Underworld

The Underworld, is the known afterlife of the Course Books, and the stronghold of Ryoga: a dark and cold region bordered by the River Styx. Its ruler is Moroni, the creator of evil daemons. The Underworld is separated from the world of life by a veil, passing through will kill a living being.

According to the Book of Lore, where one is sentenced in the Underworld is based on the Laws of Intent. This view holds that an individual act is inherently neither good or evil, but rather the intent of the actor. Note that this belief stands in stark contrast to the views delivered by the Book of Law, which holds that salvation is a gift freely given by the One King.

Parts of the Underworld

The underworld is devided into a series of 'levels', each described as being lower than the last. Much like the world of life, the exact geographic relationships are difficult to pin down. However, each level is said to denote a greater degree of suffering.

Level 1

Called Elysium, the highest level of the underworld is the closest to the light. It is described as a pastoral paradice, full of sun-drenched meadows and soft, comfortable places to lie. This is where most souls end up, where they may sleep for eternity or wander the endless lands and seek out others like them.

Level 2

The Plaguelands are a dim, dismal place, existing beneath a permanent overcast. The ground is burned and there are many trees, with moths fluttering about. This is where those souls who committed acts of immorality are sentenced. It is close enough to Elysium to see some of the light, but those sentenced to suffer there will never again see it fully.

In some interpretations of the Book of Lore, the River Styx is described as being a barrier between Elysium and the Plaguelands. Other sources hold that the river blocks Elysium from the Veil.

Level 3

Beneath the Plaguelands lies the Rotten Bog, a miserable, cold region where the damned live perpetually in freezing slush and darkness, surrounded by rotting corpses and constantly hounded by horrible creatures. It is said that if a lost soul in the bog finds another with whom they can commune, a ghast will come and drag them away, depositing them somewhere else.

Level 4

Beyond the Rotten Bog lies the Roilspout, a series of rolling hills constantly beset by fire. The is the land of deamons, the eternal battleground, and domain of Moroni