Asgard

Asgard is the ancestral home of the Asgardians, mighty warriors of myth and legend. It is an important part of The Nine Realms.

In dim antiquity following the birth of the Demiurge some 44,000 years ago, the Ice Giant Ymir and the Elder God Gaea spawned a great warrior, named Buri. Buri, The First, would become a New God and Father of the Asgardians.

His three sons-- Bor, Njord, and Mimir, would follow in his footsteps. Njord fathered the Vanir, becoming the ruler of the lands of Vanaheim. Mimir became a sage, itinerant and ever-wandering in search of knowledge. Bor would serve as the strong right arm of Buri's armies, projecting their military might across the galaxy in defense of the World Tree and directly confronting the nascent Kryptonian Hegemony. Buri's victories would cement their reputation across the cosmos.

Four thousand years after the collapse of the Kryptonian Empire, Bor discovered that his father had discovered the unoccupied dimension called Asgard and refused to allow his people to settle it, wishing its power for himself. Challenging his father to combat, Bor was victorious. Buri was banished and Bor became King of the Asgardians. Using his mighty magic as ruler of Asgard he created a golden city floating in the stars. Those who followed him to that land became known as Asgardians. Their cousins, descendents of Njord, would occupy Vanaheim, while refugees from the Fae realms would settle nearby Alfheim and Nidavellir-- becoming the Light Elves and the Dwarves, respectively.

A score of centuries passed before Asgard marched en masse for war once again. The encroachments of the Kree Empire became intolerable, and Bor lead his armies to bloody battle and conquest. Oa itself began to intervene, alarmed by Asgard's warmongering. The Oans found a race of warlike avians on the world Thanagar, who possessed a unique alloy called Nth-metal that was uniquely effective against magical foes. Oa bootstrapped them into a galactic civilization over the span of a few centuries and then ensured that Asgard and Thanagar found common territory to dispute.

In some ways, Bor's ambition was his downfall. The Asgardian fleet encountered a Celestial in deep space and attacked it. This roused the ire of the Celestials, who sent a host to investigate the source of Asgard's power. The war was brutal and in the end, disaster only averted through the self-sacrifice of the Demiurge. This triggered Ragnarok, breaking magic across the World Tree.

Asgard in particular was nearly obliterated by the cataclysm. Many of the Aesir perished and the grand, Golden City of Asgard was leveled to the ground by an army led by the mighty Fire Giant, Surtr. Only a handful of the Aesir survived. In shame, Bor exiled himself to ancient lost lands, and his son Odin claimed the throne. Odin arranged a marriage with Freyja of the Vanir, and set about rebuilding Asgard with a new race: The Aesir. It would take thousands of years to rebuild the Golden City, even with Odin's substantial might and power.

After the Demiurge was restored, Asgard began to reach her former might. Odin's son Thor would become the heir apparent, and reclaim Asgard's reputation in the universe.