Nine Worlds

The **Nine Worlds** is the realm forged and ruled by the Aesir Gods and inhabited by the beings of Norse Mythology. Each world is located on the branches of World Tree, with three worlds on one of three layers: the heavenly worlds, the middle worlds, and the lower worlds. The nine worlds were created through the use of Eitr, a substance taken by Odin and his brothers after Ymir's murder.

## Overview

Following the slaying of the Primordial Ymir, Odin and his Aesir went onto using the proto-Jotunn's Eitr in the creation of the Nine Worlds and the growing of Yggdrasil into the World Tree to support and connect them. Odin later gifted Alfheim, Midgard, Jotunheim, Nidavellir, and Helheim to the elves, humans, jotnar, dwarfsand Hel respectively. Muspelheim, Niflheim, and Vanaheim instead become home to independent tribes, with Vanaheim later coming under the control of the Aesir following their war.

## Levels

### Top

#### **Asgard, home of Aesir**

After they creation of of Midgard, the Aesir gods built for themselves the world of Asgard where they would now reside. It is home to many high-level Aesir gods and their respective halls. The city is surrounded by great and powerful defensive wall, enchanted to prevent all potential attacks.

Between the Bifrost bridge and Asgard, is the long highway that directs visitors towards the enclosure.

#### **Vanaheim, home of Vanir**

Vanaheim is the home to the Vanir gods, later coming under the control of Asgard following the Aesir-Vanir War. At the creation of the Nine Worlds, Vanaheim is where Auðumbla the Primordial Cow took residences, resulting in the eventually birth of the Vanir gods, particularly Njord the father of Freyr and Freyja. During the war against the Aesir, Vanaheim was a critical battlefront for both sides.

#### **Alfheim, home of Elves**

Alfheim is the home to the elves, including the [[|light elves|elves of light]] who follow Freyr, and the dark elves who refuse him and his magic. Once he had reached the age of maturity, the gods gifted Freyr lordship over the realm of Alfheim, whose populace quickly adopted many of the Vanir god's traits (light, fertility, and war).

Svartalfheim is the name for the underground region of Alfheim where the Dark Elves live. Separated by their surface-dwelling cousins due to heretical practices, the Dark Elves make frequent use of dark magic which is contrary to the teachings of Lord Freyr. The schism first began due to the influence of Lucifer who introduced them to this magic.

### Middle

#### **Jotunheim, home of Jotnar**

Jotunheim is the home to the Jotnar. This is where Bergelmir and his wife landed after surviving the flood that came from Ymir's blood, and it is where his children populated shortly after. Because it was a nexus for many rivers made of the Primordial's blood, Jotunheim has vast rivers across the realm.

#### **Midgard, home of Humans**

Midgard is the realm that is home to the humans who live within the Nine Worlds, resting at the heart of the World Tree. It was created by Odin when he used Eitr to form the land, sea, and sky. Surrounding the realm is a great river that connects to the other realms, and in it dwells Jormungandr, the Midgard Serpent.

#### **Nidavellir, home of Dwarves**

Nidavellir is the realm that is home to the dwarfs, located on the lowest branch of the World Tree. The surface of the realm is considered uninhabitable by the dwarfs and so most of their population is located in the underground regions. As the dwarfs have access to a considerable amount of raw materials and a large workforce, Nidavellir residents are often contracted to built fantastic items for other realms.

### Bottom

#### **Muspelheim, Realm of Fire Jotunn**

Muspelheim is the primordial realm of fire and home to the Fire Jotnar (Sons of Muspel) who are ruled by their king, Surtr. From this realm, Odin captured bits of its primordial essence to create the stars, the sun, and the moon.

Along with Niflheim, the realm of fire existed before the creation of Yggdrasil and their brief union led to the birth of Ymir. Surtr has ensured that no one but him and his kin are capable of surviving the heat for long.

#### **Helheim, Realm of the Dead**

Helheim is the Kingdom of the Dead, ruled by Hel, daughter of Loki and Goddess of Death. It is located at the bottom of the world tree and its roots are present within the realm, being fed on by the dragon Nidhogg. The Bridge of the Dead is guarded by Garm, within the walls awaits a land of peaceful shadows that encases its residents within an everlasting sleep, unless you die as a criminal, then are you given proper justice that not even gods can escape.

#### **Niflheim, Realm of Ice Jotunn**

Niflheim is the primordial realm of cold, mist, and the Ice Jotnar that existed alongside Muspelheim before Yggdrasil. Opposite to Muspelheim's blazing heat, Niflheim is covered in dense, cold fog that never relents and sees very little light.

## Inhabitants

* **Aesir** is the name for the tribe of gods who reside within Asgard. Led by Odin, the Aesir rule over the Nine Worlds and having later came to oversee the Vanir following their war. The major gods within the tribe hold their own court within their various Halls.
	+ **Einherjar** are the honoured champions of Odin who have been chosen by the Valkyries and given access to the Hall of Valhalla. They train endlessly to defend the realms against the disaster known as Ragnarok.
	+ **Valkyries** are the war maidens of Odin and Freyja who transport the honoured dead to the Halls of Valhalla. They are a demigod species who were originally small in number, only for their positions to change and role over time.

* **Vanir** are prominently fertility and wealth gods who dwelt within Vanaheim under their own administration. Later becoming subservient to the Aesir following their war, the Vanir have since become a subgroup of the Aesir.

* **Elves** are the semi-divine spirits that inhabit Alfheim and occasionally travel into Midgard, where they are sometimes worshipped as minor divinities. They have been divided into two separate classifications: light elves who live under the the sun, and the dark elves who dwell bellow.

* **Jotnar** are the tribe of beings that are often at odds against the Aesir and Vanir, but not as a whole. They have been divided into three separate classifications that depend largely upon their own point of origin.
	+ **Common**, otherwise called Devourers, are the descendants of Ymir who survived Odin's crime. They have come to plague many inhabitants of Midgard and become occasional enemies to Asgard, but the majority remain within Jotunheim where they do not truly desire conflict. This classification is related to the many other monsters within Norse Mythology that includes the trolls and archwolves.
	+ **Fire Jotnar** are the denizens of Muspelheim and the children of Surtr. They live within the inhospitable realm of fire
	+ **Ice Jotnar** are Niflheim locals who have largely closed themselves off from the other species of the Nine Worlds. Their touch is capable of freezing another being solid.

* **Humans** are a species that live within the world of Midgard and commonly visited by the other Nine World denizens, and preyed upon by the various monsters that plagues the land.

* **Dwarfs** are the subterranean beings that live within the realm of Nidavellir. They are famous beings who are best known for their masterwork craftsmanship. They are sometimes identified as black elves due to the perceived connection between them and the dark elves.