Iron Wastes The frigid Iron Wastes are home to the dullard lord Kostchtchie , the malformed demon - giant who claims all frost giants as his protected kin . A place of unrelenting blizzards and icy rifts , the inhospitable layer might have been avoided by most Abyssal inhabitants if not for the presence of one of the most coveted gates in the Abyss , a rime - encrusted stone monolith arch leading to Jotunheim on Ysgard , near the frost giant town of Utgardt . More importantly , the gate opens near the roots of the Great Wheel - spanning Yggdrasil Tree , a major transplanar thoroughfare leading to locales throughout the Upper Planes . Demons from all corners of the Abyss therefore congregate in the Iron Wastes in hopes of moving through this gate , but Kostchtchie ' s fierce protection of his home realm results in de facto protection of the Yggdrasil , making the Prince of Wrath one of the most hated demons in the Abyss , despised by good and evil alike . The Prince of Wrath nonetheless enjoys strong support from his chosen people , tribes of frost giants from the Material Plane who have sworn themselves to Kostchtchie in return for eternal life in the Iron Wastes . Such is the demon lord ' s control over his Abyssal layer that he can prevent the aging and natural death of mortals who dwell upon it . While intended as a reward for the demon ' s chosen folk , several canny mortals benefit from the effect as long as they can avoid detection . Weather in the Iron Wastes ranges from cold to extreme cold . A number of locales within the Iron Wastes bear further discussion . Layer number . 23 Traits . Infinite Locations . Blacksteam Rift : Rare warmth blasts in great gouts from this glacial rift , which extends leagues into darkness . Periodically , the depths rumble with terrible screams that seem to come from multiple mouths of the same unholy creature . By order of Kostchtchie , several frost giant clans stationed along the west edge of the rift routinely deliver sacrifices of mammoth and dire walrus flesh into the gaping crevasse to appease its master , Gogbehomel , a shivhad who emerges about once a century to wreak terrible destruction upon the layer . The Glacier Citadel : Whenever the muse strikes him , Kostchtchie bellows orders to his followers from the sweeping terrace of this immense ice fortress , carved into a glacier flowing between two mighty peaks . The cracking , jumbled palace serves as the prince ' s personal redoubt and is off limits to all residents of the plane save for the frost mages , elder frost giant skalds who have served as the demon ' s envoys among the tribes for generations . Huge advanced leucrotta prowl the cavernous passages and feasting chambers within , scattering for safety in the event of one of Kostchtchie ' s legendary rages . Grjotgardheim : This towering fortress of massive ice blocks contains the chained godling Grjotgard , one of the ten brothers of Thrym , god of Frost Giants . The Prince of Wrath captured the frost giant hero a decade ago for use as a bargaining chip against his hated enemy , but all he has received since is a steady flow of frost giant warriors loyal to Thrym who are all too willing to throw their lives away in honor of their divine patron . Defending this structure costs Kostchtchie dearly , but the obstinate demon lord is unwilling to admit defeat as long as the doors of the fortress hold fast . The Howling Rift : Wind rips through this jagged rift to create a keening scream that echoes throughout the layer . Deep within the crevasse , icy tunnels hide the birthing warrens of a huge colony of frost worms . The overcrowded caverns occasionally belch forward new litters of fresh young , who emerge on the surface in ravenous desperation . Stoldottir Gate : In an act that might have ultimately granted him control of the layer , Kostchtchie opened a stable portal to Ysgard by sacrificing a deformed daughter on this spot , in a desolate valley where a great glacier meets a vast ice shelf . The hideous , malformed thing had been born of a union with the valkyrie Geirskögul , making it a being of both Ysgard and the Abyss . The slaying cemented a connection between the two planes that remains a major threat to the Upper Planes . The bodies of frost giants from both sides of the conflict litter the land for miles around the portal , which appears as a standing stone inscribed with the runic legend of its creation . Kostchtchie keeps the place well defended , and enemies hoping to harass his citadel or rescue a prisoner must first run a daunting gauntlet of demons and cold - dwelling monstrosities . Svafnir ' s Lair : A scab of ice and snow caps this immense mountain peak , named for the great wyrm [ white dragon that dwells at its zenith . The proud , fiercely territorial beast serves Kostchtchie as a mount in important battles , recognizing the demon prince as the only superior being on the layer . She tolerates the presence of a tribe of conniving fensir , who dwell in a connected series of caves that honeycomb the mountain and virtually worship her as a protective goddess . Planar lore says the fensir and the dragon fled Ysgard centuries ago after angering the tempestuous gods of that plane . Volstaad : The bloody small town of Volstaad serves as the primary gathering place of Kostchtchie ' s faithful , who arrange themselves in tribes that formed ages ago on the Material Plane . The Prince of Wrath personally led each of these tribes into the Abyss , so the hetmen of each believes himself to have the ear of the great demon prince as an honored favorite . Disagreements over who better serves the great granter of eternal honor and immortality frequently end in brutish festivals of savage warfare .