Urriak Uruk
Gaming is fun, and fun is for everyone
Hi all! So now in 5E, the Feywild has been changed a bit so that each Archfey is believed to control a "Domain of Delight," which is a sort of counterpart to the Shadowfell's "Domains of Dread." As someone who may end up using the Queen of Air and Darkness as an end-campaign villain, I thought it would be interesting to tree and build a domain for her. This is my attempt, which also does an attempt at reconciling some older edition lore to the 5E paradigm. There is also a little Marvel influence thrown in.
The Reordering of the Planes
The planes of the multiverse have been rearranged several times in its near-infinite existence. It was taken several forms that go by many names, including the World Axis, the World Tree, and the Great Wheel. It is at one point, when the cosmology fluctuated from the form of the World Tree to that of the World Axis, where the domain of the Queen was made.
The World Tree was just that; a colossal tree with roots planted in the cold realm of Niflheim, stretching all the way to the branches of Asgard. Eight more realms were held by this tree, with it forming various paths and tendrils to all the planes of the Multiverse. But no tree can stand forever, and when the reordering of the Tree to the Axis began, a powerful being say an opportunity too rich to pass up.
As the Tree weakened, the Queen of Air and Darkness launched a crusade unlike any before. The World Tree had been long defended by the Norse gods, but in this period of tumult their power waned. That moment of weakness was all the Unseelie Fey needed, as they moved like a wave across the domains of these gods. The Norse pantheon did not have the strength to force the Unseelie back, and were only able to save some of their realms, which were cast off and absorbed by other planes as the World Axis formed. Odin was able to muster his family to hurl Asgard, Muspelheim, and Nidavellir into the realm now called Ysgard. Midgard and Niflheim were cast off into the Material Plane and Hades respectively, and other gods like Thrym escaped to form entirely new domains in other planes.
But five realms were lost to the Fey army, and any gods who remained were slain, imprisoned, or worse. Alfheim, Heven, Jotunheim and Svartleheim all surrendered and knelt before the Unseelie Court. The Queen of Air and Darkness took the throne of Vanaheim as her seat of power, and declared her new kingdom of Yggdrasil as her domain.
In the Age of the Great Wheel
Millennia have since passed since the sundering of the World Tree, and we pass now into the age of the Great Wheel. Although Odin had long plotted ways to take back his realms from the the usurper Unseelie Queen, they had all been stymied. The Unseelie Court keeps many of the Norse family as hostages, including Heimdall, Baldur, and Brogi, the locations of their prison and even their captors being switched seemingly at random by the Archfey. And lovely Freya is kept close at the Queen of Air and Darkness' side, a handmaiden to her whims. Other gods have been elevated from their lowly status, and have no longing for Odin's return. Skadi serves as the ruler of Jotunheim, Malekith as king of the Shadow Elves in Svartleheim, Angela as the Valkyrie Queen of Heven. Frey is the morose lord of the Light Elves in Alfheim, forced into inaction and servitude as his sister Freya remains the Queen's prisoner.
The Great Wheel has cemented the Unseelie Queen's rule, with Yggdrasil passing fully into the Feywild. Some say it is the largest Domain of Delight, though most would argue it is perfectly balanced by the realm governed by Queen Titania and the Seelie Fey. It is undoubtedly a sprawling queendom, a testament to the Queen of Air and Darkness' domination, and her rule has few challengers or rebels that go unpunished.
Jotunheim
The giants of Jotunheim had long been more refined than the frost giants of the Material Plane, though their new role in the Fey has changed them. The Fey Giants of Jotunheim have lost their very faces, their musculature thinning and becoming lithe like elves while retaining their height. Their lady Skadi has created a church out of devotion to their new Queen. The old golds Thrym and Odin are painted as traitors and cowards, the Queen of Air and Darkness as a savior and benevolent ruler. These giants form the anvil of the Unseelie Court's armies, and any who would enter approach Vanaheim must first pass through this cold and fervent land.
Svartleheim
The Shadow Elves have always been a wild sort, quick to viscous revelry and cruel mischief. Their new role in the order of the Fey is one they have taken to with great gusto, elevated from the heel of Asgard. The swamps of Svartleheim remain as foul as ever, though they now serve as a military breeding ground for all manners of abominations in the Queen's service. The leader of the Shadow Elves is no god at all, but a mere mortal Shadow Elf hand chosen by the Queen. Malekith is the Queen's loyal Vizier, and if many times the source for her most merciless of dictates.
I may write on the other realms later if people like this post, but this is all I've got the juice to write now!
The Reordering of the Planes
The planes of the multiverse have been rearranged several times in its near-infinite existence. It was taken several forms that go by many names, including the World Axis, the World Tree, and the Great Wheel. It is at one point, when the cosmology fluctuated from the form of the World Tree to that of the World Axis, where the domain of the Queen was made.
The World Tree was just that; a colossal tree with roots planted in the cold realm of Niflheim, stretching all the way to the branches of Asgard. Eight more realms were held by this tree, with it forming various paths and tendrils to all the planes of the Multiverse. But no tree can stand forever, and when the reordering of the Tree to the Axis began, a powerful being say an opportunity too rich to pass up.
As the Tree weakened, the Queen of Air and Darkness launched a crusade unlike any before. The World Tree had been long defended by the Norse gods, but in this period of tumult their power waned. That moment of weakness was all the Unseelie Fey needed, as they moved like a wave across the domains of these gods. The Norse pantheon did not have the strength to force the Unseelie back, and were only able to save some of their realms, which were cast off and absorbed by other planes as the World Axis formed. Odin was able to muster his family to hurl Asgard, Muspelheim, and Nidavellir into the realm now called Ysgard. Midgard and Niflheim were cast off into the Material Plane and Hades respectively, and other gods like Thrym escaped to form entirely new domains in other planes.
But five realms were lost to the Fey army, and any gods who remained were slain, imprisoned, or worse. Alfheim, Heven, Jotunheim and Svartleheim all surrendered and knelt before the Unseelie Court. The Queen of Air and Darkness took the throne of Vanaheim as her seat of power, and declared her new kingdom of Yggdrasil as her domain.
In the Age of the Great Wheel
Millennia have since passed since the sundering of the World Tree, and we pass now into the age of the Great Wheel. Although Odin had long plotted ways to take back his realms from the the usurper Unseelie Queen, they had all been stymied. The Unseelie Court keeps many of the Norse family as hostages, including Heimdall, Baldur, and Brogi, the locations of their prison and even their captors being switched seemingly at random by the Archfey. And lovely Freya is kept close at the Queen of Air and Darkness' side, a handmaiden to her whims. Other gods have been elevated from their lowly status, and have no longing for Odin's return. Skadi serves as the ruler of Jotunheim, Malekith as king of the Shadow Elves in Svartleheim, Angela as the Valkyrie Queen of Heven. Frey is the morose lord of the Light Elves in Alfheim, forced into inaction and servitude as his sister Freya remains the Queen's prisoner.
The Great Wheel has cemented the Unseelie Queen's rule, with Yggdrasil passing fully into the Feywild. Some say it is the largest Domain of Delight, though most would argue it is perfectly balanced by the realm governed by Queen Titania and the Seelie Fey. It is undoubtedly a sprawling queendom, a testament to the Queen of Air and Darkness' domination, and her rule has few challengers or rebels that go unpunished.
Jotunheim
The giants of Jotunheim had long been more refined than the frost giants of the Material Plane, though their new role in the Fey has changed them. The Fey Giants of Jotunheim have lost their very faces, their musculature thinning and becoming lithe like elves while retaining their height. Their lady Skadi has created a church out of devotion to their new Queen. The old golds Thrym and Odin are painted as traitors and cowards, the Queen of Air and Darkness as a savior and benevolent ruler. These giants form the anvil of the Unseelie Court's armies, and any who would enter approach Vanaheim must first pass through this cold and fervent land.
Svartleheim
The Shadow Elves have always been a wild sort, quick to viscous revelry and cruel mischief. Their new role in the order of the Fey is one they have taken to with great gusto, elevated from the heel of Asgard. The swamps of Svartleheim remain as foul as ever, though they now serve as a military breeding ground for all manners of abominations in the Queen's service. The leader of the Shadow Elves is no god at all, but a mere mortal Shadow Elf hand chosen by the Queen. Malekith is the Queen's loyal Vizier, and if many times the source for her most merciless of dictates.
I may write on the other realms later if people like this post, but this is all I've got the juice to write now!
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