Paradise or Heaven | The Abyss | Well of Souls | Reincarnation
The Twixt is a very real area or plane unique to itself. It is a place 'between' all things: light and dark, life and death. It is a realm linked to dreams and a way-station for spirits moving to the afterlife. It is inhabited by the restless souls of those that have died and by other supernatural beings that never had an origin as a mortal, nor are connected to anything of the tangible world. The Twixt, which is called 'The Isle of Dreaming' by the Druids, exists as formlessness until 'will' is imposed upon it. People with no magic may, while dreaming, temporarily appear in Twixt but cannot alter it. Dreamers themselves are only ghost-equivalent in Twixt in that they are not really in the Twixt, they are merely gaining a glimpse of it. They cannot touch it or influence it in any manner. However, not all dreamers experience the Twixt. It is not a dream plane. However, because it is a place 'in between,' people can find themselves in dreams accidentally within the Twixt. It is an unpredictable phenomena.
Little is known about this dimension beyond speculation, theory and abstract philosophy. Scholars studying and questioning those who have died and been resurrected have learned that before one dies they find themselves in an unusual, yet hauntingly familiar place. However, since resurrections are very few and very far between, subjects to 'study' are rare. For someone to actually discover the truth, they must pass into death themselves; portal travel to the Twixt is impossible. If one should spend too long or be caught in the Twixt, they will die as their body deteriorates. When the body releases its hold on the spirit, the spirit will pass on through Twixt and eventually beyond. Children have been said to be able to travel to this 'other' place. However, it might be just a fairy tale...
There have been two notable exceptions to this law: The first is the journeys Tumian and Aslin Dreven took to the Twixt, where together they formed a tree. For reasons unknown, the Drevens defy many of the laws of Lyran Tal. Not only are they able to travel to the Twixt, but they are completely unaffected by magic.
The second exception is Irmaa Vep, who was able to enter the Twixt due to her unique abilities as an individual, not as the Archmagess of the magic she follows. She also sent Chajar Shaldolf-Sundew there by temporarily killing him. Since the realm is linked to death, one would think Necromancers can get there. They cannot.
Those of the Seventh Gift know of the Twixt, for gifted druids access it in a dreamlike state for their auguries and divinations: their spirits travel there, but not their bodies. They do not/cannot alter it in any way. The elven ancestors often used it to communicate with other elves in far off lands. Additionally, Summoners and Witches are familiar with some of the aspects of the Twixt as they communicate with the spirits of those who linger there. However, it must be noted that they do not physically enter the Twixt.
Nearly all of the entities that inhabit the Twixt - both malevolent and benevolent - were never born. Some of these are vestiges of the influence of Icaruss while he was trapped there, but most are completely independent of Icaruss and existed long before he did. The possibility of a spirit becoming 'stuck' in the Twixt, as Icaruss did when he died, is quite unlikely. In such cases, the spirit's memories of its previous life eventually fade. If it possesses a strong enough will, the spirit can shape portions of the Twixt - as Icaruss did - but it is a very arduous and rare thing. The Twixt is difficult to bend to one's will without experience. In some ways its like mastering magic. Time, effort and a desire make all the difference. While he was in the Twixt for over 59 years, Icaruss was only able to affect a part of it. The high, looming castle that he created there still stands, possibly kept in place by a remnant of his spirit.
Additionally, the Twixt tends to trap all sorts of malevolent beings within it. These beings tend to eventually fade away to nonexistence, but on occasion they stay there and infuse their essence within the Twixt. Icaruss's presence is still felt despite the fact that he is no longer there. The giant serpent, Sato'Vare (deceased), is an example of one of the malevolent entities that can exist in Twixt. It can snatch up minds of dreamers who strayed into 'Twixt. The result of this is that the dreamers slowly lose their minds. Notably, these trapped spirits cannot escape the Twixt on their own.
Though belief varies by region and culture, it is assumed that there is a better place that one goes to when one dies. This is called Paradise or Heaven by many, although Vivomancers believe that the soul is given unto the stars, which allows them to shine. For the Vivomancers, the belief is that the nights' stars are the souls of the deceased.
The equivalent of 'hell.' A place of suffering and damnation traditionally believed to be the dwelling place of evil spirits and possibly demons, though the actual source of demons is unknown. It is widely believed that the spirits of evil (malevolent) people are sent there after they die.
The Well is rumored to be a place (though not necessarily the place) where restless spirits of the dead go on their way to whichever afterlife they are destined. It is also rumored to have several physical outlets in the material world, though this has never been proven. One of these outlets was said to be sealed within a chamber in the the Hall of the Black Branch in Padrical, Balthazor. Vivomancers only tacitly agree that the Well does exist, but have not attempted to study it.
Rare references refer to the site(s) as deep and almost endless well-like pits with little that seems special about them except a pervading sense of restlessness and morbidity. In the spiritual world the Well is an endless cyclone of restless souls waiting to pass on. In theory, one could travel to the afterlife by entering a physical entrance to the well if one were brave and stalwart enough to face the dangers and travel all the way through. There are no reports of such a thing ever having been done.
Necromancers have more complete knowledge on it, though they share it with few. There are some few references to necromancers banishing to the Well the souls of those who cross them. It is also believed to be a source from which necromancers can sometimes draw power. Theoretically, when a necromancer pulls a spirit up from the grave they are in fact pulling it out of the Well of Souls.
Less widely believed, but with hints that it could also be true, is that a soul may not cross over to any sort of continued existence after death, but instead returns to the lands via the leylines. There are also troubled stories of feeling loved ones pass into the leylines upon death, thus lending credence to this least held belief.
Every being or object has some inherent 'magical essence,' which is held to be the force behind all life. This essence enters a person at conception (or birth, depending on one's beliefs), and upon death, decay or erosion of the being or object it filters back into the Ley Lines. If the energy that was used to create Life is not allowed to return to the source, Lyran Tal would eventually be 'sucked dry.'