Land of the Dead
From Zok
Contents |
The Land of the Dead
Below Asriphil and the Plains of Glass lies the Land of the Dead. Its outer border is formed by a tremendous and impassable mountain range, and its center is occupied by a large, smooth, and circular sea, called (surprisingly enough) the Sea of the Dead. The plane is smooth and flat near the shores of the sea, and curves upward like the edge of a bowl as it nears the mountains. There are several large port cities on the sea, but they are dark and perilous towns. Most civilized creatures prefer to live as far from the still dark waters as they can, and so there are numerous settlements further inland. Few living creatures know well the politics of the Land of the Dead, because few dare to tread there, but it's apparent that the dead have numerous small nations, and that these nations trade and occasionally wage war with one another.
The eastern ring is more heavily populated than the western, which was shattered long ago when Hirzek threw Mozik down upon it. The blood of the slain god tainted the ground where it fell, and thick forests of crimson and black have sprung up to drink it. This cataclysmic event was, it is said, the first thing to cause waves upon the Sea of the Dead. It's also led to a higher composition of gnomes among the dead, and an increase in their political importance. Because Mozik is actually an inhabitant, his servants have risen to a position of prominence and serve the dead by arranging for adoption of their souls by living deities.
Inhabitants
The Land of the Dead is populated almost entirely by the souls of those who died but went unclaimed by the gods. This is far less than the total population of dead entities in Asriphil, much less in the world: the gods have many uses for souls. But those who choose no sides, who never serve a deity or never care to, these souls fall past the [[Plains of Glass] and land somewhere in the Land of the Dead. If they're lucky, they'll land far from the sea. If they're unlucky, they'll land in it.
The souls of the dead tend to congregate together, when they meet. They exchange tales of their lives, and build towns and cities similar to what they knew in life. They also struggle for continued survival, for there are things that prey upon the dead, strange creatures that wander the forests or stalk the streets of the dead cities. Most infamously, there are those who pilot crimson-sailed ships across the Sea of the Dead, raiding the shore for souls. None of these captured souls has ever been seen again, and it is widely believed that the crimson sailors sell them to servants of Krai who live deep below the sea.
