Death (Old Kingdom)
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In the Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix, Death is not only a medical condition. It is also a realm that can be accessed almost anywhere by those trained to do so.
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[edit] Description
Death is described as an infinitely wide river, spanning the horizons. Almost everything in Death is a bleak grey, and a subtle grey fogginess limits visibility. The river's current threatens to pull any traveler under, and sheer willpower is the main factor besides balance in resisting the pull. The river may also contain and even conceal hostile dead beings.
When entering Death, most draw a magical diamond of protection before entering since one's physical body in Life is vulnerable while in Death. This can be resolved by bodily traveling into Death, but the only beings known to be able to do this are the Disreputable Dog and Mordicants.
Spending long amounts of time in Death can change those who do. The erosion of the mind and the metamorphosis of the body are the main side effects mentioned in the series.
[edit] Precincts
Death is divided into nine precincts. Each progressive precinct is usually more dangerous than the last. At the end of each precinct is its corresponding gate. In most cases, travelling through the gate will pull the traveler under, or stun them, rendering them unable to control themselves from drifting to the Ninth Precinct. Abhorsens and necromancers, on the other hand, master Free Magic spells that allow them to harmlessly traverse the gates.
[edit] First Precinct
The First Precinct is merely a river, with all of the usual characteristics of Death as mentioned above. The water only rises to one's knees, making it easy to wade through. This is where the border between Life and Death lies. When a human or animal dies, one can travel into Death and find its soul, although this is not generally advised. Sabriel did so in Sabriel to revive her friend's rabbit, and Lirael also did so in Abhorsen to figure out how a royal guard had died.
The First Gate is a waterfall, also spanning the horizon. The appropriate Free Magic spell makes the waterfall thin out until a passage through it can be seen.
[edit] Second Precinct
The Second Precinct has stronger currents than the First, and also has holes in its riverbed. Previous Abhorsens and necromancers have mapped out a path to take that is free of holes.
The Second Gate is a vortex that becomes a long spiral path when the Free Magic spell is spoken. The spell stops the water from flowing temporarily, revealing terraces where the water flowed. While it seems that it would take hours to walk down the Second Gate, it is implied that time is deceptive in Death. As the traveler walks down, the water starts flowing behind them.
[edit] Third Precinct
The Third Precinct has better visibility, is slightly warmer, and the water is shallower, only ankle-deep. Foolish, inexperienced necromancers might rest here, but that would be quite unwise. The Third Precinct has waves which will stun any swept up in one. They are kept in check by the same spell that allows passage of the Second Gate. It is the only precinct that requires haste.
The Third Gate appears when the correct spell is recited, appearing as a mist doorway. It protects the traveler from the waves as the path to the Fourth Precinct appears.
[edit] Fourth Precinct
The Fourth Precinct is fairly straightforward. The current is stronger than in the First Precinct, but the only threats are wandering Dead.
The Fourth Gate is a deceptive waterfall; it looks like a drop of a few feet, and the river continues on afterwards. It is advised to step a good deal back before reciting the Free Magic spell. It makes a solid ribbon appear, described as "made of solid night," about three feet wide, spanning off into the distance. This allows one to travel over the Fourth Gate.
[edit] Fifth Precinct
The "ribbon of night" spell is not only the way over the Fourth Gate, but the way over the Fifth Precinct. The water here is too deep to wade, and has a strong metamorphic effect: anything spending time in its waters would soon not resemble its previous body. The ribbon of night is often favored by the Dead as a way to get through the Fifth Precinct. Dead often rush along the path, hoping to surprise the necromancer or Abhorsen who summoned it, throwing them into the river and rushing towards Life.
The Fifth Gate is the opposite of a waterfall - a "waterclimb." The river hits an invisible wall and floats on upwards. The spell causes a tendril of water to reach out from the waterclimb and wrap around the traveler without touching them. This tendril then brings them up the waterclimb. After a few minutes, the tendril stops and snaps through the waterclimb, taking the traveler with it.
[edit] Sixth Precinct
The Sixth Precinct is a lake, inhabited by many Dead. The Sixth Gate may open randomly, or it may be summoned. When summoned, it takes the form of a dry circle that sinks through Death into the Seventh Precinct. When the gate is summoned, the current pulling towards it increases drastically.
[edit] Seventh Precinct
The Seventh Precinct is not gone into any detail, but the Seventh Gate is described as a wall of fire. When the correct spell is spoken, an archway forms, allowing the caster to pass through unscathed.
[edit] Eighth Precinct
Patches of smokeless fire erupt randomly from the surface of the water in the Eighth Precinct. A spell will ward off individual patches of flame, but the area is generally dangerous.
The Eighth Gate is a wall of darkness. When passing through, however, an experienced Abhorsen or necromancer will cast a spell that dissipates the darkness around them, allowing them through to the Ninth Precinct safely.
[edit] Ninth Precinct
The Ninth Precinct is described as an enormous lake illuminated by a star-filled sky. The stars are so close and so many that the sky itself is barely visible. In the Ninth Precinct, most of the usual attributes of Death are negated. The water is warm and visibility is better than perfect. The Ninth Gate is the sky, which calls all who see it to lead them to final death. Very few beings are able to resist this call, which physically raises them to this sky. According to the Disreputable Dog, few necromancers ever visit this precinct, since "their very nature is to deny its call." Because the Ninth Precinct is a lake, there is no current.
| Garth Nix's Old Kingdom series | |
|---|---|
| Novels | Sabriel • Lirael • Abhorsen • Across the Wall: A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories |
| Characters | Chlorr of the Mask • Disreputable Dog • Kerrigor • Lirael • Mogget • Orannis • Sabriel • Terciel • Touchstone |
| Magic | The Charter • Five Great Charters • Free Magic • Nine Bright Shiners |
| Places | Ancelstierre • Death • Old Kingdom |
| Magical objects | Necromantic bells • Nehima • Paperwing |
