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Alaeth or Aleath

Author: Unknown
Place/Gathering Discovered: Black and White '13
Date: 10/26/13
Transcribed by: Sir Iawen Penn
Much has been written about the Darkened Lands, and this treatise attempts to serve as an overview of what we know about them. At its most simple, Rhir, The Place of Rest, is where we go when our stories come to a close in the Untold Lands.

The unwary traveler in the Untold Lands may one day pass through a strange mountain pass, or cross a unknown river, or enter a oddly dark wood, and find themselves at the edges of the Lands of the Dead. This is not a common occurrence, and not one without danger. While the lands themselves are said to be gentle and welcoming to those who belong there, those outsiders from our lands find themselves distrusted by the inhabitants, and at great risk, as it is said that to die in the untold lands is to risk oblivion. One can usually leave by the same geographic feature that brought them to the lands, but once they leave sight of that gateway, finding it again may prove to be impossible.

The primary settlement in the Darkened Lands is the City of Glass. It is said to be a huge complex, in which the dead reside with their loved ones. It is laid out in a circular pattern, with gates in the cardinal directions and the palace of Alaeth, the Face of Death, at the center. Radial streets run from the palace to the edges, connected to each other by a number of concentric rings. The buildings of the city are made from glass, which is said to glow from within with a warm, welcoming light. The glass is said to be similar to that used by those who live near the Glass Sea, but much more pure.

Much is rumored about Alaeth, but little is known for sure. As the Face of Death, he is the welcoming arms of rest after one's work is done in the Untold Lands. He presides over the Place of Rest, but the residents of that land rarely need guidance. He is said to be terrible and quick to anger, and he is said to be gentle and kind. In the story of Conall Piaric, he is seen in both visages, ultimately acting as a gentle guide.

Aleath's servants, the Guardians of the City are the guards at the gates and sometimes patrol the edges of the lands of the Dead. They are slow to anger, but they will relentlessly pursue and destroy any who would harm the Darkened Lands or its residents. In the story of Conall, he tricks them to let him pass by playing them a sad song that told the story of his family. Other stories have warriors confronting them directly and, depending on the story, impressing the Guardians, or being destroyed by them.

The Wilds cannot reach the Lands of the dead. The creatures of the Wilds do not go there when they die, and the Wilds itself has no foothold there. The Darkened Lands appear to not be dangerous in and of themselves, as the residents of the land are already dead.

It is said that, when someone dies, after a short time, they leave the Untold Lands and travel to the Lands of the Dead, where they are welcomed by their families and friends who have perished before. The final journey to the Lands of the dead often leads through the shared dreams of others, suggesting that the two are not far apart.


(Kept all the spelling/grammar mistakes, just in case it meant something. - Iawen)
Created by Janna Oakfellow-Pushee at 10-28-13 04:10 PM
Last Modified by Janna Oakfellow-Pushee at 10-29-13 09:14 AM