Underworld (Sword of Truth)

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The underworld is a fictional location in the Sword of Truth fantasy series by Terry Goodkind.

[edit] Description

The underworld is the dominion of the dead. It is the origin of subtractive magic. Inside the underworld, it is beyond darkness. Inky black shapes, spectres floating in the deep, waver in the gloom, the dead in their lair. Most underworld beasts, if given the chance, will hunt any living thing that is big enough to be of interest, although the spirits in the underworld can have motives as varied as the living. There are some underworld beasts who can strike a living being and put it into a deep never-ending sleep, causing the victim to eventually die of dehydration. However, the proximity of the bones of underworld beasts (especially arranged in a particular manner on the victim's body) can confuse the magic and cause it to leave the body, gradually healing the effects, although it still normally takes at least 5 - 10 days. In addition, having the bones of an underworld beast in proximity will confuse most underworld creatures since they feel the evil of the bones and it blinds them and makes them think it is one of their own. Most creatures of the underworld are also vulnerable to the magic of the Sword of Truth and can be cut or destroyed by it like a living creature.

The boundaries were a part of the underworld, a rift in the world of the living. Where the boundaries were, both the underworld and the living world existed at the same place at the same time.