A valley of darkness and thorns, the ground blackened and poisoned, pulsing with hate, blood and despair, the Hollow of Death was once home to a wyvern’s nest. Silent as a tomb, this dark valley is the place where Ariella was killed, and the place where Ash vowed to kill Puck. A cursed place, decorated with the bleached skeleton of the deadly wyvern, this is where the resurrected Ariella dwelled while waiting for Ash to find her on his journey for a soul.

The River of Dreams

The River of Dreams supposedly runs forever, and no one has ever seen the end of it, or at least lived to tell the tale. It weaves through the wyldwood and the Briars, all the way to the End of the World. It always travels in one direction and can only be caught at specific points along its bank. The surface of the river is black as night and stretches on and on. It is littered with the physical manifestations of human imagination, dreams and nightmares, from such things as book pages, swords and butterfly wings to the most frightening of nightmare creatures. Swarms of fireflies and will-o’-the-wisps float and bob above the waves. The River of Dreams is the last familiar border of the wyldwood. On its far bank begins the Deep Wyld.

The Deep Wyld

The Deep Wyld is the vast, uncharted territory of the Nevernever, a place of old legends and forgotten myths. Light does not penetrate very far into the Dark Wyld. The Big Bad Wolf allegedly calls this territory home.

Phaed

Phaed is a town in the Deepest Wyld where old, forgotten fey go to die. It is a place void of belief and imagination. Sooner or later, every fey ends up in Phaed. The town itself consists of tired gray hovels and tilted wooden shanties built on top of stilts to avoid the marshy ground. Everything in Phaed is sagging, drooping or crooked, and is faded and gray. The fog in Phaed is thick and the streets are cluttered with items dropped and apparently forgotten.

The Gauntlet

The Gauntlet is the gateway between the Deepest Wyld and the End of the World. When the Guardian at the End of the World opens the doors to the Gauntlet, whomsoever wishes to pass through must do so before the doors at the other end close, otherwise they’ll be stuck inside forever, left to become ghouls. The tests of the Gauntlet are different for everyone. When Ash and his companions passed through, they encountered two vicious stone fu dogs in an ancient courtyard, each with half a key around their necks, and a hall of mirrors, wherein they were confronted with the darker sides of their personalities.

The Gnashwood