Welcome to the Encyclopedia Chaotica! Herein you will find all major Shadowed Earth references for the website and as a resource for all Shadowed Earth settings. This page will expand often, so please check back often to locate the information you’re search for.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
A
AEther Magic
AEther magic, sometimes referred to as fabric magic, is a type of occult magic that involves siphoning the energy that bleeds from the fabric between the realms to empower the wielder. Although this siphoned energy is quite weak compared to other types of energy, it allows the wielder to thin the fabric between the realms and extract, or allow passage to, denizens that dwell in other realms. Wielders of AEther magic are called ethermancers.
AEther magic was originally brought to Earth by Namtar via the Sumerian cosmic bridge. He served as a messenger to many beings within the chaos realm and taught humans how to manipulate the fabric. This allowed his demon masters to enter the mortal realm.
Alchemist
Alchemists are practitioners of alchemy.
Alchemy
Alchemy is a type of mortal magic and stems from the development of the philosophers stone. It’s based on chemistry and is a volatile imbuement of the four elements through chemical means. It was originally used for the transmutation of metals and the creation of elixirs, but its volatility made it quite dangerous to practice. The first signs of alchemy appear in the Iron Age. Practitioners of alchemy are called alchemists.
Alien
Aliens are any beings that come from a mortal realm other than Earth. Throughout history, many aliens have traveled across the cosmic bridges as those bridges can connect to multiple mortal realms, all worshiping the same pantheon, inadvertently granting access between the realms. During the Bronze and Iron Ages, the cosmic bridges were very busy, resulting in many aliens traveling to Earth. These beings have been deemed as folkloric or mythological creatures throughout the historical texts, but the truth is they are another living being from a mortal realm other than ours.
During the Victorian era, the occult found a way to pull aliens through the spiritual realm as all spiritual realms seem to be somewhat connected. After the destruction of so many cosmic bridges during the Dark Ages, the immigration of aliens ceased while the knowledge of their existence lived on, primarily through the occult. After hundreds of years of attempting to communicate to their former masters, allies, or whatever, the occult was able to reach out to other mortal realms through rituals that harnessed the power of the spiritual realm, pulling aliens to Earth. These acts reinvigorated the need for the Inquisition to be an extremely active worldwide organization. In response to the occult’s newfound ability, the Inquisition organized their cells into defined regional supporters that led to a worldwide organization. Prior to this, the Inquisition operated in small sects that responded wherever they could.
Amatsu-Mikaboshi
Amatsu-Mikaboshi was an alien warlock and a master of the occult, although not an elder. He crossed Izanagi’s cosmic bridge to Japan and summoned many creatures from the chaos realm to be unleashed throughout Japan and the nearby mainland. His favored chaotic being was the oni that ravaged many areas of Japan.
In response to Amatsu-Mikaboshi’s efforts, the Japanese people trained and created the samurai with the backing of Izanagi and Izanami’s pantheon, whose power was spread throughout the elements. The samurai were able to kill Amatsu-Mikaboshi before the apocalypse, but his summoned demons contributed to the fall of humanity.
Ancestor Worship
Ancestor worship is a type of spiritual magic tied directly to spiritual religions. It involves the invocation of spiritual messengers who service the divine energy of the pantheon. Followers of Tengriism are known to use ancestor worship. Practitioners of ancestor worship are called shamans.
Angel
Angels are immortal cosmic beings that serve as messengers to the pantheons. They have free reign over the cosmic realm and choose which pantheon they wish to pledge. Once that pledge is made, the angel becomes tied to that pantheon’s cosmic bridge for eternity. Should the cosmic bridge fall, the angel is at the whims of the cosmos. If they are in the mortal realm when the cosmic bridge falls, the angel becomes a fallen angel and is sought out by the The Fallen. If they are within the spiritual realm when the cosmic bridge falls, they return to the cosmic realm, free of their bonds. If they are within the cosmic realm when the cosmic bridge falls, they are free to choose another cosmic bridge to serve or must pledge another pantheon.
Angels are also realm walkers, being the only cosmic being that can freely travel between all realms. This ability is why they serve as messengers to the pantheons, acting as a conduit between the gods and their mortal followers. Angels can also freely enter the chaos realm, although few choose to do so as it could easily spell their death. Fallen angels are able to walk between realms, but lose their ability to freely enter the cosmic realm.
Animism
Animism is a type of spiritual magic tied directly to spiritual religions. It involves the evocation of spiritual familiars who harness the divine energy of the pantheon. Followers of Tengriism are known to use animism. Wielders of animism are called shamans.
Antiquity
Antiquity is a planned Shadowed Earth storytelling game set during the high action and adventure period of Antiquity where magic was fully embraced and warriors were praised for their conquests!
Anubis
Anubis was a demigod alien occult elder who crossed the Ennead’s cosmic bridge to Egypt. He was the master of necrotic magic and brought control of the undead to every mortal realm possible. An unfortunate side-effect of Anubis’ necrotic magic is the periodic weakening of the fabric between the chaos and mortal realms. With so many subjects tapping into his necromantic powers, a weakened fabric in a faraway mortal realm became a torn fabric, allowing many demonic beings to pass through. Many of these beings found their way to Earth.
Anubis wished to practice his necrotic magic, but the onslaught of demons began to cause him problems as much as it did the people of Egypt. With the aid of his undead army, the angels and dragons fought the demonic hordes and sealed the rift between the realms. Although an elder of the occult, Anubis wished to practice his necromancy without drawing the attention of the cosmic realm. Reluctantly, the angels and dragons turned their watchful eyes away from Anubis due to his participation in ridding Earth of the demonic incursion.
This act of “kindness” was a failure of those protecting Earth as Anubis joined Pazuzu and Baba Yaga to create the Armies of Chaos. His undead armies were continuously waxing and waning, but during the rise of the Armies of Chaos, they became insurmountable and aided in bringing about the apocalypse. However, Anubis was killed by The Fallen during the bloody year of 1066 before The Fall. His teachings live on throughout the necromancers of the occult.
Apocalypse (The Fall)
The apocalypse, or The Fall, came when the Armies of Chaos launched their final campaign against humanity starting on Christmas of 1065. After gaining little headway against humanity, the occult elders pulled together one last plan to take over Earth and enslave the humans. After defeating the armies stationed in the Byzantine Empire and Egypt, the Armies of Chaos concentrated their forces into two groups and marched north and east. The northern group wiped out the British Isles and marched through Yggrdrasil to kill odin and his pantheon. The eastern group wiped out China and the supporting samurai and then unleashed the occult’s ethermancers to break through the realms to allow the demon lords into Yahweh’s cosmic realm. The demon lords kidnapped the archangels, crippling Yahweh’s pantheon, causing the last bit of hope for humanity to fade away.
On Christmas of 1066, the final blackness descended upon Earth as humanity was crushed by dark powers, marking the date of The Fall.
Apothecary
Apothecaries are practitioners of herbology.
Arcane Magic
Arcane magic is a type of occult magic that is a by-product of the development of a mortal realm. As the fabric around the mortal realm forms, its energy expands the mortal realm in a spherical fashion, creating a world that mortals can live in. This results in residual energy being left behind in the core of whatever the mortal realm formed (such as a livable planet). It’s extremely difficult to harness, extremely volatile, and extremely powerful. Additionally, it can be weaved into the residual energy of other magic types to create new forms of magic, such as witchcraft. Wielders of arcane magic are called sorcerers.
Arcane magic was originally taught to the people by Perun and his pantheon. Perun only entrusted the most capable humans with the knowledge of wielding arcane energies, creating powerful sorcerers that could rival any supernatural being. However, the occult chose to exploit these teachings millennia ago, turning arcane energy into a form of occult magic.
B
Baba Yaga
Baba Yaga is an immortal demon-like hag and occult elder who crossed Perun’s cosmic bridge into Europe. She is one of the original occult elders and is the master of arcane magic. However, instead of simply utilizing arcane energies as taught by Perun, she has found how to weave them with the residual energies left after the collapse of a cosmic bridge. This process is called witchcraft.
Baba Yaga has been hunted across the universe for thousands of years. Her armies of witches have clashed with angels, dragons, and slayers, always resulting in the decimation of her followers and enemies while she manages to escape. Regardless, her witchcraft is the most powerful magic around and her followers are capable of harnessing extremely destructive forces. The only reason her followers are continuously routed is because witchcraft is difficult to control and only Baba Yaga is able to weave it with ease.
Baba Yaga was vital in bringing about The Fall, but escaped the wrath of The Fallen. Although she has never returned, her teachings continue on throughout the occult. Leaders of her covens often assume the epithet “Baba Yaga” due to their position as the crone, but only one true Baba Yaga exists throughout the universe.
Bestial
Bestial is a catch-all term used by the Inquisition to define beings with lycanthropic and shapeshifting abilities. Some of these beings are aliens from another mortal realm while most of them are harnessing the nature magic of the occult, brought to the Celtic nations by Lugh and his pantheon.
Beyond the Firelight
Beyond the Firelight is a Shadowed Earth storytelling game prominently set in the Age of Discovery that incorporates horrific stories from historical folklore. It is parallel to the stories of the Inquisition and The Fallen.
Blood Magic
Blood magic is a type of occult magic that comes from the absorption of energy from the fabric between the mortal and spiritual realms as a spirit passes from a deceased human into the spiritual realm. This explosion of energy can be stored and used to great effect. However, because the energy cannot be recreated, sacrifices must be made so that the wielder can restore his power. Wielders of blood magic are called hierophants.
Blood magic was originally discovered by Mayan shamans and was spread across Mesoamerica, creating the first hierophants. This discovery required the clairvoyant shamans to witness the death of a human to discover the energy that spits out from the fabric as a spirit passed through it upon death.
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age was a period of Earth’s history from around 3600 BC to 1200 BC. The first civilizations sprang to life during this time and the cosmic realm then made its first connection to the humans. During this era, Perun connected to the people of Mesopotamia, the Ennead connected to the people of Egypt, Brahma unsuccessfully attempted to connect to the people of the Indus Valley, the Twelve Olympians connected to the people of Greece, and Yahweh was born, making a connection to Abraham to hopefully build a new pantheon.
C
Ceremonial Magic
Ceremonial magic is a type of occult magic practiced by cultists. It requires large rituals to be performed with a single wielder storing the energy of those chanting the ritual. The words being chanted cause different types of magical weaves to become imbued in the wielder so that he may perform the purpose of the ceremony. Wielders of ceremonial magic are called hierophants due to the way they siphon energy from those chanting the ritual.
Chaos Magic
Chaos magic is a type of occult magic that is gifted by a denizen of the chaos realm. This can be through a mutual pact, enslavement of a demon, possession of a human, or providing an offering in return for a favor. The demon bestows the wielder with energy tapped from the chaos realm, allowing the wielder to perform their malicious deeds. Denizens of the chaos realm rarely provide this energy to those looking to perform benevolent acts. Wielders of chaos magic are called warlocks.
Chaos magic was originally brought to Earth by Pazuzu via the Sumerian cosmic bridge. He was a master manipulator and had a certain domination of demonic beings while at the same time being mostly subservient to greater demonic beings. This allowed him to fully tap into the energy that swirls about the chaos realm.
Chaos Realm
The chaos realm is home to all demons, demonic beings, and their slaves. These beings are created by the negative force of the chaos realm as another product of its unpredictable nature. They serve little purpose outside of spreading hatred and death and yearn to enslave anyone dwelling within the mortal realm. If the demons could takeover an entire mortal realm, they could use it as a launching point to take over the entire universe.
Chaos Spirit
Chaos spirits are hideous, bloated creatures that form when demons enter the spiritual realm and ravage the spirits within, most commonly eating them. The demon becomes engorged and bloats to epic proportions, becoming the most dangerous being in the entire universe.
Chaos spirits were first discovered when demons entered the spiritual realm through a rift caused by Chinese shamans during the Bronze Age. These shamans were learning more about their powers and experimenting with how they could properly communicate with the spirits of their ancestors. Their unfettered control of spirit magic made the fabric vulnerable, allowing the demons to pass through. Those demons wreaked havoc amongst the spiritual realm, creating the first chaos spirits.
Clockwork
Clockwork is an experimental type of science used during the Early Modern Age due to the Inquisitional purges throughout the Americas. This science was deemed legal until the occult began harnessing it for their newfound activities during the Victorian era. After the occult began designing clockwork machines to bring aliens from other mortal realms through the spiritual realm and into Earth, the Inquisition instated regulations for clockwork experimentation. By the early 20th century, its use became obsolete and technological experimentation was replaced by psionic experimentation.
Conjurer
Conjurers are practitioners of hoodoo.
Combination Magic
Combination magic is the art of weaving different types of energy together to create new magical sources. Known combinations are: goetic theurgy, hermetic, and witchcraft.
Cosmic Bridge
A cosmic bridge is a connection made between a pantheon dwelling in the cosmic realm and their followers dwelling in the mortal realm. It passes through the spiritual realm and allows the gods and goddesses to transmit their essence to the mortal realm to speak with their followers. Additionally, it serves as a bridge for spirits of the deceased followers of that pantheon who wish to dwell, albeit temporarily, within the cosmic realm (commonly known as Heaven).
An unfortunate side-effect of the cosmic bridge is that it links the pantheon to every one of their mortal realm followers. Thus, if the followers can find the cosmic bridge, they can pass through it and find another mortal realm. This was a common occurrence during the Bronze and Iron Ages.
Although there is only 1 cosmic bridge per pantheon, each bridge has many legs to connect to the various mortal realms. This design appears much like the roots of a tree, leading many to associate the cosmic bridges with trees. Yggdrasil was one of the most well-known cosmic bridges.
Cosmic Realm
The cosmic realm is home to all cosmic beings including gods, goddesses, dragons, and angels. These beings are created by the power of the cosmic realm, directly related to the strength of the pantheons. The stronger the pantheons, the more cosmic beings that are created. The pantheons serve as the balancing force against the chaos realms by combating dark energy with divine energy. By sustaining the cosmic realm, the universe is properly balanced.
Crusades
The first crusade was launched by the Christian empire 30 years after The Fall. Most of humanity had been enslaved by the occult, but secretly organized warriors underneath the Christian banner. After years of infighting had weakened the occult, the Christians launched their crusade to free the archangels from the chaos realm in August of 1096. After a month of campaigning through the Europe and the chaos realm, the warriors freed the archangels who unleashed the Army of Heaven upon the occult.
With the Army of Heaven on their side, humanity regained their drive to fight back the occult and the Armies of Chaos. Nation after nation regained its independence and humanity was freed from enslavement. In July 1099, what was left of the occult went into the hiding and the last remnants of the Armies of Chaos was destroyed. The veil of dark powers was lifted and humanity was freed of its chaotic bonds, claiming independence from the chaos realm.
During the course of the next 50 years, the Christian leaders spent a countless number of hours researching how The Fall came about and how they could stop it from happening again. A second crusade was launched in 1147 to track down all occult sources of knowledge concerning the rise of the Armies of Chaos and the occult elders.
After another 35 years of research, the Christian leaders determined the source of the occult was magic and labeled all magic users as heretics. To combat the threat against heresy, the Christian leaders founded the Inquisition. After discovering the great amount of supernatural beings and powers spread across Europe, a second, secretive Inquisition was formed to combat the supernatural threat. The standard Inquisition concentrated their efforts on powerless humans they branded heretics while the supernatural hunting Inquisition went after everything that was a threat to humanity.
Two years after founding the supernatural hunting Inquisition, a third crusade was launched to clear the world of all alien and supernatural threats. Throughout the middle ages, additional crusades were launched by the Inquisition to combat pockets of alien and supernatural threats, eradicating almost all species whose ancestors cross a cosmic bridge from their own mortal realm to Earth and hunting down as many occult followers as possible. However, the Inquisition was loosely organized and only pockets of forces existed, resulting in many occult sects escaping annihilation.
Cybernetics
The use of cybernetics technology came about after the collapse of the major governments during the early years of the 21st century. Once the corporations began assuming responsibilities for the well-being of the people, technological research became partly deregulated and research outfits began investigating cybernetic enhancements for humans. Some of their initial research efforts were backed by the Inquisition while others were backed by the major corporations.
Many billionaires throughout the world secretly provided funding for the Inquisition to keep their businesses safe from supernatural and occult threats. These backers caught wind of the Inquisition’s plans to fund the development of cybernetics and chose to act upon it. The backers felt the Inquisition was not capable of eliminating every single supernatural threat, and thus created their own supernatural hunting groups “powered” by cybernetic equipment. Unfortunately, these groups did not possess the knowledge the Inquisition had and instead spent most of their time fighting the occult and sabotaging the competition. Some even turned to hiring cultists to outfit with cybernetics for espionage activities, allowing them to combine the technology with archaic magic.
D
Dark Ages
The Dark Ages was a period of Earth’s history from around the time of the collapse of the Western Roman Empire until The Fall on Christmas 1066. This period was filled with turmoil as the collective forces of the occult and the chaos realm began to gain power and grew large forces called the Armies of Chaos. Additionally, magic was spreading quickly throughout the world and many were turning to the lure of the occult for protection from the alien and supernatural threat that grew during the Iron Age.
Demon
Demons are evil beings that dwell in the chaos realm. They vary in size and stature with the most powerful being immortal. The demons have a loosely defined social structure within the chaos realm where the most demeaning tasks are fulfilled by slaves and minions and all sectors are led by the demon lords who answer only to the demon gods. In-between are numerous groups of demons and demonic beings that often serve no purpose other than serving the demon lords and being summoned into the mortal realm to wreak havoc.
All demons are confined to the chaos realm and can only travel through the fabric if properly summoned or if the fabric is opened, allowing the demons to break free. All demons have the ability to possess any creature or being with a spirit, but the process is extremely difficult. The demon must first overcome the willpower of the target and battle the spirit within. Demon slaves and minions are rarely strong enough to overcome a target’s spirit unless the subject willingly allows it.
Demonic Beings
Demonic beings are everything else that dwells in the chaos realm that is not an actual demon. Fallen angels that pledge to the demon lords, kidnapped spirits, and sometimes “altered” cultists are all examples of demonic beings.
Divine Magic
Divine magic is one of the spheres of magic and includes all energy that sources from the cosmic realm. This energy is provided by one of the pantheons through a particular conduit. That conduit isn’t always the same from pantheon to pantheon, but its general abilities often are. The types of divine magic are: Druidic, Elemental, Runic, Thaumaturgy, and Theurgy.
Dragon
Dragons are near-immortal cosmic beings that serve as watchers for the pantheons and slayers of demons. They are the ultimate protectors of all mortal beings and their only purpose is to ensure the proliferation of mortal life and its connection to the pantheons. The occasional rogue dragon is possible, leading to many epic tales of dragons causing destruction upon mortals. However, more often than not the dragons are viewed as horrific beings due to their size and appearance, although they mean the mortals no harm.
Dragons are able to traverse the universe without the need for air. They are the first line of defense the universe has against the chaos realm and respond quickly when a new planet attracts demons prior to the mortal realm being formed.
Druid
Druids are wielders of druidic magic.
Druidic Magic
Druidic magic is a type of divine magic. It’s gifted by Lugh and his pantheon through the reverence of nature. It was originally brought to the Celtic people and provides the wielder the ability to attune himself with nature, siphoning the energy placed there by the pantheon. Lugh’s divine energy can still be found within the core of many natural flora and fauna. Wielders of druidic magic are called druids.
E
Early Modern Age
The Early Modern Age was a period of Earth’s history from around 1453 to 1775, starting with the final collapse of Constantinople and ends with the launch of the Industrial Revolution. During this time, the occult spent much of its time in hiding, searching and collecting ages-old scrolls and tomes discussing the old magics and the chaos that can be called upon with it.
During the Early Modern Age, the Inquisition had a good presence throughout Europe and little interaction with the new colonies of the Americas. During the first discoveries throughout the Americas and the exploration of lands to the west, many new horrors were discovered and both the Inquisition and the occult moved to act. The Inquisition attempted to aid the fight against the horrors while the occult attempted to connect with the horrors and make them allies or masters. As the Inquisition started focusing on the Americas, the occult was able to grow throughout Europe and Asia.
As the Inquisition was thinning its protection throughout the world, many turned to the new clockwork technology for protection against the occult. The Inquisition deemed this a legal technology and allowed it to expand throughout the Early Modern Age.
Eerie Rails
Eerie Rails is a planned Shadowed Earth storytelling game set during the Progressive Era when the Inquisition was driven underground. There are no heroes here, only those willing to investigate the horrors that threaten humankind.
Elemental Magic
Elemental magic is a type of divine magic. It’s gifted by Izanagi, Izanami, and their pantheon through the worship of the four elements. It was originally gifted to the Japanese people to aid in their relentless battle against the forces of chaos. It provides the wielder the ability to have fettered control over Earth’s elements. Izanagi and Izanami’s energy can still be found sprinkled across raw elements. Wielders of elemental magic are called geomancers, but many of the samurai warriors of old were also capable of wielding this magic through the Power of the Five Rings.
Empire City
Empire City is a planned Shadowed Earth storytelling game set during the Antebellum Period in New York City, where horror lurks quietly around the corner and you never know who’s hiding in the shadows.
Enlil
Enlil is a cosmic being and the head of a pantheon. His pantheon was worshiped first by the Sumerians and then by the Akkadians, Assyrians, and Babylonians. Enlil and the pantheon appreciated grandiose displays of affection toward worship and encouraged the people to build large ziggurats with temples on top. The rise of Islam resulted in the end of Enlil’s worship and his cosmic bridge to Earth was destroyed during the Dark Ages.
Ennead
The Ennead is a group of nine cosmic beings and the head of a pantheon. Their pantheon was worshiped by the Egyptians. The Ennead granted their divine magic through the Egyptian hieroglyphics, similar to the Germanic runic magic. The Ennead also appreciated grandiose displays of devotion, primarily from the pharaohs. They encouraged the building of the pyramids to not only show appreciating toward the pharaohs and the deities they worshiped, but also to protect any knowledge and power provided by the Ennead. The Ennead’s cosmic bridge was significantly weakened during the latter years of the Iron Age due to the spread of Christianity from the Roman and then Byzantine Empires. The rise of Islam pushed this even further during the Dark Ages and the Ennead’s cosmic bridge to Earth was destroyed.
Ethermancer
Ethermancers are wielders of AEther magic.
F
Fabric
The force that separates one realm from another is called the fabric. This fabric is brimming with energy that prevents passage. Realm walkers are able to overcome this energy and ethermancers have learned to harness it. This energy safeguards the universe from demons within the chaos realm. Without the fabric, the demons would flood the universe and enslave everyone.
Faith & Demons: The Rising
Faith & Demons: The Rising was a Shadowed Earth game setting, powered by Savage Worlds, that takes place during later decades of the Dark Ages (the Early Middle Ages). It is nominally set after the Byzantine Empire first declared the need for warriors to combat the Armies of Chaos and leads up to The Fall.
The Fallen
The Fallen is a secretive organization of supernatural beings that hunt the most powerful supernatural beings, such as demon lords and fallen angels. The Fallen gathers their members from fallen angels that become trapped within the mortal realm after the collapse of a cosmic bridge, reanimated warriors known as revenants, and the bastard children of vampires known as dhampirs (half-vampire, half-human). Other possible members have been known, but those are the most common.
Members of The Fallen are near-immortal and possess the ability to kill other immortal beings. They are near-immortal because they can be killed and require resurrection within 3 days of death, otherwise they perish and turn to dust.
The Fallen
The Fallen is a Shadowed Earth game, Powered by the Apocalypse, that takes place across the ages. It is nominally set during the Common Era and features supernatural beings that take on the most dangerous beings Shadowed Earth has available.
Fallen Angel
Fallen angels are cosmic beings that have been expunged from the cosmic realm. When this occurs, they lose their immortal status, but are able to be resurrected. Fallen angels retain their cosmic powers, including realm walking, even after being purged from the cosmic realm.
Fallen angels occur in two ways: being expelled from the pantheon they serve or being trapped in the mortal realm after the collapse of a cosmic bridge. Upon becoming a fallen angel, the being can choose to join The Fallen and live within the mortal realm or travel to the chaos realm to pledge servitude to a demon lord, becoming a demonic being. Many choose the latter as it provides them with additional power they can use to exact revenge.
Fractal Area
Among the fabric of each spiritual realm is a pocket known as the fractal area. This fractal area is like a wormhole that connects it to every other fractal area throughout the entire universe. Vile beings dwell within these fractal areas and can quickly travel from one side of the universe to the other. However, they are completely harmless while in the fractal area as they cannot harm anyone on either side of the fabric. Although they do possess the ability to enter the spiritual realm, they rarely do so. It is believed these beings are the “watchers” of the universe, possibly serving as its ultimate protectors.
G
Geomancer
Geomancers are wielders of elemental magic.
Goetia
Goetia is a type of occult magic that comes from the evocation, through archaic symbols, of King Solomon’s 72 demons (often referred to as the Goetic demons) confined in a bronze vessel sealed by magic symbols. There are many denizens of the cosmic and chaos realms that allow mortals to either siphon their power or call upon them to perform helacious acts. The use of goetia always taps into the same willing angels or demons that act as a part of the goetic circle. Wielders of goetia are called mages.
Goetia was discovered during the 16th century by an ethermancer and warlock seeking the magic of King Solomon. Although they were unable to locate the demons, they managed to learn how to evoke the demons through archaic symbols dating back to Solomon the Wise.
Goetic Theurgy
Goetic theurgy is a type of combination magic that involves the invocation of ethereal beings through archaic symbols linked to different pantheons. These ethereal beings are not the spirits of mortals, but rather beings that reside within the spiritual realm with no ties to the mortal realm and loose ties to the cosmic or chaos realms. Wielders of goetic theurgy are called mages.
H
Hedge Magic
Hedge magic is an extremely weak type of arcane magic that occurs almost by accident. The wielder is able to siphon a small amount of energy from some source within the mortal realm and create extremely fettered versions of otherwise extraordinary effects. It’s often used by herb-doctors to heal or charm the sick. Wielders of hedge magic are called cunning or wise folk (such as wise man, cunning woman, etc.).
Herbology
Herbology is much like alchemy except that it focuses on the use of medicinal herbs for the purpose of creating elixirs and salves. It’s much less volatile than alchemy although its use has been mostly relegated to healing activities. Practitioners of herbology are called apothecaries.
Hermetic Magic
Hermetic magic is a type of combination magic that weaves divine energy into alchemical concoctions, creating concoctions that are more than just chemical in nature. Hermetic magic also contains influences of astrology in that elements of the mortal realm have metaphorical value in the eyes of the cosmic realm, providing credence to the ability to create hermetic magic. Wielders of hermetic magic are called hermeticists.
Hermetic magic is based on the supposed teachings of Hermes Trismegistus, likely a fictitious character, and arose during the scientific evolutions in the Middle Ages.
Hermeticists
Hermeticists are wielders of hermetic magic.
Hierophant
Hierophants are wielders of blood or ceremonial magic. Both are associated with siphoning the essence of the human spirit. Blood magic is an explosion of that essence as a spirit passes into the spiritual realm after a human dies. Ceremonial magic is the extraction of small amounts of essence from many people while chanting archaic words during a ritual.
Holy Quest: The Fall
Holy Quest: The Fall is a planned Shadowed Earth game setting that takes place during the Middle Ages. It is set 30 years after the fall and comprises the first crusade as the few remaining warriors march into the chaos realm and free the archangels.
Hoodoo
Hoodoo is a type of spiritual magic. It’s a culmination of West African, Native American, and European traditions the evolved in the Mississippi Delta in the 19th century. It involves using a participant’s spirit as a conduit to connect to Yahweh’s pantheon. This is meant to improve the participant’s life, akin to a healing ritual, but can also be used to degrade the participant’s life, akin to a curse. Practitioners of hoodoo are called conjurers.
I
Illuminati
The Illuminati is a secret organization and the strongest human opponent of the Inquisition. Formed during Early Modern Age, they were determined to expose the Inquisition during their most vulnerable time. Thanks to the Church, they were outlawed and disbanded, forcing them underground. They have survived throughout the centuries and continue to agitate the Inquisition at every possible chance.
The Illuminati attempts to illuminate all of humanity with the truth about the world around them. Unlike the occult, they do it without magic and instead sow the seeds of rebellion amongst the people to fight against the Inquisition, and sometimes the Church. This has led to many violent outbreaks and even wars.
Inquisition
The Inquisition is a secretive supernatural hunting organization quietly backed by Christian leaders and those who wish to protect their assets (billionaires during the modern days). It was formed during the 12th century as a response to occult activities and to avoid another apocalypse. It started as a witch hunting group (all magic wielders were labeled as witches), but grew to encompass all alien and supernatural beings in addition to magic wielders.
Iron Age
The Iron Age was a period of Earth’s history from around 1200 BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. During this era, many heroes harnessed the divine magic of the pantheons to combat the large number of aliens that crossed the cosmic bridges and the number of supernatural beings that now inhabited Earth. This was an era of occult experimentation as Anubis and Pazuzu spread their influence and the teachings of the occult.
Izanagi & Izanami
Izanagi and Izanami are cosmic beings and the head of a pantheon. Their pantheon was, and still is to some degree, worshiped by the Japanese. Izanagi and Izanami granted their divine magic by spreading it throughout the elements of east Asia to allow the geomancers and samurai to acquire it on-demand. Due to the widespread threat of demons, it was imperative that those combating the threats could gather the power they needed when they needed it. In return, these magic wielders were continuously showing their respect for the pantheon through various tributes before marching into battle.
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Judgment Day
Judgment Day is a Shadowed Earth game setting, powered by Savage Worlds and the Entropic Gaming System, set during the Civil War Era and Gilded Age leading up to an event known as the Second Coming of the Occult (but also playable during the Crusades, Atomic Age, and Information Age). It features the supernatural hunting activities of the Inquisition and is humankind’s answer to avoiding the recurrence of the fall.
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Live Free or Die
Live Free or Die is a planned Shadowed Earth storytelling game set in Colonial New England before the full arrival of the Inquisition. Only those brave enough to protect their fellow colonists will survive!
Lugh
Lugh is a cosmic being and the head of a pantheon. His pantheon was worshiped by the Celtic nations. Lugh was a master with manipulating nature in the form of a mortal realm’s flora and fauna. His pantheon was known for being anthropomorphic and granted shapeshifting abilities to their most devout followers. Lugh’s cosmic bridge was weakened throughout the Iron Age and the spread of Christianity in the early Dark Ages spelled its end.
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Mage
Mages are wielders of goetia and goetic theurgy.
Michael (Archangel)
Michael is the head archangel of Yahweh’s pantheon and the General of the Army of Heaven. He is responsible for controlling the operations of the archangels and serves as a major power source for the angels of Yahweh’s pantheon. During Yahweh’s “hibernation,” Michael took control of the pantheon and furthered all its efforts.
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages was a period of Earth’s history starting with the fall and ending at the time of the final collapse of Constantinople around 1453. The start of the Middle Ages was emphasized by the apocalyptic state of Earth after the fall. However, humanity began rebuilding while hidden from the view of the occult and launched their crusade to reclaim Earth. After the end of the successful crusade, humanity continued to rebuild and the nations reorganized. The Middle Ages was when humanity reclaimed their dominance of their mortal realm.
Modern Age
The Modern Age is the current period of Earth’s History starting with the Industrial Revolution and continuing today. From a Shadowed Earth standpoint, the Modern Age is coming to an end as humanity moves into a new era after the breakdown of many governments and the growing support of the corporations. Researchers are calling this the New Age, seeing it as an opportunity for humanity to reach its zenith. The Inquisition however, fears a resurgence of occult activity.
Mortal Magic
Mortal magic is one of the spheres of magic and includes all extraordinary capabilities that are a by-product of human ingenuity or evolution. This energy is created by humans or is inherent to their biology. It is only usable by mortal beings and is often feared by immortal beings due to its volatile and misunderstood nature. The types of mortal magic are: alchemy, herbology, and psionics.
Mortal Realm
The mortal realm is where all mortal beings dwell. It is the lifeforce that drives purpose, and without it, the demons would have no one to enslave and the pantheons would have no followers. It is the ultimate completion of a circle that allows the universe to remain balanced. However, those dwelling within the mortal realm can shift the balance of the universe within their particular sector. If the number of followers of the occult, who worship the chaos realm, greatly exceeds the number of those faithful to the pantheon, an imbalance is created around that mortal realm. This imbalance can weaken the fabric between the realms and spark cosmic wars.
Mythpunk
Mythpunk is a planned Shadowed Earth storytelling game set after the Experience Age and after the Third Coming of the Occult. The world has been turned upside down and the Inquisition has disbanded.
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Namtar
Namtar was an alien master cultist and skilled warlock. He worked alongside Pazuzu to usher demons into the mortal realm throughout the Bronze and Iron Ages. Although nowhere near as powerful as an occult elder, he could easily rival the most powerful warlocks found throughout the occult.
Necromancer
Necromancers are wielders of necrotic magic.
Necrotic Magic
Necrotic magic is a type of occult magic that comes from harnessing the residual energy that bleeds from dead mortals. This energy can then be fed back into the body of the deceased for the purpose of raising or animating it. Raising is done before the body has fully decomposed while animating it is done after the body has completely decomposed. When a body is buried, most of the residual energy becomes trapped within the ground surrounding the body. This allows the wielder to create large undead armies from cemeteries. Wielders of necrotic magic are called necromancers.
Necrotic magic was originally brought to Earth by Anubis via the Egyptian cosmic bridge. His psyche was quite attuned to the bleeding energy of dead mortals, allowing him to locate it with ease. He could then manipulate it greater than anyone else and taught his followers how to create armies of undead.
New Age
The New Age is a period of time in the Shadowed Earth canon starting after the collapse of the major governments in the 21st century. The New Age is punctuated with massive rejections of religion and the growth of technology and space exploration. It is at the start of the New Age that humanity desires to take the human body to the next evolution step along with growing its presence throughout the solar system and eventually the galaxy. For centuries, scientific research was always limited due to religious affiliations; by breaking those ties, humanity began to think bigger and yearn to know what else is “out there.”
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Occult
The occult is a catch-all term for underground organizations that proliferate esoteric, heretical, and dark knowledge. They yearn to bring chaos back into the mortal realm and align themselves with the chaos realm and all those who wield devastating arcane, necrotic, and chaos magic.
Knowledge of the occult means studying those who work against humanity to bring about another apocalypse. However, the occult can never be fully understood as it is simply too big to comprehend and spans the entire universe.
Occult Magic
Occult magic is one of the spheres of magic and includes all energy that sources from the mortal and chaos realms and the fabric between the realms. This energy is provided by malevolent beings or is a by-product of the natural universe. It’s sought after by the occult and it’s taught by occult elders. The types of occult magic are: aether, arcane, blood, ceremonial, chaos, goetia, hedge, and necrotic.
Odin
Odin was a cosmic being and the head of a pantheon. His pantheon was worshiped by the Germanic nations and after the Twelve Olympians, his was the largest pantheon in the cosmic realm. Odin and his pantheon were very generous with their divine magic offerings, granting it through runes, and their cosmic bridge was quite open for all to pass through. Many dwarven and elven beings crossed Yggdrasil, Odin’s cosmic bridge, to immigrate to Earth and start a new life.
During the Dark Ages, leading up to the fall, Odin’s pantheon came under the attack of the Armies of Chaos. All worshipers alien to Earth fled back to their worlds or fought alongside the pantheon. However, their forces were too small and the Armies of Chaos prevailed, slaughtering the entire pantheon.
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Pantheon
Pantheons are cosmic entities comprising a head deity, or group of head deities, and their subordinates. Pantheons are the true source of power throughout the cosmic realm. All divine magic sources from the pantheon as it is a compilation of every deity and leader affiliated with that head deity or deity group.
Pazuzu
Pazuzu is an occult elder from an unknown mortal realm, appearing as a humanoid with animal and angel-like features. He traveled across Enlil’s cosmic bridge to Sumer early in the Bronze Age. Pazuzu is a master wielder of chaos magic and taught humans how to call upon dark powers. He was the first to bring the occult to Earth and the first to waken the demons. Through his occult teachings, his partner, Namtar, was able to usher spirits to the chaos realm and demons into the mortal realm.
Pazuzu became a frequent ally to the chaos realm and was often treated as a puppet to the demon lords. The truth is that while the demon lords were using Pazuzu, he was using them to further his occult powers. His ability to command demons and assemble an army turned him into a powerful ally to the demon lords, who then turned him immortal.
Pazuzu was the frequent target of attacks from the dragons and angels. However, none could best him and his army of cultists and demons until the Dark Ages when The Fallen made him a priority. With their ability to walk amongst humans, The Fallen were able to locate Pazuzu and kill him, 3,000 years after he started bringing demons into the mortal realm. While only an immortal being can kill another immortal being, The Fallen retain this power through their resurrection.
Perun
Perun is a cosmic being and the head of a pantheon. His pantheon was worshiped by the Slavic nations. Perun was the ultimate master of arcane magic and taught his devout followers to be sorcerers. Perun’s cosmic bridge was destroyed shortly before the fall to prevent the Armies of Chaos from marching across his cosmic bridge and destroying his pantheon.
Priest and Priestess
Priests and priestesses are wielders of thaumaturgy or practitioners of vodun.
Psionics
Psionics is a type of mortal magic and stems from the evolution of the human brain. It’s the ability to bend reality to the whims of the wielder for the purpose of creating extraoridinary effects. It’s only possible within evolved humans and is believed to be extremely dangerous. Wielders of psionics are called psions.
Psions
Psions are wielders of psionics.
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Realm Walker
Realm walkers are individuals that possess the ability to pass through the fabric between realms. Angels inherently have this ability while many shamans learn how through their spirit magic studies. Without someone summoning a being from another realm or manipulating the fabric, only realm walkers can freely pass from one realm to another.
Runepriests
Runepriests are wielders of runic magic.
Runic Magic
Runic magic is a type of divine magic. By scribing the correct rune, the rune becomes imbued with a sliver of the energy from Odin’s pantheon. This ability was original taught to the various Germanic tribes, such as the Norse tribes and allows the wielder to perform extraordinary deeds. Odin’s energy is not spread throughout the mortal realm and requires the existance of the cosmic bridge. When the cosmic bridge fell, the runes stopped responding. Wielders of runic magic are called runepriests.
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Shaman
Shamans are practitioners of different types of spiritual magic.
Shamanism
Shamanism is a type of spiritual magic in its most basic form. It stems from clairvoyance, requiring the wielder to be able to see the spiritual realm and be able to communicate with beings native to it. Ethereal beings within the spiritual realm can either provide the necessary energy to the wielder to perform extraordinary deeds, store their energy within a fetich, or provide insight regarding the world that the wielder doesn’t understand. Practitioners of shamanism are called shamans.
Sorcerer
Sorcerers are wielders of arcane magic.
Spheres of Magic
Magic within Shadowed Earth is categorized as fitting into one of the spheres of magic. Each sphere represents a type of magic with each entry being tied directly to a specific source. These categorizations are referred to as spheres because they encompass a realm, such as the mortal realm of Earth, like a sphere. Outside of this sphere, the energy to create that magic doesn’t exist. Inside that sphere, the energy is alive and those capable of weaving it can create extraordinary effects. The four spheres of magic are: Divine, Mortal, Occult, and Spiritual.
Spirit
Spirit is a catch-all term for the ethereal beings tethered to the spiritual realm. True spirits are native to the spiritual realm and when they are tied to a mortal body, become a part of the mortal realm. Those who dwell within the spiritual realm but are not native to it are considered tolerated, but not viewed as true spirits. Those with the sixth sense can only see true spirits. All non-true spirits and malevolent true spirits are hunted by the Inquisition. Hunting benevolent true spirits would be akin to eliminating the soul of a future human.
Spiritual Magic
Spiritual magic is one of the spheres of magic and includes all energy that sources form within the spiritual realm. This energy is provided by ethereal beings or is the ethereal being itself. This energy requires the wielder to be able to see or enter the spiritual realm. The types of spiritual magic are: ancestor worship, animism, hoodoo, shamanism, totemism, vodun, and vodou.
Spiritual Realm
The spiritual realm is home to all spirits for those who dwell within the mortal realm it is tied to. It adds an additional level of safety between the mortal and chaos realms along with serving as a conduit between the cosmic and mortal realms. Without the spiritual realm, mortals would be bombarded with the energy from the chaos and cosmic realms, leading to unknown consequences. Each spiritual realm forms in conjunction with a mortal realm and forms a complete circle of life for all mortal beings.
The spiritual realm is invisible to most mortals, except for those with the proper abilities, such as the sixth sense. It lies adjacent and around the connected mortal realm, thus those that can see into the spiritual realm find a world that appears much like their own. Spirits can move freely throughout the spiritual realm, but so can individuals able to break through the fabric. However, only spirits, in all forms, are native to the spiritual realm and are the only ones able to be seen with the sixth sense. Only a realm walker can see other realm walkers within the spiritual realm or any being that has broken through the fabric.
The spiritual realm also serves as a conduit for the cosmic realm. Spirits are able to travel across their associated cosmic bridge into the cosmic realm, whereas from the mortal realm one can only reach another mortal realm. These spirits can dwell within the cosmic realm before returning for reincarnation or can choose to remain within the spiritual realm for all eternity. The gods and goddesses can also use the cosmic bridge through the spiritual realm to transmit their essence to the mortal realm. By passing through the spiritual realm instead of going straight to the mortal realm, weaker deities can transmit their essence to their people by harnessing the inherent power of the spiritual realm. Only strong pantheons can successfully transmit their essence directly to the mortal realm without using the power of the spiritual realm as an amplifier.
Spiritual Religion
Spiritual religions are those where deities are believed to be spirits; they come in two different types. The first type is where deities are viewed as spirits by the worshipers. The second type is when deities transmit their essence through the spiritual realm and actually appear to their worshipers as spirits.
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Tengri
Tengri is a cosmic being and the head of a pantheon. His pantheon was worshiped by the Turkic and Mongol people throughout the Steppes of Asia. Tengri and his pantheon prefer to embrace the beliefs of their worshipers and thus transmit their essence through the spiritual realm, appearing as spiritual familiars. Tengri collapsed his cosmic bridge during the war against the Armies of Chaos, shortly before the fall.
Thaumaturgy
Thaumaturgy is a type of divine magic. It’s gifted by Yahweh and the Choir of Angels through the worship of the pantheon. It was originally brought to the most worthy adherents of Yahweh’s religions and allows the wielder to form a direction connection to the pantheon. With this connection, the wielder could create extraordinary effects. Thaumaturgy requires the presence of Yahweh’s cosmic bridge to remain. Wielders of thaumaturgy are called priests.
Theurgy
Theurgy is a type of divine magic. It’s gifted by many pantheons through worship and ritual offering. It’s granted to anyone that desires the power, as long as the wielder pays proper homage to the corresponding deity, creating a direct link to that deity to use a sliver of its power. Theurgy is not spread through the mortal realm and requires the existence of the cosmic bridge. When the cosmic bridge fell, the link to the pantheon was severed, although remnants of its energy remained. Wielders of theurgy go by many epithets, such as demigod, hero, oracle, priest, priestess, and slayer.
Enlil, the Ennead, and the Twelve Olympians are examples of theurgy.
Totemism
Totemism is a type of spiritual magic tied directly to spiritual religions. It involves the invocation of divine energy within the spiritual realm through a spiritual conduit. The spiritual conduit is a symbolic representation of that divine energy and contains symbols to allow that energy to be called upon. Wielders of totemism are called shaman.
Twelve Olympians
The Twelve Olympians is a group of twelve cosmic beings and the head of a pantheon. Their pantheon was worshiped by the Greeks and the Romans. The Twelve Olympians granted their divine magic directly to their devout followers, giving them the powers they needed to combat the alien and supernatural threats of their time.
The Twelve Olympians were very demanding of their devout followers, only granting their divine energy to those who followed their orders properly. This was as much a sign of true devotion to the pantheon as it was a game to the pantheon. However, if one would not follow the pantheon’s orders, they were deemed as unworthy of the pantheon’s power.
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Undead
Undead is a catch-all term for beings that have been animated after death and no longer have a spirit tied to their mortal body. Undead range from skeletons whose skins have long since fallen off to the more recently dead zombies. All are hunted by the Inquisition.
Universe
The universe comprises everything visible and invisible. Within the universe lies four realms for beings to dwell within. Those four realms are the chaos realm, cosmic realm, mortal realm, and spiritual realm.
Chaos Realm: The chaos realm is the force that drives the growth of the universe. It was created when the universe was born and is called chaos because it is unpredictable and unbalanced. The chaos realm contains two opposing forces. The positive force contains the energy which creates life in the form of cosmic objects. The negative force contains dark energy which creates the horrors within the realm. Alone, it keeps the universe unstable, although the universe constantly strives for near perfect balance. The chaos realm is invisible and exists everywhere within the universe.
Cosmic Realm: The cosmic realm is the force that drives balance back into the universe. It was created by the positive force of the chaos realm for the sole purpose of providing good in a universe filled with evil. It is the home of all cosmic beings and fights to maintain the balance of the universe. The cosmic realm is invisible and exists everywhere within the universe.
Mortal Realm: There are an uncountable number of mortal realms across the universe. Each one forms over a planet that allows life to grow and evolve. As spirit-bearing species begin to appear on a planet, a mortal realm forms to house them and protect them from the chaos realm. The mortal realm is visible in that it is portrayed as an inhabitable planet. Those who inhabit the mortal realms are followers of the pantheons, the occult, or neither. The number of followers of each is important as an excessive number of occult followers causes the balance of the universe in that mortal realms sector to shift from balanced to unbalanced.
Spiritual Realm: Spiritual realms form in parallel with mortal realms to house the spirits that will enter the bodies of those within the mortal realm, and then serve as a place for them to go after death. Each spiritual realm is linked to their applicable mortal realm and completely encompasses that mortal realm. It serves as an extra layer of protection between the mortal and chaos realms and connects directly to the cosmic realm, allowing cosmic beings to safely make contact with their followers. The spiritual realm is invisible to most and visible to those with the proper abilities. Because they all connect to the cosmic realm, realm walkers are able to easily travel from one spiritual realm to another.
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Vodun
Vodun is a type of spiritual magic that originally comes from Africa. It is essentially the same as shamanism with the dominate use of fetishes to store spiritual energy. Practitioners of vodun are called priests and priestesses.
Vodou
Vodou is a type of spiritual magic that originally comes from Haiti. It is essentially the same as totemism, favoring spiritual symbols to connect to the divine energy. Wielders of vodou are called vodouists.
Vodouist
Vodouists are wielders of vodou.
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Warlock
Warlocks are wielders of chaos magic.
Wise Man / Woman
Wise men and wise women (also called cunning folk) are wielders of hedge magic.
Witch
Witches are practitioners of witchcraft.
Witchcraft
Witchcraft is a type of combination magic that involves weaving divine energy into arcane energy. This allows the practitioner to not have to work as hard to extract the arcane energy, but requires them to locate sources of divine energy. Some practitioners use demonic familiars to assist them in locating the divine energy. It was originally brought to Earth by Baba Yaga. Practitioners of witchcraft are called witches.
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Yahweh
Yahweh is a cosmic being and the head of a pantheon. Yahweh is the youngest deity within the cosmic realm, being less than 4,000 years old. His pantheon only has connections to Earth, but is the most powerful pantheon connected to Earth. Yahweh’s pantheon is not very powerful and thus spreads their divine magic quite thin. After the full incorporation of the Inquisition during the Victorian era, even divine magic from Yahweh was outlawed, leading only the most secretive individuals to harness it.
Yahweh is not particularly strong and most of his pantheon’s power comes from the Choir of Angels, particularly the archangels. The archangel’s Army of Heaven was crucial in vanquishing the chaotic threat after the fall.
Yggdrasil
Yggdrasil is the name of the cosmic bridge linking the mortal realms to Odin and his pantheon. Yggdrasil is the most well-known cosmic bridge as well as the most well-documented (within old runic scrolls and folklore). Cosmic bridges are typically symbolized as a tree due to their design. These features are prominent with Yggdrasil as the roots of the tree are the cosmic bridge connections to the various mortal realms leading to a single “trunk” with branches that spread to the various cosmic realm locations within the pantheon.
Shortly before the fall, the Armies of Chaos located Yggdrasil and stormed into Odin’s pantheon. After a fierce battle with the gods and their cosmic soldiers, the Armies of Chaos prevailed and burned Yggdrasil as they marched back to Earth.