Umbra

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The Umbra is a realm existing alongside, and yet seperate from, the material world. Some consider it an alternate dimension.

The term "Umbra" is generally used, particularly by werewolves, to refer specifically to the "Spirit Wilds," or Middle Umbra. However, there is much more to Umbral cosmology than this.

Gauntlet
Seperating Earth from the Umbrae is a membrane known as the Gauntlet. Some humans almost manage to get close to the Gauntlet in times of bliss, meditation, or creativity: this state is known as the Pericarp.

The Gauntlet is thinner in places such as a haunted graveyard or the wilderness, and thicker in places such as laboratories and shopping malls. The relative strength of the Gauntlet determines the ease with which one can cross it, or "step sideways." It's uncertain if the Gauntlet is also the Shroud/Stormwall.

As of 1999, the Avatar Storm has raged within the Gauntlet, composed of jagged shards of souls and Avatars. It doesn't affect most supernaturals, but the shards are drawn to the Avatars of the Awakened. The more powerful the Avatar (and the higher the mage's enlightenment), the more the shards are drawn to him, and thus the more damage is potentially done when stepping sideways.

Penumbra
Directly "overlapping" the material world is a portion of the Umbra known as the the Penumbra. The Penumbra mirrors physical reality, but reality as it is "supposed" to be. A toxic waste dump site will swarm with malevolent Banes, a city will be covered in cobwebs woven by Pattern Spiders, and a grove of trees will stand taller and wilder.

The appearance of the Penumbra seems to be based on the viewpoint of the viewer. Werewolves will see it in a more animistic fashion, with an immense Moon dominating the sky (the Sun, conversely, tends to be much smaller), and everything represented by a spirit. Some mages may see it more representing ideals and concepts rather than spirits. Other mages (and the lucky vampire who makes it here) will see things in a state of decay: a swollen red sun shining on crumbling buildings and rusting husks of cars.

For this reason, it's possible that the Shadowlands/Wastelands is simply one aspect of the Penumbra.

Near Umbra
The Near Umbra encompasses three seperate Umbrae, and perhaps the Penumbra as well.

Astral Reaches
Although directionality when discussing Umbrae is an excercise in futility, if we were to step and look at the universe from a fouth-dimensional perspective, then this may apply.

That said, if one were to go "up" from the Penumbra, one would reach the Astral Reaches, also called the Upper Umbra. The Astral Reaches are the realms of thought, of idea, of concept. This is the Umbra most frequently travelled by mages.

Spirit Wilds
When going "out," or "sideways" from the Penumbra, one would attain the Spirit Wilds, or Middle Umbra; hence the term "stepping sideways," so popular among the Garou. This is the Umbra most frequented by werewolves, and is the Umbra of spirit, of essence.

Underworld
The Underworld is rightly named such, although it is also called the Lower Umbra or Dark Umbra. It is home to the Restless Dead, the Wraiths who still cling to the world because of something left undone. Very few have the desire to travel here. This is the Umbra of memory: emotion invested in things which no longer exist. Even Wraiths themselves can be said to be creatures of memory and passion &mdash; although whether it is the memory of those still alive or of the Wraiths themselves which keeps them alive is unknown.

There is a gravity of sorts in the Underworld, but it has nothing to do with mass. Instead, all things are drawn inevitably to Oblivion, the end of all things.

Horizon
The Horizon, like the Gauntlet, seperates two levels of reality. Where the Gauntlet seperates the material world from the Near Umbra, the Horizon seperates the Near Umbra from the areas beyond.

The Horizon can be said to map physically to the asteroid belt: all the inner planets are within Earth's Umbra, while the outer planets are not.

Deep Umbra
The Deep Umbra is a vast realm outside Earth's Umbra. It is largely an immense void. Alien creatures beyond imagining exist in these areas.