All things must come to an end. For us mortals, the best we can hope for is the ability to say goodbye on our own terms. Preferably after a long, fulfilling life and while surrounded by loved ones.

But for the gods of Asgard, their ending is, unfortunately, preordained to be a violent one. The forthcoming doomsday that will consume the Norse gods in fire and devastation is referred to as Ragnarök, or the Twilight of the Gods. It is a prophesized series of escalating calamities that will bring a definitive end not only to the realm of Odin, but also to each of the Nine Worlds.

Widespread environmental collapse. The rise of Surt’s army. The return of the obscenely powerful world serpent Jormungand. Essentially, it will be a total bummer for all involved. The prospect is enough to drive even battle-hardened einherji to run home and hide under their weighted blankets.

But the first step in preparing for Ragnarök is accepting its inevitability. Sure, a certain squad of heroic einherjar did help postpone the end of all things within the past few years. But Odin’s forces won’t be able to hold back the tide of doomsday forever.

We don’t know exactly when Ragnarök will hit. The most we can do is learn to recognize the signs of the end of days and prepare accordingly. Just bear in mind that not all of us were gifted with a super-special thunder hammer, so think twice before you jump into the thick of things.

Bundle Up

According to legend, Ragnarök will officially kick off with the crumbling of the world tree, Yggdrasil, ushering in the beginning of the dreaded Fimbulvinter. Though it may be a fun word to say, the Fimbulvinter is a catastrophic ecological event that will ultimately plunge Midgard into an apocalyptic deep freeze.

Considering that most of our readership resides in Midgard, the Fimbulvinter is where your Ragnarök planning will begin and end. So, break out the space heater, brew some hot chocolate, and don’t worry about the heating bill for that month. It will all be over before you know it. Unless you’re lucky enough to be magically whisked off to another one of the Nine Worlds to experience Ragnarök in full, you’ll only experience the opening act. The real show begins in Asgard proper.

Keep an Eye on the Skies

What would that be like, you ask? Even bigger than the fireworks show at Disney World. Ragnarök will kick into high gear once Skoll and Hati, Fenris’s children, consume all the lights in the sky. Salute the sun one last time and be prepared to say goodnight moon for good because this is the point when Sól and Mani, gods of the sun and moon respectively, take their final bow.

Shortly thereafter, the final battle will commence. For those located in Asgard, Valhalla, or Jotunheim at the time, you will likely hear a crow from one of the three Roosters of Ragnarök to signal the opening round. Last time we checked none of the roosters had hatched yet, so we have at least a few more weeks before everything goes to Hel.

We should probably warn you that the start of Ragnarök also happens to coincide with the conclusion of Asgard’s two longest prison sentences. Once Ragnarök gets rolling, the trickster god Loki and his favorite child, Fenris Wolf, will finally be free to party once more. And they’re inviting all their friends to join in on the fun.

Think less Let’s raise the roof! and more Let’s tear a hole in the sky!

Avoid Densely Populated Areas

So, who’s on the guest list for Loki’s ultimate revenge against Odin and the Norse gods? Firstly, another child of Loki, Jormungand, aka the Midgard Serpent. He’s on Thor-destroying duty. Very important job.

And let’s not forget Hyrm, the Jotunn captain of Naglfar, the ship of nails. He’s planning to invite his massive army of the undead to join Loki’s crusade. And what mission of vengeance against Odin would be complete without a special appearance from his ancient foe, Surt, lord of the fire giants?

With additional cameos by the queen of the Underworld, and the ravenous dragon Nidhogg (once he’s done eating the roots of the world tree), Ragnarök promises to be the crossover event of the century. But, if possible, we recommend watching the action unfold from a safe distance. Specifically, steer clear of the Bifrost, Odin’s palace, and the hall of Thor. This is not the time to seek autographs.

Oh, and definitely stay away from Niflheim. Specifically, Vigridr, the site of the final battle between the Norse gods and the forces of Surt. Then again, Vigridr is so vast that you might not even be able to reach a port of escape before the battle reaches its conclusion. In that case, maybe you should just hide under the boardwalk and wait for it all to blow over.

And uh, while you’re there, maybe livestream the glorious arrival of the einherjar and Folkvanger armies? We’ve been dying to see that moment. For historical records, only of course.

Forget Bundling Up After All. Shed Those Extra Layers!

Tragically, no matter how hard both sides rally their forces and wage their final battle, Ragnarök ultimately concludes with the death of well . . . pretty much everyone. Spoilers ahead for ancient Norse myths!

Odin will be chomped by Fenris. In turn, Fenris will be slain by Odin’s silent son, Vidar. Odin’s more famous son, Thor, will defeat Jormungand in battle, but the thunder god will, sadly, succumb to the serpent’s deadly venom in the process.

Loki and Heimdall will take each other out. Tyr and Garm will do each other in. Frey is taken down by Surt. And then, in a final act of self-destructive pettiness, Surt will proceed to incinerate the entirety of the Nine Worlds with Sumarbrander, the Sword of Summer (who, despite his role in all this, is actually pretty chill once you get to know him).

But from the ashes of the final cataclysm will arise a beautiful new world of peace and prosperity known as Gimle. And honestly, we couldn’t be happier for those who will get to live there. How nice to enjoy a wonderful and harmonious utopia without having to go through the violent end of the old worlds.

So, how can you prepare for an event that will result in the loss of all our lives? By wholeheartedly embracing the gift of life, seizing the day, and treating it as if it were your last.

And then tomorrow, pray to Odin that you’ll be accepted at Hotel Valhalla without delay so you can start your einherjar training ASAP. Clearly, we need all the help we can get!

And learn more about the Twilight of the Gods in the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series from Rick Riordan!