JOTUMHEIM
JOTUMHEIM
A SLOW RETREAT
When the Titan Ymir was slain by the Gods, his titanspawn servants were devastated by the loss. His absence, and their corresponding weakness in comparison to their fi re giant brethren, is in no small part responsible for the climate trends that science blames on global warming, as the glacial might of the frost giants’ former glory began to slowly recede toward the North Pole. For centuries, the frost giants have been wary to travel far beyond their sequestered sanctuary in Jotunheim. They struck out at humanity only in very limited areas near each of the myriad mountain entrances to their homeland.
THE UTGARD GATE
Despite the obvious similarity in names, few humans would ever suspect that the Jotunheimen mountain range, a part of the Scandinavian mountains, actually bears access to the legendary home of the giants. This entrance to Jotunheim is the one nearest to the capital, Utgard, and is sequestered deep within the Jotunheimen range. Despite being the largest entrance to the giant’s realm, the Utgard Gate has remained hidden from mortal eyes for centuries, due to being surrounded by treacherous ice sheets to the east and the rough and tumultuous North Sea to the west.
Those who wish to make the journey to the Utgard Gate by land must do so on foot, a journey of several hundred miles from Oslo, the nearest large city. While the Jotunheimen range is not known as a particularly difficult one for hikers and climbers, as the ice fields near the entrance to Jotunheim are crossed, travel becomes more difficult. The giants have mined particularly convenient routes surrounding the Utgard Gate, sapping away at the ice fields until only a thin, but deceivingly pristine, layer remains. Those crossing by land could find themselves tumbled into 50-foot-deep caverns lined with jagged, razor-sharp ice-shards on the sides and floor. These caverns are sealed after being created, so as not to allow easy access into Jotunheim proper.
Entry to the gate is also possible by approaching from the west, over the coastline of the North Sea. The coastline in this area is notoriously difficult to scale. Fjords rise up dramatically from the sea to a height of several hundred feet, and attempts to scale the ice cliffs are likely to trigger massive break-offs where tons of ice fall away from the glacier and plummet into the sea. Approach by air from the coastline is also perilous, as the storms that pound the icy cliffs are capable of snatching unwary fliers from the air and tossing them into the ice or the ocean.
If they manage to circumvent the traps and natural hazards of the area, travelers might still be hard pressed to fi nd the gate itself. As they near the gate, the blustery weather turns malevolent. Frozen fog becomes sleet, which transitions to the ever-present blizzard that continuously surrounds the opening to Jotunheim. Located deep within a fault in the glacial fjords along the western shoreline, the Utgard Gate rises up more than 50 feet tall, bordered on each side by a column of clear ice. There is no door. Instead, for anyone without the Legend trait, the columns appear to be set directly into the wall of the fjord. Those with Divinity, however, see clearly that Jotunheim lies beyond the gate.
HELHEIM
