Kaldheim (plane)

Kaldheim
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Information
First seen	Planechase
Last seen	March of the Machine
Status	Recovering from New Phyrexia's invasion
Demonym	Kaldheimr

Kaldheim is a top-down Norse mythology-inspired plane; Magic's take on what a world inspired by Vikings might look like.

History in the game

Kaldheim was first featured on the card Skybreen in the 2009 Planechase set. In the Duels of the Planeswalkers 2014 game, Kaldheim was the location of the ultimate antagonist Ramaz. In 2021, it is the setting of the eponymous Kaldheim set.

Description

Kaldheim is steeped in storytelling and song, and all of its denizens share a common ethos: it is a plane of warriors who boast of their great deeds and yearn to die heroically in battle, who fight hard and celebrate harder, and where great tales pass into myth through the ages.

Pivotal to the plane is the Cosmos, a "realm between" which Planeswalkers cannot cross represented by a massive World Tree, from which ten separate realms hang like fruits. The realms are constantly shifting and, on occasion, may collapse unto each other. When this happens, a Doomskar occurs. This causes earthquakes, destabilization, and total chaos.

There is no sun or moon in Kaldheim. Light is instead provided by the realm of Starnheim. In addition, the branches of the World Tree can be seen in the skies of the realms.

History

The world was born from a seed, and that seed grew into the World Tree, and everything else grew from it. Its leaves were every color imaginable, and as its branches spread out, they became worlds themselves. And once there were ten strong branches, fruit grew on the branches, and those were the Cosmos monsters. The serpent was the firstborn, and he has been growing since before the beginning of time.

— The First Saga

At some point in the past, the Einir gods ruled the realms, but they were replaced by the Skoti, who became the new pantheon. The defeated Einir became the plane's elves.

Phyrexia invasion

In 4562 AR, the plane mobilized against the growing New Phyrexian threat.

During New Phyrexia's Invasion of the Multiverse, Harald and Tyvar Kell led the defense of all ten realms of Kaldheim against the intruders. To deny the Phyrexians access to the World Tree, Kaldheim's denizens burned the tree. It is now regrowing, enough to reconnect some of Kaldheim's realms. In the aftermath of the Invasion, Skemfar's elves have renewed their challenge against the Skoti.

The Ten Realms

The Ten Realms are separate mini-planes moving around the World Tree and can even collide. Each realm is loosely aligned with a color pair.

The ten realms of Kaldheim

• Istfell, the mist-shrouded realm at the base of the World Tree. Home to the spirits of those who didn't fall in battle.
  • Gods' Hall,
• Karfell, the realm of the draugr (viking zombies).
  • Skybreen, a mountain range inhabited by the last living humans of Karfell, a primitive barbarian race. Known for its scouring winds and the frigid temperatures that generate a frosty deterrent to magic.
• Immersturm, the land of fire, demons and constant warfare.
• Gnottvold, the rolling hills and ancient mountains blanketed in thick forests that form the home of the trolls.
• Bretagard, the realm of humans.
• Starnheim, the lofty realm of valkyries and fallen heroes.
• Surtland, the snowy realm of constant geological turmoil inhabited by fire and frost giants who are locked in a never-ending war.
• Skemfar, the shadowed forest land of wood and shadow elves.
• Axgard, a realm of rugged peaks and rocky flatlands. Home to the dwarves.
• Littjara, the mysterious realm of lakes and pine forests is home to the equally enigmatic race of shapeshifters.
• Additional realms outside of the ten are known to exist.
  • The Gods' Realm, the location of the Gods' Hall before it fell to Istfell. Magic has hindered their return attempts.
  • Valla, a plane that contained the Immersturm, at that point the name of a magical storm afflicting Valla. It became an independent plane after splitting from the World Tree, and the rest became "Immersturm" the realm. Although spared consumption by the storm, a fragment of the Immersturm still survives on Valla.

Inhabitants

Sapient races

• Gods The gods of Kaldheim are a mercurial bunch. And as much as the denizens of Kaldheim want to be recognized for their amazing feats, they fear being at their gods' mercy.
  • Alrund, God of the Cosmos
  • Birgi, God of Storytelling
  • Cosima, God of the Voyage
  • Egon, God of Death
  • Esika, God of the World Tree
  • Halvar, God of Battle
  • Jorn, God of Winter
  • Kolvori, God of Kinship
  • Reidane, God of Justice
  • Tergrid, God of Fright
  • Toralf, God of Fury
  • Valki, God of Lies
• Humans , living in five clans:
  • the Beskir, the Defenders of the Code
  • the Omenseekers, the Navigators
  • the Skelle, the Raiders
  • the Tuskeri, the Hedonists
  • the Kannah, the Wanderers
• Spirits
• Zombies (Draugr)
• Demons
• Trolls
  • Hagi Trolls
  • Torga Trolls
• Angels (Valkyries)
  • Shepherds
  • Reapers
• Giants
  • Frost Giants
  • Fire Giants
• Elves
  • Wood Elves
  • Shadow Elves
• Dwarves
• Shapeshifters
  • Covewalkers
  • Gladewalkers

Other

• Dragons (e.g. Goldspan Dragon)
• Bears , including Spirit-Bears (e.g. Spirit of the Aldergard)
• Birds  : Hawks (e.g. Battlefield Raptor and Pilfering Hawk), Ravens (e.g. Augury Raven) including various cosmic monsters, such as Hakka, Whispering Raven (Raven) or Vega, the Watcher (Owl)
• Cats , including Lynxes
• Goats - mentioned on Craven Hulk and Axgard Cavalry
• Horses (e.g. Cosmos Charger)
• Imps (e.g. Infernal Pet)
• Krakens (e.g. Icebreaker Kraken)
• Mammoths (e.g. Battle Mammoth)
• Oxen (e.g. Giant Ox)
• Pegasi (e.g. Starnheim Courser)
• Scarecrows (e.g. Scorn Effigy)
• Serpents including the cosmic monster Koma, Cosmos Serpent
• Sharks - mentioned on Mystic Reflection
• Squirrels including the cosmic monster Toski, Bearer of Secrets
• Spiders (e.g. Gnottvold Recluse)
• Treefolks (e.g. Rootless Yew)
• Vampire Dragons Immersturm Predator
• Wolves (e.g. Fearless Pup, Sarulf's Packmate), including the cosmic monster Sarulf, Realm Eater
• Wurms (e.g. Ravenous Lindwurm)
• Yetis (e.g. Frostpeak Yeti)

Languages Spoken

• The Common Language of Kaldheim
• The Language of the Trolls
  • Kaya could not understand it

Planeswalkers

Native

• Tyvar Kell

Visitors

• Angrath
• Chandra Nalaar
• Kaya
• Nahiri (non-canon)
• Niko Aris
• Nissa Revane
• Ramaz
• Tibalt

In-game references

Represented in:

• Littjara
• Skybreen

Associated cards:

• Invasion of Kaldheim

Referred to:

• Birgi, God of Storytelling
• Furnace Host Charger
• Ichor Elixir
• Pyre of the World Tree
• Serpent-Blade Assailant
• Story Seeker

Trivia

• The name "Kaldheim" literally means "cold home" in several North Germanic languages, such as Old Norse, Icelandic, and Norwegian Nynorsk. "Home" means "land", "realm" or "world" in this context, like in Old Norse Jǫtunheimr "land of the giants" or "Giants' home". The word heimr was used along with the word garðr lit. "yard" (as in Miðgarðr lit. "Midyard") in the names of various realms in Norse mythology.
• Kaldheim is metaphysically close to Ixalan.
• The Ten Worlds are adapted from the Nine Realms, with some variation to expand to the ten color pairs. Whilst most have counterparts, Álfheimr and Svartálfaheimr are effectively merged in Skemfar (neither are well-detailed mythologically). Niflheimr is also split into Istfell and Karfell, reflecting the parts of Niflheimr that are outside Helheim and those that are inside it, respectively. Jötunheimr is partially represented in Gnottvold and Muspelheimr is partially represented in Immersturm, but both are partially merged with Niflheimr in the realm of Surtland.
  • Surtland, in particular, appears to be a reference both to Útgarðar or Útgarðr, which is sometimes said to lie on the junction of Jötunheimr, Musphelheimr, and Niflheimr, and to Gunnungagap, which is a primordial void connecting Niflheimr and Musphelheimr across which the elements of ice and fire influence each other, giving birth to the World Tree.
  • Also, Axgard appears to take inspiration from Niðavellir, a place sometimes considered to be the same as and distinct from Svartálfaheimr, as well as Asgard in at least its name.

External links

• Ari Zirulnik (January 8, 2021). "Planeswalker's Guide to Kaldheim, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
• Ari Zirulnik and Jenna Helland (January 14, 2021). "Planeswalker's Guide to Kaldheim, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.