Death is a silent place, the place of the endless river. The waters seep away the life force of all those within it. Necromancers wear boots that are charmed to stop this effect, but even they cannot resist it fully. Death exists as a parallel to the waking world, and contains nine gates. Each gate has a challenge that one must pass in order to move farther into Death. Spirits that die are swept along the current through the gates, but many become halted and thus grow hostile. When passing through each of the gates the soul must be pure and untainted. If a lie is being thought or spoken at this time, the spirit, or living being, will be stuck between gates and will be unable to leave. This is the danger of death. 

As death exists beside the regular world, necromancers can move in and out of it at will. However, their body remains at the place of their entry, frozen. Necromancers are able to feel if something is affecting their body, but they can seldom change this. Many necromancers create a circle or a diamond of protection in order to stop themselves from being killed when they visit Death. 

The following chapters will detail the gates of death, and the perils they contain.