Glossary

## Aether

The life energy every creature consists of; their soul. It is not only the source of all life, but also of all magic. When a living being dies, they return to the flow of aether within the cosmic tree and their energy is eventually reborn as a new life, while their bodies get consumed by Nidhogg upon decay. While invisible to the naked eye, aether can be detected as iridescent energy under special circumstances. As the host of aether, Yggdrasil is considered the one true and only god of its realm.

## The Cluster

The phenomenon that combined several worlds to create Yggdrasil's Realm (Nickname for the realm used by the Players). The Cluster is an own realm that consists of merged parts from all the different worlds and dimensions Yggdrasil created before becoming conscious. While some parts are taken directly from the worlds, including living beings, some may be replicas of the original content instead.

## Neighbours

Fae (magical creatures) that are no part of mankind and do not serve as familiar. Neighbours will often gather around great aether sources, considering it as a sort of treat. They appear in many shapes and form, typically small in size. They are commonly harmless and observing, being an accepted every day part of any mage's life.

## Glitch

Parts of the world that are built illogically (e.g. a city that is upside down, squared trees, etc), caused by a time-space rift. Living creatures who were affected by a Glitch may become mutants.

## The Chimera

An artificial mutant hybrid created by Tabaqui and hidden in District 11. Their body parts consist of previously living Glitches who fell victim to their circumstance.

## Beastkin

Beasts who have gained humanoid intelligence and formed tribes with own cultures. They are native to Yggdrasil's Realm.

## Primal Beasts

Mutated beasts with a great amount of ether, usually giant in size, as well as hostile. The gods of the Beastkin tribes, who are able to summon the Primals.

## Primal Parasites

Primals which live on the surface of Yggdrasil, namely **The Four Stags** *(Dainn, Dvalinn, Duneyrr and Duraþrór)*, who control the seasons by eating away at Yggdrasil's bark and regulating its life circle; **Wind-Witherer**, an omniscient pair of birds that oversees everything that happens in the worlds of the Mother tree; **Nidhogg**, a dragon that eats its roots and is responsible for the decay of bodies before they can return to the aetherflow; and **Ratatoskr**, a squirrel who runs up and down on the tree, intending to spread gossip between the birds and the dragon to cause a never-ending quarrel between the beasts.

## Norns

Primals, daughters of Dvalinn, who sit in the crown of Yggdrasil, whose duty is to decide over the fate of every single living being within Yggdrasil's worlds. They vow absolute neutrality. Each Norn's hair is a String of Fate, which is assigned to a potential future for a creature's life. Should they intend to redirect someone's fate, they can cut the string. However, they might as well cut the String of Life, which can instantly end someone's fate and cause their death. The Norn's eyes are omniscient, able to see beyond the boundaries of time and space.

## The Shepherd

The Shepherd, also referred to as **Alraaei**, is a celestial warden, comparable to a Mystic, whose duty is to restore aether balance in case of disturbances, such as Glitches. Previously coming from another world that required their service, there were four Shepherds before the first Shepherd serving Yggdrasil, Yuzai Cai'ohe, marking him the Fifth Shepherd in total.

They possess magic abilities comparable to those of a Mystic, primarily the so called "Judgement", which allows them to return aether to its default stage, thus cancelling any magic spell or curse. In order to execute the skill, the Shepherd has to touch the caster of a spell. Alternatively, they possess the "Reckoning", a wide range area of effect that holds the same effect as the Judgement, yet requires no touching of the caster to be cancelled. While more powerful, it is also much more destructive and energy consuming.

## The Trials

A game of survival created by Yggdrasil within its own realm. It will take random individuals that have sparked their interest from already existing worlds and mark them as Players, forcing them to participate in tests to discover the true potential of what it has created, with the ultimate goal of Evolution to create the ultimate species to populate the Cluster. Those who are deemed unfit to survive and evolve are frozen, or are meant to die within natural selection.

## Players

Those who were brought into Yggdrasil's Realm to participate in the Trials.

## Round X

The first round of Trials, dated to have started approximately 8 years before the start of the main story, and run for roughly one year. The Trials ended when each Player was either frozen or found their demise during the games. Being an original Player of the round, Tabaqui came out as victor, following a suicide sacrifice by another Player who intended to put an end to the games. Feeling indebted to the Player, Tabaqui made it their goal to take revenge on Yggdrasil and prevent history from repeating, should Yggdrasil call for another Trial round in the future.

## Mystics

The mythical beings who have existed in Yggdrasil's Realm before the Cluster happened, or were created by Yggdrasil to serve as host for a Trial. They are responsible for the Trials and harbor powers that are beyond the ability of mankind. While they can be compared to gods, they are their own beings out of common definition.

## Spontaneous Freezing Syndrome

A phenomenon where residents of the world turn into the Frozen state without violation of Trial rules or attempts to leave the realm. The Players theorize that Yggdrasil stopped seeing potential of evolution and survival of the individuals, thus decided to forcefully make them exit the games.

## Magitech

Technology that functions through magic rather than electricity.

## Digits

Holographic communication devices, developed and distributed by Tabaqui. They consist of a micro chip that inserts itself into an individual's wrist and dissolves into a bit code. To use the Digit, the user has to tap their wrist, whereupon a screen will appear. The user can solidify the screen by taking it into the hand for a handheld device.

The Digit can be used for calls, text messaging, maps, video, photography and teleports to synced locations. A contact list of all Players containing profile images (can be set by the individuals), birthday information and Digit numbers is available to all Players, as well as a group chat that all can access.

To sync a location, the user has to visit the desired location at least once and sync their device to its coordinates. They are then able to return to it via teleport any time. A user may also sync a residence as home point. Owners are able to give others 'spare keys' to their house by syncing their own house to another person's Digit.

## Bi-Digits

Digits for Non-Players that can be used for communication, but lack the group channel, teleportation and screenshare.

## Tabacom

Syncing devices that allow a community to choose to sync themselves to all Digits of the Players for easy access. Residents cannot use the Tabacom to teleport.

## TabaTV

Devices to watch movies played out exclusively by Tabacopies. Citizens may request to have their own show on them.

## Hen House Protocol

A magic cast by Tabaqui which makes them capable of summoning every Digit owner back into the City at once.