Realm of Unlife

The Realm of Unlife, or the Twilight Realm, is the plane of death and decay.

Description
The Realm of Unlife is the source of all necromantic magic, which among other things can be used to raise the dead as thralls. Calling upon necromantic energies to produce spells is the most common interaction with the Realm of Unlife.

It is possible to physically visit the plane by opening a portal. Such practices are however very dangerous as there is no sense of time in the realm. Mages travelling there, usually in search of some long gone soul, have been known to be gone for decades if not centuries. The mages themselves will not age but the world they return to will not be the same.

While open a portal will let necromantic energies into the Mortal Realm and any corpses close to such a place will eventually awake as undead.

The Realm of Unlife dwells in constant night and a black fog is ever present. Only the bleak light from distant stars can be seen through the smoke and the ground is black like volcanic rock or obsidian. In the smoke faces may form or the gruesome images of mortals long since dead, all in a state of slow decay.

The Realm is unnerving for most. There are no objects to interact with, no sense of touch except for the cold fog and the polished touch of the rocky ground. It is impossible to light fires, although other light sources can be used. Magic can only be cast at great effort. Artifacts with spells that can be activated or cast will simply cease to function. The dead faces will not answer any calls except if their name is spoken to them. If so they will speak with a slow, lifeless voice and appear distant and dreaming, completely oblivious to the lifeless void around them.

Characteristics
In the Realm of Unlife exists neither fatigue nor pain and while injuries will have effect on living persons they will not feel it. The lost souls that dwell there are immune to any attacks and cannot be harmed in any way. A person visiting the realm cannot become unconscious while there. It is however possible to die, and doing so will trap the person's soul in the realm in a waken state. The character will then be able to see the plane for what it is and may converse with other spirits if it knows their names, but may not make them see the world around them.