Asgard

Asgard is a planar realm inhabited by the Aesir, or Norse gods. It is not clear whether they are in fact native to this plane, or simply settled it, or possibly even conquered it. What is known is that they battled the frost giants here, eventually destroying their city of Jottenheim, and driving them out of Asgard.   The Aesir they have created many structures here, including a great feasting hall known as Valhalla where norse warriors are taken after they fall in battle. Asgard itself resembles the norse kingdoms, green and rugged with high mountains.   Asgard is not without its dangers, the ruins of Jottenheim are yet haunted by survivors of the war, and in the far corners mighty dragons roost, while unsightly monsters cowering away from the gaze of the Aesir. If one ranges far enough it may even be possible to travel beyond the sphere of the Aesir's influence, and into land where the remaining frost giants have fled.   Because of the need to bring fallen warriors to Valhalla, and becasue norse gods seem to lack the ability of divine manfiestation (strongly fuelling the argument that they are not in fact true gods at all) there is a greater need to travel to and from Asgard to Tallisterra.   Fallen warriors are conveyed by winged horses ridden by Valkyrie. These magical warrior-women possess the power to transit between worlds by means of a magical lament. It is theorised that the valkyrie may actually draw on the power of blood magic by tapping into the energies unleashed by the bloodshed of battle.   The norse gods themselves travel by the means of Bifrost, a magical rainbow bridge controlled by the norse god Heimdall the watcher. As the Bifrost is operated from within Asgard, it serves much like a drawbridge, protecting the realm.   Finally, it is thought that Asgard is connected to all other realms by means of Ygdrasil, the world tree.   These many links make Asgard closer to Tallisterra than other realms, and mages exploit this proximity, often summoning food and drink, weapons and armour, even spectral servants from Valhalla.