Spirit

Tome of the Umbra

By Michael L. Singer
Mar. 1996

Compiled by Michael L. Singer, Void Engineer, from the material published by White Wolf Game Studios for:

  • Vampire: The Masquerade
  • Vampire: The Dark Ages
  • Werewolf: The Apocalypse
  • Mage: The Ascension
  • Wraith: The Oblivion
  • Changeling: The Dreaming

Also inspired by material from:

  • Daemon: The Luring by Frank Torkel
  • Clanbook: Fallen Angels by Andrew Cram and Courtney Trinder
  • The Dictionary of Angels, Including Fallen Angels by Gustave Davidson
  • The Dictionary of Demons. A Guide to Demons and Demonologists in Occult Lore by Fred Gettings

Table of Contents

Part I: Realms of the Low Umbra

  1. Cosmology
  2. Legions of the Hierarchy
  3. Ranks of the Legions of the Hierarchy
  4. Cults of the Heretics
  5. Organizations of the Renegades
  6. The Outsiders

Part II: Realms of the Middle Umbra

  1. Cosmology
  2. Garou Spirits
  3. Totem Avatars and Spirits
  4. Other Spirits

Part III: Realms of the High Umbra

  1. Cosmology
  2. Umbrood Realms
  3. Heaven
  4. Angelic Ranks
  5. Hell

Part IV: Other Areas of the Umbra

  1. Domains
  2. The Zones
  3. The Horizon
  4. The Deep Umbra
  5. Mini-Realms
  6. Sub-Realms
  7. Vistas

Forward

This tome was compiled to try to put down on paper in one source all the information we know of the vast spirit world we call the Umbra. This, by no means, is the exhaustive list of realms and worlds of the Umbra. We may never know all that the spirit world holds. What is presented here is just some of what we have found to date. The information is broken down to fit the concept of the Three Worlds: The Low Umbra (Death), the Middle Umbra (Spirit), and the High Umbra (Ideas), with a separate section on the parts of the Umbra that transcend all three worlds. Each world has a structure similar to the following:

  • Earth/Skinlands
  • The Periphery/Haunts
  • The Gauntlet/Shroud
  • The Penumbra/Shadowlands
  • The Near Umbra/Underworld
  • The Membrane/Horizon
  • The Deep Umbra

Part I: Realms of the Low Umbra

Cosmology

  1. The Skinlands — The realm of the Quick (the living)
  2. Haunts — Places where the Shroud is weaker, especially during certain holidays
  3. The Shroud — Barrier separating the Skinlands from the Shadowlands
  4. The Shadowlands — Earth's spiritual shadow of death
    The Tempest — A raging sea between the Shadowlands and the inner realms
    The Far Shores — Distant realms within the Tempest based on mortal beliefs of the afterlife
  5. The Underworld — The Realm of the Dead
    1. Stygia - Covering Europe and the Americas
    2. Dark Kingdom of Jade - Covering Asia
    3. Dark Kingdom of Ivory - Covering Africa
    4. Dark Kingdom of Obsidian - Covered the Americas (considered extinct)
    5. The Creole Underworld - Covering the Carribbean
    6. The Underwold of India - Covering India
    7. The Kingdom of Clay - Covering Australia
    8. Ru's Archipelago - Covering Polynesia
    9. Oblivion - The Void

Legions of the Hierarchy

Deathlord: The Quiet Lord
Seat: The Seat of Silence
Legion: The Silent Legion
Members: Martyrs and suicides
Special Legion: Warriors of Lethe

Deathlord: The Beggar Lord
Seat: The Seat of Golden Tears
Legion: The Legion of Paupers
Members: Victims of mysterious deaths
Special Legion: The Legion of the Onyx Tower

Deathlord: The Emerald Lord
Seat: The Seat of Thorns
Legion: The Emerald Legion
Members: Victims of accidents and happenstance
Special Legion: Guardians of the Labyrinth

Deathlord: The Smiling Lord
Seat: The Seat of Burning Waters
Legion: The Legions of the Grim
Members: Victims of violence
Special Legion: Order of the Avenging Flame

Deathlord: The Ashen Lady
Seat: The Seat of Shadows
Legion: The Iron Legion
Members: Victims of old age and natural causes
Special Legion: Order of the Gray Knights

Deathlord: The Laughing Lady
Seat: The Seat Succor
Legion: The Penitent Legion
Members: Victims of madness
Special Legion: Storm Maidens

Deathlord: The Skeletal Lord
Seat: The Seat of Dust
Legion: The Gaunt Legion
Members: Victims of pestilence and famine
Special Legion: The Hands of Bone

Headed by: The Lady of Fate
Seat: The Seat of Fate
Legion: The Legions of Fate
Members: Those with the mark of Fate when they arrive in the Underworld

Ranks of the Legions of the Hierarchy

Legionnaires - Lowest rank
Centurions - Leaders of Hierarchy patrols
Marshals - Placed in charge of certain area around a Citadel
Regent - Rules a number of perimeter Haunts around a Citadel
Overlords - Personal assistants to the Anacreons
Anacreons - Highest rank in the Shadowlands

Cults of the Heretics

Karma Cults
Mystery Cults
Personal Transcendence Cults
Purification Cults
Sensualist Cults
Supplicant Cults

Organizations of the Renegades

Political Dissidents
Philosophical Idealists
Fugitives
Situational Renegades

The Outsiders

The Ferrymen — Pathfinders through the Tempest

Spectres — Wraiths who allowed their Shadows to consume their souls

  1. Doppelgangers - Spectres with free will, personalities, etc. like a normal wraith
  2. Shades - Monstrous, twisted, crazed creatures of Oblivion
  3. Malfeans - Spectres who achieved power by consuming lesser beings

Barghests — Wraiths who have been enslaved, disfigured and lobotomized by the Hierarchy to alert their keepers of impending souls for their Deathlords

Part II: Realms of the Middle Umbra

Cosmology

  1. Earth — Physical Realm
  2. The Periphery — Areas where the Gauntlet is weak enough to sense the Umbra
  3. The Penumbra — Earth's spiritual shadow
  4. The Gauntlet — Barrier separating Earth and the Near Umbra
  5. The Near Umbra — The area of the Umbra between the 13 Near Umbral Realms
    1. Abyss - Similar in form and function to the Low Umbra's Oblivion
    2. Aetherial Realm - The Umbral sky
    3. Arcadia Gateway - The gate to the Kithain realm of Arcadia
    4. Atrocity Realm - Testimony to victimization in all its forms
    5. The Battleground - Dedicated to all forms of conflict, especially war
    6. CyberRealm - The Sprawl and Computer Web
    7. Erebus - Garou purgatory in a Lake of Silver
    8. Flux - A realm of possibilities
    9. Legendary Realm - Preserved legends of the Garou
    10. Pangaea - Spiritual memory of Earth without civilization
    11. Scar - Nightmarish fears of numbing, soul-deadening horrors of the workplace
    12. Summer Country - Pure, uncorrupted love from Gaia
    13. Wolfhome - Where Garou are stuck in Lupus form
  6. The Horizon — Barrier separating the Near Umbra and the Deep Umbra
  7. The Deep Umbra — The aspects of the Umbra, not of Earth, beyond the Horizon
    1. Arcadia - Realm of the Fae
    2. Malfeas - Realm of the Wyrm

Garou Spirits

Hierarchy

  • Gaia
  • Triat
    • Wyld - Personification of Dynamism
    • Weaver - Personification of Stasis
    • Wyrm - Personification of Entropy (used to be Balance)
  • Celestines
  • Incarna
  • Lords: Totem Avatars
  • Upper Preceptors: Pack Totems
  • Lower Preceptors: Jagglings
  • Upper Minions: Gafflings
  • Lower Minions: Epiphlings

Totem Avatars & Spirits

Totems of Respect (Renown - Honor)

  1. Falcon (Silver Fangs)
  2. Grandfather Thunder (Shadowlords)
  3. Pegasus (Black Furies)
  4. Stag (Fiana)
  5. Lion
  6. Sphinx
  7. Phoebe

Totems of War (Renown - Glory)

  1. Bear (Gurahl)
  2. Coyote (Nuwisha)
  3. Fenris Wolf (Get of Fenris)
  4. Griffin (Red Talons)
  5. Rat (Bone Gnawers/Ratkin)
  6. Wendigo (Wendigo)
  7. Bull
  8. Weasel
  9. Wolverine
  10. Flea

Totems of Wisdom (Renown - Wisdom)

  1. Chimera (Stargazers)
  2. Cockroach (Glass Walkers)
  3. Dana
  4. Owl (Silent Striders)
  5. Uktena (Uktena)
  6. Unicorn (Children of Gaia)
  7. Dolphin
  8. City Father
  9. Old Man Sea
  10. Fog, aka Aeolus
  11. The Wind Incarna
  12. Queen Ananasa (Ananasi)

Totems of Cunning

  1. Fox
  2. Racoon

Other Totems

  1. Glooscap
  2. Hare
  3. Raven (Corax)
  4. Turtle (Croatan) - Missing
  5. Dragon (Mokole)
  6. Kraken (Rokea)

Other Garou Spirits

Elementals

  1. Air
  2. Earth
  3. Fire
  4. Water
  5. Electricity
  6. Glass
  7. Metal
  8. Plastic

Naturae

  1. Animal Spirits
  2. Glave Children
  3. Lunes
  4. Storm Crows
  5. The Wendigo
  6. The Wild Hunt

Part III: Realms of the High Umbra

Cosmology

  1. Earth — Physical Realm
  2. The Periphery — Places on the Earth where the Umbra can be felt
  3. The Gauntlet — Barrier separating Earth from the Near Umbra
  4. The Near Umbra — The Astral Umbra, concepts made into reality
  5. The Horizon — Barrier separating the Near Umbra and the Deep Umbra
  6. The Deep Umbra — Aspects of the Umbra, not of Earth, beyond the Horizon
    1. Umbrood Realms - Separate realms formed by Umbrood spirits
    2. Heaven - Realm of God and the Angels
    3. Hell - Realm of Lucifer and the Daemons

Umbrood Realms

The Umbral Courts

  1. The Western Court — Resembles beings from myths and legends of Europe and the Mediterranean
  2. The Eastern Court — Resembles beings from myths and legends of Asia
  3. The Egyptian Court — Resembles the animal-headed gods of ancient Egypt
  4. Lodge in the Sky — Resembles the deities from pre-Columbian North America to the Polynesian Isles

Hierarchy of the Western Court

Lords

  1. King/Queen
  2. Duke/Duchess
  3. Marquess/Marquise (sometimes Margrave/Marquess)
  4. Earl/Countess
  5. Viscount/Viscountess
  6. Baron/Baroness

Preceptors

  1. Baronets
  2. Knights/Dames or Ladies (of various orders)

Minions

  1. Squires
  2. The Professions

Heaven

Hierarchy

  • Greater Entity: God
  • Upper Incarnas: Seraphim — Spirits of Love
  • Lower Incarnas: Cherubs — Spirits of Harmony and the Air
  • Upper Lords: Thrones — Spirits of Will and Justice
  • Lower Lords:Dominations — Spirits of Wisdom and Intuition
  • Upper Perceptors: Virtues — Spirits of Movement and Choice
  • Middle Perceptors: Powers — Spirits of Form and Space
  • Lower Perceptors: Principalities — Spirits of Personality and Time
  • Upper Minions: Archangels — Spirits of Fire
  • Lower Minions: Angels
  • Others
    • Raphael - Guardian of the Tree of Life
    • Zacharael - Guardian of Order

Only the denizens of Heaven and those select few mortals may enter this High Umbra Realm. Anyone looking to visit this realm will not find it if it is not God's will. The Road to Transcendence, a one way road, leads from the Low Umbra to the High Umbra. Only God and those few select angels know how to reach the Low Umbra. Those mortals or wraiths who prove worthy may break out of the cycle of the Great Wheel of reincarnation and escape the purgatory of the Low Umbra.

Angelic Ranks

Death

  1. Adreal (Angel)
  2. Azrael (Angel)
  3. Samael (Angel)
  4. Uriel (Archangel)

Destruction

  1. Af (Angel)
  2. Azriel (Angel)
  3. Kemuel (Angel)
  4. Simkiel (Angel)
  5. Uriel (Angel)

Rigidity

  1. Kushiel (Angel)

Chaos

  1. Orifiel (Angel)

Truth

  1. Amitiel (Angel) (Destroyed by God)
  2. Gabriel (Angel)
  3. Michael (Angel)

Silence

  1. Dumah (Angel)

Deathly Stillness

  1. Dumah (Angel)

Vindication

  1. Dumah (Angel)

Mercy

  1. Michael (Archangel)

Repentence

  1. Michael (Archangel)

Vengence

  1. Gabriel (Archangel)

Angels

  1. Adrael
  2. Af
  3. Amitiel
  4. Azrael
  5. Azriel
  6. Dumah
  7. Gabriel
  8. Kemuel
  9. Kushiel
  10. Michael
  11. Orifiel
  12. Samael
  13. Simkiel
  14. Uriel

Archangels

  1. Gabriel
  2. Michael
  3. Raphael
  4. Raguel
  5. Remiel
  6. Uriel
  7. Zacharael

Principalities

  1. Gabriel
  2. Michael
  3. Raphael
  4. Raguel
  5. Remiel
  6. Uriel

Powers

  1. Carmael
  2. Raphael
  3. Verchiel

Virtues

  1. Babiel
  2. Gabriel
  3. Haniel
  4. Michael
  5. Peliel
  6. Tarhishiel
  7. Uzziel

Dominations

  1. Hashmael
  2. Muriel
  3. Zacharel
  4. Zadkiel

Thrones

  1. Baradiel
  2. Japhkiel
  3. Oriphie
  4. Razkiel
  5. Zaphkiel

Cherubs

  1. Cherubiel
  2. Gabriel
  3. Ophaniel
  4. Raphael
  5. Zophiel

Seraphim

  1. Jehoel
  2. Kemuel
  3. Metatron
  4. Michael
  5. Nathanael
  6. Seraphiel
  7. Uriel

Hell

Hierarchy

Greater Entity: Lucifer — Ruler of Hell

Upper Incarna: Arch-Dukes

  1. Anael — Arch-Duke of Avarice
  2. Azazel — Arch-Duke of Gluttony
  3. Sariel — Arch-Duke of Sloth
  4. Samyaz — Arch-Duke of Lust
  5. Turiel — Arch-Duke of Envy
  6. Unknown — Arch-Duke of Wrath
  7. Grostolis — Arch-Duke of Pride (aka Arch-Duke of the Inferno)

Lower Incarna: Dukes (those worthy of note listed)

  1. Chutriel — Ruler of Pain and Remorse
  2. Lahatiel — Watcher of the Gates of Hell
  3. Pasiel — Ruler of Magic and Transformation
  4. Shaftiel — Ruler of Shadows

Lords

Minor Lords

Preceptors: Tempters (those worthy of note listed)

  1. Mun'tus-Kulmu, The Driver of Nails
  2. Vugarius, The Stealer of Breaths
  3. Jadrax, Fiend of Secrets

Upper Minions: Warriors

Lower Minions: Infernal Hosts (those worthy of note listed)

  1. Abzu, The Gatherer
  2. Nishama, Imp of the Perverse
  3. Nagrogasto, The Mandragora (servitor of Arch-Duke Grostolis)

Generally, only true demons choose to enter Hell of their own accord. Those mortals seeking to visit it will be able to find it by performing certain dark rituals. Daemons collect the human souls that were freely given to them or were sold during life. The Road to Depravity, a one-way road, leads from the Low Umbra to the High Umbra. The denizens of Hell sometimes appear on Earth as demons or mistakenly taken as the various types of spectres found in the Low Umbra.

Part IV: Other Areas of the Umbra

Domains

  1. Blights — Mixed domains influenced by the Weaver and the Wyrm that appear as polluted web-covered cityscapes
  2. Chimares — Individual dream domains connected to the Dream Zone
  3. Den Realms — Places where reality is set by Bastet
  4. Glens — Domains of the Wyld that are beautiful reflections of the natural world
  5. Trods — Areas sustained by Fae energy that lead to the Fianna homeland or the Arcadia Gateway
  6. Hellholes — Domains of the Wyrm that appear as desolate areas overwhelmed by pollutants and are gateways to Malfeas
  7. Lunae — Domains that form when Moon Paths are crossed
  8. Webs — Weaver domains that are translations of cities in the Penumbra covered in the webs of Pattern Spiders
  9. Wyldlings — Domains of the Wyld located near the Deep Umbra

The Zones

  1. Dream Zone — Formed from dreamsand is referred to as the Dreaming by the Fae and the Kithain
  2. Mirror Zone — Variations on a theme of the physical reality
  3. Null Zone — The Backdrop of reality
  4. Digital Web — The realm of the Computer Net

The Horizon

  1. Horizon Realms — Places having their own unique set realities and deliberately constructed magickly
  2. Shade Realms — "Shadows" of greater realms along the Horizon, corresponding to each of the Shard Realms, except Luna

The Deep Umbra

  1. Shard Realms — Parts of Gaia believed to be flung throughout the solar system. Each corresponds to the other planets and Luna as well as the nine spheres of magick

Mini-Realms

The Beast — A colossal spirit with giant strands of fur that reach hundreds of feet in the air around the surface of the Beast. Believed to be a gigantic Crinos totem by the Garou.

Sub-Realms

  1. Daydream — A sub-realm of the Dream Zone
  2. Land of the Dinosaurs — A sub-realm of Pangaea
  3. Television — A sub-realm of the CyberRealm

Vistas

  1. Death — Show individualized deaths
  2. Chaos — Shows constant whirlpool of changing objects
  3. Stasis — Shows a universe calcified into the Pattern Web
  4. Origin — Shows a bright, white light and either shows the creation of the Umbra or disappears