Just as the shelter was about to be completed, the Old Woman unleashed her fury, and the world began to burn -- literally. Somehow, the combined people of the world managed to hold long enough for the priests of the gods to invoke them in defense. The power of the gods together made the inside of the shelter a paradise, and the people lived there for a time in peace.
Unfortunately, it didn't last. The shelter was designed to hold people for half a year, but that time passed and they weren't released. The power of the gods slowly began to fade, over years or decades, and some of the gods themselves began to sicken.
One of those was called the Pale Maiden, the wife of the Trickster.