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- Birth Of Kaldheim - The World Tree
- Crossing The Cosmos
- The Realms Of Kaldheim
- The Gods Of Kaldheim
The Plane of Kaldheim first appeared in Magic: The Gathering's Planechase set, later being fully expanded upon in the Kaldheim set. It is largely inspired by Norse mythology, with multiple Gods and realms within the Plane. It was also the first appearance of New Phyrexian Praetors on other Planes and the start of their plan to take over the Multiverse.
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Kaldheim has many regions that are all separate realms from each other, requiring special travel to go between them. Not even Planeswalkers can travel freely between Kaldheim's realms, and all residents are required to go between the Cosmosto traverse them.
Birth Of Kaldheim - The World Tree
The World Tree by Anastasia OvchinnikovaThe world of Kaldheim all began from a simple seed that grew into the World Tree, where all life of Kaldheim came from. The branches that grew out from the tree turned into the realms of Kaldheim. Once there were ten branches and realms on the World Tree, fruit began to grow from it, which became monsters, the first of many being Koma, Cosmos Serpent.
The World Tree is located in the Cosmos, which is a nebulous space with aurora-like lights. It is generally required to travel through the Cosmos to walk between the realms of Kaldheim. The monsters that grew from the World Tree are some of the oldest creatures in the plane, and many residents believe that all the secrets of the world are inside their minds. Mages and Gods alike seek to unlock these secrets from the minds of the Cosmos monsters.
The sap of the World Tree emits a special magical substance known as Tyrite. Gods can handle it safely, but it is quite dangerous to mortals. This is used to create a Cosmos Elixir, which is what keeps the Gods as Gods.
Crossing The Cosmos
Doomskar by Piotr DuraTraveling through the Cosmos is very difficult with magic, and those who attempt often succumb to madness, leading the Cosmos monsters to feed on them. There is no food or water in the Cosmos, making it even harder for a simple mortal to traverse it. Some common ways to travel through it are with special spells or a weapon from the Gods. There are four main ways for denizens of Kaldheim to travel through the Cosmos and survive the journey.
One of the main ways is through Omenpaths. When the realmsshift around on the World Tree, passages between realms open, and these paths are called Omenpaths. The dangers of crossing through an Omenpath vary greatly. Sometimes, simply walking through a light will take someone to another realm. In other cases, it requires traversing through treacherous territories, such as caverns that can lead to the top of a mountain once crossing to the other realm. Once an Omenpath appears, powerful magic can be used to close and open them as desired.
The appearance of an Omenpath is often a precursor to another way that inter-realm travel is possible, a Doomskar. The realms of the World Tree are constantly moving around it, and this can cause them to suddenly overlap with each other. When this happens, it's called aDoomskar. These are often incredibly violent, bringing natural disasters from earthquakes to complete destabilization. When the two realms merge, the residents can interact and travel between the realms, but they also tend to engage in conflict with each other.
There are a few species that can freely travel through the realms of Kaldheim. Most notably, the Gods of Kaldheimare immune to the disorienting effects the Cosmos have on mortals. Though the journey can still be hard to make, Gods are capable of opening Omenpaths to make the process easier, and in some cases, can simply transport between realms. The Shapeshifters and Omenseekers of Kaldheim can use their powers to easily enable the ability to traverse the passages between the realms.
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The Realms Of Kaldheim
Arctic Treeline by Alayna DannerThe ten realms of Kaldheim are each distinct, with unique species and mana pairing with each one. When Doomskars occur, it's not uncommon for the realms to wage war on each other.
Bretagard
Bretagard Stronghold by Jung ParkBretagard is the Selesnya (green/white) associated realm of Kaldheim. It is home to humans, and the five clans living there are in a never-ending war. Both have unique approaches to both physical combat and magic. The Bretagard region is surrounded by sea, and hundreds of miles out from the continent are where plant and animal life thrive.
The clans all follow a Code Of Clans, which handles all disputes they may have.
Axgard
Axgard Armory by Cliff ChildsAxgard is the Boros (white/red) realm of Kaldheim, known for its mountain ranges. To the blind eye, it appears that little lives there outside of a few animals. However, inside the mountains are the hidden homes ofthe dwarfs. Their cities are near-impenetrable.
The dwarfs are skilled blacksmiths capable of building incredible weapons. They are also fantastic storytellers, sharing legends with all of their denizens.
Karfell
Narfi, Betrayer King by DaarkenKarfell is a region dominated by glacier-covered land. The realm is associated with Dimir (blue/black) and is filled with dragur, the zombies of Kaldheim. The dragur retain their intelligence and serve King Narfi, who is the last King of Karfell.
The warrior class of King Narfi's men is known as the Dead Marn, which King Narfi utilizes when Doomskars and Omenpaths open to raid other realms.
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Surtland
Surtland Frostpyre by Piotr DuraSurtland is a realm that is ina never-ending crisis. Volcanoes constantly burst through the ground to form mountains, and the freezing temperatures turn geysers into ice shards that shoot out. The region is associated with Izzet (red/white) colors.
All the life within the Surtland region grows to giant sizes, with giants the main species residingthere. There are two groups, the Frost Giants, who are calm and collected, and the Fire Giants, who are much more aggressive and rash. They are in constant conflict, but if Surtland is ever threatened by an outside source, they will set their fighting aside to deal with the larger threat.
Littjara
Reflections of Littjara by Aaron MillerLittjara is associated with Simic (green/blue). The realm is the home of theShapeshifters, and the land itself transforms on a whim as well. The barriers that divide Littjara from the other realms are the thinnest of them all, making it the easiest to enter, but the inconsistent nature of the realm makes it the hardest to leave.
The Shapeshifters have different preferred forms depending on their color identity. Blue Shapeshifters known asGladewalkers prefer the forms of wild beasts such as bears. The Green Shapeshifters areCovewalkers and are much more fascinated with ocean life and prefer the forms of seals and dolphins.
Istfell
Gates of Istfell by Anastasia OvchinnikovaThe Istfell realm is the one that residesat the base of the World Tree. Associated with Azorius (white/blue) mana, the realm is home to the spirits of the many fallen animals and humans alike. The spirits of those who die in ways deemed worthy by the Valkyries are taken to the realm of Starnheim.
The Gods' Hall is located at Istfell, driven down there by the God Valki. Though the other Gods want to return it back to its proper home, magic is binding it to the bottom of the World Tree in Istfell.
Starnheim
Starnheim Unleashed by Johannes VossStarnheim is associated with Orzhov (black/white) mana and where the Valkyries of Kaldheim live.Starnheim is themain source of light for the Plane, as it does not have either a sun or a moon. Starnheim is located at the top of the World Tree, where they bring up those from the bottom in Istfell that died noble deaths. The spirits brought up are able to engage in an endless feast in the Hall of the Valkyries.
Starnheim has a black-colored lake, but the water is actually the blood of the first Valkyrie that died when the realm was created. All other Valkyries were birthed from this lake. Gods deemed unworthy are sent off to drift in the lake into the Cosmos to make room for Gods more worthy.
Gnottvold
Gnottvold Recluse by Nicholas GregoryGnottvold is the home of theTrolls. Much of the land is overgrown with moss. This realm is the one that is Gruul (red/green) colors. Gnottvold is covered in ancient ruins that haven't been touched in ages.
There are two groups of Trolls in Gnottvold. The first is the Hagi Trolls that enjoy harassing the other group of trolls while hunting in packs. The victims of the Hagi's harassment are the Torga Trolls that generally care only about sleep, capable of sleeping for years at a time. However, if awoken early, they will go into a fit of rage and destroy everything around them until their energy is waned down and they return to slumber.
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Immerstrurm
Immersturm Skullcairn by Cliff ChildsImmersturm is Rakdos (red/black) aligned and home to demons and dragons that are constantly raging war against each other. The Gods of Kaldheim place a special ward on the realm to prevent the demons from traveling to other realms to sow chaos there.
The realm is constantly on fire, with lightning strikes always raging. The fumes there are toxic to everything but demons. The demons want to do nothing more than destroy and are fighting each other since they can not leave the realm.
Skemfar
Skemfar Elderhall by Johannes VossThe last of the ten realms, Skemfar is the Golgari (green/black) color-aligned one. It is the home of the elves. It is lush in wilderness, with tunnels created by Koma, the Cosmos Serpent.
The elves live both within the trees and underground. In the early days, the elves were the Gods of Kaldheim, and have since fallen out of favor, but all wish to reclaim their original title. There are two groups of elves, the Wood Elves and Shadow Elves. Though they have their differences, they are united under theElf King Harald, who wants to lead them to claim the title of the ruler of all realms of Kaldheim.
The Gods Of Kaldheim
The Prismatic Bridge by Johannes VossThere are a total of 12 current Gods in Kaldheim. Each of the Gods has a unique aspect they preside over. The Gods in Kaldheim are known as The Skoti. Many of the Gods have deep knowledge of the Cosmos, and thanks to drinking from the Cosmos Elixir, they have qualities of the Cosmos emitting from them.
Alrund
Alrund, God of the Cosmos by Richard LuongAlrund is the God of the Cosmos and Wisdom. As a youth, Alrund made it his mission to become the wisest of all the realms. Alrund was able to best every Cosmos monster to learn their knowledge and succeeded but knew that Kaldheim still had secrets he had yet to learn. Alrund's personality depends on his mood, with the two most dominant being distant and entertaining.
Reidane
Reidane, God of the Worthy by Jason RainvilleReidane is the God of the Worthy and Justice. She is arrogant and extremely zealous in the pursuit of justice to a flaw. Once she decides how to feel, she very seldom changes her mind about it. She believes in fairness and the concept of "an eye for an eye," even in extreme circumstances.
Cosima
Cosima, God of the Voyage by Andy BraseCosima is the God of the Voyage and Sea. She was originally born as a Cosmos monster that took the form of a dolphin that swam between realms. She later took on the form of a human, and she claimed the title of a God. She spent time with Alrund, and the two had three children together that were Gods as well. She eventually left to return to the sea. While underneath the waves, she reverts to her dolphin form. She is incredibly curious and doesn't stay in one place for very long.
Egon
Egon, God of Death by Jason A. EngleEgon is the God of Death. He is one of the oldest Gods, but he ages backward, giving him the appearance of a teenager. He is very pessimistic and bitter and is constantly predicting the Gods will fall.
In the Skoti's war to take out the old Gods, Egon was able to take control of the dead from King Narfi, and this granted him the title of God of Death. He spends most of his time in the Istfell realm.
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Tergrid
Tergrid, God of Fright by Yongjae ChoiTergrid is the God of Fright. She is a warrior that is only trying to live a normal life. Her shadow has a life of its own, trying to strangle her as a child, though she was able to win the battle with it and subject it to her will. It follows behind her as a hooded figure that she ignores, and she angrily berates anyone who acknowledges it's presence in the first place. She occasionally blurts out omens or threats with those she is conversating with.
Birgi
Birgi, God of Storytelling by Eric DeschampsBirgi is the God of Storytelling. She is the middle child of Alrund and Cosima. She loves being the center of attention, traveling between realms to join in on celebrations across them. She often uses the adventures of her brother Toralf in her stories, painting them as her own. Even if someone knows she is lying, they enjoy Birgi's company too much to mention it. Her magic will liven up the crowd of even the quietest groups, though this often leads to riots that get out of control.
Kolvori
Kolvori, God of Kinship by Grzegorz RutkowskiKolvori is the God of Kinship. She is very talkative and adores nature. She keeps all of the sagas of the Gods in order to preserve the memory of them. She is the youngest child of Cosima and Alrund, and cares deeply for her family, often acting as the mediator when arguments arose. Like Egon, she believes the Gods are on the verge of collapse, but they both hate each other due to their conflicting personalities.
Esika
Esika, God of the Tree by Johannes VossEsika is the God of the Tree. She is very quiet and humble and is the most knowledgeable about the World Tree and the Cosmos than anyone else. She came into existence along with her sister Tergrid when Alrun used magic to try and communicate with the World Tree. From being born from it, Esika has a deep connection to the World Tree and is the one who created the Cosmos Elixir that all the Gods drink to slow down their aging and maintain their power. Only she knows how to make it, and has no interest in sharing how she does it.
Halvar
Halvar, God of Battle by Lie SetiawanHalvar is the God Of Battle. While Alrund was trying to best every Cosmos monster, he found an abandoned baby in the Axgard realm. He adopted it and gave him the name Halvar. Halvar is selfless and sensible, and a strong warrior capable of inspiring others with rousing speeches. Even though Halvar would prefer to stay home, he travels with all of his fellow guards, acting as their protector and bodyguard.
Valki
Valki, God of Lies by Yongjae ChoiValki is the God of Lies. He is a trickster who causes nothing but trouble for his fellow Gods. He loves pranks, though they were more annoying than anything, and nothing that is directly harmful. Even though he can be helpful when he wants to be, the other Gods seldom trust anything he says. He was briefly captured by the Planeswalker Tibalt who impersonated him and carried out more destructive pranks while disguised as Valki.
Toralf
Toralf, God of Fury by Tyler JacobsonToralf is the God of Fury. He is the oldest son of Alrund and Cosima. He is fearless and is no stranger to taking risks. He is capable of controlling the lightning above. He doesn't seek war, but exciting challenges of increasing difficulties. Alrund believes Toralf is wasting his talents over the lightning, but Toralf does not care for his father's disproval, leading to division between the family.
Jorn
Jorn, God of Winter by WolfSkullJackJorn is the God of Winter. He is the brother of Alrund and was the only person he ever asked for help while trying to fight all the Cosmos monsters. Jorn is a phenomenal tracker who is deeply fascinated by the natural world. Jorn knows the safest and quickest paths between all realms, as well as the ones inside the realms. He still has a good relationship with Alrund, and Jorn will always appear to help his fellow Gods whenever needed.
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