The Setting of Mordia

There is a land of frozen winters and endless howling winds. A land whose people value iron, gold, fame and the Gods above all else. They sail and raid for the sake of wealth and honourable death. Those who falter visit the grim and dark halls of Helheim, and the others win everlasting riches and fame in the golden halls of Valhalla. This land is called Mordia.

NORSE MYTHOLOGY

Mordia is a land of last resort. The ancestors of its people have escaped here from the deadly Bizirian Dragonlands of Muspelheim to the East and been halted in their advance by the lands of Giants to the west known by some as Jotunheim but by others as The Stormerian Protectorate or Stormer. Through the ages, they have founded civilizations, and kingdoms. Still, Mordia remained and will always remain a land of people that are on the edge of massacre. The cycle keeps repeating itself as the new replace the old, and those who settle here are never relieved from their need to survive.
Gods in Mordia are known to be brutal, legendary figures. The pantheon of Odin the Allfather does not provide protection and power out of sheer love like other deities of other realms may do. The Gods and Goddesses of Mordians demand bloody sacrifices and viciously test mortals to see their worth. The admiration of the divine is not inherent here; it is earned, often through deadly means.
The cultures of Mordia reflect this deadly cosmology as well. Kings and queens need to be tough and fierce warriors, as much as they need to be respected by their kin. Political struggle and raids on villages are a common part of Mordians’ way of life. Consequently, adventurers in Mordia are not well-greeted everywhere, because of the mistrust between different ancestries, or even clans.
Still, bardship and storytelling are common arts of the land. As an adventurer, news of your accomplishments may travel fast with the works of people of such professions. A good reputation is hard to earn in Mordia, but it is well-respected once it is earned.
The good news is, as many places are under the constant threat of hostile clans, jarls, or monsters in the wilderness, there is always a fight to be fought to prove yourself worthy of Valhalla. Although, be wary on your travels. Always keep an eye on the horizon and set up patrols among your party. Those who fancy themselves hunters, who are arrogant enough to underestimate this unrelenting land, may soon find themselves becoming the hunted instead.

Odin's Pantheon

There are many Gods and Goddesses in the Norse mythology. Yet, as Mordia is a relatively new settlement, they do not know about all the realms or of all deities.
There are 9 major deities from Odin’s pantheon who have an immense influence over Mordia, as well as 4 lesser deities: Heimdall, Ran, Skadi, and Ullr, who have not gathered as many followers as the greater deities.

• Odin the Allfather is the God of Gods. He rules over Asgard.
• Aegir is the giant-God of the seas.
• Balder is the God of poetry and beauty.
• Fenrir is the son of Loki. He is the giant wolf god of blood and savagery, waiting to be released in Ragnarok, where he shall devour Odin.
• Freyja is the wife of Odin. She is the goddess of nature and fertility.
• Hel is the daughter of Loki. She is the Goddess of death and of the dead.
• Loki is the brother of Odin. He is the God of trickery.
• Thor is the son of Odin. He is the god of thunder and is the greatest enemy of the frost jotunns.
• Tyr is the God of justice and of war.

THEME AND ATMOSPHERE

The cosmology of Norse mythology stands on nine realms:
Asgard, Alfheim, Helheim, Jotunheim, Midgard, Muspelheim, Niflheim, Svartalfheim, and Vanaheim. These realms reside on Yggdrasil, the tree of life.
Asgard is the home of the Gods and Goddesses. Odin and most of his pantheon reside here. The famous Valhalla is also in Asgard, greeting warriors of worthy of the endless feast.
Alfheim is the realm of the light elves. They are beautiful creatures ruled by the Goddess Freyja. Although Freyja is very influential in Mordia, there is no known passage to Alfheim from this land.
Helheim is the realm of the dishonourable dead, ruled by the Goddess Hel and her emissary, Archduke Ekron of Avernus. Those who are not worthy of Valhalla come here when they die.
Jotunheim is the realm of giants; inhabited by the frost and mountain jotunns who are the ancestors of the half-jotunns that populate Mordia. Many also know these lands by a name given to them by the giants that dwell there. Stormer.
Midgard is the realm of mere mortals and the Mordian name for the Material Plane. It is surrounded and protected by Jormungandr, the serpent of time. Mordia resides in Midgard.
Muspelheim is the realm of fire. Fire giants and Surtr, the heralder of Ragnarok, inhabit the realm, and are sealed here until they play their mandatory part in history. The mountains here are known to contain dragons, dwarves and all manner of ancient beasts. They call this realm the Bizerian Empire or otherwise just Bizir.
Niflheim is the realm of cold and mist. Not much else is known about this mysterious realm except that it lies far north of Mordian shores.
Svartalfheim is the realm of the dvergrs. The dvergrs that have found their way to Mordia usually try to find their way back to this realm.
Vanaheim is the realm of the Vanir. This was the first home of the Vanir and now the realm in which they host the Great Arenian Games. They call this place the Arenian Empire and it lies far south of Mordia.

Gods of Mordia