Asgard

**Asgard** (Old Norse: Ásgarðr, Proto-Germanic: \*Ansgarðaz, "Garden of the Gods") is the home of the Æsir gods, ruled by Allfather Odin. Its counterpart under the Vanir, the gods of nature, is Vanaheim.

It is a vast dimension of many realms, including Valhalla, and Folkvangr.

## Valhalla

Valhalla is the royal palace of Odin, where he governs Asgard and gathers half of all warriors who die in battle. It is a golden hall made with shields as its roof.

Deep within Valhalla is Hildskjalf, the throne of Odin. It allows him to see into every other dimension.

## Folkvangr

Folkvangr is the meadow where the other half of all warriors go to after they die in battle. It is the domain of Freyja, and fitting her love of nature, it has many gardens, forests, and animals.

## Bilskirnir

Bilskirnir is the royal palace of Thor and Sif. It is the largest palace in Asgard.

## Bifröst

Bifröst is the rainbow bridge that links Asgard with Midgard, or Earth.

## Himinbjorg

Himinbjorg is the palace of Heimdall, located at the edge of Asgard. It is also the main entrance to this heavenly realm, where all must seek the approval of Heimdall in order to enter.

## In the Rabydosverse

Asgard (known in Aesiric as Ansuzgardaz) is one of the domains of the High Gods, five supreme pantheons who oversee the Universe and the Multiverse. The other four Heavens are Njebes (under Perun), Vanaheim (under Freyr), Tien Guok (under Jade Emperor Yokdei), and Svarga (under Indra).

It was the suzerain of all Celestials of the Eimaranda Empire, which they pay tribute to and serve in their duty to defend the Galaxy. Other Celestials served the other Heavens and various other deities. As the Celestials became more cruel and oppressive, Asgard ceased most relations with the Celestials and stripped them of their invincibility, and so did the other Heavens. Only some communities - Celestial and mortal - continued to remain under the protection of the Gods, and many of them were spared from the ensuing collapse of the Eimaranda Empire.

Asgard was not only the domain of the Aesir Gods and their Celestial servants, but also many einherjar of various alien species. As Valhalla could not accommodate their vast numbers, Odin allowed them to build satellite cities and fortresses to protect Asgard as its barracks. There, these saints carved and sculpted their new homes in the styles of the cultures where they grew up with in life. Asgard grew over the years, allowing the einherjar and other divine beings to build more cities and plant more gardens and forests, making it a paradise to outshine Helheim and the other Heavens.

The Novantirna aliens, who worship the Aesir as the Star Gods for creating the Celestials, treat Asgard as the second highest of the Five Heavens. They believe that anyone who dies in battle will end up in Asgard, instead of Rîlala where most good people go to. People who die in disasters and cruelty, however, end up in the paradise of Helheim where they find peace - but they would be occasionally sent to the living world as ghosts to punish their tormentors.

### Visitors into Asgard

Aside from the einherjar, occasionally mortals and lesser beings might stumble into Asgard, whether by accident or simply being brought by the Gods to be given a mission or offer. Invaders, on the other hand, were burned alive by its sanctity and magic, especially by Heimdall's flames.

For example, Bariwas was brought to Asgard by several einherjar as a punishment for burning a stable out of angry envy. There, Odin assigned him to aid the peoples of Jerde defeat an invasion by fallen Celestials, stripping him of much of his powers to force him to accept humans as his allies.

Millions of years later, the alien Nandegakkovians fervently fought to protect various troves of information from being lost to purges and irresponsible tyrants. Such dedication to knowledge had pleased Odin so much, that in spite of their atheism, the greatest and best scholars of the Nandegakkovians were instantly brought into Asgard. At first, they were frightened by Odin's enormous height and the ravens on his shoulder, but after he offered to help them, the scholars agreed and were immediately sent back. Days later, strange golden men were seen guarding the Nandegakkovians' archives, and were also sighted fighting alongside the Nandegakkovians against the monstrous Kuelgons and the murderous Igarin sacrificial fleets.