The Third Manifest Legacy: The Universe of Yggdrasil

     At the dawn of time there was only Yggdrasil. Before then there was nothing, and all things that have ever been, originated from Her. She is the source and the life of all existence. Her age and power are far beyond measure; to do so would require and understanding that cannot be, for She is infinity personified. She is the Great Tree of all Creation; from the smallest particle within the atom, to the greatest celestial body in the sky, all things are tainted with Her spirit. Her roots harvest the very power of the universe itself, drawing upon the Rivers of Time and Fate for nourishment. Her branches are the Law itself; defining the conditions of all existence. Her greatest branches are those of the Chaosynth, the Stratagoth, and the Nullstrom.

     The branch of the Chaosynth contains the power of change and possibility. It is chaos and evolution incarnate. It is presumed that the very creation of life spawned from its constantly mutating leaves.

     The Stratagoth is the branch where all order is contained. Also known as the Infinite Spider, the Stratagoth weaves direction and meaning to the web that is reality, tempering the anarchy and discord of the Chaosynth. It is with the Stratagoth that all things in life are given significance and purpose.

     The branch of the Nullstrom contains the embodiment of all destruction. Just as life is born and matures, so must it die. This is the cycle of life; the death of the old and weak to make room for the new and strong. The Nullstrom is the embodiment of Autumn; allowing the leaves of Yggdrasil to transform and perish, only to be re-born through the Spring of the Chaosynth and the Stratagoth.

     In the past this is the way it was, the harmonious cycle of the Tripartium bringing about all that is beautiful and wondrous in the universe. Then came the plague of the corruption. Known only as the Xenophage, it is believed to have originated outside the known realm of Yggdrasil. Little or nothing is understood about the power of the Xenophage, but it is clear that it infected the Nullstrom first; bringing about a sense of selfishness and greed that never was before. The Nullstrom now tried to destroy more than what was supposed to be, tangling its own branches with that of the Stratagoth and the Chaosynth. This "rot of corruption" began to infect the Stratagoth as well; causing the web of order to be woven tighter and tighter, until the very semblance of its own threads were stifled and began to suffocate. The Chaosynth remained unaffected by the disease, but because the branches of the Nullstrom and the Stratagoth slowly began to overrun its own, the Chaosynth’s power began to diminish. Unable to formulate the coherent thought or direction needed to defend itself, the Chaosynth was helpless to resist.

     It is the now, the universe is in great peril. The very roots of the Great Tree herself have begun to show signs of decay. It is not known if the end is inevitable, or if there is a power capable of stopping the corruption. What is known is the time of the Macroclysmic War draws near.