Midgard and the mythology

The story

The barrows of the fjords have opened. The draugr — dead warriors who refuse to rest — have seized villages, shrines and the fortress of Jarl Hrafnkell. The wolves of Fenrir’s brood prowl the coast. Further on, on the moor of Haugsnes, the gold of the dead wakes the dead, and Kárr the Old still rules from his throne atop his ship of stone.

All of this lies in Útangarðr, “Beyond the Fence”: the lands outside the shelter of the villages, home to the dead, the wolves and, farther still, the giants.

You are an einherjar, one of the warriors chosen by the Valkyries. Between battles you rest in Valhalla, Odin’s hall, and return to Midgard across the rainbow bridge. The dead do not rest — and neither do you.

Maps

Útangarðr has ten maps in three acts. Two are already open in the beta; the other eight are on their way.

Fjords of HrafnvikMap 1 · fjord coast · boss Hrafnkell, the Draugr Jarl

Barrows of HaugsnesMap 2 · barrow moor · boss Kárr the Old

Upcoming mapsThe eight maps of Útangarðr still to come

Places

Name	What it is
Midgard	The world of men, encircled by the serpent Jörmungandr. The game’s regions lie here.
Útangarðr	“Beyond the Fence”: everything outside the villages’ enclosure. The game’s first region.
Hrafnvik	“Raven bay”: the fjord where the journey begins. The first map.
Haugsnes	“Headland of mounds”: the barrow moor of Kárr the Old. The second map.
Asgard	The world of the Aesir gods, home of Valhalla.
Valhalla	Odin’s hall, where the chosen warriors go. The game’s hub.
Bifröst	The rainbow bridge between Asgard and Midgard, watched over by Heimdall.
Yggdrasil	The world tree that binds the nine worlds. It inspires the talent tree.
Niflheim	The world of ice and mist. It names the Guardian’s path of ice.
Muspelheim	The world of fire, Surtr’s realm. It names the Executioner’s path of fire.
Járnviðr	The Iron Wood, home of witches and wolves. A future map of Útangarðr.
Útgarð	The fortress of the giants. Its walls will be the last map of Útangarðr.

Creatures and figures

Name	Who they are
Draugr	The undead of Norse barrows, mighty and spiteful. The main enemies of the beta.
Haugbúi	“The mound-dweller”: a dead man who lives on inside his own barrow, guarding his gold. Kárr the Old is one of them.
Einherjar	The warriors slain in battle who dwell in Valhalla — your hero among them.
Valkyries	Those who choose the dead worthy of Valhalla.
Fenrir	The giant wolf, son of Loki, bound by the fetter Gleipnir. The game’s wolves are of his brood.
Surtr	The fire giant of Muspelheim. He names fire aspects, a set and a fire runeword.
Thor and Mjölnir	The thunder god and his hammer. They inspire the path of lightning and the Mjölnir runeword.
Tyr	The god of war and justice, who lost his hand to Fenrir. He names Tyr’s Leap and the Shrine of Tyr.
Freyja	Goddess of love and of seiðr magic. Her tears turned to gold — and into a crafting material.

Terms

Term	Meaning
Seiðr	Norse magic of visions and curses. In the game, the arcane element.
Futhark	The ancient runic alphabet, with 24 runes.
Jarl	A Norse chieftain, lord of lands.
Drakkar	The Viking warship, with its dragon-headed prow.
Gjallarhorn	Heimdall’s horn, which sounds every time you set out across the Bifröst.
Ragnarök	The end of the world and the final battle of the gods. The game’s highest difficulty.