The Umbra is the spirit world, a shadow or reflection of the real world, in the old World of Darkness role-playing game

Role-playing game

A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...

 setting. It is inhabited by spirits, gods, ghosts, and various other supernatural beings.
The Umbra can broadly be thought of as all realms that exist beyond the mundane terrestrial existence of Earth. Rather than existing as a single universe

Universe

The Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...

, the Umbra embraces many and versions of reality, forming a multiverse

Parallel universe (fiction)

A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...

 of realms that operate by their own laws. Mages

Mage: The Ascension

Mage: The Ascension is a role-playing game based in the World of Darkness, and was published by White Wolf Game Studio. The characters portrayed in the game are referred to as mages, and are capable of feats of magic...

 and werewolves

Werewolf: The Apocalypse

Werewolf: The Apocalypse is a role-playing game and series of novels from the now defunct World of Darkness line by White Wolf. In the game, players take the role of werewolves known as Garou , as well as other lycanthropes: warriors who are locked in a two-front war against both the spiritual...

 refer to this multiverse as the Tellurian, and are the two populations most likely to travel to the Umbra. Other beings, such as wraiths

Wraith: The Oblivion

Wraith: The Oblivion is a role-playing game set in the afterlife of White Wolf Game Studio's World of Darkness. In the game, players take on characters who are recently dead and are now ghosts...

, are permanent inhabitants and have considerable difficulty interacting with the day-to-day reality of Earth (hereafter simply referred to as 'reality' for brevity's sake
-

Cosmology

There are three Umbra or Spirit Realms in the World of darkness. The Dark Umbra or land of the Dead, the Dream Umbra or Dreaming and the Spirit Umbra or true Umbra. When people say Umbra they usually mean the Spirit Umbra. This Umbra (in fact all three Umbra) is structured according to nearness or closeness to mundane Earth. However, this is more a matter of resemblance to Consensus reality than physical distance. The exception is Technological Videre where there is direct link between changing laws of surrounding conditions and distance from Earth surface.

Videre

Because the Umbra is especially mutable, beings with different outlooks experience radically different Umbrae. This disjunction was first identified by mages (who have the most diverse outlooks on the nature of reality), and they termed it videre. Importantly, videre is not simply a matter of perception. Rather it seems that different worldview and mental states bring people to different areas of Spirit Lands. Some videres are entirely incompatible with certain realms or regions of the Umbra. Few beings in the World of Darkness can visit every nook and cranny of the Umbra - most are locked out of at least part by their own preconceptions.

The Realm

This is mundane reality as common man perceives it. While it is contrasted with Umbra the Spirit World, it is not completely devoid of spiritual energies. Rather the advancement of rational paradigm (groomed by Technocracy) significantly reduced its amount while hardening the Gauntlet at the same time. However, Mystics fear that further successes of Technocracy will completely separate Tellurian into mundane Earth and inaccessible Umbra.

The terminology here is similar to that of "the Moon" that denotes the moon of Earth among several other moons. Similarly, some mystics theorize that the Realm of mundane Earth is just one of many realms of similar status. The others claim that the Realm is special as it is root of Tellurian from which all the worlds spring as its emanations.

Periphery

The Periphery is a state in which Umbra seems to seep through the Gauntlet into otherwise mundane reality. At certain times and places the spirit world intermingles with the mundane one to form reality as it was at the beginning of time (as some mystics claim). There are clear signs of the Periphery, observable to even the common man: the world seems more vibrant and alive, and the spiritual side or (true nature) manifests. Also, where the Gauntlet is weakest, it is much easier to get from one to the other side of reality.

Peripheries exist primarily in places of great spiritual power: mages' Nodes, werewolves' Caerns, wraiths' Haunts, changelings' Freeholds, also Kuei-Jin Dragon nests. Invariably there is strong feel of spiritual power, even though Videre may be different. Other Peripheries are passing phenomena that occur at places of mediation

Mediation (culture)

Mediation - a central idea in traditional magical thinking - is an act of crossing the borders of sacrum and profanum. It was traditionally associated with things like: advancing between different stages of human life, changing the role in society, passing the border between civilized/known/home...

 between mundane and spiritual.

Gauntlet

The barrier preventing the Umbra from interacting on a regular basis with reality is known as the Gauntlet, though it goes by other names as well (wraiths call it the Shroud, Kuei-jin

Kindred of the East

Kindred of the East is a role-playing supplement by White Wolf Game Studio to their Vampire: The Masquerade line. The vanguard of White Wolf's "Year of the Lotus" theme , this rich sourcebook is a stand-alone setting, requiring only secondary rules to be fully playable...

 call it the Wall, and Technocrats call it the Horizon). It is a sort of mystical barrier of strength depending on spiritual power of given area. The Gauntlet manifests as a sort of force or plastic wrap causing difficulty for those passing through.

The permeability of the Gauntlet is directly linked to how technological the area surrounding it is - in the wilderness it is loosely woven, and easier to traverse, whereas in a city, the weave is much finer, and it becomes increasingly difficult to cross, becoming almost impossible in areas of high technology (such as a science lab, or an automated production line).

The exact form and influence of the Gauntlet varies depending on the passing entity. Generally, spirits face great difficulty reaching physical reality and vice-versa: physical entities have trouble getting to the spiritual side. The difficulty of the passing of a physical object depends on the strength of the Gauntlet in that particular area, as well as the object's innate spiritual strength. Garou

Werewolf: The Apocalypse

Werewolf: The Apocalypse is a role-playing game and series of novels from the now defunct World of Darkness line by White Wolf. In the game, players take the role of werewolves known as Garou , as well as other lycanthropes: warriors who are locked in a two-front war against both the spiritual...

 for instance can penetrate the Gauntlet at will, though an individual Garou without a high Gnosis rating will find it a very difficult feat to attempt. Most mundane things are fixed in the physical world for good, requiring very special circumstances to be carried into the spirit realms.

Penumbra

Immediately across the Gauntlet from reality is a domain that mirrors reality closely, called the Penumbra. It is possible to "see" physical reality from the Penumbra with some effort—Garou in particular possess the ability to do so naturally (an ability called "peeking"). Major landmarks such as large buildings, old trees, or topographic features have visible variants in the Penumbra. Each videre has its own version of the Penumbra, but these versions have some passing interaction due to their proximity to one another. Wraiths and Demons call the Penumbra the Shadowlands, while Kuei-jin call it the Mirror Lands. These Penumbrae are the starting points of the Four Worlds, the four aspects of the terrestrial Umbra.

Near Umbra

Broadly, the Near Umbra (the Umbra relatively close to Earth) can be divided into four subtypes, along lines roughly defined by the four videres:

• The High Umbra or Astral Umbra corresponds to the astral plane
  Astral plane
  The astral plane, also called the astral world, is a plane of existence postulated by classical , medieval, oriental and esoteric philosophies and mystery religions...
  
  , and is defined by abstract ideas.
• The Middle Umbra is more akin to a shamanistic spirit world, and is dominated by primordial forces.
• The Low Umbra is essentially the underworld
  Underworld
  The Underworld is a region which is thought to be under the surface of the earth in some religions and in mythologies. It could be a place where the souls of the recently departed go, and in some traditions it is identified with Hell or the realm of death...
  
   and is the realm many (but not all) humans go to when they die.
• The Near Universe is essentially deep space, and is home to various locations seemingly drawn from science fiction
  Science fiction
  Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
  
  .

Horizon

Not to be confused with the Technocracy's term for the Gauntlet, most beings in the World of Darkness use the term Horizon to describe a nearly-impermeable barrier that separates the Near Umbra from the Deep Umbra. It is sort of immune defence the Earth-rooted reality denizens project to protect it from (depending on videre) alien beings, spirits or meme

Meme

A meme is "an idea, behaviour or style that spreads from person to person within a culture."A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols or practices, which can be transmitted from one mind to another through writing, speech, gestures, rituals or other imitable phenomena...

s.

This barrier requires considerable supernatural power and skill to breach and it is the anchorhead for a wide variety of realms known as Horizon Realms or Horizon Constructs. Recent events, including the formation of the Avatar Storm, have left many of these realms isolated or in ruins.

Deep Umbra

Strictly speaking, the Deep Umbra is the in-between that spans the space between planets. Difficult to survive in and home to beings entirely alien to human conception, this region is largely devoid of noteworthy locales. A few noteworthy locales are listed below:

• Cerberus
• Charybdis (see Shenti below)
• Copernicus Research Center (also called the Cop)
• Paradox Realms

Celestial bodies

Each planet seems tied to a particular aspect of reality, and manifests this association through a Shard Realm, an incomprehensible realm composed of a single aspect of reality (for example, The Shard Realm of Time, associated with the planet Saturn, is composed entirely of time). These create the almost-survivable Shade Realms along the Horizon, which are diluted forms the Shard Realms that can be survived with considerable skill and luck. Though spacially within the Near Umbra, the Shard Realms of the Sun, Mercury, Venus, and Mars remain beyond the Horizon.

The zones

In addition to the cosmology describe above, certain realms or regions defy conventional Umbral topology. They are called Zones and are unique, operating under their own rules.

The Shenti

The Shenti are regions representative of the three resonances (Dynamism, Stasis, and Entropy) and are arguably the homes of the Triat (the Wyld, the Weaver, and the Wyrm). The true hearts of the Shenti appear not to exist in any particular place, instead existing apart from the rest of the Tellurian and reaching out to touch many places.

Flux

A realm of constant creation and raw power, Flux appears to exist in many places at once. Its reflection in the Spiritual Umbra (also called Flux, as well as The Radiance) pulses with the energies of the Wyld. Pangaea is said to be touched by Flux, accounting for the realm's uncontrollable nature. Charybdis, a swirling vortex in the Deep Umbra, is said to absorb the detritus of the universe and 'recycle' it back into Flux. Given the Wyld's inconstant nature, however, concrete locations associated with Flux are few; more commonly, the energies of Flux pass over an area, causing rapid change and general chaos, then move on.

Malfeas

The home (some say prison) of the Wyrm is a realm assembled from the tatters of fallen bits of the Umbra, woven into a patchwork that defies both attempts to map and to tame it. Home to Nephandi, servitors of the Wyrm, and other noxious beings, Malfeas is a realm whose constant growth is the only way to overcome its constant internal disintegration. Malfeas is said to be related closely to the Labyrinth of the Tempest (some say they are one and the same), and the Wasteland is an extension of Malfeas that reaches into the Near Umbra. Malfeas also touches innumerable small blights and cesspools through the Umbra and many of the more unpleasant regions of the Astral Umbra, spreading discord and decay in its wake.

The Pattern Web and the Great Machine

The ubiquitous sign of the Weaver's influence, the Pattern Web refers to an apparently infinite network of threads composed of raw spirit-stuff and controlled by the Weaver. According to some, these webs are the scaffolding of reality, though their absence in some areas of the Umbra suggests that reality can exist without them. More likely, these webs are the Weaver's presence, defining and clarifying the Tellurian. Though primarily found in the Middle Umbra, the Pattern web appears to touch most parts of the Tellurian (including the Digital Web) as well as lead to some unknown central mass, believed to be the Weaver itself. Many theorize that this logical heart of the Pattern Web is the Shenti of Stasis, but this has never been proven as no mortal being has successfully reached the Web's center.

The Shenti of Stasis also manifests a powerful presence in the form of the Great Machine (called Autocthonia by the Technocracy), a massive technological structure that is in a constant state of self-improvement. While it seems unlikely that Autocthonia is the Weaver, it may be one of the Weaver's "Incarna" or avatars. Ironically, one of the Technocracy's most important Constructs may be inadvertently built into the hide of one of the fastest-growing spiritual beings known to exist.

The Bygone Umbra

Some realms and aspects of the Umbra no longer exist, or are no longer accessible in the same ways. The Gauntlet has historically grown stronger and thicker as civilization has developed into its modern form, and this has led to the Umbra being increasingly isolated from Earth. At the same time, parts of the Umbra have withdrawn into themselves, and can no longer be found. Whether this process occurs through artificial exclusion or natural withdrawal is unclear. Finally, some aspects of the Umbra, built artificially in the past, simply have not stood the test of time.

Arcadia

Changelings say that their home country is a place called Arcadia, a now unreachable place of pure dream deep within the Dreaming (Dream Umbra). Faeries, they assert, are the dreams of humanity made manifest, and Arcadia is the heart of those dreams. The facts, however, are difficult to determine (a) because changelings, by definition, are not 'true' faeries, but a sort of faerie/human hybrid adapted to dealing with the mortal world and (b) because Arcadia itself has been impossible to reach or even detect for a very long time (fae scholars mark the Black Plague as the first moments of the Shattering, the process by which Arcadia broke away from Earth's Dreaming).

Mount Qaf and the Web of Faith

Considered by many mages to be the key to winning the Ascension War, Mount Qaf was the so-called Correspondence Point allowing access to all parts of the Tellurian, the perfect junction point for the flow of information, travellers, and power. The Ahl-i-batin are credited with discovering it, and used it as the architectural keystone for the Web of Faith, a network through which information was transmitted at enormous speed during a period spanning the eighth century to the thirteenth century. The Web of Faith itself collapsed as a result of infighting, crusades, and the weakening of magical places of power, but its foundations remained, discovered by the Difference Engineers in the 1950s, thanks to whom it became the Digital Web. Access to Mount Qaf itself was lost at roughly the same time, but the Digital Web appears to continue to take advantage of its unique properties.

The Paths of the Wyck

For thousands of years, spiritual travel wore trails through the Periphery. This so-called Paths of the Wyck behaved in a manner similar to the trods still found in the Dreaming, but allowed even mundane humans to "walk" into the Umbra, sometimes by accident. Such paths figure prominently in mythology

Mythology

The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...

 (examples including Orpheus

Orpheus

Orpheus was a legendary musician, poet, and prophet in ancient Greek religion and myth. The major stories about him are centered on his ability to charm all living things and even stones with his music; his attempt to retrieve his wife from the underworld; and his death at the hands of those who...

' trip into the Underworld and Rip van Winkle

Rip Van Winkle

"Rip Van Winkle" is a short story by the American author Washington Irving published in 1819, as well as the name of the story's fictional protagonist. Written while Irving was living in Birmingham, England, it was part of a collection entitled The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon...

's apparent stroll into a fae

Fairy

A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...

 celebration). These paths began to fold in on themselves, either due to the reinforcement of the Gauntlet or the spread of banality, the force of disbelief that also harms changelings. Today, while a small number of other paths that lead into the Umbra remain open, the Paths of the Wyck themselves are gone forever.

The Dark Umbra

The dark or Low Umbra is the land of the Dead and is constructed in much the same way as the Spirit Umbra. It has the Shadowlands (the location closest to our world where things are almost seen as we see them, except with a veneer of entropy), the Tempest (a sea through which navigation is dangerous and under which can be found the Labyrinth and the kingdoms of Oblivion) and the Far dark Umbra where the Dark Kingdoms reside, where the far shores are and where Wraiths with no fetter or connection to earth are stuck.

The Dark Kingdom of Obsidian

In ages past, when mankind as a whole did not journey to other continents, each region of the world had an associated domain in the Tempest. The Americas, particularly South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

, had an underworld as rich and complex as that of the living. At the beginning of the sixteenth century, this empire seemed in ascendance as its ranks were flooded with the angry dead, prey to disease and war brought from Europe. The "Third Maelstrom," which had just come to a close, left the Shadowlands relatively free from obstruction, and European renegades revolting against Stygia fled en masse to the Dark Kingdom of Obsidian, only to discover that its afterlife was as enraged as its living counterpart was decimated. The resulting war saw great atrocities, the most significant of which involved causing the enemy capital city to be swallowed by a massive Nihil, drawing into the Labyrinth. Though scattered pockets of the Obsidian Empire remain, the bulk of that wraithly race was destroyed, leaving the territory vulnerable to invasion by Stygia.

Perspectives

While the Umbra plays a role in nearly every setting within the World of Darkness, most settings only engage with a very limited slice of it. This colors not only their impressions of the Umbra and its role, but often defines the extent of the Umbra that they know exists.