Getting Started

[Frosty]

Alfs



These reclusive, mysterious creatures of nature originate in the world of light and beauty, Alfheim. Thought to have been created in the image of the Vanir, alfs are magical beings renowned throughout the nine worlds not only for their insatiable curiosity and flighty nature, but their sage wisdom as well. Alfs essentially resemble humans in shape, though they are on average shorter and more slender. Their skin comes in many different colours, from a dark tan to a pale cream, into copper-green and – rarely – blue, with no apparent social distinction attached to it. Likewise, hair can be literally any colour in the rainbow (sometimes being every colour in the rainbow). Alfin features are more delicate and angular than humans, with narrow chins, small mouths, high cheekbones. Their slanted eyes are universally white, with no pupils or irises.

Being much more frail than humans or dwarves, alfs are ill-suited to the path of the warrior and tend to avoid conflict wherever they can. On the other hand, their talent for magic is unmatched among the creatures of the nine worlds, surpassing even the mystical knowledge of the giants. Particularly greedy mages are known to seek out these creatures, believing that an enslaved alf (or at least various body parts) can bestow the powers of Alfheim upon them. With this blessing comes a curse, however - for merely being in the presence of dark magic renders the alfs ill as if infected with a plague.

These creatures are available as a playable race.

[Frosty]

Bog Men



Mothers often use tales of “bog men”, otherwise known as “bogeymen”, to frighten naughty children into good behaviour. Bog men were all human at one time, who drowned in cursed swamps and have since become unliving monsters of fury and malice. These mindless creatures rise from the murky waters of their grave at night and prey upon travelers and nearby villages, dragging their victims back into the depths to share their sorrow for all eternity.

Bog men appear much as they did in life, although bloated and discoloured. Their hair is matted and tangled with seaweed, and their eyes are completely rotted out, leaving empty sockets to stare out hatefully at the world around them. As whatever terrible force creates these creatures seems to be attracted to battlefields, most bog men bear pitted armor and carry rusted weapons. Bog men are unintelligent as a rule, creatures of raw instinct and hatred, but rare exceptions have been known to occur.

These creatures are available as a playable race.

[Frosty]

Dwarfs



Unlike the elves of light, the creatures who inhabit the caverns below the earth feel quite comfortable outside of their own kind. The dwarfs, in fact, actually enjoy a very profitable relationship with men and gods alike, who appreciate their fine crafts, rare metals, and sharp financial skill. Dwarfs are widely employed in the human realms of Midgard as accountants, urban planners, and architects. They are believed to have been created by Wayland, Aesir god of the forge, to assist him in his many projects. They have no talent for the mystical arts, nor inclination to learn, believing that the best sort of creation is that done with one's own hands.

Practical, industrious, and hard-working creatures, the dwarfs closely resemble humans with squat, muscular frames and large beards. They have a great love for hardy food and strong drink, which perhaps explains the large, baby-like cheeks and great pot-bellies that are almost universal among their kind. Dwarfs can be found in their greatest numbers in the subterranean world of Nidavellir, where the caverns are always illuminated by the fires of their forges.

These creatures are available as a playable race.

[Frosty]

Giants



Old, wise, and powerful beyond human reckoning, giants are more than simply very large humans. Giants are the Primeval Race, the oldest living creatures in the nine worlds, as far as anyone knows. Although they coexist mostly in peace with the Aesir, it is said they will eventually overthrow and destroy the gods, for they are the only beings who can rival their power. There are many different branches of the giant race, all possessing unique attributes and characteristics. The hill giants of Midgard are ponderous and stupid, but their raw physical might cannot be underestimated. The arch-enemies of the Aesir, the frost giants, rule the icy world of Jotunheim with an iron fist; they are the most organized and warlike of the giant races. Rock giants also inhabit Jotunheim, but these contemplative stone-skinned creatures prefer to remain in seclusion and let time pass them by. Finally, in the searing depths of Muspelheim, the fire giants plot and scheme against the Aesir and their creations, seeking to scour the world with their divine flame. All but the hill giants are skilled in the sorcerous arts, particularly shapeshifting magic.

These creatures are available as a playable race.

[Frosty]

Nixes



Nixes are believed to be the creation of the sea god Njord, as a gift to Freya when he first adopted her and her brother, Freyr. According to legend, Freya was sorrowful when she first came to Asgard, away from the company of the alfs, her own children. To cheer her up, Njord took it upon himself to replicate Freya's creation, but his efforts were not entirely successful. His creation, the nixes, were born of the sea rather than the forest, making them far more capricious and wild than the generally serene alfs, and it was not long before his mischievous pets escaped to Midgard and sowed their seed in the sea, creating a new race.

Nixes possess the ability to take the forms of human, snake, and fish, and in their natural form resemble blue-skinned alfs with webbed fingers and toes. By nature very playful creatures, they enjoy luring humans to sea, more often than not inadvertently drowning them as they still have difficulty understanding air-breathing creatures. Like alfs, nixes are skilled in the mystical arts, and are renowned as experts in water and illusionary magic. When in human form, nixes are typically recognizable by the wet hem of their clothing.

These creatures are available as a playable race.

[Frosty]

Serpents



The most feared creatures in all of Midgard, and indeed all of the nine worlds if Jormungandr and the Nidhogg are any indication, serpents are a plague upon mankind. Most are believed to be the spawn of the Midgard Serpent itself for the striking resemblance they bear to the dreaded godling, and roam the cold seas where they prey upon the ships of men. A few winged serpents called dragons live upon land, the most notable of which is the cursed monster Fafnir.

Most serpents are mindless animals who roam endlessly, feeding and spawning like insects. Fortunately, almost all of this variety inhabit water rather than land, making human settlements in Midgard (mostly) safe from their predations. Unfortunately, this means that seafarers face the very real risk of being attacked, making seaborne trade and adventure a very dicey pursuit. A minority of serpents, which mostly consists of dragons, are on the other hand quite intelligent, even to the point of dabbling in sorcery. These are far more dangerous than their cousins, and it is fortunate for humans and gods alike that they are few in number, and generally more interested in amassing material riches.

These creatures are available as a playable race.

[Frosty]

Svartalfs



The dark-skinned cousins of the alfs are lanky, misshapen creatures who closely resemble their fairer counterparts, but lack their beauty and grace. Svartalfs often appear thin and malnourished, with lifeless white hair and large, expressive eyes. They are talented craftsmen, like the dwarves, and powerful sorcerers like alfs, though their knowledge tends toward the dark arts. Svartalfs were born of the maggots that festered within the corpse of Ymir, the primeval giant who climbed the Yggdrasil out of Ginnungagap and created the nine worlds. No children of the gods, they openly despise the Aesir, although they do not appear as interested in destroying them as the giants are. Rather, they are content to work away at their crafts in the seclusion of their subterranean caves. While most view them as vicious and hateful creatures, the majority of svartalfs are nominally harmless and only wish to be left alone. Svartalfs live beneath the earth in the caverns of Svartalfheim, deeper and darker than those of the dwarves, where they need not fear being turned to stone by the sun’s rays.

These creatures are available as a playable race.

[Frosty]

Trolls



Among the vilest of creatures to be found in Midgard, trolls are tall and emaciated, with long, spindly limbs, rough flesh, and scraggly hair, giving them the appearance of malformed trees. These monsters are cruel tricksters who have a fondness for human flesh and an uncanny talent for magic (especially those with two or three heads), leading many to believe that they may be the mishappen creations of the magical Vanir. Whatever the case may be, the surviving Vanir, Freyr and Freya, make no secret of their disdain for these monsters. One of their favourite pranks is to eat newborn human babies and leave their own offspring behind, then delight in the parents’ sheer horror. They are not known to organize, being selfish and hateful creatures who hold no love even for their own young, but there has been some recent evidence of individual trolls binding together into loose family groups or even tribes. Trolls are only active at night, and must spend their days in deep caves. Exposure to sunlight instantly and irreversibly turns them to stone.

These creatures are available as a playable race.