A few questions I've wondered about Svaralfheim, (Have thought on a game (In 2nd edition) focused on its war against Nidaveleir.
one Major question is any idea on if it would contain Faerzurass, you know underdark radiation, their reasons I see both ways... (e.g. would the drow there retain their innate magic/ the ability to create quasimagical equipment)
Also it mentions that the dwarves fight against "kobolds and derro" as well as drow... hmmn any other monsters you think might be appropiate for nidaveleir in general?
I've allready mentinoed bugbears once.
Finally, Think the Autoressurection of Petitionars, would work in nidaveleir, since theirs no sunrise there?
Thoughts, opinions ideas?
One important thing to keep in mind, I think, is that the dark elves (dockalfar) of Ysgard are not closely (or, possibly not at all) related to the drow of the Forgotten Realms setting. They shouldn't properly be referred to as drow at all, since "drow" (from the Elven word dhaerow, or traitors) is a relic of the Crown Wars of Faerun, and not part of the dockalfar history at all. It's possible that the Ssri-Tel'Quessir that eventually became Toril's drow are distantly descended from Svartalfheim's dockalfar, but in the millennia since Toril's drow have been corrupted by demon blood, fallen into the worship of Ghaunadaur and Lolth, and cursed by Corellon Larethian. None of that has happened to the dockalfar, who are non-evil, their culture more like Norse humans than the spider-obsessed drow.
According to Norse mythology, the dockalfar are descended from maggots that formed in the corpse of the frost giant Ymir. That's slightly problematic, since it's also the origin of the dwarves (the same creature as the dockalfar in Norse myth, but not in Planescape). I suggested that the dark elves and light elves were descended from spirits of light and darkness shaped into humanoid form by the Vanir.
The dwarves and elves of Ysgard are based on the creatures described in the Vikings Campaign Sourcebook for 2nd edition, as follows:
The dverge, or dwarves, are powerful wizards. Often they have crow's feet rather than humanoid ones. Sunlight gives them penalties to all die rolls, so they rarely emerge from underground. They make magic items that even the gods covet.
The dock-alfar, or dark elves, are similar to the drow in appearance, but little else. They don't use javelins or crossbows, carry adamantine maces, or use poison. They're not, for the most part, evil, preferring to be left alone. In The Northern Reaches Gazetteer for the Mystara setting, they're responsible for powerful artifacts created using stolen souls.
There's also the pukje, similar to goblins, but many of them are powerful wizards and illusionists. They trade with the dwarves.
I wouldn't include kobolds or derro, since they're not particularly Norse.
Faerzress might exist in Nidavellir, but I'd be careful of making that plane too much like the Prime Material Plane's Underdark rather than a distinctive otherworldly plane in its own right.
Petitioners in Nidavellir would rise from the dead at the same time as their counterparts on other layers of Ysgard, regardless of whether or not the sun was visible.