Utgard was a major giant fortress and city in Jotunheim, the land of giants in the plane of Ysgard.[1]
Government[]
This city was ruled by King Utgard-Loki,[2][3][4] an incredibly powerful cleric and illusionist,[1][3] as well as a son of the Giant power Thrym.[4] The city was additionally ruled over by a council of jarls.[1] This council was kept in-line by the King through a combination of sheer force of will[1] and cunning wit, rather than the tactic of mere brute strength that many other frost giants relied upon.[3] One of these jarls was Habrok Icecaster, a nephew of Utgard-Loki.[5]
The ruler sat upon the Skull-Throne of Ymir, a throne that had been carved from a 40 feet (12 meters) tall skull carved,[4] though it had once belonged to the city of Meerrauk. The throne held great symbolic significance to the giants of Jotunheim, imparting a sense of authority upon those that owned it.[1]
Defenses[]
Utgard was a heavily defended and well camouflaged city,[2][1] owing to the powerful divine magic and arcane illusions of its ruler.[1][3]
History[]
At some point giants ambushed a movanic deva that they came to name Silverwing. They crushed his wings under rocks and chained him to a high table in Utgard, keeping him prisoner as a sort of jester for many years. Over time it became believed that the deva's regularly molting feathers were good-luck charms.[6] One of these feathers would make its way into the possession of the frost giant Brimir.[7]
In the late 14th century DR, the deva was still being held captive within the walls of Utgard.[7][note 1] Torheim, a proxy of the Norse power Thor, came to learn about this imprisoned deva and scouted the area around the city[8] in hopes of infiltrating it and rescuing the angel.[7] Around this same time a group of adventurers from Ravens Bluff, a city on the Prime Material world of Toril, traveled to Ysgard in search of the legendary Well of Mimir.[9] While traveling through Jotunheim they heard of Utgard and its ruler from both giants and Torheim alike.[4] The latter asked of the heroes if they could break into Brimir's hall and steal the deva feather from him, as having it would make it much easier for Torheim to track the deva down inside the city.[7]
Inhabitants[]
Utgard was primarily inhabited by giants,[1] who did not act too friendly to smaller races.[4] Notably, the deity Thrym's own personal court of jarls occasionally stopped by to visit the city.[1]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ The imprisoned deva mentioned in Three Coins in a Well is unnamed, but is presumed to be the same deva that was described in the Planescape boxset Planes of Chaos as being a prisoner in the city of Utgard.
Appearances[]
Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
Three Coins in a Well
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Wolfgang Baur and Lester Smith (1994-07-01). “The Book of Chaos”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Chaos (TSR, Inc), p. 115. ISBN 1560768746.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Roger E. Moore (October 1984). “Plane Facts on Gladsheim”. In Kim Mohan ed. Dragon #90 (TSR, Inc.), p. 37.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Joel McGraw (June 1986). “For Better or Norse: I”. In Kim Mohan ed. Dragon #110 (TSR, Inc.), p. 22.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Erich Schmidt (August 1999). Three Coins in a Well. Living City (RPGA), pp. 17, 23.
- ↑ Erich Schmidt (August 1999). Three Coins in a Well. Living City (RPGA), p. 17.
- ↑ Wolfgang Baur and Lester Smith (1994-07-01). “The Book of Chaos”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Chaos (TSR, Inc), p. 116. ISBN 1560768746.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Erich Schmidt (August 1999). Three Coins in a Well. Living City (RPGA), p. 24.
- ↑ Erich Schmidt (August 1999). Three Coins in a Well. Living City (RPGA), p. 23.
- ↑ Erich Schmidt (August 1999). Three Coins in a Well. Living City (RPGA), p. 2.