Heroic Domains of Ysgard

## Description

It is a place of heroes and glories. Where war rages endlessly and valor is proved over and over again. It is the battleground of eternity. Ysgard is a plane on an epic scale, with soaring mountains, deep fjords and dark caverns that hide the secret forges of the dwarves. A biting wind always blows at a hero's back, urging them forward. From the freezing water channels to the sacred groves of Alfheim's elves, the terrain here is grand and terrible. It is a place for sharp seasons; the winter is a time of darkness and killer cold, the summer a time of scorching heat and clear skies.

Most spectacularly of all, the landscape floats atop immense rivers of earth flowing forever through an endless skyscape. The broadest of these rivers are the size of a continent, while smaller ones, called "earthbergs" are the size of an island. Fires rage under these rivers, but only a reddish glow penetrates to the top. Of greater concern are the collisions between these rivers, which cause terrible quakes and may form new mountain ranges.

Ysgard is the home of slain heroes who wage eternal wars on fields of glory. When these petitioners fall, they rise again each morning to continue their fights. Two deities make their homes here: Kord, the scion of Strength, and Olidammara, the patron of thieves. The plane boasts three layers: Ysgard, Muspelheim and Nidavellir.

## Ysgard Traits

* **Normal Gravity**
* **Normal Time**
* **Infinite Size**
* **Divinely Morphic**
* **Minor Positive-Dominant** Unique to Ysgard, those who suffer mortal wounds on Ysgard's battlefields are raised the next morning as if a *true resurrection* had been cast on them.
* **Mildly Chaos-Aligned**
* **Normal Magic**
* **No Special Traits**

## Ysgard Links

Permanent portals exist between various planes and Ysgard. One of the most notable is a particularly rough-hewn extension of the Infinite Staircase, which connects to countless planes. Multiple landings offer a chance to ascend or descend the Infinite Staircase from each of Ysgard's three layers.

## Ysgard Movement and Combat

Getting around is much like travel on the Material Planes. However, movement between the floating earthbergs on the top layer can be tricky. Those who fall between the cracks plummet into the second layer. There, the earthbergs are constantly aflame, giving it the fire-dominant trait. The third layer gives easy access through rifts and caverns, although the earthquakes sometimes close these up, which is dangerous for travelers and natives alike.

## Ysgard Inhabitants

### Planars

Humanoids of all kinds live throughout the top layer, which is also called Ysgard. The fiery middle layer, called Muspelheim, is home to mostly fire giants, while the cavernous lowest layer, called Nidavellir, is home to dwarves. The plane is home to scattered celestials.

### Petitioners

Petitioners - the slain heroes of countless ages - predominate on Ysgard. The petitioners are mostly former soldiers whose aggressive and valiant spirits draw them to the plane where competition never dies. They have the following qualities.

* **Additional Immunities:** Fire, Acid
* **Resistances:** Lightning 20, Charm 20
* **Other Special Qualities:** None, but like everyone else, they benefit from the minor positive-dominant.

## Layers and Locations

### **Ysgard**

The top layer, which shares its name with the name of this plane as a whole, is easily the most well-known and well-traveled of the three layers. Most of the inhabitants live in camps and rugged settlements with rough and wild conditions. The layer is dotted with dozens of huge halls, smoking battlefields, and hilly terrain leading down to cold seas. Few settlements exist along the edges of the earthbergs, except those interested in trade with communities on other earthbergs.

#### Kord's Realm

The deity of the strong and courageous, Kord the Brawler lives in the **Halls of the Valiant** on this plane. His grand hall is made from stout beams of wood hewn from a single massive ash tree. Within, Kord presides over a never-ending banquet where honored guests come and go, but the revelry never ends. The feast tables surround a large open space where valiant heroes wrestle for sport. Sometimes Kord sets aside his intelligent dragon-slaying greatsword, *Kelmar*, and his dragon-hide armor and enter the square himself to everyone's delight.

#### Plain of Ida

This great field is near the Hall of the Valiant and the great free city of Himinborg, the largest city on the plane. The Plain of Ida hosts daily festivals and tournaments where warriors can flaunt their mettle. Here, bravery and skill in battle is valued over all else.

#### Alfheim

Elven petitioners populate this brilliant, sunlit region, as does a contingent of mortal elves. Alfheim is suffused with light and joy, and visitors cannot help but be infected with the happiness in the air. The lands are wild and beautiful, untouched by civilization. Wildlife is plentiful, and natural features such as streams, forests and sunny hills are likewise bountiful. The elven natives are friendly, but they care for little outside of games and meditative appreciation of their natural surroundings. While many elves live in harmony with nature among the trees and fields of the surface, some elves abide in glittering caves below the surface of Alfheim.

Alfheim has seasons. Summers are long and kind, and its winters are dark and unforgiving. During winter, the elves retreat to the glittering caves and seal the entrances to avoid the snow.

#### Den of Olidammara

The god of rogues, Olidammara the Laughing Rogue is an intermediate deity who concerns himself with music, revels, wine, humor and similar ideals. Wood, stone and stranger substances create a grand but haphazard structure, as if several mansions of various cultures were mashed together.

On the inside, mazes, locked doors, blind hallways and secret treasures surround a grand hall where music and dancing are mandatory. Usually, the guests of this innermost den include, rogues, bards, performers and entertainers of all stripes and all places. Wine, romance and song rule here, where Olidammara lounges at his ease on a grand divan - unless he is disguised as one of his guests, using his magic laughing mask. Because some terrible prank often draws him far away from his den, other deities treat him with deserved caution no matter where they are.

### **Muspelheim**

The middle layer is made up of ribbons of floating earth, some the size of continents or larger. Here, though, the ground smokes and burns, earning this layer the nickname "Land of Fire." It is a hostile land where even the ground is sharp, volcanic rock. Most of this layer has the **fire-dominant** trait.

#### Serpent Spine

The highest mountains of this layer, it is the home of hundreds of clans of fire giants. Countless watchtowers and fortresses defend the mountain passes from rival clans and unwanted visitors.

#### The Spire

A towering, needle-thin citadel of dark stone in the midst of the Serpent Spine mountains. Devout fire giant maidens are said to inhabit the tower, serving as cleris to the mysterious intermediate deity of the fire giants.

### **Nidavellir**

The final layer of Ysgard, it is an underground realm crisscrossed by warm tunnels, heated by hot springs and geysers. The wild regions are crowded with underground forests of strange woods that need only heat to grow and thrive. Vast caverns run through veins of clear quartz, and deep holds are studded with shining mica and pyrite. Precious and semiprecious minerals are strewn across the floor of some lengths of tunnels and even entire caverns.

Dwarf and gnome kingdoms divide up much of this layer. Most of this layer's inhabitants are mortals, but petitioners are fairly common as well. It is a place of fiery furnaces, ringing anvils and constant striving for perfection in the arts of smithing, runecrafting and magic. Its halls resound with the chanting voices of dwarves and the lilting songs of gnomes. Though the two races are rivals often given to war, they unmite in the face of their hated enemies, the drow.

#### Svartalfheim

Drow have their own realm here. Though the dwarves anmd gnomes think the worst of them, the allegiance of these particular drow is not as evil as their brethren in the Infinite Layers of the Abyss. Like others on this layer, they prefer to be left alone and do not take kindly to unannounced guests and trespassers.

## Planar Encounters

Roll once per hour, use Beatfic Encounters table.

## References

1. ↑ Manual of the Planes, Third Edition, Wizards of the Coast, Renton, 2002, p. 90
2. ↑ Manual of the Planes, Third Edition, Wizards of the Coast, Renton, 2002, p. 90
3. ↑ Manual of the Planes, Third Edition, Wizards of the Coast, Renton, 2002, p. 90
4. ↑ Manual of the Planes, Third Edition, Wizards of the Coast, Renton, 2002, p. 90-91
5. ↑ Manual of the Planes, Third Edition, Wizards of the Coast, Renton, 2002, p. 91
6. ↑ Manual of the Planes, Third Edition, Wizards of the Coast, Renton, 2002, p. 91
7. ↑ Manual of the Planes, Third Edition, Wizards of the Coast, Renton, 2002, p. 91
8. ↑ Manual of the Planes, Third Edition, Wizards of the Coast, Renton, 2002, p. 91
9. ↑ Manual of the Planes, Third Edition, Wizards of the Coast, Renton, 2002, p. 91
10. ↑ Manual of the Planes, Third Edition, Wizards of the Coast, Renton, 2002, p. 91
11. ↑ Manual of the Planes, Third Edition, Wizards of the Coast, Renton, 2002, p. 91
12. ↑ Manual of the Planes, Third Edition, Wizards of the Coast, Renton, 2002, p. 91
13. ↑ Manual of the Planes, Third Edition, Wizards of the Coast, Renton, 2002, p. 91
14. ↑ Manual of the Planes, Third Edition, Wizards of the Coast, Renton, 2002, p. 91
15. ↑ Manual of the Planes, Third Edition, Wizards of the Coast, Renton, 2002, p. 92
16. ↑ Manual of the Planes, Third Edition, Wizards of the Coast, Renton, 2002, p. 92
17. ↑ Manual of the Planes, Third Edition, Wizards of the Coast, Renton, 2002, p. 92
18. ↑ Manual of the Planes, Third Edition, Wizards of the Coast, Renton, 2002, p. 92
19. ↑ Manual of the Planes, Third Edition, Wizards of the Coast, Renton, 2002, p. 92
20. ↑ Manual of the Planes, Third Edition, Wizards of the Coast, Renton, 2002, p. 92
21. ↑ Manual of the Planes, Third Edition, Wizards of the Coast, Renton, 2002, p. 92