Alfheim

Alfheim, rarely also called Elfheim, was an elven realm in the first layer of Ysgard. It was occasionally the location of Aerie, the divine realm of Aerdrie Faenya, according to the Great Wheel cosmology.

Description
The realm was a beautiful and joyful region imbued in sunlight. The landscape was rich with untouched wilds with sunlit forests, streams, and hills, all teeming with wildlife.

Seasons in Alfheim were well defined, with long and mild summers and extremely harsh winters.

Cosmography
Alfheim was believed to have been once part of Arvandor, but the realm gradually shifted into Ysgard as its inhabitants grew increasingly concerned with honor and survival.

Notable Locations

 * Aerie, the divine realm of Aerdrie Faenya, was occasionally located in Alfheim, as it constantly shifted back and forth from Arvandor.
 * The High Grove, a copse of enormous sequoias that connected to one of the branches of Yggdrasil. It was the site of large festivals in spring and autumn.

Inhabitants
Most of the elves in Alfheim dwelt on the surface, but it was also common to find settlements located in glittering underground caves. During winter, all surface dwellers retreated to those caves after the first snow. The caves were then sealed off for the duration of the season. Wintertime visitors to Alfheim were met with a deserted landscape devoid of its inhabitants.

During summer, the elven inhabitants of Alfheim were very welcoming to visitors, bestowing them with valuable gifts and insisting for travelers to share tales of their journeys. However, they strongly disliked the Ysgardian dwarves and gnomes, the former of whom would come up to the surface during this season to farm or engage in trade, and made every effort to make them feel unwelcome and uncomfortable.