The Afterlife

Life in the world of Quiazal is an unusual concept. It's said that individuals can live the same life over and over and over again, but they and the people around them will never be aware. This is the theory of afterlife and reincarnation, beyond the three realms of reincarnation which people are initially sent to.

The details on this page include both the afterlife and selection of the three afterlife realms, and then what's theorised to be beyond that.

Life through this world is an unusual journey, a monochrome area of sentience in which everything alive will travel through. It's a well known fact that people typically live two lives within this world: One as a living species, and one as an undead species. Beyond this second life is just speculation, but the most common theories are either complete release of the soul, or yet another rebirth as something else in the world.

Sometimes, members of the Pantheon will interfere with the path of life, changing the rate of when someone dies and when they finally meet their end. This doesn't happen often, however, and is usually under a special circumstance. The deity of Time, Tysorion, keeps a listing of when everyone born should meet their end, a large documentation which shows the deities when they should interfere, and when it was an expected death.

How does death and the afterlife work?

Initial death is a process of two steps: Death and mana decay.

  • Death: The initial point of loss of life, where the individual's organs cease working and life is halted.

  • Mana decay: A process that can take thousands of years, in which the magical essence of the individual slowly decays and loses its energy.

These two processes are a long one, and it can take thousands, sometimes even millions of years for the full biology of an individual to completely decay. While biological decay and decomposition is at a typical, expected rate of 1-2 weeks, their mana energy can remain for the remaining millions of years to follow.

It's this which makes the collection of essences and magical energy from people who've perished a much easier task, and why experimenting and researching into essences without injuring living, breathing individuals can be done the way it is.

Where do characters get sent to for their second life?

The second life of an individual is based entirely off of their alignment and actions in their first life. They will go through a judgemental stage with the three members of the Afterlife Pantheon, It's this judgement will which dictate which afterlife realm they are reborn into, and what species they will become:

  • True/Good alignment ↦ Nyxious, the owl of Aeden ↦ Aeden ↦ Angels, Benevolent Spirits

  • Neutral alignment ↦ Lumalia, Ketu of Limbo ↦ Limbo ↦ Limbo Walkers

  • Chaotic/Evil Alignment ↦ Erimatra, Scourge of the Everdark ↦ The Everdark ↦ Demons, Malevolent Spirits

Undead species are not locked specifically in the undead realm which they're sent to. They can freely enter and leave the realm that they're connected to as they please, but entering an undead realm of opposite alignment to them may cause some conflict. Most undead species spend their time living in transience between the overworld and their undead realms.

Each of the undead realms are connected to a different alignment, but anyone can redeem themselves. Refer to the next widget for more information on this.

After double-death speculation

Double death is the term used to refer to the two lives and deaths which people are directly known to live through. What lies beyond that is complete speculation. The following widget holds some examples of just what some people speculate about what could follow:

  • The chain of afterlife continues in an indefinite, repeating loop, between living and undead.

  • After the second death as an undead species, you're destined to never return and your existence is completely forgotten.

  • You will only remain in a loop of life so long as there are people alive which remember you. Many believe this to be how the pantheon survive for so long, and how the memories of famous or important individuals are still passed on throughout generations. Once you're forgotten, you disappear for good.

  • There is a fourth afterlife realm beyond the existing three which holds all those who have completed their entire double-death journey.

Remember that all of this is down to speculation, and that nothing beyond the second death is currently understood as everyone who seems to complete their second life disappears completely without a trace- unlike with your first death, where you can be traced back to your new, spiritual form