Dawn of Legends

And the heavens trembled, and the gods stood before the Architect, for His presence was as a fire that could not be quenched, and His gaze was as an abyss from which none could hide.

And the Architect beheld them and spake, saying, "You who call yourselves gods, you who have waged war upon the innocent, you who have sought dominion over My creation—your deeds are known, and your judgment is at hand."

And lo, He stretched forth His hand, and there appeared before Him two great books, bound in light and shadow.

And He spake, saying, "Behold, the Book of Life and the Book of Death. In these are written the names of those who shall live and those who shall perish. No hand but Mine may inscribe nor erase from them, for they are the measure of justice."

And the heavens darkened, and the gods who had waged war with Yggdrasil were filled with terror, for they saw their names written within the Book of Death, and they knew that their end had come.

And they turned to flee, but the heavens and the earth were closed to them, for no escape was given to those who had been judged.

And they cried aloud, saying, "Spare us, O Unknown One! We knew not Your decree, nor did we know You had power over the fate of all things! If we had known, we would not have raised our hands against Your creation!"

But the Architect answered them not, for He had judged them by their own deeds, not by their knowledge of Him.

And He lifted His hand, and beneath them the earth was torn asunder, and a great chasm opened, blacker than the void, and without end.

And He spake, saying, "This shall be your dwelling, a place for those who have defiled the world and brought ruin upon the innocent. Here, there shall be no faith to sustain you, no dominion to rule, no light to guide you. You shall dwell in the Abyss, cast away from the living, and here you shall await the final end."

And the chasm roared as a great maelstrom, and the gods who had turned against Yggdrasil, and the mortals who had defiled the earth with wickedness, were cast down into the depths, and their cries were silenced.

And thus was the Abyss made, a prison of darkness where the fallen were bound, until the time when the world would end and be reborn anew.

But the Architect turned to those who remained, those whose names were inscribed in the Book of Life, and He spake unto them, saying, "You who have stood firm, you who have endured suffering yet have not turned to wickedness—live and bear witness, for this day shall be known as the Judgment Day, and none shall forget it."

And He closed the books, and the heavens were silent, and the land was at peace.

And thus, the judgment was complete.