Melhed/History/Age of Betrayal/Undead/Abyss

The Abyss

Kingdom of the dead and home to shades. Tourists not welcome.

The Shadowlands are large, they are alien, and they are unmapped, but there is one thing we do know, the Abyss exists.

I have been in the Abyss for most of my life. I have attained the rank of General, and am not next in line for the position(Summoner). I do not know if anyone that was around the original "creation" of living and undead is still alive. The only one that has such collective knowledge is the Summoner. His knowledge is infinitely infinite...considering that another merely picks up where the prior left of, as if nothing had happened. However, I know not who my master serves. Only he does.

The Abyss is our home. It is what we named "our" domain in the shadows. Much like you name your "realms" so to speak. It is in the shadows my friend, there is no better way to explain it or put it, but it exists deep inside this world...it can only be accessed by the gates that we control--well, the gates we had a monopoly on. As you can see, our control is temporarily jeopardized...so long as the humans get their acts together and help us. ~General Sarge, Ancestor Legion

It would appear that the Shadowlands* are exceedingly large and varied, with different 'kingdoms' for each of the Gods and wild untamed land in-between. For those unused to religion, Gods maybe substituted with any number of words, the important point is there is a patron ruler or controlling force to each realm. Continuing on, the daimons could come from one such nation, while the undead another. Each nation might also have a verity of races living in it, and thus in one the daimons might rule and dead serve while another section of the shadows it is the opposite. It should be noted that it is not impossible to consider that each race might exist in harmony in some of the nations, though further research is required. The various nations would reflect our own world in many ways, possibly a twisted reflection, mirroring our world exactly as a shadow does the body it's cast from. There is no evidence to suggest this theory and the point is heavily debated among the different learning institutions.

I gained this rank through endless victories against those that dare to challenge our authority. Many great wars are fought in a number of places, ever notice long draughts, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and the such? Those are usually a direct result of warfare in the shadows...things spill over...unfortunately. Actually what do you burn to make fire? Same things you do, for the most part...supplies we gather from this world at night when all are asleep, and of course, the carcasses of our enemies. We are rather, a "symbolic" people...our enemies all light the paths for all...~General Sarge, Ancestor Legion

Beyond the existence of nations themselves the point about warfare indicates conflict and disagreements not unlike those between human nations. Sadly there is no account as to what the wars were fought over, or who against. It is noted that the Shadowlands must not be rich in resources since the dead undertake nightly raids, and it is wondered what else they take besides things to burn. This is another dividing point to the three institutions, the Old Gods priesthood agree that with Incindia anything can be fuel, but the Guardians of the Flame hold that most people just use wood.

As to the nature of the undead homes and cities little is known. The words of the dead as listed in other texts* provide only limited insight to the world they live in, but it seems unlikly they would use anything mundane. With so much of the shadows unusable some think the dead pull materials from our world, minning mountain tops and logging forest hearts. Yet others think the cities are spun from shadow and myst, more a dream then a building. Still others hold that there are no buildings or cities as we know them. Either way the Abyss is known, but almost nothing is known about it.

• See: The Shadowlands: World of Mystery for more information.