Across the world, the Dead Lands have many names. Nearly every language known to mankind has a dozen or more names for it, and every society has had insurmountable numbers of philosophies and theories of its existence. For simplicity's sake, however, the very select few aware of the true nature of the Dead World know it as one thing:

Purgatory.

The Dead Lands, Purgatory, belongs in two distinct classes of existence. It is first and foremost a Transition world: a sub-world that exists in-between more prominent worlds to transmit existence from one to the other. From a metaphysical standpoint, Transition worlds are temporary and small, yet Purgatory is permanent and equal in size to the world of the living. Secondly, it is a Overlay realm: an sub-world that exists atop of, parallel to, and dependent upon another world. The world of the living is reflected by Purgatory, and Purgatory cannot exist without the former.

A look into Purgatory is a horrific one. While it mostly retains the same geological and man-made architecture of the living world, Purgatory cannot sustain life as the living world can. It is windless, desolate, and gray. It is devoid of flora and fauna, and it mostly resembles something of an endless monochromatic desert. Where animals and people should walk, there are only shadows: physical, distorted silhouettes of souls yet to pass fully into Purgatory and become wayward souls.

All lifeless existences of the living world exist, too, in Purgatory, and for a select few inhabitants, very capable of being altered and moved. Purgatory depends entirely on the world of the living for its physical structure.

Although it is possible for physical structures (such as towns, buildings, and the like) to exist in Purgatory, but not in the living world, such places are, like all things born strictly of Purgatory, of fragile existence. They are as some might say "not quite real, not quite non-existent, but somewhere in-between."

Scarce few can prove the existence of this world during their time alive. Even fewer are aware of it after their demise. The souls of the dead are wayward idlers, unconscious in every right, yet attentive--in the vaguest of senses, however. Mindlessly, they often stand in the very place they died. Weeks, months, and years will pass, and each day the chances of the soul becoming self aware increase steadily. Upon becoming self aware, the soul ceases to idle. Instead, it becomes what's most commonly known as a Ghost: a spirit unable to recognize its own demise, mostly haunting a particular area in various ways, mostly dependent entirely upon the spirit's personality.

Uncommonly, Ghosts become Poltergeists: extremely violent spirits that can create moderate degrees of havoc for the still living.

In the worst case scenario, spirits left alone for too long become fully aware of themselves and their circumstances. In most cases, they are either driven to madness by the realization alone, or their minds simply degrade until they're little more than ultra-violent Poltergeists. In both scenarios, the fully aware spirit can act upon fellow spirits and the living alike, including the ability to kill. These spirits are known to the conscious minority of Purgatory as "Voleur d'âme," or more commonly, "Ame Voleur." Corrupted Voleur d'âme make up the majority of spirit hunting predators.