Yggdrasil. (Asgard RPG: Location.)

Asgardian Mythology

Before the gods came to power, the great gaping void of Ginnungagap lay between fiery hot Muspelheim in the south and frozen Niflheim in the north. In the middle of Niflheim ran Hvergelmir, a spring from which flowed eleven rivers collectively known as Elivargar. As these rivers flowed away from their source, the poisonous lees they deposited hardened to ice. Vapor rising from the lees froze into rime, layer after layer, until it spread across Ginnungagap.

The rime met the hot gusts from Muspelheim and melted, and from the moisture sprang the frost giant Ymir. While he slept, the sweat from his body formed the first of his frost giant offspring. Further melting of the ice created a cow called Audhumla. Four rivers of milk flowed from udder, sustaining Ymir and his offspring. For her own sustenance she licked the salty rime stones and over three days uncovered a strong, handsome man named Buri. From descendants of Buri and giants came Odin, Vili, and Ve, the first of the Aesir gods. They killed Ymir and his blood drowned all the frost giants except Bergelmir, from whom came a new race of frost giants.

Odin and his brothers carried Ymir's body out of Ginnungagap and made the earth from his flesh and the rocks from his bones. Stones and gravel came from the dead giant's teeth and shattered bones, and the blood filled Ginnungagap, becoming lakes and the sea. Odin and his brothers formed the sky from Ymir's skull. Four dwarves named Nordri, Sudri, Austri, and Vestri held up the skull. Ymir's hair became flora, and his brains became clouds. Sparks from Muspelheim became stars. The earth was a great circle surrounded by ocean. Giants lived on the coast while humans lived inland, in a fortification made from Ymir's eyelashes. Odin gave humans breath and life, Vili gave the consciousness and movement, and Ve gave the form, speech, hearing, and sight. The first man was Ask (Ash tree) and the first woman was Embla (Elm or Vine).

Aesir and Vanir

The are two races of Asgardian gods, the Aesir and the Vanir. While the Aesir are part of the creation myth described above, little is known of the Vanir. The Aesir are clearly gods of war and destiny, while the the Vanir appear as gods of fertility and prosperity. The two races fought a lengthy war until both sides tired of it. Neither believed it could win. To ensure peace, the races traded hostages. The Vanir sent Njord and his children Frey and Freya. The Aesir sent Honir, a big man they said was best fit to rule, and Mimir, the wisest of the Aesir. The Vanir became suspicious of Honir, believing him to be less fit than the Aesir claimed and noticing his answers were less authoritative when Mimir wasn't present to advise him. When they realized they had been cheated, the Vanir cut off Mimir's head and sent it back to the Aesir. Apparently, the Aesir considered this fair repayment for cheating the Vanir, because the two sides stayed in peace. Odin placed Mimir's head well beneath Yggdrasil's root in Midgard, making it a source of great wisdom. Over time, all the Vanir deities intergrated with the Aesir.

Yggdrasil

A great tree also known as the World Tree, Yggdrasil's brances wave above Asgard. Its three roots extend to each of the three planes of existence. The well of Urd (Fate) is beneath the root in Asgard. The gods meet at Urd every day to hold their council. The Norns tend Yggdrasil at this well. The well of Mimir lies beneath the root that reaches Jotunheim on Midgard, which is also the site of Mannheim. The well of Mimir is a source of great wisdom. Odin sacrificed an eye to the well to gain secret knowledge. The third root reaches Niflheim. Beneath it still flows Hvergelmir, the source of the rivers that contributed to the world's creation, where the great serpent Nidhoggr chews its roots. This constant chewing is why the Norns must tend the tree, and how the tree understands mortal suffering.

Asgard

Home of the gods, Asgard is the closest plane to the branches of Yggdrasil, the World Tree. Many of the gods homes featured prominently in Asgardian myths, and so had their own names. Odin has two halls in Asgard, Valhalla and Valaskjalf.

Valhalla

The Hall of the Honored Dead. Valhalla is home to all those slain in battle, the einherjar. It has five hundred and forty doors, each wide enough for eight hundred men to walk through shoulder to shoulder. The rafters are spears, the hall is roofed with shields, and breastplates litter the benches. A wolf guards the western door, and an eagle hovers over it. Every day the rooster Gullinkambi (Golden Comb) wakes the einherjar, and they venture out to fight each other in training for Ragnarok, the final battle. Every evening those killed in battle rise, whole and healed. They feast in the hall from the meat of Saehrimnir, a boar whose flesh renews every day, and mead from Hedirun, a goat that stands atop Valhalla chewing the leaves of the tree Laecrad.

Valaskjalf

Valaskjalf (Shelf of the slain) contains Odin's High Seat, Hlidskjalf, from which he can see everywhere in Asgard, Midgard, or Niflheim. He permits no other god but Frigga to sit there.

Other Halls

• Thor's hall, Bilskirnir, is in a region of Asgard called Thrudvangar.
• Balder's hall is called Briedbalik (Broad Splendor).
• Forseti's hall, Glitnir has golden pillars and a silver roof. All those whom enter Glitnir leave with there legal disputes resolved.
• Freya's hall Sessrumnir is so tightly constructed that Loki had to become a needle in order to sneak in. Half of all men slain in battle, and all woman so slain, come to Freya's hall.
• Frigga spends her time in Valaskjalf or in her own hall, Fensalir.
• Heimdall's hall, Himinbjorg, stands next to Bifrost.
• Uller's hall is called Ydalir.
• Finally, the hall called Gimli in Asgard is considered the most beautiful building anywhere. Prophecy says all the gods would live there in peace after Ragnarok.
• The Aesir have two communal halls, Gladsheim, and Vingolf, where they assemble to discuss events and even decide important issues.

Other Important Locations in Asgard

• Asgard is also the home to Vanaheim, home of the Vanir.
• Alfheim, home of the light elves (Lios Alfar). Freya's hall is here.
• Vigrid, the field where gods and giants are destined to fight when Ragnarok comes.

Bifrost

Asgardian stroytellers say that rainbows represent the appearance of Bifrost on Midgard. For this reason, Bifrost is known as the Rainbow Bridge. Bifrost links Asgard and Midgard.

Midgard

Midgard is the mortal realm. In addition to Mannheim, it holds Jotunheim, the land of the frost giants, Muspelheim, the land of the fire giants, the dwarf realm of Nidavellir, and Svartlfheim, the land of the dark elves (Svart Alfar).

Niflheim

The lowest of the three worlds in Asgardian Myth, Niflheim is home to Hel. Hel is both the land of the dead and the name of the deity who rules it. Those who die of sickness, old age, or accident come to Niflheim for judgment by Hel in her hall Eljudnir. They must pass through Gnipahellir, the cave at the entrance to the underworld, guarded by the monstrous hound Garm. Garm has four eyes and a chest drenched in blood. Anyone who gave bread to poor life could appease Garm with a piece of cake soaked in his or her own blood. The river Gjoll encircles the land of the dead, flowing from the spring Hvergelmir.

Ragnarok

The Asgardian gods live with the prophecy about the end of their world. They know about that end, its called Ragnarok. Ragnarok would come and they would fight their final battle against the giants during which Surtur would burn down the world. They spend their time preparing for the battle rather than worrying about it, or trying to prevent it. They did so because they knew Ragnarok was never meant to end everything. Rather, Ragnarok marked the turning of a cycle, a point where the world remade itself and began again. Several gods, including Balder, Hod, Thor's son Modi and Magni (who possesses Mjolnir), and Odin's sons Vali and Vidar, were prophesied to survive Ragnarok and rule the resulting new world.

// This is Agard for Asgardian Characters or Guests or Asgardian Characters. This is not open for everyone. Please have a reason for being here, and be respectful of one another. This is for RolePlaying however, and I will be using Brynhyld here, and I hope I will be seeing some of my other Asgardian friends here as well... I am not apposed to the idea of other being inside of Asgard, its just there should be a good reason for it at least. Or you could always create an Asgardian character... Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. ^__^ Please leave comments, and let me know how I did, this is the first location Thread I have made? //

(Very nice, alot of info and places to go, you out did yourself)

@Surkit:

(Nah... This kind of writing is easy and for the birds. Its the emotional, story telling that is tricky. Thank you... I just don't feel I out did myself. It was easy, very little thinking involved in this sort of thing. The mythology is already wrote down for me to read. The hard part comes next, when I actually create my own Mythology with Brynhyld.)

@Brynhyld: (No problem, it's still a great page either way, I know what you mean though. Good luck with that)

Great job!

@Mercy_: Thank you! The only tricky part of this was... What is too much information, and what is not enough information. I am happy you say I did good, you have posted these things before. I trust your opinion.

That's a lot of informations. The human mind is a wonderful thing! Great job

(Whoa this very cool good luck with it!)

Oh my my my !

So jelly, that you can pull this off.

@Brynhyld: This is badass

@Gambler: Thank you. I wanted to set the overall feel, and leave plenty of room for growth. So I added as much as I could think of.

Woah. That's heavy.
 
Underneath the corset of your mystery
Piece by piece undress you from your history
I'm sleeping with seclusion and sweet disarray

Inside Brynhyld's Hall, Vandorjord is a place for merrymaking and many contests that show a warriors many skills. It is also prized as a hall for bards and warriors alike. Many great tales and songs of might have been recorded in this place.

O_O I read this even though I am sick......Badass. ;P

@Angeni:

This makes me tempted to make an Asgardian character.

@ArtairSinclaire:You should... I am going to make at least one more Asgardian, and then Brynhyld will most likely have a kid with Fenrir at some point as well. ^__^

@Brynhyld: I've gout two things holding me back. Mostly worrying about not getting the mythology right, and figuring out what to make. The second is easily solved, though.

@ZombieBigfoot:I would be willing to work on it with you, let me know if you decide you would like too.

@Brynhyld: I'll have to take a look first, and see what type of character I should make. Slightly hesitant to make a God. There's plenty of those.

@ZombieBigfoot: Fair enough. And yes there may be some gods around here, but not many whom actually feel the part. We have a ton of Olympian gods and goddesses, but only a few Asgardians, which are way cooler IMHO. Also based on that same logic you could make a case for any type of character for the most part on CV anyways... How many Wolverine knock offs or Daredevils do we actually need around here?

@Brynhyld said:

How many Wolverine knock offs or Daredevils do we actually need around here?

hides claws, but she can't see dem

@Brynhyld: Point taken. I'd just like to consider the creatures before going straight with a god. Plus, I already have one (Talus), but he's Egyptian. As it is, my current options are either a valkyrie, dark elf, or Frost giant. Not really in favor of the frost giant at the moment, so I'm probably going to end up narrowing it down to valkryie and dark elf.

His name is Olaf Silvermane and he rides his Mastodon with a coat of pure white through the frozen lands of Jotunheim. His Mastodon's name is Vidbjorn, the last of an ancient forgotten breed of Mastodon born from Ymir himself. His borns and tusks glow in silver in the moonlighting of the sky, due to his entire bone structure being that of Uru. The beast is loyal to only Olaf, however it is a calm beast and treats most it meets with kindness. Only if Olaf Silvermane does show anger towards a stranger, will the beast enter into a brutal frenzy. It has been known to stomp on the large polar bear creatures that the Jotunn use to ride. They are but the size of only one of Vidbjorn's feet, and weigh half as much.

Behind Olaf and Vidbjorn is a war-wagon being pulled by a large chains of hardened steel, which are attached to a huge leash of boiled leather clasping Vidbjorn by the neck. Inside the war-wagon is a years worth of supplies, everything that the frost giants usually gather for their comfort during the lapse of one year. Food, drink, wood, ore, clothing, tools, weapons, and a few other things as well. Olaf is dragging these things with have been preserved with his mystic arts to never spoil, or become tainted to these people of Jotunheim as an offering of peace to be made with these people. He wishes to have them as his allies, for he has big plans in store for all of Yggdrasil. He has already left Muspelheim after striking a deal with Surtur, and is now on his way to see the extended grand children of Ymir.

Olaf himself is a large Asgardian of a mixture his Father was Aesir, and his mother was Vanir. This mixture of Asgardian blood has led to Olaf having powerful gifts from both races, and has also caused him to never really fit in with either race as well. Leading him to become the nomadic wanderer that he is today. A mortal man from Midgard met Olaf once, during one of his few travels to what is now known as Eath. After meeting Olaf the man went on to market off of his appearance, and the manor in which he carries himself. That was when America turned Saint Nicholas into the Iconic Santa Claus the children of Midgard worship as some type of Elvish God-King of merrymaking. Olaf was the inspiration behind this fantasy, he was the reason children from Midgard turned away from the manger and towards the jolly man in the red suit.

They got it all wrong however... Olaf is not jolly. He is large and powerful. They got the red with white trim correct and the thick white beard, but that is where the similarities end. When the man met Olaf he must have been drunken beyond normal. Reindeer for example... Not the case. Olaf does in fact have a large Sleigh which is pulled by Flukin and Shmorgin his pet Rams, and there are only two of them. His face was red the night of the meeting, however this was mostly due to the massive amounts of Mead Olaf ingested. The whole "Ho ho ho!" Thing, he has no idea. He didn't even know about any of this mind you, until he was drinking with Thor one night inside Valhalla. Thor Odinson spends time on Midgard often and he is known as many things, and even if he has been known to lie before, he is not prone to it.

Olaf spots the the mountain to which he travels to, only it is still a far ways off and its getting late. There is a blizzard brewing some of the nastiest frozen winds he has even felt, they would freeze a polar bear into a block of solid ice, but not Olaf and not Vidbjorn. The large faithful Mastodon is thirsty and tired of pulling all that weight all this time. From Muspelheim to Jotunheim is not a short way, and even this great beast needs to rest. "Woah! Woah boy, Woah! We will set up camp here for tonight. Maybe tomorrow the winds will be calm, or maybe they will not. But tonight we rest."

Olaf takes a large chunk of ice and starts to melt it within an even larger iron pot. He uses his magic to create mystic flames that will melt the snow and ice, bit will not give cause to any insulting nature to the Jotunn, for they hate all things of fire. This fire is different it warms their bodies and the pot, but other than that all else remains the same. The elements feel nothing of the flame, for it is only a half truth. But even half truths can be useful while serving a purpose. Soon the ice is melted. Olaf takes the first drink, only taking enough to wet his mouth and quench his own thirst. The rest goes to Vidbjorn, and he is not shy about it he drinks deeply. Then the two of them fall into a slumber as they lay next the mystic blue flames that keep them from freezing solid in the this horrible storm, which no doubt being caused by the very Jotunn they seek themselves.

// Oh! You better give up,

You better not try,

You better not run,

I'm telling you why:

Olaf is hunting you down!

He's making his list,

He's checking it twice,

He's gonna find out

who lives and who dies.

Olaf is hunting you down!

He knows when you are sleeping,

He knows when you're awake.

He knows when you've been drinking,

And he'll cook you like a steak!

So...You better give up,

You better not try

You better not run,

I'm telling you why.

Olaf is hunting you down.

Little broken bones,

Little cut cuts.

Really bloody noses

and guts, guts, guts.

Olaf is hunting you down.

Little severed heads

that roll across the floor,

Axes, Hammers

and a whole lot more.

Olaf is hunting you down.

The gods in Aesir and Vanir Land

will have a jubilee.

They're gonna build a Wall of Spears

all around Valaskjalf.

Oh....You better give up,

You better not try.

You better not run,

I'm telling you why.

Olaf is hunting you down'

Olaf is hunting you down'

Olaf is hunting you down'

You Down. And your family is next!//

- As sung by Thor during the Christmas season in Asgard.

@Olaf_Silvermane: Epic!

Should we add the tenth realm to this?

So, who feels like going through the annoying task of trying to wake up an amnesiac Valkyrie? ;D

@_Astrid_: I should be remembering this.. but I can't for the life of me remember what the tenth realm is.

@_Astrid_: Ah, gotcha. Was a little worried when even google wasn't turning anything up.. >_<

Did someone say Sleeping Beauty?
 
 
Goddammit, stuck in Midgar!

The wind was fierce and biting cold. Snow blew heavy across the sky, blinding The Troll-Breaker as she made her way over the hills of Jotunheim. She was cold and tired, her wounds still bleeding, refusing to close. The Frost Giant's fists had the poison power of the Serpent, and its blows had crushed The Troll-Breaker's ribs, they would not heal quickly.

"I must find shelter soon," she thought, "or I will die here."

(If I could get my hands on some Asgardian weaponry I could make myself more then just a man, I could be a Legend ;P)

@Gambler:

(Words of wisdom spoken there... Good luck with that however. Us Asgardian's are selfish with our toys, and Olaf Silvermane keeps clean books on our inventory. ;P)

@Brynhyld: Fenris raced across the bleak landscape of Jotunheim in the form of a mighty, black dire wolf. He ran with his head low to the ground, his keen nose following a scent made faint by the harsh elements. There were traces of blood in the scent; his mate was wounded, and sorely. The scent would attract others, predators that would not normally pose a threat to a daughter of Odin, but in her wounded state...he pushed on through the storm tirelessly, determined to not let that happen.

@Brynhyld: (Oh I suspected as much. Plus I'm a mere mortal with no Asgardian ties. Seems far fetched to suddenly appear in Asgard, but sooner or later I'll find a way :p)

@Gambler: (Mere mortal my foot... I am sure you will find a way in... Roaches always do. ;P )

@Dark_Thunder:

It seemed that as soon as the thought of impending doom had really kicked in, she saw a light ahead, like a fire seen from afar. She stumbled on and came to a cave, she peeked inside and saw a lodge, a mighty building of rough-hewn wood. Inside, she could see four people sitting on benches around a fire. One of them, a large man with a thick long red beard, looked at her.

"Come inside, noble hunter,"he spoke as he stood, beckoning her."You are among friends."

The Troll-Breaker entered the lodge and was immediately warmed. The winds did not penetrate the walls and seemed not to pass the open door. She walked near to the fire and sat at an empty spot on the bench, next to the large red bearded man.

"Thank you,"she said."I am grateful."

@Gambler: @Brynhyld: [[ I too am interested in visiting Asgard, perhaps we can work something out. ]]

@Lady_Liberty: // I am sure we can think of something. I just don't want people popping in without some kind of excuse. ^__^ //

@Brynhyld: [[ Awesome. And yeah, its wouldn't make any sense for people to be popping in and out all the time without a good reason. ]]

@Lady_Liberty: (if you were on JLI, you'd know her by association ;P)

@Surkit: // Approves, of what your doing.//

@Brynhyld: (you join my team, I help your realm, we all win ;P)

@Brynhyld: Fenris paused, lifting his snout to the air, and searching the wind for what it might have to tell him. The scent that he caught, however, caused his lips to curl back involuntarily, and reveal the terrifyingly sharp teeth within, the teeth that had severed the hand of Tyr. A deep growl built within his chest. He had fought and slain many beings in his existence, but few filled him with such loathing as those he now smelled. If they had caught the trail of his love's blood, as well...

With a roar, he plunged ahead, tearing through snowdrifts in his fury. They would NOT have her...they would not...

@Surkit: [[ Truth. ]]

@Lady_Liberty: (Think about it and let me know)

She could now see that the other three were elders, each of them strong with wisdom burning in their eyes well beyond their years, with power, for strength and vigor was in their limbs and faces. To the east was an old, tall woman with an ugly face yet very wise eyes. She reached into a bag and offered The Troll-Breaker a piece of dried meat, which she accepted hungrily. To the north was a large broad old man, fat with a kind face. To the west was a thin but well muscled young man, with a well-formed face and eyes that seemed to contain lightning.

"Welcome, Troll-Breaker,"the big one said."Welcome to our lodge. Will you stay for a while and hear our stories?"

"Yes, I shall,"Troll-Breaker said."But how did you know my name?"

The wiry one to the west smiled."You are renowned hunter, of the Asgardian people, as are we. We honor you here."

"And now you must eat,"said the large red bearded man to the south."And while you do so, we will tell our stories. We will sing of our people and their deeds in the world...."

The Troll-Breaker ate the good, dried meat and felt well. Her wounds closed and all the life went fully back into her again. As she ate, the old woman took sage from her bag and began to burn it. Its aroma filled the lodge thick with their scent, and its smoke moved to every corner, above and below. The place was cleansed by smoke, so that no bane spirits could stay, although none were there.

@Brynhyld: Kool !

@Fuchsia_Nightingale:Thanks babe! <3