Netherworld (Runelords)

The Netherworld is an alternate plane of existence in The Runelords novel series by David Farland. The Netherworld is not the equivalent of some mythological underworld, but a realm fundamental to the make-up of the cosmology of the setting.

Description

The Netherworld is a world similar in many ways to the mortal world, but everything is somehow grander, more perfect. It is the home to many creatures that, while very like natural animals, humans, and the other races of the mortal world, are immensely more potent. The commonest varieties of trees there grow larger than the eldest of sequoias in the real world, and animals are gargantuan.

Of course, this does not mean the Netherworld is a place of natural splendour on a massive scale. The dangers of the mortal world are written large there as well: mountains are taller, storms are more destructive, and predators are as perfected as their prey.

The One True World

At the very beginnings of the universe, there was one world only: the One True World. Everything in the One True World was the most perfect and suited to its role as could be. The very fabric of reality was woven together with the Runes of Creation. In this way, the Runes of Creation described reality.

However, an unnatural evil came to the One True World: a creature of supernatural malevolence known only as the Raven. By some means, the Raven shattered the Runes of Creation, and in so doing, shattered the One True World. This act did not unmake reality completely, but instead broke the One True World apart into countless lesser worlds.

These worlds were but pale shadows of the grandeur of the One True World. Based upon mere fragments of the Runes of Creation, the numerous worlds also held species that were somehow less than they should have been. They were little more than aspects of the true forms of their species, so that from one shadow world to another, a species might appear dramatically different or frighteningly similar to its counterparts. The Netherworld is perhaps the closest of all worlds to the One True World.

Creatures of the Netherworld

Many species have their counterparts within the Netherworld. These creatures are as close to their true forms as have likely ever been seen. There are several notable species within the Netherworld, which have made an impact upon the mortal world in one way or another.

Bright Ones

The Bright Ones are essentially the humans of the Netherworld. They are much mightier and wiser than mortal men, and taught much to Erden Geboren, Sendavian, and Daylan Hammer while they were in the Netherworld. The Bright Ones especially taught the humans of the loci, and showed them the locus Asgaroth.

Fael/Ael

The Fael (or perhaps Ael) is a mighty and wise lord of the Netherworld. It seems to have contacted Erin Connal through her dreams to warn her of the danger of Asgaroth hiding in Crowthen, taking the form of an owl to deliver these sendings. It also spoke to Erden Geboren during his visit to the Netherworld.

Glories

The Glories are beings of light, air, and fire, bordering upon the angelic. They glow so brightly that their true form is difficult to discern, though they resemble exceptionally tall humans with feathery wings. Legendarily, two Glories fought at the side of Erden Geboren. They are all but impossible for a normal human to defeat, and the death of a Glory releases an air elemental many times stronger than that of an Air Wizard.

Darkling Glories

Darkling Glories are Glories that serve destruction and evil. They can raise great storms and bring destruction wherever they go, throwing lightning bolts like a human might toss a javelin. Their forms are shrouded in darkness deeper than blackest midnight. They are fierce and intelligent, dangerous beyond reckoning. Flameweavers of great power can summon them, but usually also with a large sacrifice to help open the gate to the Netherworld. Beneath the shrouding darkness, they resemble great winged humans, similar to the Glories. As well, their deaths also release powerful air elementals.

Loci

Loci are malevolent spirits which can possess the bodies of other beings. They are interested only in chaos and destruction, particularly the destruction of the many shadow worlds. All are born from the greatest of all loci, the Raven. They are not truly of the Netherworld, nor of any world in particular.

The Raven/One True Master of Evil

The Raven, better known as the One True Master of Evil, is a locus of titanic power. It tried to take the Runes of Creation and broke apart the One True World. All other loci are its children, and seek to continue its foul work. In the mortal world, it has possessed the queen of the reavers. Under her direction, the reavers drove away their own Earth Warden and devoted themselves more fully to Fire - and destruction in general, as she used her power to pervert and twist all four of the elements and wield them against the other races of the world. She planned to destroy the mortal world by rocking it in the very heavens, binding three great runes (Desolation, the Heavens, and the Inferno) together to displace and change the world into something in which humanity could not survive.

She is spoken of as "the Raven" or as ravens in general by such entities as Fael and the Earth itself. Fael spoke to Erin Connal of the Raven which tried to take control of the Runes of Creation and blasted the One True World apart into the shadow worlds. The Earth spoke to Gaborn of ravens that assaulted it, as if the Earth was a man harried by a flock of the birds, when Gaborn was to fight the One True Master.

Asgaroth

Asgaroth is the most subtle and dangerous of the Raven's children, a locus of great power. He has conquered or destroyed thousands of the shadow worlds, and has been hunted by the Fael for countless centuries. His disguises have been stripped away time and time again, but each time he escaped. Finally, he was caught within the body of a Darkling Glory, in a battle that slew many other Glories, and bound within a magically-sealed iron cage within the Netherworld. He nearly got Erden Geboren to free him, but the ancient Earth King was stopped by the Bright Ones and Daylan Hammer.

Asgaroth was freed from his cage when Raj Ahten's flameweavers destroyed the town of Twynhaven and opened a gate to the Netherworld. The Darkling Glory was drawn into the mortal world, and set to kill Gaborn Val Orden and his line. Instead, Asgaroth attempted to possess Fallion, the child, Iome had become pregnant with just a week before, but was kept from reaching Iome. When his Darkling Glory body was slain by Binnesman and Myrrima, he sped away in the Glory's elemental to Crowthen, and there possessed King Anders. He would eventually flee, killing Anders in the act, when he was found out by Gaborn and once more threatened with imprisonment.

Salamanders

Salamanders are great lizard-like creatures closely associated with fire. They do not come to the mortal world fully formed when summoned. Instead, they steal the heat from the bodies of those who look into their eyes, and so grow more substantial. They were summoned occasionally by Raj Ahten's flameweavers, particularly when he besieged Castle Longmot in Heredon.