Asgard

Asgard is a land home to the Asgardian Pantheon, the most recent group of gods to rule over humans. It is a fertile land with much gold and jewels buried in its earth. The gods of Asgard have used these materials to create beautiful architecture that evokes strength and stability. The gods tended to meet at an ash tree located at the heart of this realm called Yggdrasil to discuss matters concerning the mortal world. However, this was where Loki caused the death of Balder and it has since become his grave.

There was once a large, permanent planar portal on Asgard called the Bifrost that allowed the deities that resided there to send legions of Valkyries, neutral good Celestials similar to angels, down a rainbow bridge to the material plane to lift up the souls of those who died heroically in battle to their reward in Valhalla. However, that gateway was destroyed during Ragnarok when Loki attempted to march his armies of frost giants to lay siege to Asgard. As a result, the war of the gods took place on the material plane and left it devastated as a result. Many of the deities who resided in Asgard as well as their enemies perished in the conflict

**Valhalla**

Valhalla is a golden feasting hall where the warrior dead that died honorably in battle and served the Asgardian Pantheon went to receive their reward. It has spear shafts for rafters, a roof thatched with shields and coats of mail on its benches. The feasting hall has 540 doors which 800 men can exit and enter from at once. Those who feast here enjoy goblets which constantly refill with alcohol and are frequently served multi-course meals by Valkyries.

Once they are done feasting, the warriors in Valhalla often take up arms and battle one another to hone their skills. While they can be hacked into pieces, they cannot die. Severed limbs can simply be re-attached when the battle is done and the rival warriors re-join each other in the feasting all. In the afterlife, these warriors are effectively immortal so trying to attack Valhalla would be near impossible without a means to destroy or capture souls. Additionally, these are some of history's greatest fighters, who continued to become stronger and stronger after their deaths with many of them reaching epic levels.

These honored dead are sometimes reborn on the mortal world through divine reincarnation. A test is conducted seasonally in areas that still worship the Asgardian Pantheon where children visit the burial mounds of their dead ancestors and attempt to remember past lives and recognize gear that they were buried with.

**Ragnarok:**

During the battle of Ragnarok, all of Valhalla's warriors were resurrected to battle Loki's army of Frost Giants on the material plane (while such magics are impossible to use by mortals, greater gods may on rare, desperate occasions grant the favor). Many of these warriors were killed in battle only to return to Valhalla so they battled ferociously with no fear of death. As a result, the frost giants were nearly wiped out completely. Loki and his sons Fenrir and Jormundanger were killed in battle but so were Odin, Thor, Heimdall, Tyr and Freyr. With his dying breath, Loki cursed the world to a great ice age and the surviving Asgardian deities returned to Asgard to regroup, soon learning that most of their mortal followers had been killed.

**Asgard in Modern Times:**

Asgard is regrouping after suffering tremendous losses during Ragnarok. Odur and Uller are being groomed for leadership positions in the Pantheon by Odin's widow, Frigga. The gods are trying to rebuild the Bifrost and reach out to their surviving mortal followers now that the ice age has ended.

The deities of Asgard fear that Hel may one day seek to finish what her father Loki started and attack with a regrouped force of Frost Giants. However, the goddess of Niflheim has taken no such action in centuries. Tensions exist between the two factions but neither wants war.

**Asgardian Pantheon Deities Living on Asgard:**

Frigga, wife of Odin, still lives, mourning her husband as well as her son Balder's deaths. She is currently the head of the Pantheon.

Forseti

Freya

Odur has recently appeared and married Freya. He is believed to be a reincarnation of some aspect of Odin's power.

Njord

Aegir

Sif, wife of Thor, has given birth to Uller, Thor's successor

Skadi, a non-evil frost giant and formerly the wife of Njord, has since married Uller.

Uller, god of hunting and winter and son of Sif, plans to succeed Thor but has yet to achieve his father's power.

Hermod, messenger of the gods, lives. Prior to Ragnarok he asked Hel how Balder's soul could be resurrected. The goddess of Niflheim cryptically said that Balder would return when "all things, living and dead wept for him."

**Asgardian Pantheon Deities not living on Asgard:**

Hel, the last child of Loki, was exiled to Niflheim prior to Ragnarok which she now rules.

Surtr, after killing Freyr, fled to the plane of Fire to escape the Ice Age and the wrath of the other Asgardian deities.

**Deceased Asgardian Deities:**

 Odin, father of the Pantheon, was killed by Fenrir in Ragnarok.

Freyr was killed by the fire giant deity Sutur during Ragnarok

Loki killed and was killed by Heimdall during Ragnarok.

Heimdall killed and was killed by Loki during Ragnarok.

Thor killed and was killed by Jormundanger during Ragnarok.

Balder was killed by Loki prior to Ragnarok but a prophecy states he may one day return when the "whole world weeps for him." Could this be The Thaw?

Thrym, former king of the frost giants, was killed by Thor prior to Ragnarok. Loki succeeded him and then after Loki's death the frost giants worship Hel.

Tyr was killed by Garm, a guardian of Hel that was sent by Loki to battle the gods along with Fenrir