Dead Zones

“There are places where the world itself seems to hold its breath, where no bird sings, no insect hums, and even the wind dares not whisper. These are the places the gods have abandoned.”

— Archivist Velar of the Salarcan

 

Overview

Dead Zones are pockets of supernatural devastation scattered across Domen Aria, places where the veil between life and death has been torn and left to fester. Within these cursed regions, the natural forces that sustain life, breath, warmth, motion, and spirit, are suppressed or stripped away entirely. Every living creature that crosses their boundaries eventually succumbs, whether in moments or hours, as vitality is unmade by the air itself.   Each Dead Zone differs in nature, but all share one horrifying truth: nothing truly lives within them. Even magic falters, bending and breaking under unseen strain. Scholars dispute their cause, but most agree they are remnants of cataclysms, divine wars, magical experiments, or eldritch rifts too great for the world to heal.  

Appearance and Signs

From a distance, a Dead Zone appears deceptively mundane. Grass still sways in the wind, waters still ripple, but closer inspection reveals disturbing wrongness, a lifeless stillness, as if time itself has grown weary.   Common signs include:   Muted or absent sound: Voices dull, footsteps fade, and even echoes die prematurely.   Gray tinting of flora and soil: Colors drain to ashen hues, and plants crumble to dust when touched.   Chill air and oppressive stillness: Even on the warmest day, Dead Zones feel cold and airless.   Dying fauna near the borders: Carcasses of birds and small animals litter the periphery, mummified rather than decayed.   Those with magical senses report an absence of aura, a “hollow silence” in the world’s energy, as though existence itself refuses to flow there.  

Effects on Living Beings

The moment a living creature enters a Dead Zone, invisible forces begin to unravel its essence. The effects vary by proximity to the heart of the zone:     Outer Rim: Fatigue, shortness of breath, nosebleeds, nausea, and an overwhelming sense of dread.   Inner Zone: Rapid loss of body heat, blackened veins, slowed heartbeat, and numbness as life-force drains.   Core: Instant death. The soul itself is torn from the body and devoured by whatever curse lingers there.   Those who are magically sensitive describe the sensation as “being unmade.” Necromancers claim the energy feels hungry, as though something is feeding on the spark of life itself.  

Notable Dead Zones

  The Barrowglass Hollow: Once a thriving valley, now filled with crystal-clear fog that kills any who breathe it. Said to be where a lich’s phylactery was shattered.   The Plains of Whisperfall: Sound ceases entirely across this barren expanse; even thoughts feel muffled. Travelers go mad before they die.   The Veinless Mire: A swamp where blood refuses to flow. Wounds neither bleed nor heal.   The Black Mirror Shore: A coastal Dead Zone where the sea itself reflects no light, and sailors who drift too close are found ashore, perfectly preserved, eyes wide open.