Asgard

"And here we remain as the beacon of hope. Shining out across the stars. And though we have fallen into man's myths and legends, it was Asgard and its warriors that brought peace to the universe."

- Odin

Asgard is one of the Nine Realms and the home of the Asgardians, a powerful race recognized by the galaxy as honorable and brave peacekeepers.

History
"Your ancestors called it magic; you call it science. I come from a land where they are one and the same thing."

- Thor Asgard is a small, planetary body that serves as home to the Asgardians, a race of beings recognized on Earth by humans as the deities of their Norse mythology, such as Thor, and their ruler, Odin. It is about the size of a small state. It is not round like the Earth, does not spin on its axis, and does not revolve around a star. It is a flat, asteroid-like mass that has a top surface with a gravitational pull, similar to that of the Earth, in order to keep the citizens and their cities from floating into the void. The matter on Asgard is also denser and more durable than the matter on Earth. There is an unknown force that keeps the surfaces of Asgard from eroding and from allowing its bodies of water from drifting off into space. Asgard has unknown intervals of day and night; it is unclear as to whether it uses a sun as a source of light. It likely has seasons of some sort and varied weather conditions such as a light snow.

There are natural nexus portals that exist on Asgard, due to deposits of the wormhole-sensitive, crystal-like material used in the construction of the Rainbow Bridge, and these portals are in direct contact with the roots of Yggdrasil, the tree-like, cosmic grid that connects the Nine Realms.

Asgardians are known to be the keepers of peace throughout the Nine Realms. The first known instance of Asgard's maintenance of intergalactic peace was during First Dark Elf Conflict, when the Asgardian King Bor fought to prevent the Dark Elves led by Malekith from purging the known Universe into its previous state of darkness, using the Aether when the Convergence of the Nine Realms occurred.

Bor's son and successor, Odin, has attempted to maintain this peace since the war between the Asgardians and the Frost Giants over Midgard and the Casket of Ancient Winters during the 10th century A.D. The Tesseract was also left on Earth by Odin hundreds of years ago. However centuries later, the reckless actions of Odin's son Thor nearly disrupted the peace between the Asgardians and the Frost Giants, almost causing another war by attacking Jotunheim, home to the Frost Giants.

The city of Asgard is a collection of elaborate buildings and intricate spires. Seemingly built into the rock, large structures with sweeping terraces top many of the cliffs; gleaming pyramids, statues, and columns surround Odin's palace - Valhalla, a many-tiered structure resembling a towering pipe organ - at the center of the city. Another notable feature in Asgard is the Bifrost Bridge, which provides passage to all the Nine Realms, but can only be opened if permitted by its guardian, Heimdall. It also includes Odin's Vault which contains many powerful and ancient artifacts, including the Casket of Ancient Winters, which was nearly in possession of the Frost Giants again with the help of Loki. Additionally, it is where the Hall of Asgard, where all important public events take place presided over by Odin, is located; colorful ceremonial banners of the Nine Realms adorn the vast chamber during celebrations, in which the hall is crowded with Aesir and representatives from across Yggdrasil. This was also where Thor's coronation took place. It was severely damaged from the latest Dark Elf attack in 2013.

Known Citizens

 * Buri (deceased)
 * Bor Burison (deceased)
 * Odin Borson
 * Frigga (deceased)
 * Thor Odinson
 * Loki Laufeyson (formerly)
 * Tyr
 * Haldor (deceased)
 * Einherjar
 * Sif
 * Volstagg
 * Hogun
 * Fandral
 * Heimdall
 * Eir
 * Lorelei (formerly)
 * "Elliot Randolph" (formerly)