Niflheim

## Planar Traits

* Great Wheel

**Niflheim**, also called **Northmen's Despair** was the second layer, also called second gloom, of Hades.

## Description

Niflheim consisted mostly of forestland with bluffs that jutting out, which quickly fell away. Put simply, the layer looked like a gray version of a forestland on the Prime Material plane.

Niflheim had no disease problem like Oinos, the first layer, had. The air was cooler than on Oinos. This gave rise to fog. This fog had some properties that made life on Nilfheim harder. First, vision was limited. Even with darkvision, people could not see further than 100 feet (30 meters) at most. Second, the mist had sound impeding effects. These two made predators, of which trolls, fiendish dire and normal wolves were the most common, dangerous. Third, the resulting dampness caused non-tended metal to rust.

## Cosmography

Yggdrasil, the World Ash, had its roots at the heart of Niflheim. There, the dragon Nidhogg endlessly and furiously chewed on the tree, carving a hole in its roots. The dragon usually ignored travelers going up and down the branches, but furiously defended herself and her progeny against threats.

## Notable Locations

Death of Innocence
The town was unique as its citizens did not succumb to the hopelessness and apathy of Hades.
Palace of Loss
The Palace of Loss was the divine realm of Shar.
Shadow Keep
The Shadow Keep was the divine realm of Mask.
Annwn
Also known as the Ten Isles of the cursed, the divine realm of Arawn.
## Inhabitants

Viliki Cainor
She was the leader of the town Death of Innocence and the reason why its citizens did not fall into apathy like everywhere else on Hades.
Mask
The deity of thieves was usually travelling but had his realm on Nilfheim.
Shar
The goddess of night considered an alliance with Kelemvor, another god of Hades.
Arawn
The Celtic god of life and death. Who has his divine realm in the mist of a vast ocean.
## Appendix

### References

1. ↑ Jeff Grubb (April 1987). “Plane Speaking: Tuning in to the Outer Planes”. In Roger E. Moore ed. *Dragon* #120 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 42–43.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Jeff Grubb, Bruce R. Cordell, David Noonan (September 2001). *Manual of the Planes 3rd edition*. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 108, 110. ISBN 0-7869-1850-8.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Colin McComb (December 1995). “*Liber Malevolentiae*”. In Michele Carter ed. *Planes of Conflict* (TSR, Inc.), p. 53. ISBN 0-7869-0309-0.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Jeff Grubb, Bruce R. Cordell, David Noonan (September 2001). *Manual of the Planes 3rd edition*. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 110. ISBN 0-7869-1850-8.
5. ↑ Colin McComb (December 1995). “*Liber Malevolentiae*”. In Michele Carter ed. *Planes of Conflict* (TSR, Inc.), p. 45. ISBN 0-7869-0309-0.
6. ↑ Colin McComb (December 1995). “*Liber Malevolentiae*”. In Michele Carter ed. *Planes of Conflict* (TSR, Inc.), pp. 56–57. ISBN 0-7869-0309-0.
7. ↑ Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). *Faiths & Avatars*. (TSR, Inc.), p. 138. ISBN 978-0786903849.
8. ↑ Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). *Faiths & Avatars*. (TSR, Inc.), p. 109. ISBN 978-0786903849.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Colin McComb (October 1996). *On Hallowed Ground*. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 69. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
10. ↑ Colin McComb (December 1995). “*Liber Malevolentiae*”. In Michele Carter ed. *Planes of Conflict* (TSR, Inc.), p. 56. ISBN 0-7869-0309-0.
11. ↑ Colin McComb (December 1995). “*Liber Malevolentiae*”. In Michele Carter ed. *Planes of Conflict* (TSR, Inc.), p. 47. ISBN 0-7869-0309-0.
12. ↑ Colin McComb (October 1996). *On Hallowed Ground*. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 169–170. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.

### Connections

The Gray Waste of Hades
Layers and their Realms