Alfheim - Sword Art Online
ALfheim is the name given to the home continent in the VRMMORPG ALfheim Online (ALO). Its name and origin can be traced back to Norse mythology, where it is known as the "Land of the Elves ."
Topology
ALfheim is an island continent, entirely surrounded by sea. At the center of ALfheim, located in the middle of the Alne Plateau, is the World Tree, which acts as a replica of Yggdrasil from Norse mythology. It stands proudly, dominating the nine territories below. Each of the surrounding territories serves as home to a different race of playable fairies in ALfheim Online, and each has its own unique biome.
Of the nine territories, only a few have a path allowing players to access the Alne Plateau, as they are all separated by a mountain range whose height exceeds the playable area, requiring the use of the four limited entry paths.
Access paths can be found in:
- The Valley of the Dragons, in the territory of the Salamanders
- Rainbow Valley, in the territory of the Undines
- The Valley of the Butterflies, in the territory of the Cait Sith and
- The Legrue corridor
Capitals of Alfheim
ALfheim has had several capital cities throughout its existence. These cities remain neutral to all playable races in ALfheim Online, unlike the race's core cities, which offer combat protection to its residence.
Alné
The original capital of Alfheim, Alne was founded at the root of the World Tree. Its most notable feature is its spiral structure when viewed from afar, matching that of the World Tree it is built next to. The city is home to the World Tree Gate , the entry point to the game's seemingly final main quest. Players came to Alne to tackle the quest numerous times, with no team ever successfully completing its challenge.
The city of Yggdrasil
Following the transfer of ALfheim Online's ownership from RECT Progress to Ymir, the new capital city , Yggdrasil City, was established alongside the World Tree itself. With the addition of New Aincrad, Yggdrasil City serves as an entry point for players to enter the first floor via a special teleporter.
Regions
Aside from the Alne Plateau, ALfheim has nine different regions, listed below by race of occupation;
| Race | Landing | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Cait Sith | West | Home of Butterfly Valley, the Cait Sith have their capital residing on a peninsula connected to the main island |
| Gnome | North | Covered in ice and snow, the local race of Gnomes have dug deep tunnels there, their capital being underground. |
| Elf | Southeast | The Imp region is dotted with large mountains, which have been heavily carved |
| Elf | North-Northeast | Some lands in the region are not natural because they have been drained. |
| Pooka | Northwest | His city is carnival-themed |
| Salamander | South | The territory is based on a desert-type biome |
| Spriggan | East-Northeast | The Spriggan region resembles ancient ruins, with its capital city depicted as a ziggurat. |
| Sylph | Southwest | The Sylph region has a castle-like capital, illuminated at night by several spires. The region is also home to the Ancient Forest. |
| Ondine | East | The Undine region is a wetland. They claim Rainbow Valley and Crescent Gulf as their own. |
The Legrue corridor
The Legrue Corridor is a special cave connecting the Alne Plateau to the Sylphs' territory. The route presents a dangerous journey for all players who traverse it, not least due to the lack of flight within its boundaries, but also due to its intimidating cave art and the monsters that inhabit it.
Located in the corridor is the town of Legrue, built above an open underground lake, surrounded by a stone wall with only two gates.
Jötunheim
Beneath ALfheim lies the world known as Jötunheimr. It once had an appearance matching ALfheim, but was cut off by the blessings given by Yggdrasil, transforming it into an ice-baron country. This occurred as an event after Thrym, king of the Frost Giants, threw the Excalibur. Thrym plunged his sword into the lake at the center of the world, severing the lowest root of the Yggdrasil tree. With the root severed, the lake froze, and the tree rose into the sky. Taking control of the world, Thrym turned the frozen lake into his own castle, which would be used as one of the world's quest dungeons.
