making-of videos of Chains of Olympus, there was another boss called "Two-Headed Turtle" a giant tortoise monster with two heads, but it was quickly scrapped.
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