Dragon Hero - Marvel Universe - Asgardian Deities

Asgard

UNIVERSE: Marvel Universe
LOCATION : “Sea of Space", Nine Worlds of the Asgardian Dimension system”
RULER : Odin the All Father
NOTABLE INHABITANTS : Odin, Thor, Tyr, Sif, Heimdal, Balder, Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg, Etc
FEATURES : Asgard exists in another dimensional plane where the matter is denser and more durable than the world of Midgard (Earth), and is a place where gods dwell.
FIRST APPEARANCE : Journey Into Mystery #85 (1962)

ASGARD Asgard is a small planetary body that serves as home to the Norse gods such as Thor, and their ruler, Odin. It exists in another dimensional plane and is about the size of the United States. It is not round like the Earth, does not spin on its axis, and does not revolve around the sun. It is a flat, asteroid- like mass that has a top surface with a gravitational pull, similar to that of the Earth’s, in order to keep the citizens and their cities from floating into the void. The matter on Asgard is also denser and more durable than the matter on Earth. There is an unknown force that keeps the surfaces of Asgard from eroding and from allowing its bodies of water from drifting off into space. Asgard has unknown intervals of day and night, it is unclear as to whether it uses Earth’s sun as a source of light, and there is no evidence that the seasons change.

      Asgard is connected to at least two other dimensional planes that consist of the major land masses the Asgardians refer to as the “Nine Worlds”. Four of the Nine Worlds exist on the same asteroid-like mass that Asgard exists on. These worlds are Asgard, Vanaheim, Alfheim, and Nidavellir. Another of these worlds that is in a different dimensional plane is the world of Midgard, or Earth. The sixth world is that of Jotunheim followed by Svartalfheim, Hel, and Muspelheim. There are natural nexus portals that exist on each of these worlds except for Midgard, and some of these worlds are in direct contact with the roots of Yggdrasil, the cosmic ash tree that stands in Asgard.

      The world of Asgard is the home of the gods while Vanaheim is the home of the Asgardian’s sister race, the Vanir. Nidavellir is the world belonging to the Dwarves and Alfheim is the world of the Light Elves. Midgard, or “Middle Realm”, is home to humans and does not seem to be affected by the motion of the other worlds of Asgard. Jotunheim is the world of the Giants and is also on its own dimensional plane hidden from Asgard or Earth’s. The only thing that prevents passage between Midgard and Jotunheim is Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent. The next world, Svartalfheim, is inhabited by the Dark Elves. This world is followed by the realm of the dead, Hel, and its sister realm, Niffleheim. Hel is ruled by the goddess, Hela, and is the home of the common dead. Niffleheim is the home of the dishonored dead such as murderers while there is a place known as Valhalla where the honored dead and heroes go. Valhalla is in a special place in the realm of Asgard. The final world is Muspelheim and that is the world ruled by Surtur and home to his fire demons. Muspelheim is on a separate plane of existence from all the other Nine Worlds and is said to predate recorded time as well as Niffleheim.

      Asgard has one permanent portal and that is Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge. That portal leads to Midgard, but it has been shattered making it difficult to travel between the dimensions. However, there are said to be nexus portals in the surrounding area of space that lead to Earth. Asgard also has a portal to Olympus which is home to the Greek gods, but since Olympus is not one of the Nine Worlds it is presumed that the portal is artificial. Asgard also has one more unique phenomenon which is the Cave of Time wherein one can travel to other time eras.
      Besides the snake-like Midgard Serpent, there are three other single unique creatures that live on the various Nine Worlds. They are the winged dragon, Nidhogg, who lives in Niffleheim and gnaws on one of the roots of the Yggdrasil, Fenris, the giant wolf-god who is imprisoned in Asgard in Varinheim, and the ice giant, Ymir.

      After a battle between Surtur, the fire demon, and Ymir which signaled the coming of Ragnarok, Odin endowed Heimdall, guardian of the Rainbow Bridge, with the Odin-power and gave Heimdall his scepter in order to perform a specific task. Odin described it as an "honor which is thine alone." Heimdall was given the privilege of restoring the Rainbow Bridge which anchored Asgard to Midgard once more. Also, when Thor became Lord of Asgard there was a brief period of time where Thor had Asgard occupy the same plane of existence with that of Earth.

      In recent events, Asgard and all of its Nine Worlds except for Midgard seem to have been destroyed after the events of Ragnarok, the end of the cosmos in Norse mythology. However, the hammer of Thor, Mjolnir, was found in Oklahoma possibly signaling the return of Thor and the Norse gods.

ASGARDIANS On the Nine Worlds of the Asgardian Dimension system, there are six different races of intelligent, humanoid beings. The gods are the most human looking and powerful race of the six. The origin of the gods is shrouded in legend. It is believed that they are not native to the dimension of Asgard, but were born on Earth and relocated here at some point in the distant past. The gods of Asgard were worshiped about a millennium ago by the Norsemen of Scandinavia and various Germanic tribes (who called them by various variant names, eg Wotan instead of Odin). The gods no longer have or actively seek worshipers on Earth. Certain Gods, notable Odin and Thor, still take an interest in the affairs of humanity.

THE GODS possess certain super-human physical attributes. They are extremely long lived (though not Immortal like the Olympian gods), aging at an extra- ordinally slow rate upon reaching adulthood. Asgardian flesh and bone is about three times denser than normal, contribution to the god's super-human strength and weight. An average male god can lift (press) about 30 tons, an average female god can life (press) about 25 tons. Gods are immune to all terrestrial disease and resistant to conventional injury. The metabolism of the gods gives them super-human endurance in all physical activities.

      Giants The second race of Asgard are the Giants whose dwelling place is Jotenheim. The giants are basically humanoid in appearance, although the tend towards the neanderthalic in body and bone structure. Their most distinguishing feature is their height. The average giant is 20 feet tall, although some reach up to 30 feet. On occasion, giants will produce stunted offspring who look similar to the gods. Loki and Executioner are both children of giants. despite their diminutive six or seven foot stature. Giants tend to lead a simple Hunter / Gatherer type of existence but their great resentment of the god's superior attributes frequently incite them to wage war against the gods. Giants are frequently sub-classified by their locale (Storm Giants live in the mountains while Frost Giants live in the frozen tundra). The eldest Frost Giant is Ymir.

      Dwarves The third race of Asgard is the Dwarves. Dwarves are shorter in stature than the gods and have short, squat bodies. Their average height is four feet. The Dwarves tend to be craftsmen and farmers who maintain friendly trade and peace relations with the gods. Dwarves dwell in the land of Nidavelir which is part of the landmass where Asgard and Vanahelm are situated. Dwarves have crafted such Asgardian weapons as the hammer Mjolnir and the spear Gungnir, although it was the magic of Odin that imbued these objects with their special enchantments.

      Elves The forth race of Asgard are the Elves. There are two types of Elves, the Dark Elves and the Light Elves and each dwell in their own separate world. Svartalfheim and Alfheim respectively. Elves of both kinds vary greatly in size, from four to eight feet. They tend toward slender bodies and proportionately long limbs, although there are exceptions. The Light Elves tend to be lighter in color than the Dark Elves and dwell on the surface while the Dark Elves dwell underground. Both types have a natural proclivity towards magic.

      Trolls The fifth race of Asgard are the Trolls. The Trolls are the least human looking denizen of the worlds of Asgard possessing body characteristics that are almost simian. Trolls are rocky and massive, have thick body hair (almost fur), and tend toward a ruddy orange in color. They are on the average taller than the gods but shorter than giants (around 7 feet tall) although some Trolls are considerably taller. They live in scattered settlements throughout Asgard, Vanahelm, Jotenhelm and Svartelfheim and Alfheim, mostly underground. Trolls toil as miners and metal workers. As belligerent as the Giants, Trolls make up in craftiness for their lack in size. Trolls tend to be extremely strong, stronger than the average god, dwarf or elf and on a par with the giants. Certain trolls like Ulik rival the Thunder God Thor in strength. Trolls dislike the other races of Asgard, particularly the gods. and have as little to do with them as possible unless the opportunity for conquest presents itself. The Trolls of the Asgard Mountains are currently united under the leadership of Geirrodur, although revolutions are common.

      Demons The sixth race of Asgard are the Demons. The Demons are beings of fire who dwell in Muspelhelm, but sometimes venture into the other realms in the name of war. A nomadic race, the demons are the offspring of the great fire demon, Surtur, whose existence is said to preclude that of the Gods. The demons tend to be about the same stature as the Gods. Other than Surtur, no individual demon is known.

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