Ysgard

The Heroic Domains of Ysgard, also referred to as Gladsheim, was the plane straddling the alignments of chaotic good and chaotic neutral. The Norse Pantheon resided in this plane, and each of their domains took the shape of various halls scattered around the layers of this plane. Most gods that resided here, with the exception of Tyr, interacted very little with the material plane.

Cosmology

Ysgard is placed between Limbo and Arborea, with very limited permanent portals between these chaotic planes, but with permanent travel possible between Ysgard, the first layer, and Niflheim as well as alternate prime material planes. Although it was possible to travel to and from the Astral Plane, it was not common to do so. The three layers of Gladsheim consisted of tremendous rivers of earth and stone that formed cosmic arches through the void, like very tightly packed asteroid belts. Millions of miles/kilometers wide, each river was made up of gigantic chunks of matter that bumped and ground against each other at a glacial but noticeable pace, raising up mountains and opening vast chasms. These "earthbergs" all shared the same gravity field and most were inhabitable on the top side while the underside of the rivers burned with a radiant fire that provided a ruddy light to the rivers below. Earthquakes and landslides were a commonly occurring danger in Gladsheim as the landscape slowly buckled and broke under the influence of chaos.
Multiple rough-hewn landings of the Infinite Staircase connected to each of Gladsheim's three layers.

Layers

Ysgard is made up of three seemingly infinite layers that each have infinite demiplanes dotting the landscape.

Ysgard

Like the other layers of the plane, Ysgard was formed of vast chunks of land of sizes that varied from small to continent-like. These lands floated in the sky, flowing like rivers of earth several million miles wide along patterns that resembled huge arches in the sky. The chunks of inhabitable land slowly shifted and moved, breaking apart and crunching together. The bottom portion of those earthbergs shone with a red light that illuminated and warmed the layers below.
Ysgard was the best known layer, as well as the most populous. Its mountainous landscape led to cold seas and, at night, the numerous earthbergs glowed in the sky along their arches, forming structures resembling rivers of lava.
The largest realms of the plane of Ysgard were found on this layer. As such, its hilly landscape was dotted with large halls and battlefields, which is frequently occupied by large numbers of petitioners, einherjar and valkyrie.

Muspelheim

Muspelheim was formed by similar earthbergs to those that constituted the first layer, Ysgard, but they were inverted with respect to those. In Muspelheim, the fire-lit side faced up, so most of the terrain in the entire layer was dominated by fire and was quite inhospitable to visitors. In many ways, it was very similar to some regions of the Elemental Plane of Fire, which was connected to the layer via numerous portals.
Since it was such a desolate place, Muspelheim was generally avoided. Only its native fire giants remained to care for the land and were its undisputed rulers.

Nidavellir

Like Ysgard and Muspelheim, the other two layers of the plane, the landmasses of Nidavellir also consisted of moving earthbergs. However, whereas in the other two layers the earthbergs rarely collided, in Nidavellir they were constantly grinding against each other, so the only habitable spaces were located in the cavities formed between them.
The entirety of the layer was underground. Its tunnels, chambers, and caverns were kept warm by hot springs and geysers, which provided ample heat to sustain the native vegetation, which consisted of woods that required no sunlight to grow. Most of the layer was inhabited by dwarves and gnomes who, despite their natural animosity towards each other, worked together in their forges and crafts. The drow inhabitants of Svartalfheim were not evil like their counterparts from the Prime Material plane and wished only to be left alone.

Alternative Name(s)

Gladsheim

Type

Plane of Existence