# The Batttlefields of Ysgard (PoC) > TO A GLORIOUS DEATH! THIS DAY! SKOL! > > Thorfinn the Lean, a Petitioner in Valhalla Ysgard's got three layers: Ysgard itself, Muspelheim, a fiery home of the giants, and Nidavellir, the abode of darkness where the dark dwarves dwell. All three consist of earthbergs burning on one side, but the earthbergs grind together constantly in Nidavellir, whereas in the other two layers the earthbergs rarely collide. The battlefields and mountains of Ysgard are strange; it's weather is as fierce and proud as its petitioners, as stubborn and as violent. Its soaring mountains, deep fjords, and dark caverns are home to the most bloodthirsty petitioners of the Upper Planes. Because Ysgard's petitioners have been slain in battle a thousand times, they have no fear of death: They know each of the valkyries by name. Since the petitioners have no care for their own lives, they live for battle, and they treat all visitors as potential kills. Fortunately, Ysgard's sparsely settled. This is a plane of biting winds and sharp seasons. Winter's a time of darkness and bitter killing cold. Summer nights bring mild breezes and the midnight sun though the light shines from the burning underside of the great earthbergs. When the earthbergs collide, earthquakes shake the land. Getting from one earthberg to the next is no mean feat: flying mounts and magic help, but the terrific winds of the void are dangerous. The valkyries glide across the void on their winged steeds, but for most sorts it's not that easy. Ysgard's magic is contained in the runes, carved mystic symbols that govern spells. For a few spells, a cutter's got to know not just runes but also kennings, a sort of word play that calls a ship a "sea-steed" and calls an eagle the "vulture of battle." The Ysgardians may all act like warriors, but scratch the surface of a warrior and find a failed poet. The best-known realms are the realms of the Norse: Alfheim, Asgard, Jotunheim (home of the Norse giants), and Vanaheim. The realms of Ysgard are built around the halls — places of feasts, rich ale, and good company — located near traditional battlegrounds. Don't go to their halls expecting an easy time: Ysgardians are stubborn berks, and they think charity's an insult. Few towns exist in Ysgard; the rugged petitioners prefer to make it on their own, in small settlements and scattered villages. When they do gather together they meet in the great halls of the plane for mead, song, and battle. Many Ysgardians are members of the Fated. The Fated's fortress, called Rowan's Hall or the Heartless Hall, is a single great citadel of stone and timber, rising like a mountain from the midst of a great forest. Some say there's a conduit to the Outlands from there, leading to the grove of the Norns. Outside the halls of the Norse, the [bariaur](https://adnd2e.fandom.com/wiki/Bariaur_\(Creature\) "Bariaur (Creature)"), the [fensir](https://adnd2e.fandom.com/wiki/Fensir "Fensir"), and [giants](https://adnd2e.fandom.com/wiki/Giant "Giant") live on the fringes. The fensir are an intelligent but secretive race, excellent herbalists but shy despite their size and strength. The herds of bariaur and clans of giants roam the plains between the Norse halls. The bariaur flocks roam from hall to hall, never staying anywhere long, and always ready to defend themselves from the bloodthirsty petitioners. Most petitioners leave the bariaur alone, but a few leatherheaded, glory-seeking fools never realize that the bariaur aren't reborn each morning. As a result, the bariaur shoot first and ask questions later. They travel a fine line between the good grazing of the plains and meadows and the desolate safety of their lonely winter steadings in the hills and highlands. Like all nomads, the bariaur are difficult to track down. No one knows where they'll show up, and that's the way they like it. It ain't all Norsemen in Ysgard. Far from the Norse halls, the moon gods rule a silver realm on a milky sea, a place called the Gates of the Moon. Rumors say that the waters surrounding their realm are slowly drawing the River Oceanus over the boundary from [Arborea](https://adnd2e.fandom.com/wiki/Arborea_\(PCS\) "Arborea (PCS)"), connecting Ysgard to the planar highway, but the link is as changeable as the tides. The whole place is guarded by werebeasts and a race of snake-women proxies called the [lillendi](https://adnd2e.fandom.com/wiki/Lillend "Lillend"). The cat-goddess [Bast](https://adnd2e.fandom.com/wiki/Bast_\(LL\) "Bast (LL)") also keeps her realm here, a place of celebration, pleasure, and stalking, sharp-clawed denizens who'll spring at a cutter the moment she turns her back. Ysgard may be counted among the Upper Planes, but not all of its inhabitants are as upright as devas.