“ | Palace? Do you think the All-Father needs to puff himself up like some mortal chieftain? Real power, you see, does not need to flaunt. It emerges when the time is right. Don't you agree? | ” |
The Great Lodge, also known as Odin's Hall, is the centre of the All-Father's power, the very place where the King of the Aesir lives, studies and from which he rules over the Nine Realms. Located at the epicentre of Gladsheim and safely sheltered within the walls of Asgard, this great wooden abode hand-built by the All-Father himself also serves as accommodation for most, if not all the Aesir gods.
This place is introduced in God of War Ragnarök, but can only be visited by Atreus a few times during the campaign. The Great Lodge is ultimately destroyed along with the rest of Asgard by Ragnarök.
Description[]
Far from the opulence and splendor of Olympus, the domain of the Greek Pantheon, the Great Lodge is much humbler, displayed as a big and sturdy Viking longhouse that would perfectly befit a chieftain. The Norse peoples lived in a more rustic and simple way, and the same can be said with their Aesir gods. The placement of the Great Lodge is highly symbolic, meant to dominate its surroundings whilst also being the very place where Odin once slew Ymir, unintentionally creating a strange beam of light beneath the abode. As the lodge is located just above the Rift, the only way to access it is via a paved path that crosses the centre of Gladsheim, leading to a rather vast courtyard.
The Great Hall[]
Behind the two heavy doors of the main entrance lie the feasting hall, where the Aesir gather around a big table to restore themselves, feast and drink while sharing the latest gossips. Several servants can be found lounging here during Atreus' visit in the realm, a few ensuring that mead continues flowing in the mugs, while many Einherjar can also be found in the area, although they do not bother the Gods with their presence as they are too busy eating or speaking between themselves. While traveling through, a touchy Odin has a few passing comments regarding the food while reprimanding those who do not pay enough attention to his presence.
The hall itself is imposing – it could easily host several dozen people - and richly decorated with banners, while the floor is merely made of stone and beams. Several torches placed on the pillars provide optimal lighting and heating, though the hall is naturally illuminated thanks to the large open spaces on the roof. It is worth noticing that the maintenance of the premises appears to be rather liminal; the abode itself is old and dusty, but is nevertheless perfectly on par with what would characterize a real Viking longhouse. Wooden shields and swords are displayed on the walls or stored against the big pillars located on both sides of the hall, serving as symbols of the bellicose nature of the Aesir. But the Great Lodge is much more than that, as it secretly extends beneath the floor. The pair of stairs at the end of the hall indeed give access to a large hub located beneath the abode, from which one can enter more private spaces if permitted to.
The great hall itself is important, especially for meals, at the table, the Aesir Royal Family is well accommodated, at the end, sits Odin, followed by his sons, Thor and Baldur, then came his grandchildren, Magni, Modi, Forseti and Thrúd followed by their daughters-in-law, Sif and Nanna and then their special guests, like Loki for example and then the other Aesir.
The Bedchambers[]
Even Gods need their own private space where they can rest or meditate. As such, several large wooden doors are located on each side of the hub. Behind them lie the rooms of the Aesir gods, most notably the rooms of Thrúd (which originally belonged to Magni before his death), Baldur (though his room might only be used by his wife Nanna since his death), Atreus (whose room originally belonged to Modi before his death as well) and Forseti, the son of Baldur and Nanna (though since he is busy studying, it is impossible to pay him a visit). Placed right at the centre of the hub between the two sides, an even bigger, darker and more decorated door almost immediately catches our attention—this is the chamber of Thor himself, shared with his wife Sif. During his visit in Asgard, Atreus can occasionally eavesdrop at the various doors to hear the more private happenings of the Aesir Gods.
The rooms themselves are on par with the rest of the Great Lodge: big, rustic, and totally made of wood, whether it comes to the walls, the floor or the ceiling. The general architecture overall is reminiscent of an Alpine chalet. They are also shown to be all more or less similar, although the inner decoration varies depending on the occupant.
Outside of the rooms and clear across the private hall are a set of stairs which descend to a lower (and more off-limits) section of the Great Lodge, sealed behind a large wooden door; this, of course, is the private study of Odin himself.
Magni's/Thrúd's Room[]
Once belonging to her brother Magni, Thrúd's room has since been refurnished to match the fiery spirit that resides in it. A mock-Einherjar training dummy made of hay and wood can be found nearest to the door upon entering, which Thrúd can often be seen idly battering around when she isn't elsewhere in the Great Lodge. To the right side of the door is a small desk lined with a neat array of books and two used candle-holders, coupled with a chair for sitting if desired. Behind his desk (and behind the training dummy) is Thrúd's large dresser, where she presumably stores her clothes and any small item left unseen. A medium-sized table can be found across the room upon entering, which has Thrúd has used for an assortment of items—but most notably weapons. Weapons can be seen hung up on the left side of her room, as well as an extravagant banner depicting a Valkyrie in combat armor. Thrúd's bed is seen below where her weapons are hung, and a magnificent window comparable to Modi's room can be found on the wall behind it. Similar to Modi's room as well, the same candle chandelier can be seen hovering the center of the room via tight ropes affixing it on each wall.
Modi's Room[]
Modi's room offers plenty of space due to the way it's been furnished, with many of his chairs and stools lined up nearest to the walls alongside various books, wooden chests and furs from his past excursions. Two large, unglazed windows with wooden, triangle-patterned shutters are present to the end of Modi's bedroom, where his bed can be found across in the nearest right corner. Above these main windows are column-esque openings to allow more light into the chamber, projecting a roof-like beam of sun onto the wooden floor due to their arching shape along the wall. Between the windows hangs a pair of antlers from sort of creature, acting as a centerpiece to the wall furthest from the bedroom door. To the left of his door, a large dresser which presumably would have been for his outfits and items can be found, which is later used by Atreus during his stay in Asgard. Tied to the ceiling by four tightly bound ropes hangs a large candle chandelier, and various animal pelts can be found along the walls of Modi's former room. Despite its mostly bare appearance, opened books resting on chairs and along the corners of the room paint the room as being lived-in, possibly due to the Aesir God it once belonged to. Atreus is given this room as a temporary place of stay after visiting Asgard, to the open disapproval of the Goddess Sif.
Thor and Sif's Room[]
Larger than the rooms of their children, the chambers of Thor and Sif can be best described as being more homely than the two as well, with a moodier lighting due to its lack of extravagant windows and limited candlelight. An arch-like column can be seen high above the large bed in the center of the room to let in light, as well as two smaller windows on the upper ends of the left and right walls upon entering the room. A candle chandelier hangs high above the shared bed of the Aesir Gods, while a banner depicting Thor, Sif and their daughter Thrúd can be seen hanging above their headrest. A wooden end-table can be found at the foot of their bed, covered with a light green fabric. Like all rooms in the Great Lodge, Thor and Sif's personal chambers is embellished with elaborate designs within the woodwork and columns of the walls, especially prominent upon the wall where the head of their mattress rests. To the left of this elegant display is a set of metal handles which presumably leads into a wall-embedded closet, while large animal pelts decorate both ends of the wall furthest from the room's entrance. To the right of the room is Sif's desk, where she can be found focusing on her work at some point during Atreus' visit in Asgard. An upper deck nearest to the ceiling can be seen storing small chests and items, as well as being decorated with other Asgardian banners.
Odin’s Study[]
The very place where the All-Father has gathered his knowledge and secrets throughout the centuries. By far the biggest and most important room of the Great Lodge, this is the place where Odin, leaning over his enormous desk, spends most of his time studying ancestral books and scrolls while summoning his servants or fellow Gods to give them instructions. More than once, he will be privately conversing here with Huginn and Muninn, his two pets bringing him fresh news from the Nine Realms. The study itself isn't much different from the other rooms, but its atmosphere is calm, studious and rather stuffy. This feeling is emphasized by the low lighting, only assured thanks to a few torches placed here and there on various pillars. Each corner of the room is lined with wall-embedded bookshelves loaded with scrolls and tomes belonging to the All-Father, including upper storage cabinets nearest to the ceiling above. Various fabric banners depicting his raven companions can be seen hung along the walls of his room, while a painting depicting what may be Odin in his previous years can be found leaned up against a wooden beam near the entrance-hall to the study. The wooden beams throughout the study chamber are richly decorated with Nordic symbols, whilst Odin's desk- which can be found clear across the entrance -is covered with his current research. The study is rather lived in overall, with books and scrolls sprawled along the wooden floor among papers and artifacts. Behind Odin's desk to the left (when facing the desk as a visitor), a more discreet door is visible. This door leads to the most private section of Odin's study: the birthplace of the Rift.
The Rift[]
More akin to an underground cavern than it is an actual basement, this underground section of the Great Lodge is the secretive origin of the Rift of Creation, and more specifically, the place in which Odin and his brothers slew the Primordial Giant Ymir. This is where the All-Father keeps the most sacred of his findings throughout the Nine Realms, as well as where one may find the Rift, a mysterious green-glowing tear in the very fabric of reality. This area is littered with items both found and stolen from Odin himself, some of which come from lands beyond the realms themselves (and quite possibly could have belonged to Týr's travels across the lands). A large wooden staircase lined with candles leads down to the stone platform Odin has fixed into a study, complete with a small desk a few meters away from the Rift for his studying needs. Bookshelves carved into stone can be found here as well, along with the skeletal remains of a dragon just behind the Aesir King's very desk. To the left of the desk (when facing it as a visitor), a large ravine can be spotted leading deeper into the dark caverns the study-room is built within. Large boulders and stones can be seen suspended midair and floating above this crevice, seemingly unaffected by gravity despite their weight.
Story[]
God of War Ragnarök[]
Known Residents[]
- Odin (deceased)
- Thor (deceased)
- Týr (formerly)
- Heimdall (deceased)
- Baldur (deceased)
- Sif (formerly)
- Nanna (formerly)
- Magni (deceased)
- Modi (deceased)
- Forseti (formerly)
- Thrúd (formerly)
- Bragi (presumably)
- Höðr (presumably)
- Atreus (provisionally)
- Some Einherjar (deceased)