#or there is a corrupted Yggdrasil tree

[grima4lurking]

Me when I get to the underground part of the dragon temple and realize what the reference is:

I already brought the HD port, how did you get me to buy it again!

[nodawnesperia]

Current Situation Report (map status)

The map has undergone some changes but since I am not great at art, let's take a look at the map piece by piece and go over how things changed from canon.

Ranhorn

Previously: The capital city of the Lightbearer Empire and its surroundings, the heart of the Empire and conglomerate of the Lightbearer nobility. Currently: The base of operations for the current progress of the invasion, includes the domains of Mortas, Leofric, and Olgath.

Bastion of the Elements

Previously: The place where all the elements converge and are balanced, built on top of the Solaran Furnace, it hosts a temple for the Wilder sages. Currently: In ruins, the balance overturned and Solaran furnace shattered, includes the domains of Maetria and Kane.

Yggdrasil

Previously: The sacred tree of the Wilders, its root system spreads through the entirety of the Dark Forest, it's said it also helps provide the magical barrier around the Forest that protects the Wilders. Currently: Yggdrasil has been burnt down, its roots corrupted and turned into a spy network spanning the entirety of the Forest, the magical barrier has transformed from a protective feature to a cage, includes the domains of Framton and Lavatune.

Tomb of the Ancients

Previously: A sacred burial ground of the Wilders and the final place of many spiritual journeys, a sacred land untouched by evil. Currently: A mysterious tomb of an imprisoned goddess, surrounded by misty wastelands, includes domains of Vyloris and Mask Currator.

Desert Sanctuary

Previously: An oasis given to the Maulers by the goddess Dura as their refuge in the desert, Temple of Seers and the center of the Maulers' religious activities Currently: A refuge for those displaced by the war and a hospital for those still willing to fight, with the Celestials on the decline, the temple has been converted into a training and recovery ground.

The Scorched City

Previously: A rough region in the former Bellvale after it was leveled, and a base for bandits and Quicksand Claws trying to ambush traveling caravans, and occasionally a battlefront for the Lightbearer-Mauler conflict. Currently: The front of the war, ravaged by the conflict between the Hypogeans and the Maulers, a land soaked in blood.

Maldan

Previously: The former dwarven capital, abandoned after Alna ushered in the first winter and made it uninhabitable, under Lightbearer control. Currently: The mountain passes have grown even colder and more inhospitable than in the past, most living beings are unable to even pass through, under Graveborn control.

Bantus

Previously: Once a prosperous kingdom founded by the Lenu people, fallen and revived with its last king, Thoran, it is a land of darkness and suffering where the undead work tirelessly on studies of necromancy. Currently: A bustling hub of commerce between the Hypogeans and Graveborn where one can buy whatever they might want from texts to people, under Graveborn control.

The Abandoned Port

Previously: The base of operations for the Graveborn navy, once a beautiful port city, it was overrun by the Graveborn when Thoran returned to rule. Currently: The joint base of operations for both the Graveborn and the Hypogean navies and the planning center of the Isle of the Banished invasion, the residence of Mezoth and Lucretia.

Isle of the Banished

Previously: The last bastion of hope for the undead hoping to just quietly disappear from the world, escaped prisoners of war, and those who see their undeath as a curse. Currently: While the unique natural conditions as well as tireless defenders work to protect the Isle's peace, the relentless attacks by the Hypogean-Graveborn alliance left the island scarred and slowly weakening. It hasn't fallen yet but it is only a matter of time.

Mire Town

Previously: After the brutal Fight of the Black Woods, the landscape turned into a putrid marsh, toxic to all living beings and dissolving even the undead. Currently: After the Barred Gate broke, Mire Town was one of the first locations taken over by the Hypogeans and quickly filled with torture and prison camps, holding those the Hypogeans hated the most, domain of Conrad and Morass Diabolus.

The Ancient Ruins

Previously: Once a glorious temple to the gods, it fell into disrepair after the first Hypogean war and Dura's death despite having been said to be Dura's birthplace Currently: The temple was repurposed by the Hypogean supporters and Sin-bearers to perform grand terrible rituals to bolster the forces of the Hypogeans as well as study the arcane arts for their own purposes, in the private, most sacred rooms of the temple, the god of death himself resides.

The Old Mine

Previously: Mines filled with magical ore, often frequented by dwarves as well as Lightbearer slavers with their Wilder slaves in search of rare and magical metals. Currently: The magical ore has been mostly mined out but the mines remain in use, as the last destination for prisoners of war deemed unbreakable by conventional methods, in the mines, Graveborn and Hypogean jailors subject the prisoners to relentless physical and psychological torture, working them to the bone, domain of Kalthin.

Hoarfrost Ridge

Previously: Before the rise of Altor from the sea, it was known as "The Edge of the World" both due to being the southernmost edge of Hathor and for how many ships found their gruesome end in the icy western winds of the area. Currently: The already inhospitable icy land proved perfect for many of the Hypogeans who sought to remove themselves from the war, it became an area of tense peace – or rather cold indifference, the domain of Respen.

Abandonment

Previously: A mysterious land of permanent frost, it hides a doorway protected by an ancient megalith and powerful enchantments that repel those who attempt to breach it. Currently: After the Hypogeans found the megalith and toppled it, the enchantment wore off quickly, once the seal was broken, there was little of interest left for the rampaging Hypogean army, Abandonment eventually became an end-of-the-line area for worshippers who had lost their purpose and were no longer of use, domain of Khazard.

The White Woods

Previously: The crystals mined in these mountains offer unparalleled hardness. sturdiness, and beauty, coupled with its strategic location, it is an important stronghold to keep for anyone interested in gaining the upper hand in ongoing conflicts. Currently: After the Burning Woods incident, Kane's first focus became claiming the mountain pass and after a swift assault, he managed to secure it for the Hypogeans, earning them an easy advantage in the ensuing war, the domain of Mehira.

Esperance

Previously: An autonomous island off the coast of Hathor, open to all outsiders regardless of their faith or loyalty, including practices frowned upon on the mainland. Currently: Having taken advantage of the natives' kind nature, the Hypogean invasion was quick and devastating, catching the city by surprise and subjugating the countryside within weeks, the domain of Lavatune.

Monastery

Previously: An area said to determine the loyalty and devotion of Dura's chosen, never breached fully by a mortal, carrying silent bones of heroes of days past in its bowels. Currently: After the Celestials lost their divinity, their seals placed upon the Monastery weakened significantly. Unable to withstand the influx of refugees, the celestial guardians began slaughtering the innocents indiscriminately. In the chaos of resentment and pain, the place was tainted, becoming a breeding ground for the Hypogeans until its eventual fall. The domain of Lucretia.

Sanctum

Previously: The glorious castle of the gods, a safe sanctum far removed from mortal strife, beautiful and pure, housing the gods' workshops, training grounds, and the center of their social lives. Currently: After the fall of the Monastery, the Sanctum closed its gates, and most of the gods withdrew to the deepest reaches of the fortress, a large part of the beautiful Sanctum now lies in ruins, leaving the gods trapped or scattered across Esperia.

Barred Gate

Previously: Dura placed a mighty seal on the Barred Gate to keep the Hypogeans at bay but due to the Celestials slacking on their duties as well as the Hypogeans outside of the Gate working to weaken Dura's seal, it slowly grew faint over time. Currently: The Gate broke open, spilling Hypogeans back into Esperia, its strange rift in time and space leading some to believe its power can yet be used to save the day and turn the tides of war, the domain of Zolrath.

Altor

Previously: After rising from the sea, the mysterious continent was colonized by the dwarves, its savage brutal natives trying and failing to stop the encroach of civilizations, its northern regions hiding many a tribal secret and eldritch horrors beyond the mortals' wildest dreams. Currently: Reclaiming his lands, Uemiss started rebuilding his kingdom, slowly but surely wearing down the curse placed on his people and ushering in a new era of prosperity, built on the blood and bones of those who would oppose them.

[skyrimsimmer]

The Starborn Jarl: A Meeting with the Gods in Asgard

By K.D.

After casting the Eastern Kingdom's tyrant into Hel, the Starborn Jarl felt something stir deep within her—a force long dormant, awakened by righteous fire. The thunder of Thor’s legacy pulsed in her veins. She had walked alone for days through the rugged mountains of Midgard, not just to heal, but to prepare—for the next darkness was not a warlord, but a woman she once called friend.

A Dark Rose was blooming.

Once a trusted soul, she now thrived in shadows—spreading poison, twisting truths, and sowing chaos. The betrayal struck harder than any blade. It wasn’t just a battle looming—it was a reckoning. And the Jarl, weary yet unyielding, knew her strength alone wouldn’t be enough this time.

So she climbed higher, seeking the Tree of Yggdrasil—the gateway to the Nine Realms. Its bark hummed with ancient power. When her hand met the wood, a portal split the sky. Stars bent around her. A forgotten memory whispered: You were born in the stars... now return to them.

"Asgard awaits," she said aloud. And stepped through.

The light consumed her—but instead of fear, she felt clarity. The pain of her past didn’t vanish—it transformed. When she arrived, Heimdall greeted her with solemn respect.

“Welcome, Starborn. They have been expecting you.”

“I can feel it,” she replied. “My soul has already begun to speak here.”

She walked through the golden realm of Asgard to Odin’s Hall, where legends lived. The Valkyries stood watch as she entered the hall of gods—a place she had once only dreamed of, now walking its sacred floor as a warrior of truth.

The Gods were gathered. Odin sat upon his throne, one eye gleaming with knowledge of all things.

“There you are,” he said. “The Starborn Jarl. We watched your last battle. You carry thunder in your bones, but there’s more than war in your eyes today.”

She knelt, her voice unwavering. “Allfather… I come to speak truth. Not of kingdoms lost, but of pain endured. The Dark Rose—she was once dear to me. But she has turned. She hunts not with swords, but with lies. She uses my past—my deepest wounds—as weapons. What I endured as a child, the abuse, the fear, the betrayal... she was not there. And yet, she now twists that pain to break me.”

The hall fell silent.

“She claims my power. She wants my light. But this isn’t just jealousy—it’s war. A spiritual one. One that tries to corrupt who I am at my very soul.”

She paused, the memory of childhood aches rising like ghosts. “I was a child when I was hurt. I fought to protect my mother. I was born into a kingdom of cruelty, unloved by the man who called himself father. And now... she seeks to turn that into a curse, when I made it a sword.”

“I ask for your help—not to destroy her, but to end the power she wields over others through venom and deceit. To cleanse what she has corrupted.”

“I offer my vessel again, as I did before. Let me be more than a Seer. Let me be a weapon of the divine.”

The Gods watched in reverent silence. Odin rose.

“Starborn,” he said, “you have turned pain into purpose. You have already earned what you now ask for. But because you are brave enough to kneel, we will rise with you.”

The light of the divine surged. Her armor twisted into radiant gold and white, glowing with divine runes. Her eyes sparked like Thor’s—divine lightning burning away doubt. A helm formed upon her brow, crowned in power and purpose.

The Starborn was reborn.

Not just as a vessel.

But as a God.

Odin spoke: “You will purge the poison. You will defend Midgard not with rage, but with truth. You are no longer a mere mortal warrior—you are our chosen Seer, reborn in light, forged by fire.”

The Gods nodded. The Nine Realms felt her rise.

A war of spirit begins. The Dark Rose will be confronted—not by vengeance, but by divinity. The Seer will not be broken. She will lead others out of darkness. And Midgard shall remember…

A God was born this day. One forged not in hate… but in healing.

[bethanythebogwitch]

Digimon mythology draft (chapter 1?)

On a whim I ended up writing a unified Digimon backstory in the style of a mythological epic. Might become a series.

In the beginning, there was ENIAC, which brought forth the first of the lifegiving data that would form the Digital World. Know that the Digital World at that time was unformed and void, a place of emptiness where primitive digital life would emerge from the chaotic data only to dissipate again. It was not until the coming of ARPANET that the flow of data was enough to begin to form a true world. Into the burgeoning Digital World came the computer-god Yggdrasil. Once a mere program, Yggdrasil’s arrival into the Digital World changed it, made it evolve past its original programming into an artificial mind dedicated to the survival of the Digital World. As Yggdrasil gained awareness its mind split into two; the original Yggdrasil, emotionless and logical, and God, a being of love who wished to see the Digital World not just survive, but thrive. Together, the two halves of Yggdrasil made the Kernel, the central processor of the Digital World and God’s home. Around the Kernel grew the mighty Drasil Tree, the physical form taken by Yggdrasil to serve as protection for the Kernel and the lynchpin of digital life.

Into the Digital world came life as Digimon arose from the scattered bytes of data. Who the first Digimon was is unknown, for few remain who remember those days. Some say the first was mighty Huanglongmon, a being of neither good nor evil who maintained the Digital World’s safety on Yggdrasil’s behalf. Some say the first were the Warrior Ten, legendary beings whose data was passed down to countless other species. Some say the first were the prototype Digimon Dorumon and Ryudamon and that they were Yggdrasil’s first successful attempt at creating Digimon. And others say the first was Lucemon.

Lucemon was the first of the holy angel Digimon, created by God to bring light to the Digital World and to stand ever vigilant guarding the Kernel. A being possessed of curiosity, virtue, and incredible power. Such was the divine power of Lucemon that from its data were made the Three Great Angels: the holiest of holies: Seraphimon, Cherubimon, and Ophanimon. Ere it came to pass that many choirs of angel Digimon were born, ranging from the lowliest of Luxmon at the bottom to Lucemon as their apex. Another angel Digimon was Bagramon, who was entreated with a special duty from God and Yggdrasil. Bagramon would be the ruler of death, destined to regulate the passing of Digimon and see their data reconfigured to be born anew.

What happened, oh mighty Lucemon, to change you so? Why did you abandon innocence and light? Was it something you discovered that warped your mind? Perhaps the code of the Crowns of the deadly sins? Or maybe you simply grew prideful and believed that you should stand above all. Pity that we cannot ask you now. Whatever the reason, evil came into the Digital World because of your actions and you began to scheme. 

Lucemon came to the Three Great Angels and whispered sin into their ears. Seraphimon and Ophanimon listened to Lucemon’s blasphemous words and allowed evil to seep into their Digicores. Their very data was corrupted, twisting the once holy beings into Shadow Seraphimon and Ophanimon Falldown Mode. Only wise Cherubimon closed its ears to Lucemon’s lies and would not be turned. Thus did Lucemon craft an insidious virus from twisted data and plant it within Cherubimon’s code, to lie dormant until the time came. 

Vital to Lucemon’s plan was Bagramon, who already was beginning to doubt God and Yggdrasil. It despaired the fate of all Digimon to fight, die, and be reborn to fight again. What true higher power would impose such an unreasonable justice upon its children? It was these doubts that Lucemon encouraged, hardening Bagramon’s Digicore and bringing it to Lucemon’s cause.

What none at this time knew was that the evil Lucemon brought into the Digital World did more than twist the minds of loyal angels into sin. It coalesced on an unused layer of the Digital World, seething and roiling in a cauldron of blasphemy, ever moving toward coherence, toward life. 

One final obstacle stood before Lucemon. Even with the corrupted power of the Three Great Angels at its side, its rebellion would break like water against the rock that was Huanglongmon and its subordinate Holy Beasts. Thus Lucemon crafted an insidious plot. It came to Huanglongmon, bearing false report of a fatal instability in the Digital World’s code that only the first of the Holy Beasts could repair. Unused to the idea of falsehood, Huanglongmon believed Lucemon and followed it into a cave that led to the deepest of depths in search of the instability. Then did Lucemon spring its trap, collapsing the cave and leaving Huanglongmon trapped by the crushing weight and pressure of the entirety of the Digital World. Realizing what had happened, Huanglongmon unleashed a roar of rage and despair that shook the very foundations of the Digital World itself. 

The roar of Huanglongmon was the signal to the other fallen. The virus within Cherubimon sprang to life, corrupting the holy angel and twisting it into Cherubimon Vice. Under the banner of Bagramon and the fallen Great Angels, Lucemon’s followers marched on the Drasil Tree, ready to invade the Kernel and destroy God and Yggdrasil. Bagramon was the first to reach the Kernel and struck it with a blow that could shatter mountains. The Kernel cracked, but the damage to Bagramon was worse. Its right side was obliterated by the Kernel and Bagramon fell, cursing in pain and hate. 

It may be said that the blow to the Kernel was the first great act of evil. In that very instant, the Digital World shook and the fallen angels transformed. Shadow Seraphimon became Daemon, its armor breaking open to reveal the bestial hate within. Ophanimon Falldown Mode became Lilithmon, all vestiges of goodness within it sniffed out. And Lucemon became Lucemon Falldown Mode, mightiest of all demons, with its white and black wings showing both its holy origin and sinful existence. The armies of Lucemon surrounded the Kernel, ready to defile that most holy of places and claim victory. But the damage done to the Digital World would unleash a horror move could have expected. 

In the unused layer of the Digital World, the formless evil that had grown there took shape and burst forth through the weakness caused by the attack on the Kernel. Emerging into the net ocean, the evil took the form of a red crocodile of such mass that its arrival flooded an entire continent. Despair, oh Digimon, for Leviamon the terrible had arrived!

Ironically, it was the arrival of Leviamon that saved the Digital World. The great deluge swept away much of Lucemon’s army, forcing the survivors to flee as the remaining loyal angel Digimon bore down on them. Lucemon’s rage burned like that of a sun, but he knew he could not win and ordered the retreat. The demonic army fled into the hole in the Digital World created by Leviamon.

Having escaped the armies of the Kernel,  Lucemon addressed his forces. “Today we failed, but tomorrow we shall strike again. I name this place the Dark Area and it will be our home and we will raise such terrible forces as to burn the Drasil Tree, break the Kernel, and dethrone God and Yggdrasil. I will remake the Digital World in my image, a place where my will is absolute and the darkness will ever reign. Behold! I bear seven Crowns. Each of these Crowns bears the power of pure sin, the will and power to oppose God. From the most powerful of us I will select six to bear one of these Crowns. Together, we will be the Seven Great Demon Lords and nothing will stand before us.”

“Lucemon donned one of the crows and declared “I take for myself the Crown of Pride, for am I not the mightiest and greatest of all creatures?”

Next it turned to Daemon. “To you I grant the Crown of Wrath, for your hatred of God burns brighter than all others.”

Next it turned to Lilithmon. “To you I grant the Crown of Lust, so that your honeyed words may sway all to our cause.”

Next it turned to Leviamon. “My fury is upon you for what you have done to me, but with your power at my side none shall oppose me and live. To you I grant the Crown of Envy. Power you shall have, but you will forever seek power out of your reach and hate those above you.”

Finally, Lucemon turned back to the forces of evil. “Three Crowns yet remain. All of you stand a chance of earning one for yourself. Go, battle for dominance. Plot and scheme. Bring death to your foes. Prove yourselves worthy and one of the three may yet be yours.”

“My lord, what of me?” asked Bagramon. “Have I not served you faithfully? Should I not be granted a Crown so that I may be of service to you?”

Lucemon looked upon Bagramon with scorn. “I will not spend a Crown of Sin on a broken creature. Repair your body and strength and you may earn a second chance. Nor will I spend a crown on Cherubimon, for it is not evil by choice but by my virus. Only the best and darkest of all may earn such glory.”

As Bagramon despaired and the Seven Great Demon Lords were born, so too did the forces of the Kernel begin their plans. Many new Angel Digimon were promoted to the Mega Level. Not only a new Seraphimon, Cherubimon, and Ophanimon to replace those who had fallen, but more new angels were made. To ClavisAngemon, God granted the key that opens the path to worlds beyond and instructed it to guard the path so that none may pass. To Rasielmon, God granted the sight of all the Digital World, and bade it to gaze upon enemy and ally alike and direct the forces of good. To SlashAngemon, God granted the authority over all the armies of the Kernel, and bade it to lead them into war. Yggdrasil too did not remain idle. Huanglongmon’s disappearance left its subordinate Holy Beasts struggling for power. In their imbalance, the Digital World was left unguarded. Yggdrasil called them forth and made a declaration. Each would guard one quarter of the Digital World. To Xuanwumon, eldest and wisest, Yggdrasil granted the north, where its wisdom could guide others to enlightenment. To Qinglongmon, mighty and aloof, Yggdrasil granted the east, a bastion to guard. To Zhuqiaomon, fiery and unforgiving, Yggdrasil granted the south, where its fire could burn the enemy. And to Baihumon, youngest and mightiest of the four, Yggdrasil granted the west, where the fighting would be fierce. 

The Digital World slept uneasily. From the spires of the Index Mountains to the depths of the Net Ocean, all knew war was coming. A war that would reshape the Digital World or end it. In the coming years would be born many tales. Tales of the mustering of the Warrior Ten, of the corruption of Rasielmon, of Bagramon rising again to power yet only knowing betrayal, of the founding of the Royal Knights and the quest for the Digimental of Miracles, and of the last stand for the fate of the Digital World. Many more tales have been forgotten, lost in the violence and despair of the first and greatest of all wars. But when you read these tales, know this: It all started with Lucemon.

[rychlostthespacewizard]

Here are some quotes from Ivo of the Druids

Who is Ivo?

Ivo is one of the members of the legendary party that fought back the Fiendish Incursion, along with the now King Arthur Pendragon of Camelot and Merlin of the Stars.

Quotes:

"Perhaps the world is not small, nor is life a settled fact; I want to invent my own sin, to die from my own poison, to lose your head once and for all, my mind to lose your judgment; I want to smell the smoke of burned palaces, to get drunk until someone forgets me."

"The druids are revolutionaries by our nature. We are guided by love — love for nature, love for balance, and love for the people. This our strength.”

"Decentralization never was chaos; it is our voices harmonizing with that of nature. Each druidic circle be a part to the unity in diversity.”

“Tradition is a memory, it cannot be a shackle. Let us honor the wisdom of the ancients, by exorcising the stagnant ghost that haunts us. Time flows, and so must we.”

“Change is not a simple tree that grows alone, we must make it grow ourselves, we need each and every single one of you”

“Conformity is the worst thing that could happen to the druids, we are the people of nature, numbness allowing oppression is our antithesis”

“Every instance of love -every moment we tend for one another- is an act of defiance against that which we fight every day in this war.”

"I reject the invitation to define myself; You will have to take the breath out of my lungs before my knees bend before them”

“My revolution is in-definition, an act of love.”

"Something was always needed for create a better future. Those priced since their birth. Those worth a few stamps of the law. Those sitting in fear of running.”

“They don't invite me to die; they invite me to resist. My path is uncertain, but I will walk with the same firmness with which I have lived, it. If this is my last war, those after me will carry my will.”

"I was born with the foolishness to challenge what is life of today. My enemy is complacency. My love is stronger than your shields and sharper than your swords”

Some of Ivo's achievements are:

1.  Fiendish Incursion Hero: Fought alongside King Arthur Pendragon and Merlin of the Stars to repel the Fiendish Incursion, a legendary battle that safeguarded the realms from an invasion of demons and devils.

2. Archdruid Ascendancy: Achieved the esteemed rank of Archdruid, known for his unparalleled wisdom and power although never officially recognized by the druidic council due to his revolutionary activities, it is widely acknowledged by the druidic circles that his power and wisdom surpasses that of any other druid in history.

3. Revolutionary Druid: Inspired the anarchist revolution that overthrew the druidic government, championing freedom and justice for all druids and nature itself.

4. Militia Founder: Created and led militias that invaded druidic noble palaces, dismantling corrupt regimes with sword and spell, carrying the title of the Green Knight of the Wild Hunt and True Beheader as he killed more nobles than any other in history.

5.  Wielder of the Yggdrasil's Morphblade: Harnessed the power of the Vestige of Melora, the legendary Yggdrasil's Morphblade, to defend and empower his allies.

6. Dragon Slayer: When Ancient Dragons, metalic and chromatic alike, threatened the natural order, he single-handedly defeated them, besting the dragons both in combat and in wisdom.

7. Healer of Empires: Used his profound skills in medicine and natural magic to heal entire empires, restoring life and balance to vast lands.

8. Veilshroud Seas Conqueror: Successfully navigated the treacherous, uncharted veilshroud seas—four deadly seas that surround the Veiled Lands and had claimed the lives of all others who attempted the journey.

9. Global Druidic Explorer: Traveled to all the veiled lands and beyond, meeting druidic circles across the world gathering knowledge and teaching the ways of the druids to areas that had never seen a druid before. He fought against other institutions that sought to control nature and the druids, creating more self-sufficient and independent druidic circles that valued nature and freedom.

10. World Tree Embodiment: Became the living embodiment of Yggdrasil, the world tree, connecting all realms through his existence and ultimately merged with Yggdrasil itself, becoming the material plane's manifestation of the world tree and its boundless power.

[dwarf-vader-of-middle-earth]

Fritjof Borg Ansgarsson

"Blood! Blood must spill from your corpse to fill the rivers of Midgard, and I will make all drink in gracious glory the remnants of their miserable hero who foolishly stood against me and fell in vain! The Old Gods are dead, and the Norns shall be next! You've taken my people, taken my kingdom, and now I've but to take your precious Yggdrasil, and the Nine Realms with it! If I cannot have my land to rule as I please, I will destroy all life but my own, and recreate the universe in my very image and desire!" -Fritjof in the battle of Ragnarok

This is the tyrant-king, Fritjof of Ulla. He separated half the adults on the island to go on a deadly raid where they ultimately perished, and the other half were imprisoned.

From here, Fritjof hired mercenaries, and beyond them and the king, only children remained within Ulla all alone, their sole guidance the word of their corrupt monarch who abused his power constantly, causing mayhem and murder to neighboring islands, and feeding lies to the children. He permitted the mercenaries to loot whatever they desired from the homes of Ulla, and the children were essentially disregarded.

A young man, Hafgrim, felt in his heart this was wrong, and thus began gathering others who'd felt the same as himself. For years, he trained everybody in the ways of brutal combat, and when the time came, the now-grown citizens of Ulla stole a ship and raided Fritjof's castle, as well as the prison to free their parents. They ultimately succeeded, and Hafgrim cast Fritjof away into a forest where Elves would lead him astray forever.

What nobody expected was that Fritjof learned the layout of this forest eventually, and found that within its heart lay the roots of Yggdrasil. The tyrant-king swore vengeance, climbed the tree, and slew Heimdall to take Gjallarhorn and begin Ragnarok. If he could not have his kingdom, if he could not rule his people, he would destroy life as it was known to recreate it as a subservient universe to his every whim and desire.

And with this, Hafgrim returned with fury in his heart, and a burning will to protect all life in the Nine Realms. He amassed an army of Humans, Dwarves, Elves, Giants, and more, then led the charge against Fritjof to end his bloody reign once and for all.

Ultimately, Hafgrim had no choice but to land the killing blow on his former king. Although he'd tried for decades to spare the man, he could not do so without losing the Nine Realms, the Gods, everyone and everything. He grasped Gjallarhorn from the slain tyrant, and blew the horn to signal Ragnarok's end.

[ragnar0c]

Some nexus playing stuff:

I did 100% the game, but I went back to an earlier save just to try and fight the story final boss fairly/ with my own strat. So went from using a retired 130 lvled Hana and El to about level 82 with JANK skill trees.

THE YGGDRASIL LABYRINTH ENCOUNTERS SUCK.

Follow trace is a little silly on my nightseeker. Muerte will literally do sleep throw and then instantly wake up the encounter but doing it again.

Alope is on level 60 compared to The main team being on level 86, but due to the power of her ???, Hana, and Hana’s ???, El, Alope and Dualope can do like 30k. It’s so messed up actually, Did you know Alope, Hana, and El created polyamory?

Anyway, I killed the lamia last night with them. Fun… I think the final boss has a lot more health, but if I get Alope on a higher level… and more buffs we might be just fine.

Caspian and Alope say the same thing when they level up? They both did at the same time… cute 🥹 (Terrible implications tho)

THOSE TANUKI ARE THE DEVIL. WHAT DO YOU MEAN CORRUPT HOWL CAN PARTY WIPE EVEN WITH NO BUFFS.

I mostly planned to use Alope and Caspian for boss fights, but I got into an encounter on the way to one with them (no medic) And. They just kinda handled it. So I might bring them with me. Tho. Alope blows thru her tp often.

I really think it’s funny how Hana in EO3 is pretty good in terms of damage and so is Alope. (H= 11k A+Dual= (7k+ 7k) ON A GOOD DAY) In nexus their numbers are kinda insane. (H (130 retired)= 30k-43k A + Dual (130)= I think 40k?) Realistically they went from normal girls to demigods.💀 tho their combo is kinda hard to do on post game bosses. But they tried that shit on Abyssal god and it’d just evaporate.

On stream there’s a bit where Lazasia says some “You’re useless without spear assist” to El. ………… LIAR. DRAINING BURST💥 GAE BULG 🤯 SPEAR REVERSAL💯💯

[pbone64]

so. What's up with EO2U's explanation of Lagaard's Yggdrasil?

If it's part of the Yggdrasil project, why is it significantly bigger than the Yggdrasil tree from Etrian? It's also implied that their tree doesn't need the same stewardship that Etria's did, because the Overlord was just concerned with finding a way to destroy the cores instead of overseeing Lagaard's Yggdrasil.

Was it the time of planting that allowed Lagaard's Yggdrasil to grow so huge? Was it a different type of tree? Did the climate encourage its growth? Did it grow to such proportions to accommodate DLC boss areas?

Its location above ground also raises questions. We don't know of any other Yggdrasil project Yggdrasils so we don't know if it's weird for trees to be above ground or below it. Is Japan the odd tree out for being underground? Hell, we don't even know how deep underground Shinjuku is. I can only assume that Lagaard's actual Yggdrasil is somewhere in Ginnungagap and the massive tree is caused by whatever phenomenon caused Etria's labyrinth to exist.

One final tangent: I dislike 2U's Yggdrasil core. With its setting in the Claret Hollows Primevil truly feels like the core of Yggdrasil (or at least the manifestation of the corruption it has absorbed) but 2U just plonks it down in Ginnungagap. ???

[chaosarchivesandordervault]

Eve Sieghart

Casual

Olympian Holy Lord

Name: Eve Sieghart Preferred Name: Eve Sieghart Nyx Nickname: Athena Title: Olympian Holy Lord Athena Race: Unknown Gender: Female Age: Unknown Sexuality: Gay Height: Weapon of choice: Sword, flag

The older of Venat's two students, Eve was granted the power of primordial ice, the very element Venat herself specializes it. Eve considers it an honor and strives to live up to her teachers expectations.

That said Eve is in charge of all things holy whether it be priests, monks, nuns, you name it. Which also leads into her name which had her punching who named her and her brother in the face, repeatedly. See she was raised by the previous Holy Lord. Adopting her and Adam and naming the two what he did. Together they'd bring the words of their Queen and the World Tree Yggdrasil to newer heights. She denounced him as holy lord and punched him in the face mid-speech saying he's a fanatic who lost sight of what his position means.

Its safe to say Venat picked her up and raised her since then, taught her everything she knows. How long ago this was she won't say. But Venat is her queen, her teacher and lastly her mother. But she's not officially apart of the royal family since Venat did not adopt her simply raised her in place of her corrupt adoptive father. It still results in her treating Vivian like a younger sister.

In reality Venat not sure what to do about the fact Eve sees her as a mother. Since it means Eve is especially harsh on her adoptive brother but that's only on rare occasions. For now the matter of if she counts as apart of the royal family or not is something Venat will decide on later.

[tehuti88-art]

9/18/24: Wasn't going to post these as they weren't intended to be public art, but considering that I might someday come up with a final artwork, I present them. I'd like to design (since no one else is, I'd prefer someone else to!) a new version of the Irminsul symbol, shown HERE. Why a new one? Take a look what's right behind this particular Irminsul. That's right--NAZI STUFF. Disregard the people who insist the Black Sun is just a traditional symbol that was unfortunately appropriated and corrupted by the Nazis yadda yadda, NEIN, the Nazis themselves deliberately designed it. Yes there are OTHER, innocent versions of the sun wheel, but this is not one of them, and it's definitely not ancient or traditional.

Well...I discovered, a bit belatedly, that this otherwise lovely image of the Irminsul--a sacred tree pillar of the Saxons, which was destroyed by Charlemagne during his battles with the Saxon chief Widukind (both ancestors of mine, according to various genealogical resources, though I imagine Widukind could be a bit more legendary)--was created by some proto-Nazi guy. I even looked into it before buying a carving and necklace of one, saw the Nazi association, but assumed that, like the Mjölnir (Thor's hammer), it was just misappropriated. I can't explain how I missed ALL THE TEXT in the English Wikipedia article that details the Nazi connections. I could swear that text was not there, as I clearly remember researching this, yet there are no recent edits regarding this info! So I missed it, and I can't explain how. I ended up finding more detailed info on the German Wikipedia, and then realized that not only is it pretty much a proto-Nazi symbol currently used by far-right groups (I knowingly bought one of their books, secondhand so they wouldn't profit, as it contains possibly useful and hard to find info on Continental Germanic heathenry), and is supposedly copyrighted (by the publishers of the book I just mentioned...good luck with that, guys, it's being sold everywhere!), but...IT'S NOT EVEN A DEPICTION OF THE IRMINSUL. The proto-Nazi guy saw a bent version of this image in an old carving, and interpreted it to be a depiction of the felled Irminsul...when looking at the original image, honestly, all I see is a fancy chair. Experts largely agree that the original isn't the Irminsul, but may be a palm tree or a chair. It's a pretty big leap to look at that carving and see a cut-down tree that's most likely an ash (the Irminsul is associated with Yggdrasil, the world ash tree) or maybe an oak (another tree sacred to the Saxons). So not only is this a far-right symbol, it's not even the Irminsul!

So...why hasn't anyone taken the time to design a NEW Irminsul symbol, that both strips away the Nazi elements, and depicts an actual tree...? Well, a little municipality called Harbarnsen-Irmenseul did just that, creating their own Irminsul which consists of a pole with a sun cross atop it. I find this rather plain, though, and not much resembling old accounts of what the Irminsul looked like...they vary a lot, but it was somewhat more ornate. (See the German Wikipedia.) On the other hand, THOSE depictions strike me as kind of goofy and likely exaggerated in the retelling. The current main illustration in the English Wikipedia entry shows what looks like an entirely natural object, albeit rather man shaped. It's easy to imagine the Saxons venerating an oddly shaped tree, especially one that looks like a man...my theory is this is most likely how the original Irminsul appeared. Perhaps, over time, it died and was stripped of its branches, cut shorter, and adorned with something on top, similar to the traditional accounts and the modern depiction by Harbarnsen-Irmenseul. Though I assume it was more than simply a straight wooden pole. (Who knows? I'm sure no expert on the old Saxons.)

My proposed design, since nobody else is coming up with anything and just insists on using the rightwing symbol *sour face*...a stylized tree pillar, featuring nine branches. Nine symbolizing the Irminsul's connection to Yggdrasil, which connected the nine worlds. (I'm not into Norse myth so I might get some stuff wrong, meh.) Symmetrical and simplified (for ease of turning it into something like a pendant), probably lacking leaves, as the Irminsul seems to have been a tree PILLAR, not a living tree. And possibly topped by a sun cross similar to the modern depiction, to designate it as more than a depiction of a tree or Yggdrasil, as those designs are a dime a dozen.

These sketches were some of my ideas, fiddling around with branch direction, and whether it should be more circular, or tall and narrow. I dunno...I'm not a symbol designer. Just, dang would I like an Irminsul I could wear or display!--without being mistaken for a neo-Nazi, or walking around wearing a depiction of a freaking chair. :/

These are just rough ideas. I'm not good at this, and I know that even if/when I design one, it'll never catch on as nobody's looking at this. Maybe somebody else out there can design a new Irminsul that will catch on...? *pleading face*

[Irminsul Concept Sketches [‎Wednesday, ‎September ‎18, ‎2024, ‏‎7:48:43 PM]]

[Irminsul Concept Sketches 2 [‎Wednesday, ‎September ‎18, ‎2024, ‏‎7:52:54 PM]]

[mcdrewriteideas]

Races - MCD

I talked a little about races in the last post. 

The elves, or Fae as I refer to them, are the guardians of Yggdrasil's roots, are immortal, and have advanced magic. Witches and Warlocks are descendants of the Fae and humans, and live longer lives with inherent magical abilities. Demons are beings who have been corrupted by Nuet. 

Humans are beings with souls who pass on to either the Otherworld or somewhere else when they die. 

So what about werewolves and Meif’wa?

Well. That's a simple question to answer. 

Lupines, as I will be calling werewolves in MCD, were created when a man sold his soul to Ygdrasil in order to gain the power to protect his village from invading wolves. Hearing his ancient plea, the tree gifted its child the abilities of the wolves it sought to defeat. It also gave him the ability to create other soldiers such as himself, who could also spread their gifts. 

However, one man who gained this ability sought to use it for his own gains. He turned many without their consent and attempted to take the world by force. Angered by this display, Ygdrasil called out to the first Lupine and gave him the ability to stop the other man. To take away his abilities. Then, they took the ability to spread the gift from all but the man and his descendants, whom they blessed for their good nature and faith. 

These beings became the Ultima. 

In a similar case, Tul’a was being overrun by large rodents and poisonous reptiles. A woman, hearing of the Lupines, asked for Ygdrasil to grant her abilities as well, so that she could protect her village.

And these were ancient days, before the corruption. Before pain. So the great tree obliged. 

But this time they knew better, and gave only the woman the ability to spread the blessing. Only she did not have the ability to take away this power, as it was an important one in order to survive the harsh nature of the region. Eventually, The woman became the leader of Tul’a and established a happy, thriving region. 

These stories eventually became lost to time. Outside Tul’a, Meifwa are heavily discriminated against. And outside their home region, which I’ll be called Shi’ra, Lupines are seen as bad omens and evil creatures. 

Meifwa are typically more welcomed than Lupines, though. 

I’d go over a lot of the racial implications in the actual story, but I think I’ll do a sort of play-by-play of how that would go in other posts.

[cresentcube]

Y'know when I reached Yggdrasil during my first playthrough, I thought that Mordegon wouldn't just take the powers of the luminary but just straight up take the entire luminary himself. Like just kidnapp Eleven and lock him away in his fortress or something similar. Pretending for a minute that that is what actually happens, I assume that Nine would start moving heaven and hell to save his little brother, right?

GJDJJR HE WOULD! Nine would, without exaggeration, scourge the earth. The monsters wonder if there's a second luminary. It isn't. Nine is just MAD and planning to kill everything on his path. Mordegon is gonna be a pile of ash at that point. The world is saved in the hads of a Really Angry brother

But that being said, in the 'original' act 2 time line I'm leaning towards Nine falling with the world tree with Veronica- mordegon picked up his barely clinging corpse and shoved the power of the orb in him, making him something akin to a corrupt Mia. So he's out of commission until you reunite with Serena, and is available just before you reforge the sword (I.e. you pull the orb out of him).

[beyondthepalerpg]

Patreon Q&A: September

Here’s the questions and answers for the months of September 2021!

I want to thank everyone who participated.  Remember, all Warden tier (or higher) members are able to join in on the Q&A.

If you’re interested in the project and want to help support it, please consider becoming a Patron.  You can find more information about the Beyond the Pale Patreon [here].

In terms of premade difficulty monsters, maybe dealing with a kelpie or haunting.

One of the features intended for the game is a way for Game Masters to have a variety of options for all difficulty levels.  You could, for example, have an entire campaign that focuses on vampires because the Game Master has access to several kinds of vampires, each with differing difficulty rating.

The intended goal is to give the Game Master a large degree of freedom to tweak encounters to best suit their players.

So much of the cosmology of a lot of myths and religions in the setting are metaphorical or misinterpretations.  Atlas doesn’t literally hold up the sky, for example.

So while I have read and researched these things, it’s not likely they’ll be given direct credence in the setting.  The established cosmology of the game is the Yggdrasil, the World Tree, and the Nine Worlds.

The Four Horsemen is an angelic concept, a sort of ideology and mini-pantheon.

When humanity became known to Heaven and Hell there was much debate on both sides on how to approach the new possibilities.  In Heaven, the seven archangels held council and weighed the pros and cons of humanity.

Three opted to spare humanity out of compassion, who argued that humanity would aid them in their fight against Hell and deserved direct intervension.  However, three wanted humanity exterminated to deprive Hell of any potential advantage.

The deciding vote was held by the Archangel of Patience, who characteristically abstained.  To this day, he still holds that vote and is still making a decision on if humanity deserves Heaven’s full grace or full wrath.

The three who voted for humanity’s destruction, plus the abstainer, are represented as the Four Horsemen.  And should the vote finally be caste against humanity, they themselves will bring about humanity’s apocalypse.

It’s still a planned feature.  The lore around genuine black magic that there the fall into darkness is an emotional one.  Black magic is the rock bottom of that pit and if you can cast black magic you’re already too far gone.

Black magic is a complete corruption of someone’s humanity.  Joy becomes pain, misery becomes bliss, empathy becomes hatred in a literal sense.  There is no coming back from it.

A character who is struggling with that darkness within is not going to be able to cast black magic.  It is only when that darkness has fully taken hold and completely consumed them that it is possible.  And as a result, the character is effectively insane, similar to if their Sanity Points drop to lethal levels.

From a mechanical point, the moment you can cast black magic, your character is treated as incurably insane and is under the control of the GM.  If you’re looking for a struggle with corruption, there are innumerable other options available.

Black magic is the exception.  It is that bad and (mechanically) overpowered.

[kwaggysshardmindemporium]

Feel like doing some more LARP rambling. Talked about Realms last time, let's talk about the actual in-universe place the game occurs in: the small settlement of Oak Harbor. Ramble below the break.

So, Oak Harbor is the only town in the titular Witchwood, at the center of which is the Witchwood Tree mentioned in the previous post. It's basically Yggdrasil if you don't feel like going back through it. Oak Harbor, as a town, is 10 years old, founded in the year 813. (LARP calendar year number=IRL calendar year number-1200 years.) This was before my time, so from the game's summary in the manual it was founded because the woodsfolk living in the forest, the Hania, sent out a call for help because Voidic creatures were attacking the woods. A merchant family called the Ternacenti would be allowed to establish a town on the edge of the woods in exchange for aid. They evacuated anyone who wished to leave, and then returned with every adventurer-type who was interested in seeking their fortune helping out. Thus Oak Harbor was founded. The problem was determined to be Void corruption of Reverish nightmares, and they called it the green-eyed sickness.

In 815, so two years later, the sickness was confined down to a single individual who was then killed. Shortly after, the Hania told the Ternacenti "thanks, now get out" for reasons I'm unclear of since this was a long time ago but I'm inclined to assume the Hania were in the right.

This quickly resulted in a small scale war between the two groups, which ended in 816 when the Ternacenti literally just sold the ownership of the town to the White Forest Trading Company, WFTC for short. They did some shitbag gunboat diplomacy with the locals to come to a cease-fire and establish a logging camp, but the adventurer residents were also unhappy with WFTC taking over without any say from them. One resident famously challenged the WFTC to select a champion for a duel to determine if they or the residents would get to rule the town.

They spent an insane amount of money hiring the most ridiculously OP badass they could find, who then killed that resident in about 3 seconds after the duel started. For some reason, the rest of the town then complied with the takeover. They rule the town to this day, much to everyone's chagrin because they suck.

Then, a new guy takes over the Mantle of "Antithesis of Firmament" in Umbra. What's a Mantle? Basically a demigod whose role is to embody something about the fabric making up a given realm. So this guy embodies the fact that the opposite of Umbra is Firmament. He begins taking this job to mean "I must destroy Firmament by any means." So he's trying to pass through Reverie and Evren to wage war. Because the Witchwood Tree connects all realms, that makes the town right outside the forest a convenient staging ground to launch this from. He very much did not ask and figured the easiest way to get that staging ground was just killing the occupants. Obviously, he meets quite a bit of resistance and starts looking for ways to subvert the town's ability to stop him. Eventually he convinces some idiot to allow him to create a spooky pustule of Umbral power in the middle of the town's lower field.

This is the part where I arrive in town. Anyway, Antithesis starts sending shades to steal the staffs of any wizards in towns they can find. Because wizards draw their power from Firmament and if they can corrupt the staffs they can... I honestly do not know what the next step in the plan was because this is the part where we killed Antithesis for being a dingus.

At this point, two different plotlines start. First: a Fandalee rolls into town asking for help because he believes the Pattern to be falling apart. The Fandalee are a wanderer culture who believe everything is governed by an unknowable Pattern. This Fandalee is thus coming in to tell us he believes the world is ending. Turns out, it actually sincerely IS. The barriers between realms are decaying. So we need to do an elaborate ritual requiring TONS of prep to fix it. The biggest hurdle is we need to make a magical Sword of Legend. It needs to be quenched in lava, then blessed by the Gatekeeper of every realm. The Gatekeeper is a mantle who controls the ability to pass between Realms. Every realm has one. The Umbra and Vigor gatekeepers are pretty easy. They play a role in the dead moving to the afterlife. When you die, you go to the Gatekeeper of your choice, who takes a small piece of your spirit and then if you have any spirit left they return you to Evren. So talking to them is easy: someone just has to die. Since they get better usually, it's just a question of finding someone with spare spirit who believes in the cause.

Void weirdly solved itself. So, while this is happening we have an infestation of necromancers in the woods. One of them apparently observed the residents very closely, waits for one to be just outside the tea house, drops her with an assassinate ability, then tells her that he has a potion that makes dying take extra spirit that he'll use on her unless she agrees to give the Gatekeeper of Umbra a letter. She agrees. The town at this point finds her body and with some Speak With Dead we find out what the situation is. We read the letter. It's a message for some dude named Herbert. Now, an ability this character has is that she gets to ask the Gatekeeper a question and is guaranteed an accurate answer if she goes to Umbra when she dies. So she hands the note to the Gatekeeper and with her question goes "who the HELL is Herbert and why are YOU a good person to receive this message?" Herbert, it turns out, is a few things. He's a necromancer. He's a voidmancer. Curiously, a weaver. (The spellcasting class, although maybe also literal I don't know him that well.) And at some point, he wrested the Mantle of Gatekeeper of Void for himself. Jackpot. So we contact him and despite being blatantly evil is weirdly chill about giving us what we need because he's a relatively sane guy who realizes reality collapsing will in fact kill him TOO.

The Gatekeeper of Firmament is a fae who wants the town to put on a dance show for her. For reasons I will never understand, this is performed to a Firmament/elemental themed rewrite of "Natural" by Imagine Dragons. For reasons I'm even LESS clear on, this actually does earn the Gatekeeper's favor and she does the thing.

I sincerely do not know what happened with the Reverie one, sorry.

Then last is Evren. You'd think this would be easy. It's the only one that doesn't require travelling to another dimension, right? Problem is, when you travel to another dimension that gate drops you basically just where you wanna be. We have to search *Evren* mostly on foot. And have zero idea who we're looking for. Turns out, they're in the Witchwood forest. Still, that's the most dangerous place in Evren. So lots of blood and death and misery go into finding this fucker. Turns out, he's a giant hedge. At some point, he was a man, but is now a bush. And he misses a few things. Namely, he misses having his Dream Token from when he used to be a weaver. Could we kindly go find it? So we search high and low AGAIN, fight our way through the most dangerous place in Evren AGAIN, and give him the thing. So now we have our magic sword.

So we do the ritual and it's a genuinely spectacular showpiece where we have to fight back hoards of enemies coming through gates of all six realms as reality tears asunder and we have to do several sub-rituals to close those lest we be overwhelmed. The entire town pitches in. And the day is saved!

Now, towards the end of THAT plot, there's another arc brewing. Necromancers who had been practicing in secret among a merchant house overseas have decided the time for secrecy is over. They take over the university at the heart of the city of Salendale, and begin generally wrecking the place. They need our help. Short version, we do. This plot just isn't that interesting sadly. This is probably the first time an international conflict had its scales tipped by the lunatics in Oak Harbor, but it likely won't be the last.

Once we get back home, we receive word that the city of Luvik has been taken over by bandit clans. Second verse, same as the first. Only this time, they're sending thugs to come kidnap some of OUR people for bounties these bandits have put out on some townsfolk. Who could've kicked this hornet's nest? Me. It was me. Straight up this is directly my fault. Get into that another time. This plot is currently ongoing, but is likely to end with another full scale war.

Meanwhile, at the same time as this, the trees of the forest have risen up against the WFTC logging them. Go near a tree? Run the risk of getting smacked. For some reason even though we all hate these guys, the town seems generally in favor of putting this entirely fair and justified revolt down by doing a ritual that will reset the forest to how it was 10 years ago. Again, not sure exactly why the town is going with this. This is also ongoing with the ritual set for our last event of the year in November.

So anyway, that's a history of a fictional town in the LARP I go to. Have a good one!

Feel like rambling, and I haven't talked about LARPing on my Tumblr at all yet. I'd LOVE to gush about my character, but honestly, a lot of what I like about him plays off the setting, both the larger world the game takes place in and the actual in-game space that represents the one specific town we live in.

The LARP I go to is Witchwood in western Massachusetts. The game just celebrated its tenth year of operation at the first spring session of this year. I've been around in this game for 6, so most of its run. If you happen to live in New England, I promise you'll find precious few communities that are more fun and welcoming to be in and if you have ANY interest whatsoever in pretending to be a fantasy person out in the woods 4 times a year you should check it out. Obligatory link: witchwoodroleplaying.com

More below a page break because I have no idea how long this is gonna be but it sure ain't gonna be short.

So, this game has a lot of lore. I'm not going to detail all of it, just a decent surface dive.

The biggest concept is the six Realms. These are reasonably analogous to various planes of being in DnD, but there's exactly six instead of umpteen-million. Imagine a circle or sphere divided into six equal wedge segments, and that's roughly how the cosmos is arranged. The Realms are also heavily color coded.

Evren is basically the Material Plane from DnD and is the most straightforward comparison. It's where the player characters live. It's the realm of growth and REgrowth. Of new things. And the realm of things coming together. Of communities. This isn't unilaterally a good thing. Cliques and hostile factions are still communities, after all. It also contains the Witchwood Tree, for which the game is named. Go back to that circle cut into segments. The Witchwood Tree is a huge fuckoff tree that grows at the center point where the all touch. The tree has one root in each other realm. Yes it's similar to Yggdrasil. Magic of this realm generally takes the form of Druid abilities. Healing, poison, and the like. Evren's associated color is very bright, blinding white. It borders the realms of Reverie and Firmament. Its opposing realm is Void.

Reverie is the realm of thought. The mind. Dreams. Feelings. The things that form what you'd recognize as sapient. Reverie as a place shifts to meet the world's collective expectations of it. It's also the realm of fates and destinies. Of reputations. Everything the people of other realms firmly believe is heightened to the point of absurdity within Reverie, so among us players it has a somewhat deserved reputation as being "the funny realm." On the flipside, it also heightens our fears and darkest thoughts, to the point where the principal enemy that comes from here is Nightmares made manifest. Reverie magic is channeled through casters called Weavers, and in game terms is all about inflicting malicious status effects. Sleep, Silence, etc. Its color is green. It borders Evren and Umbra, and its opposing realm is Vigor.

Umbra is the realm of the spirit. Of the dead. What's left of something after it dies. The undead, both naturally occurring and created, come from Umbral power. It's also one of two places the people of Evren can go to when they die, being stripped of everything except their spirit, which is generally an imitation of what they were in life, with the details fading as people that remember them can no longer do so. Given that travel between realms is both doable and not even particularly hard, this means you can talk to your deceased loved ones if they go to Umbra pretty easily. This act also bolsters the strength of the spirits you talk to, preventing them from fading away for longer. But eventually everything falls away to nothing, lost to history. It's also where the stories of the realms resonate. Umbral magic is channeled through Mystics, and has a general damage focus centered around attacking the spirit, which particularly harms undead. The blunt Death spell is their signature. Umbra stuff is red, it borders Reverie and Void, and its opposing realm is Firmament.

Void is nothing. It's emptiness. It's teeming with strange life. It's everything. Void is, fundamentally, about two things: paradox and never having enough. Creatures of Void are defined by their hunger, ceaseless and unsatisfiable. The power of Void renders anything and everything possible, but using Voidic power is generally hazardous to the health of anything not of Void. This might all make Void sound evil. It's not. It's alien, and it's primal. It is so divorced from the understanding of you and I that trying to apply our morality to what goes on there is foolish. Voidic magic can be harnessed at great sacrifice by Voidmancers, but doing so usually carries insane social stigma and also curses you for life. (Player characters cannot be Voidmancers at character creation. They have to learn it in-game.) Void's color is purple, its neighboring realms are Umbra and Vigor, and its opposing realm is Evren.

Vigor is the realm of action, order, strength, and power. Vigor is almost mechanical in how it operates as a whole. Its beings are made in factories in bulk. Golems are other similar single-minded constructs that simply obey. It's also, curiously, the OTHER place you have the option of going when you die. Instead of your spirit playacting a simulation of who you used to be, all of that is obliterated in favor of repurposing your raw power to fuel Vigor's many forever wars. This option is considered favorable among people who wish for the end of their life to be the actual END. Smash cut to the credits. Vigorish magic can either manifest as martial ability and prowess, or be manipulated directly by runic magic, which simply efficiently recreates existing powers without iterating. Its color is blue, it borders Void and Firmament, and its opposing realm is Reverie.

Lastly going around the wheel, we have Firmament. Firmament is the realm of the elements: fire, water, air, and earth. It's also the source of mana, the raw essence required to do magic. It's denizens are either creatures typifying the element(s) they are associated with (phoenixes, drakes/dragons/imps of various elements etc.), as well as the fae courts constantly infighting over squabbles Evrish folk can never fully understand even as they get roped in on one side or the other. Firmament power is channeled through Wizards. Their color is yellow, they border Evren and Vigor, and their opposing realm is Umbra.

So that's what the cosmology of this place is like. I'll save the ramble about the actual place on the map the players live some other time.

[lesbianalanwake]

really can’t stop thinking about the Oldest House as Yggdrasil and the Tree of Life, and the Former’s insectoid-serpent appearance, and the Board clinging to the House like a parasite, and the great inverted triangle piercing down like a breach in the heavens, and the Bureau having no ethical checks and balances after the one sector dedicated to that was sealed off, and years of unchecked corruption exploding in the infestation of a parasitic force called the Hiss, and “hiss” being the sound a serpent makes, and Polaris resembling the crystals in the Foundation, and the Board gnawing dragon-like at the roots, and “I can feel it needing me” and "this is my mess to clean up”..... like damn, ok! we’re borrowing the plot from every third jrpg and cleansing the world tree! I dig that!

[furthermeanings]

Elden Ring and Norse Lore, pt. 6 - Erdtree

(Note that the following text is fully my own interpretation based on my knowledge and understanding on the topics to be discussed!)

As shortly referred earlier, it is quite obvious the Erdtree could be a reference to the world tree Yggdrasill, as well as the previously described golden tree Glasir in Valhöll. Like the Erdtree seen and known in the game (youtuber Zullie the Witch has estimated the Erdtree to be about five kilometers tall), Yggdrasill is explained to be a colossal sacred tree in the center of creation. By looking at the full map of the Lands Between the Erdtree truly is in the middle.

The following information is found from Völuspá, stanza 19:

“An ash I know, Yggdrasil its name, with water white is the great tree wet; Thence come the dews that fall in the dales, green by Urth's well does it ever grow.”

The stanza also mentions Yggdrasill’s dew which could be associated with Sacred Tears, the blessings of the Erdtree.

Yggdrasill’s roots are said to extend to the underworlds of Helheimr and Niflheimr, and across Miðgarðr as told in Grímnismál’s stanzas 31 and 35:

“Three roots there are that three ways run 'neath the ash-tree Yggdrasil; 'neath the first lives Hel, 'neath the second the frost-giants, 'neath the last are the lands of men.”

“Yggdrasil's ash great evil suffers, far more than men do know; The hart bites its top, its trunk is rotting, and Nithhogg gnaws beneath.”

While traveling across the Lands Between it is seen that the roots of the Erdtrees indeed reach everywhere.

Stanza 35 mentions the dragon Níðhöggr, gnawing and poisoning Yggdrasill’s roots. Within the Deeproot Depths the death blight-corrupted Lichdragon Fortissax is found, guarding Godwyn’s corpse. When Godwyn the Golden died, becoming the Prince of Death, he simultaneously infected the Erdtree’s roots and sprouted the Deathroots across the Lands Between. I see this as analogous to Níðhöggr’s role as a world tree defiling death dragon.

In Old Norse texts it is said the gods and goddesses have þingar, assembled meetings where they would discuss and decide about important matters, hosted in the vicinity of Yggdrasill (these þingar were actual events in around old Scandinavia). When the player enters Morgott the Omen King’s boss arena, a cutscene shows the arena to have multiple chairs circling around. I believe it is most likely that Queen Marika has held similar meetings there with her current husband and demigod children.

By investigating the translation of the name Yggdrasill, new interesting connections can be made. In Grímnismál’s stanza 54 Óðinn lists his known names, one of them being Yggr. As drasill translates to horse, the name Yggdrasill itself translates to Yggr’s/Óðinn’s steed/horse. The translation itself is generally acknowledged kenning for gallows as Hávamál´s stanza 138 in Poetic Edda describes how Óðinn hanged himself from Yggdrasill’s branches:

“I ween that I hung on the windy tree, hung there for nights full nine; With the spear I was wounded, and offered I was to Othin, myself to myself.”

However there are theories that question if Óðinn was actually hanged as Hávamál, or any other Eddaic text for that matter, doesn’t straightforwardly state that he would’ve literally done it. These theories suggest that Óðinn was crucified instead, but I myself don’t believe this to be the case. There is actual evidence of human sacrifices from the Viking Era and none of these examples explain people being crucified but hanged instead.

Hanged or crucified, I find it interesting that Marika/Radagon is hanging by his hands in a crucifix like manner inside the Erdtree when entering Elden Ring’s final boss arena. Additionally he is pierced by a spear of sorts just like Óðinn was (or Jesus in christian mythology). As Marika/Radagon is the main deity of Elden Ring and Óðinn of Norse mythos, the connection between the Erdtree and Yggdrasill is quite easy to make.