MTG: The Gods Of Kaldheim
Kaldheim is a plane of gods and legends writ across the ages. But some legends are dangerous, and the gods of Kaldheim tell tales of their own…
Kaldheim is a plane for gods and monsters. And sometimes the two are one and the same. In the legends of Kaldheim, you’ll find heroes of all shapes, and villains of all sizes. And behind them all, the gods of Kaldheim. Who makes up the pantheon? Let’s find out, come meet some of the gods of Kaldheim!
via Magic: the Gathering
Alrund, God of the Cosmos
Alrund is the God of Wisdom. He was born wise, but that meant he was wise enough to know that he didn’t know everything. So, in his youth, he undertook a quest to become the wisest being in all the realms.
When the Cosmos monsters came into being, all the secrets of the world—including events that had not yet happened—were locked away inside their minds. By making every Cosmos monster submit to him one by one over the course of centuries, Alrund was able to take their secrets from them. Much to his disappointment, this long quest did not make him truly omniscient, enlightening as it was. Kaldheim still holds secrets he hasn’t learned.
Depending on his mood, Alrund wavers between distinct personalities. When he’s pondering something important, he is distant and speaks only in insufferable, maddening riddles. But when he’s happy and relaxed, he is excellent company: an accomplished storyteller and entertainer who loves a good feast.
Reidane, God of the Worthy
Reidane is the God of Justice. Youthful, arrogant, and fanatical, Reidane is extremely zealous in her pursuit of, well, justice. Once she has made up her mind about an issue, she never wavers in her judgement. Her conception of justice revolves around “fairness,” which to her means that every injustice must be paid in a sacrifice of equivalent value—including blood. This belief is echoed in the Code of the Clans of Bretagard and practiced by most of the human clans. Reidane willingly aids mortals who can convince her they are owed a blood debt that has not yet been paid, and she has special regard for the Beskir clan, whose founding leader once saved Alrund’s life.
Cosima, God of the Voyage
Cosima is the God of the Sea. She is intensely curious and tempestuous and can’t stand being in one place for too long. She calls herself the daughter of the sea, where she first came into being, rather than counting the other elder Skoti as her kin. Cosima does not live with the rest of the gods, but she comes back occasionally and is welcome to stay in the Gods’ Hall as long as she likes.
AdvertisementCosima was born as a Cosmos monster—a great dolphin who swam through the auroras between the realms—but when she crossed into the Gods’ Realm, she took human form and claimed divinity. She and Alrund had three children (Toralf, Birgi, and Kolvori), and they lived together in the Gods’ Hall for twenty years, which is still the longest she has ever stayed in one place. But she never stopped hearing the call of the sea, and eventually she left the Hall to return from whence she came.
As soon as she dips under the waves, Cosima takes the form of a dolphin again, swimming freely and joyfully through the oceans of all the realms. Some suspect that she spends most of her time in Littjara among the mysterious shapeshifters, but no one really knows where she goes during her long absences from the Gods’ Realm.
Egon, God of Death
Egon is one of the oldest of the Skoti. However, he ages backward, giving him the appearance—and the bitter, negative attitude—of a teenage boy. Caustic and pessimistic, he constantly predicts the downfall of the Skoti. Due to his youthful visage, the other gods sometimes fail to take him seriously, which is a source of bitter resentment for him. He believes that the Skoti are more occupied with petty squabbling than ruling the realms and thinks their downfall is imminent, probably at the hands of the elves.
During the Skoti’s war with the Einir, Egon tricked King Narfi, the king of Karfell, into giving him control of an army of the dead. This grisly gift turned the tide of battle in favor of the Skoti. In honor of this feat, he became god of all the dead and spends most of his time in Istfell among the spirits of the fallen. Now he proclaims himself the Lord High Ruler of the Lands of Istfell and the Dead of All the Realms.
Tergrid, God of Fright
Tergrid is an accomplished warrior whose shadow has a terrifying life of its own. When she was four years old, it came to life and attempted to strangle her, but even as a young child she was able to battle it for days until she bent it to her will. Now it appears as a towering hooded figure that never speaks, looming behind her or occasionally wrapping its shadowy fingers around her neck. Tergrid pretends it isn’t there and lashes out in anger at anyone who acknowledges its presence.
When Tergrid was a baby, she didn’t just cry—she wailed in some unknown language that caused temporary madness in anyone who heard it. Now she tries her best to live a normal life, despite the menacing figure that follows her everywhere. Unfortunately, she has the unnerving tendency to blurt out some terrifying omen or threat that cuts conversations short and leaves her listeners rattled for days.
