Purgatory: Difference between revisions

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{{ICE}}
'''Purgatory''' was part of the death mechanics of [[GemStone]] III which was modified, if not technically removed, in the transition to GemStone IV. It was introduced in the [[ICE age|I.C.E. Age]] but survived until [[demonic|"going demonic"]] was removed from the game. Upon decaying or departing from death, the soul would arrive in a "room" called Purgatory, with obvious paths of light and darkness. The messaging is almost identical in terms of illustration today, except now it is represented as a purely transient process rather than a location. There were several versions of the messaging, which involved being spoken with in the same archaic language used by the [[deed]] priestess in the [[Wehnimer's Landing]] temple. The [[Tyriyn Bythronian|deed priestess]] may have been a Sister of Eissa, but now calls herself a Daughter of the Night.


'''Purgatory''' was the name of the place souls went when bodies decayed in GemStone III, including the situation of retiring a character or family name following permanent character loss. The messaging for departing or spirit death in GemStone IV is mostly the same, except is no longer represented as a room called Purgatory, and a few of the lines were removed. It was seemingly the other side of the [[Gates of Oblivion]]. Purgatory was part of the death mechanics between 1990 and 2004. Since 2018 "Purgatory" is instead the space between Liabo and Elanthia when disconnects happen in the [[Rings of Lumnis]].
The theological concept of purgatory has never existed in any of the lore, though it was referenced indirectly in archaic contexts. It was not an aspect of the [[Shadow World]] historical setting when it was implemented in the early I.C.E. Age, so it was a purely unique part of the game that could only be interpreted from within itself. Purgatory is referenced by name in the throne room of the mid-level "Under Barrow" in [[The Graveyard]]. There is a subtle parallel between this with [[Castle Anwyn]] and the [[Vvrael]] quest, where [[Lough Ne'halin]] translates as "lake without salt" playing off the [[Gates of Oblivion|Lake of Tears]].


Purgatory was not part of the [[Shadow World]] source books, nor was the deeds mechanic for escaping death. These were unique features of GemStone III that have to be interpreted within the context of the game itself. [[Research:The Graveyard#Death|Research:The Graveyard]] and [[Research:The Broken Lands#Death|Research:The Broken Lands]] construct a theory about the meaning of its messaging. "Life levels", now called "spirit", came from Rolemaster Companion II (1987).
==Representations==
=Death Mechanics=
===Purgatory===
The death mechanics have changed a few times over the history of GemStone III and GemStone IV. In the beginning there were five free deaths for level 1 characters, and five more that had to be paid for with deeds before reaching level 2, or else there would be a spirit death. In GemStone III there was a "Deaths this level" counter, rather than the "Recent deaths" counter which helps determine the severity of [[Death's Sting]] in GemStone IV. In the [[ICE age|I.C.E. Age]] there was a harsher kind of death's sting where the risk of stat loss was calculated at each new level with increasing severity for each "deaths this level."
One of the possible messages received when decaying in GemStone III, which included several common or more exotic variants. (It was possible to end up elsewhere than Purgatory.) There was nothing recognizably theological about most of these messages, [[Demonic|The Afterlife]] was depicted the same way regardless of the state or ultimate fate of the soul. Very low level characters without deeds would also be intervened upon by the Great Spirit [[Voln]]. The death mechanics have changed several times over the years. Originally, first level characters were [[Kelfour Edition volume I number XI|allowed ten]] free deaths, though they would owe deeds beyond five for the next level. There was statistic damage as well as item droppage upon decaying. These were replaced later with [[experience]] damage, and later [[Death's Sting]].


This counter increased for every decay, spirit death, or cleric resurrection while having zero deeds. Items were also dropped from the hands when killed, and all items were dropped in the event of a decay. Later in GemStone III these were removed. There was instead experience point loss for decays and spirit deaths. Permanent death was removed from GemStone IV and Death's Sting added in 2004.
Purgatory alludes primarily to two stories regarding the dream world by H.P. Lovecraft. [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/dq.aspx "The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath"] ends with the quest seeker falling through the black void of the "doomed and desperate dreamer" over the "slow creeping course of eternity", as "aeons reeled" and he returned to the world of his childhood memories. Through the endless void he feels the influence of the great demonic [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/og.aspx Other Ones], horrific gods of incomprehensible madness beyond the stars, just as the [[Pales|Void]] is associated with the demonic. (The quest seeker was tricked by [[Bandur Etrevion#Behind the Scenes|Nyarlathotep]] into proceeding to the court of the demon sultan Azathoth, who corresponds essentially to [[Eye of the Drake#Behind the Scenes|Agoth]] or [[The Unlife]], and he saves himself by remembering he is in a dream and leaping into the plummeting darkness.)
=Representation=
This is intended to cover the spectrum of first-person ''depart'' messaging possibilities. It is not including the announcements of deaths to the game, which since 2015 have indicated the region of death, except for spoof messages on Halloween and April Fool's. The first of these was the Rift death screams in 1998. The ordinary ones were "XXX just bit the dust!" and "XXX's soul has been lost to the demonic."


==Owed Favor==
This is referenced [[Uthex Kathiasas#Behind the Scenes|extensively]] in [[The Broken Lands]] and was [[Muylari#Behind the Scenes|arguably]] made absolutely explicit by the exit of [[Shadow Valley]]. (The time having no meaning aspect of it may refer to [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/sot.aspx "The Shadow out of Time"], which appears important for "[[The Legend of the Necropolis of Etrevion]]". It is concerned with prophetic dream vision, astral projection, and transference of consciousness across space and time.) It might refer also to the depiction of Oblivion in [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/tgsk.aspx "Through the Gates of the Silver Key"], which is part of the basis of [[The Broken Lands]]. [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/eo.aspx "Ex Oblivione"] in contrast represents when you do not leave Oblivion, where your memories and identity "dissolved" into the eternal peace of nothingness. It is reflected by [[Phantom Gatekeeper|the gate]] to [[The Graveyard]]. The "curtain of light" mentioned by the [[Quin Telaren|town guard]] might be an allusion to the equivalent dream vision Bran has in "A Game of Thrones", which would correspond either to the [[Wall of Darkness]] or the grainy montage of color upon entering Purgatory.
There are a few variations of the messaging for when you have just been killed. These messages are the same in GemStone III and GemStone IV, even though deeds no longer have this function.


'''(1) With Deeds'''
<pre{{log2}}>
<pre{{log2|margin-right=350px}}>
Slowly the world begins to [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/eo.aspx dissolve] into a grainy [[Wall of Darkness#Behind the Scenes|montage of color]]...
It seems you have died, my friend. Although you cannot do anything, you are keenly aware of what is going on around you...

You mentally give a sigh of relief as you remember that the Goddess Lorminstra owes you a favor.

...departing in 10 mins...
</pre>

'''(2) Without Deeds'''
<pre{{log2|margin-right=350px}}>
It seems you have died, my friend. Although you cannot do anything, you are keenly aware of what is going on around you...

You realize that you have no outstanding favors which Lorminstra owes you, and without having accomplished a deed for Her, your soul is in danger of vanishing from the land forever!

...departing in 13 mins...
</pre>

'''(3) Dark Gods Temple'''
<pre{{log2|margin-right=350px}}>
It seems you have died, my friend. Although you cannot do anything, you are keenly aware of what is going on around you...

You get a sick feeling in the back of your mind as you realize that you have had the ill fortune to die in a shrine to one of the Dark Gods! You offer up a mental prayer to the Lady Lorminstra, in the hopes that she will rescue you from her eternal foe, but somehow feel that your plea will go unheard.
...departing in 10 mins...
</pre>

==GemStone III==
When it was still possible to have permanent character loss through decaying without deeds, characters under level 2 were protected from it by the gods themselves. There would be messaging about Eissa (Modern: Lorminstra) or later the Great Spirit Vult (Modern: Voln) intervening to bring the character back to the living. The messaging for this is not included, it still has to be recovered from old logs.
===Decaying With Deeds===
This is the typical messaging you would see when your body turned into compost. In the [[ICE age|I.C.E. Age]] it would have said "Goddess Eissa" rather than "Goddess Lorminstra".
<pre{{log2|margin-right=350px}}>
Slowly the world begins to dissolve into a grainy montage of color...


'''[Purgatory]'''
[Purgatory]
'''You find yourself wandering amidst endless streaming light, and vast nothingness. This place feels torn between two [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/sot.aspx prophecies], each vying for your loyalty.'''
You find yourself wandering amidst endless streaming light, and vast nothingness. This place feels torn between two prophecies, each vying for your loyalty.
'''Also in the room: All the spirits of those who could not choose.'''
Also in the room: All the spirits of those who could not choose.
'''Obvious exits: light and darkness.'''
Obvious exits: light and darkness.


Time seems to have no meaning as you wander aimlessly amidst the uncomfortable tugging for your attention. [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/sot.aspx Hopelessness] washes over [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/dq.aspx dreams] you [http://www.yankeeclassic.com/miskatonic/library/stacks/literature/lovecraft/stories/imprison.htm once held] like the creeping tide of doom.
Time seems to have no meaning as you wander aimlessly amidst the uncomfortable tugging for your attention. Hopelessness washes over dreams you once held like the creeping tide of doom.


In time the Goddess Lorminstra finds you wandering the endlessness of Purgatory and says, "For thy deed, my promise to intercede shall be fulfilled." Taking you by the hand, the Goddess leads you back to mortality...
In time the Goddess Lorminstra finds you wandering the endlessness of Purgatory and says, "For thy deed, my promise to intercede shall be fulfilled." Taking you by the hand, the Goddess leads you back to mortality...


Suddenly you feel an intense pain scorching your very soul! The world of [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/eo.aspx your past] suddenly comes [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/dq.aspx rushing back] into your memory. You are quite bewildered by what has transpired, but alive...
Suddenly you feel an intense pain scorching your very soul! The world of your past suddenly comes rushing back into your memory. You are quite bewildered by what has transpired, but alive...


[Hall of Rebirth]
[Hall of Rebirth]
Line 30: Line 63:
</pre>
</pre>


===Modern===
===Departing With Deeds===
This illustrates a variant where an old man is speaking to you in Purgatory. It is most likely supposed to be Lorminstra taking the form of the old man on the dais, who is probably supposed to be the Lord High Cleric of the temple in the Landing. It was probably a random variant and not specific to using the depart verb. In her original lore she allowed souls to return if their missions in the world were not completed.
'''(A) Death Mechanics'''
<pre{{log2|margin-right=350px}}>
Being dead is truly boring...but things could be worse. You could be bored AND in pain. If you wish to depart this plane, so as to immediately continue on your journey, please type DEPART CONFIRM.


Slowly the world begins to dissolve into a grainy montage of color...
The following is how Purgatory is represented in GemStone IV. It no longer references the [[Gates of Oblivion]] or "Purgatory" at all, and now defaults to the "tattered soul" variant.

[Purgatory]
You find yourself wandering amidst endless streaming light, and vast nothingness. This place feels torn between two prophecies, each vying for your loyalty.
Also in the room: All the spirits of those who could not choose.
Obvious exits: light and darkness.

Time seems to have no meaning as you wander aimlessly amidst the uncomfortable tugging for your attention. Hopelessness washes over dreams you once held like the creeping tide of doom.

You are not sure when it started, but you suddenly realize that an old man has entered into a conversation with you. He speaks of things left undone, of special children who were chosen to make a difference. You cannot quite grasp what he is talking about, but he seems to be referring to you. Although he seems to find it excruciatingly difficult, the man grants you back your mortal life.

"Heed this!" he says, "Thy future relies upon thy deeds, for even I am powerless beyond a point!"

Suddenly you feel an intense pain scorching your very soul! The world of your past suddenly comes rushing back into your memory. You are quite bewildered by what has transpired, but alive...
</pre>
===Sign of Hopelessness===
The Sign of Hopelessness used to immolate the character in black flames, instantly ripping out the soul and causing a spirit death. Later it allowed characters to depart in spite of lifekeep before there was an unlink verb. It was most likely playing off the "hopelessness" line in the Purgatory messaging. This caused a variant where she "gently reassembles the pieces of your tattered soul" when you had deeds.
<pre{{log2|margin-right=350px}}>
>sign of hopelessness

As you make the sign, the forces of darkness rip your soul from your body!

You realize you have called upon your powers without due caution and have made your affiliation plainly obvious to all nearby.

It seems you have died, my friend. Although you cannot do anything, you are keenly aware of what is going on around you...

You mentally give a sigh of relief as you remember that the Goddess Lorminstra owes you a favor.

Slowly the world begins to dissolve into a grainy montage of color...

[Purgatory]
You find yourself wandering amidst endless streaming light, and vast nothingness. This place feels torn between two prophecies, each vying for your loyalty.
Also in the room: All the spirits of those who could not choose.
Obvious exits: light and darkness.

Time seems to have no meaning as you wander aimlessly amidst the uncomfortable tugging for your attention. Hopelessness washes over dreams you once held like the creeping tide of doom.

In time the Goddess Lorminstra finds you wandering the endlessness of Purgatory and says, "For thy deeds, my promise to intercede shall be fulfilled." She gently reassembles the pieces of your tattered soul, and then, taking you by the hand, the Goddess leads you back to mortality...

Suddenly you feel an intense pain scorching your very soul! The world of your past suddenly comes rushing back into your memory. You are quite bewildered by what has transpired, but alive...
</pre>
===Lost to the Demonic===
This is the messaging that resulted from a spirit death with not enough deeds to prevent permanent character loss. It is unclear if the specific message "lost their soul to the demonic" was triggered for all zero deed decays or only the spirit deaths. This was not an indication of society affiliation. The first person messaging appears to be the same either way, unless it was something else for spirit death in the early 1990s. The messaging refers to the "Gates of Oblivion" and would have said Eissa originally. Gosaena was not associated with the other side of Lorminstra's "Ebon Gate" in the lore until the late 1990s.
<pre{{log2|margin-right=350px}}>
The last of your life force is drained from you and you die!

It seems you have died, my friend. Although you cannot do anything, you are keenly aware of what is going on around you...

You realize that you have no outstanding favors which Lorminstra owes you, and without having accomplished a deed for Her, your soul is in danger of vanishing from the land forever!

Slowly the world begins to dissolve into a grainy montage of color...

[Purgatory]
You find yourself wandering amidst endless streaming light, and vast nothingness. This place feels torn between two prophecies, each vying for your loyalty.
Also in the room: All the spirits of those who could not choose.
Obvious exits: light and darkness.

Time seems to have no meaning as you wander aimlessly amidst the uncomfortable tugging for your attention. Hopelessness washes over dreams you once held like the creeping tide of doom.

In time your soul finds a home, be it in the light or the darkness, but not again in the mortal world. As the last memories of your existence fade, an image of the Goddess Lorminstra, who guards the Gates of Oblivion, tempts your hindsight.

[Purgatory]
It appears that your mortal life has ended once and for all, and that Lorminstra shall be embracing you shortly. This Purgatory is here to provide you with information about what to expect as you move on to the next stage of your existence. Before you is The Afterlife. You will need to enter it in order to create a new character for yourself. --->
You can LOOK AT THE AFTERLIFE to get information about what to expect now that your character has died permanently. When you are ready, simply RETIRE.
Obvious exits: none.

DEAD>look at the afterlife

DEAD>
Upon entering The Afterlife you will be given two options:

1. Retire XXXXX only (keeping the YYYYYY family)

2. Retire the YYYYYY family (loosing all family fame)

Selecting the first option will result in asking you for a new first name for your new character, while the second option will result in asking you for a new first and last name. In either case you can reselect your old names, but your family fame will only transfer to your new character if you select the first option.

DEAD>
As for up to the point of making your choices, it is the same routine as if you just started a new character. If you RETIRE the family, you will lose your character entirely. If you choose to RETIRE the first name only, You will be able to keep the same family name as well as the same first name if you wish to keep it.

If you choose the same first name and family name, you must remember, when you went demonic, you lost everything except the name. You will not have any items, character fame, stats, skills, age or trainings as you did when you died, including any coins you had in the bank or on your person. In keeping the family name, you WILL still have your FAMILY fame but not the character fame.
</pre>
===Locating===
When the character was still in the character manager after permanent death, it was possible to locate them as their last memory being Purgatory.
<pre{{log2|margin-right=350px}}>
You feel the memory of XXXXX blend with yours for a moment, and see their location as they last saw it:
[Purgatory]
You are in Purgatory. For more information, type HELP.
Obvious exits: none
</pre>
==GemStone IV==
It is no longer possible for player characters to be "lost to the demonic" and have permanent character loss from death. Whenever the lost to the demonic message is seen in GemStone IV, it is a GameMaster run non-player character being killed off forever. Deeds only reduce the severity of Death's Sting. The wording in the deed ceremony in the temple in unchanged, even though deeds no longer have any role in whether Lorminstra brings back departed bodies, and the messaging when just killed about her owing you a favor or (when having zero deeds) being at risk of being lost to the lands forever still exists.
===Decaying===
The following is how Purgatory is represented in GemStone IV. It no longer has the [[Gates of Oblivion]], Purgatory, or Lorminstra actually speaking, and now defaults to the "tattered soul" variant in general.
<pre{{log2}}>
<pre{{log2}}>
The world before you dissolves into a grainy montage of color...
The world before you dissolves into a grainy montage of color...
Line 48: Line 176:
</pre>
</pre>


===Rings of Lumnis===
'''(B) Needle of Pentas'''
There is now also a dark space located somewhere between [[Liabo]] and the Needle of Pentas on the [[Isle of Ornath]] called Purgatory. It is reached by disconnecting while in a [[Rings of Lumnis]] quest area, which is located within magical domes on the surface of Liabo and reached by teleportation disks which send you through space between the celestial bodies. In the later Shadow World books this space is called the [[Flows of essence#River of Life|River of Life]], where souls were swept along the flows of essence between the planet and the moon, brought to the [[Gates of Oblivion]]. The Lords of [[Orhan]] (Liabo) would ride the flows down to the planet.

There is now also a dark space located somewhere between [[Liabo]] and the Needle of Pentas on the [[Isle of Ornath]] which is called Purgatory. This is reached by disconnecting while in a [[Rings of Lumnis]] quest area, which is located within magical domes on the surface of Liabo and reached by teleportation disks which send you through space between the celestial bodies. In the archaic lore this space was called the [[Flows of essence#River of Life|River of Life]], where souls were swept along the flows of essence between the planet and the moon, brought to the [[Gates of Oblivion]]. The Lords of [[Orhan]] (Liabo) would ride the flows down to the planet.
<pre{{log2}}>
<pre{{log2}}>
[Rings of Lumnis, Purgatory]
[Rings of Lumnis, Purgatory]
Line 62: Line 189:
You see nothing unusual.
You see nothing unusual.
</pre>
</pre>
==Lornon==
There is a special case of the death messaging where you go to the moon Lornon, have your soul feasted upon by Luukos, and then your body is tossed back to the world. It is a very old script on Teras Isle, which was released in early 1996. In spite of technically being released after the De-ICE, it represents him as Klysus appears in the Shadow World source books. While it is still possible to sacrifice your soul in this way, it might not be possible to access every variant in GemStone IV. It is unclear if there was a special message for permanent death. It might have just gone to Purgatory after this regardless.
===Improper Sacrifice===
This is a message that happened when you displeased Luukos by being in the wrong location when you were sacrificed.
<pre{{log2|margin-right=350px}}>
Slowly the world begins to dissolve in a vortex of utter blackness...


[Lornon]
===Archaeology===
You find yourself in a barren cavern of black ice, totally alien to your sensibilities. There are no exits in the seamless dark walls, and you wonder what forces have brought you here...
The mid-level of The Graveyard was [[Ghoul master#Behind the Scenes|originally inaccessible]] from the surface, making this room a dead end for those who would escape by [http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/dante/in34.htm climbing out.] The tunnel that connects it to the edge of the burial mound was from someone clawing their way out, perhaps the cumulative result of many failed attempts by others. This would represent Purgatory without the possibility of a path toward the light, with the bodies being "all the spirits of those who could not choose" and the adventurer as yourself. It is likely an allusion to Lovecraft's [[Castle Anwyn#Behind the Scenes|"The Rats in the Walls"]] which is the only time [[Bandur Etrevion#Behind the Scenes|Nyarlathotep]] is described as being at the center of the Earth like Satan, where he's conflated with Azathoth who is basically [[The Unlife]]. The upended funerary gate next to the burial mound was a [[Lord of Essaence]] style trilithon portal, and was likely an allusion to the gate to the City of Dis in the Sixth Circle of Hell that was forced shut by the fallen archangels, as the demonic were offended that the living were trying to harrow hell.


The Dark God Luukos appears before you in a sudden flash of stinking brimstone. Your eyes follow his tall, muscular form up to his lizardlike head, and meeting his cold, slitted eyes you begin to fear for your very soul.
While this was presumably the original entrance to the Under Barrow, it would also have been used by the [[bone golem|bone golems]] to move high-quality granite from the [[High Plateau]]. The "unseen comings and goings" refer to the shadow assassins, which no longer exist, who were summoned from another plane. They were bringing sacrifices to symbolically sustain [[Bandur Etrevion|Bandur]] in the afterlife.
<pre{{log2}}>
[Under Barrow, Cavern]
A smallish cavern domes out above you, the packed earthern walls appear [http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/dante/in34.htm part natural] and [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/nc.aspx part artificial.] It is [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underworld_(Dreamlands) dimly lit] by the [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/poetry/p286.aspx same] [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/poetry/p289.aspx fungus] that infests the entire area. '''But there are sights here that would be better left in total darkness, piles of bones, heaps of rotting flesh, and things less recognizable, in diverse stages of decay.''' The air is full of unseen comings and goings though [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/sot.aspx you feel] no [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/nc.aspx earthly breeze.]
Obvious exits: east, up


Luukos looks at you with displeasure. "You seek to honor me with a sacrifice?", he hisses angrily.
>look bone
"Perhaps you should be nearer my sacred altar if you wish to please me."
Your eyes wander over a gruesome assortment of bones. They range from old and crumbling fragments of limbs and skulls, human and otherwise, to others still covered with decaying flesh that twitches with an unwholesome semblance of life as they are worked over by various things of the creeping and crawling variety.
Luukos reaches into your soul and tears it out by the roots, flinging you away from himself when he is finished consuming it.
To your surprise, you find yourself with a tenuous grasp on the universe, and your sole thought as you fall seemingly forever is that of amazement that you still live . . .


Your fall is broken by the hard earth beneath you as you awaken, dazed and bewildered, but alive nonetheless...
>look flesh
This corpse appears to be that of a fellow [[player character|adventurer]] who apparently has died in some less than happy manner. The [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/hm.aspx part of the face] that is left is twisted in a final grimace of horror that makes you doubt your sanity at being here.
</pre>
</pre>
===Insufficient Sacrifice===
This is a version of the messaging where Luukos is unsatisfied with the spirit he can eat because you are too weakened.
<pre{{log2|margin-right=350px}}>
Slowly the world begins to dissolve in a vortex of utter blackness...


[Lornon]
This subtly alludes to the throne room and sacrificial offering tables [http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/pepi2p.htm represented] in Egyptian mortuary temples (implied by the [http://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-africa/false-doors-gateways-egyptian-underworld-003214 false door] in the crypt), which would also [https://egyptsites.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/pyramid-and-mortuary-temple-of-pepy-ii/ sometimes] be carved or painted to depict stars on black backgrounds. Of special interest is the so-called "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_Texts#The_cannibal_hymn cannibal hymn]" where the pharaoh would slaughter and consume the gods to absorb their divine power, and the idea that there were only [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_the_Dead two ways] (by land and [[Kestrel Etrevion#Behind the Scenes|sea]]) through the underworld. However, they would [[Death dirge#Behind the Scenes|''start'']] at the bottom, and fail to reach the surface. The tapestry corresponds to the deed ceremony room and sacrifice storeroom in the Temple of the Landing, with other parts of The Graveyard relating to other rooms. Whether it reflected things in [[Darkstone Castle|Castle Claedesbrim]] is indiscernible without old logs.
You find yourself in a barren cavern of black ice, totally alien to your sensibilities. There are no exits in the seamless dark walls, and you wonder what forces have brought you here...
<pre{{log2}}>
[Under Barrow, Throne Room]
This high chamber is a madman's travesty of a throne room in '''purgatory.''' On a dais sits an eldritch throne inlaid with the ivory of human bones. The walls are carved with gut-wrenching scenes of sub-human figures [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/ds.aspx dancing and gibbering] with '''hellish''' glee under constellations you have never seen. Behind the throne is a tapestry whose subject turns your stomach. You also see a rotted wooden door.
Obvious exits: north, west


The Dark God Luukos appears before you in a sudden flash of stinking brimstone. Your eyes follow his tall, muscular form up to his lizardlike head, and meeting his cold, slitted eyes you begin to fear for your very soul.
>look [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Silver_Chair throne]
The bones that make up this grisly seat look as though they were somehow melted together. They flow and twist like [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/hm.aspx half-melted wax]. You have [[Absolution Pure|no idea]] how it was done and less wish to find out.


Luukos looks at you with displeasure. "You seek to honor me with a sacrifice?", he hisses angrily.
>look tap
"Perhaps if you were not so weakened from such a recent death, you would present a more appetizing picture."
The tapestry is woven with mad scenes of unspeakable cruelty and terror. As you avert your gaze from the unutterable insanity it depicts, you notice behind it a rotted wooden door.
Luukos reaches into your soul and tears it out by the roots, flinging you away from himself when he is finished consuming it.
</pre>
To your surprise, you find yourself with a tenuous grasp on the universe, and your sole thought as you fall seemingly forever is that of amazement that you still live . . .


Your fall is broken by the hard earth beneath you as you awaken, dazed and bewildered, but alive nonetheless...
The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_(room) cabinet] in the next room can be considered a medieval [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion,_the_Witch_and_the_Wardrobe wardrobe], possibly alluding to the [[Lorgalis|White Witch]] winter of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underland_(Narnia) Narnia] with its unfamiliar constellations. (The demonic [[pales]], like Inferno, were starless skies.) If this was intentional the mid-level also represents the natural caverns of Underland, with the throne being the silver chair of the madman prince who transforms into a serpent at night and slaughters all. In the medieval frame these rooms were less ambiguously a mock castle or feudal manor, with a throne room, great hall, the male equivalent of a private boudoir (which was called a "cabinet" or "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_(room) solar]"), and the ice house for preserving the larder. Symbolically they represent the descent from "[http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Italian_Studies/LD/numbers/04/forni.html mad bestiality]" into the malice of [http://danteworlds.laits.utexas.edu/circle9.html betrayers]. The stars allude to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purgatorio Purgatory] from Dante's Divine Comedy, where they pass through the frozen pit of Hell by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inferno_(Dante)#Ninth_Circle_.28Treachery.29 climbing down] the back of Satan, and arrive on the other side of the world (where the sun shines again and sin can be cleansed) just before dawn with unfamiliar stars in the sky. The symbolic point of the Under Barrow is the ultimate impossibility of ascent from the [[Bandur Etrevion#Behind the Scenes|Ice Shrine]]. There may also be an [http://www.yog-sothoth.com/wiki/index.php/Cthulhu Older One] premise related to the [[Muylari#Behind the Scenes|sleeping]] through eons of [[Uthex Kathiasas#Behind the Scenes|great demons]], where such beings will only awaken and reclaim the world when enough time has passed for the [[Sa'kain|stars to return]] to their ancient alignments.

More obviously, the language is overtly influenced by the work of H.P. Lovecraft, with immediate allusions to two of his stories. The first is a tale involving an [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/hm.aspx ivory throne] in a wax museum with a huge madness-inducing daemon, requiring human sacrifices to wake up, an [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_One_in_fiction#H._P._Lovecraft Old One] who was found in a high chamber with depraved carvings in the Arctic ([[Muylari|sleeping]] [[lesser vruul#Behind the Scenes|dead gods]], as well as [[Pales|Void]] demons, thus [[Black Hel|related]] to the [[Ordainer]] symbolism of the [[Bandur Etrevion#Behind the Scenes|Ice Shrine]].) The theme is a mocking parody of life in the darkness. The banquet hall refers further to another story with an unnaturally solid ivory throne, with an emphasis on the stars and moon, and a feast where the king and his nobles [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/ds.aspx transform] into [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/nc.aspx reptilian] sub-human beasts who gibber and dance in worship of their [[Luukos|lizard god]]. These resembled the [[leaper|bounders]] on the [[Coastal Cliffs]], often used as hunting hounds by [[Lorgalis|Dark Elves]]. The feast celebrated the shades (hence shadow assassins) who slaughtered the old population with its false gods. This story may partly influence why the [[Phantom Gatekeeper|Graveyard gate]] is made of bronze, beyond the more immediate point that it is the metal of [[Luukos|Klysus]]. It is further based on a [[demonic#Behind the Scenes|"Doom"]] theme, consistent with our form of Purgatory. The Graveyard has a number of parallels both explicit and subtle to the design of [[Castle Anwyn]], where various features from it showed up [[Olbin Pass#Behind the Scenes|throughout]] the [[Vvrael]] quest and even rooms in [[The Rift]].

==Behind the Scenes==
===Deeds===
In the early I.C.E. Age, Purgatory was introduced into the death mechanics as a limbo between two ultimate fates, though decaying without deeds would yield the message "lost to the [[demonic]]" regardless of [[Council of Light|society]] affiliation. There is some erroneous indication in the very early [[List of newsletters|Kelfour's Editions]] that originally [[spirit death]] would cause a character to go demonic regardless of deeds, making the spirit draining creatures and society powers associated with [[The Unlife]] inherently more dangerous. This would have been consistent with the old spell lists, which were copied from the [[Rolemaster]] spell books, stipulating that the soul must exist (intact) to be resurrected. The loophole was messaging showing the ripped pieces being reassembled by the death goddess. Whether or not this soul destruction was merely imprecise wording in the newsletters, Clerics did not have their resurrection powers and the [[Council of Light]] did not exist for the first half year of the game.

In the oldest form of the Eissa ([[Lorminstra]]) religion which held at the time Purgatory was implemented, the Goddess of Death would deny requests for resurrection if the fallen had died in a significant or meaningful way. Since this would make fortune hunting [[Player character|adventurers]] essentially doomed, the concept of [[deed|deeds]] served as another loophole in the theology. It would appear that acts of sacrifice on the part of adventurers serve as a special exemption from that rule, substituting symbolically a heroic feat in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fealty fealty] and homage to the goddess for the soul that was owed to her in death. (This is symbolically inverted by the human sacrifice symbolism in the "[[Bandur Etrevion#Behind the Scenes|thralldom]]" below [[The Graveyard]].) It is otherwise not based on her Shadow World background, which does not have a deeds concept.

<pre{{log2}}>
[Temple, Hall of Sacrifice]
This part of the hallway is decorated in tapestries which were hung methodically in rows. Each of the handwoven marvels depicts various acts of self-sacrifice: a valiant warrior placing himself in front of a fallen friend, a noble-looking lady giving her cloak to an impoverished child and many other similar scenes. You also see a marble dais.
Obvious exits: south
</pre>
</pre>
===Satisfactory Sacrifice===
When the sacrifice was done the right way Luukos was pleased with the offering.
<pre{{log2|margin-right=350px}}>
Slowly the world begins to dissolve in a vortex of utter blackness...


[Lornon]
In this interpretation the concept of "deeds" is more literal than the notion of "doing good deeds." It would have referred instead to the medieval practice of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homage_(feudal) "homage"], where a kneeling ceremony was performed to a [[Kestrel Etrevion|liege lord]] in exchange for titles and special rights of intercession. These words appear to be used in that sense in [[The Graveyard]], which was based on a story involving [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fief fiefdoms] and created at roughly the same time as Purgatory. The Graveyard insinuates the Rolemaster concept of ''becoming'' demonic in the [[Pales|Void]], which gives its own sense to the phrase "lost to the demonic", being slightly older than the Shadow World lore regarding the Dark Gods and the Pales. Paradoxically, Eissa is sad for those who choose "the dark path", even though it was Oblivion [[demonic|regardless]].
You find yourself in a barren cavern of black ice, totally alien to your sensibilities. There are no exits in the seamless dark walls, and you wonder what forces have brought you here...


The Dark God Luukos appears before you in a sudden flash of stinking brimstone. Your eyes follow his tall, muscular form up to his lizardlike head, and meeting his cold, slitted eyes you begin to fear for your very soul.
===The Graveyard===
[[The Legend of the Necropolis of Etrevion]] is the oldest story in the game, and its related areas are symbolically interlinked. It is impossible to fully understand it without the Shadow World source material. However, there are three additional layers of symbolism in the [[The Legend of the Necropolis of Etrevion|"grand design"]] of The Graveyard, which all imply the same idea of defying death in the ascension of fallen godhood. (1) The first is a strong parallel to Dante's Inferno, hence Purgatory, descending into the underworld to the frozen pit of Satan. (2) The second is the ancient Egyptian religion concerning the three levels of underworld, with the brothers representing [http://www.touregypt.net/godsofegypt/legendofosiris.htm Osiris and Set] and its middle level relabeled as purgatory. [[The Dark Path]] in this context refers to the "obvious exit" of darkness in Purgatory. (3) The Lovecraft theme of great demons sleeping through the eons, waking up in later ages and ruling the dream world. Of special note is "[http://www.yankeeclassic.com/miskatonic/library/stacks/literature/lovecraft/stories/imprison.htm Imprisoned with the Pharaohs]" by H.P. Lovecraft which threads the goblins, ghouls, phantoms, mummies, demons, madness, dreams, oblivion, Egyptology, labyrinths, necromancy, sacrificial processions, underworld horror, and an Old One who was beyond the [[Phantom Gatekeeper|God of Death]].


Luukos looks at you with a glint of pleasure in his reptilian eyes. "A fitting offering!", he exclaims, lisping softly as he does so.
Without recognizing all four layers The Graveyard appears misleadingly arbitrary. It is especially difficult to notice the sun god theme without it, though this was later made explicit in a society task. The Lovecraft and Egyptian dimensions are linked through the basis of Purgatory on [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/dq.aspx "The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath"]. In this story the terrible [http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/og.aspx Other God] Nyarlathotep who rules Kadath and the dark side of the moon, while seeing to the earthly affairs of the sleeping great demons, represents himself to mere humans as a pharaoh rather than his more horrific guises which would drive them mad. Kadath itself is represented by the [[Marlu#The Broken Lands| Dark Shrine]] in [[The Broken Lands]]. Bandur Etrevion corresponds to Nyarlathotep. [[Uthex Kathiasas]] is likely a portmanteau of "[[Utha]] [[Kadaena]]" with "Ex" and "Kadath."
You see his long, forked tongue slip out of his mouth and shudder uncontrollably. "You shall be well rewarded, my servant!" Luukos reaches into your soul and tears it out by the roots, flinging you away from himself when he is finished consuming it.
To your surprise, you find yourself with a tenuous grasp on the universe, and your sole thought as you fall seemingly forever is that of amazement that you still live . . .


Your fall is broken by the hard earth beneath you as you awaken, dazed and bewildered, but alive nonetheless...
The surface of The Graveyard itself can also be thought of in terms of Purgatory. The symbolic representation is the eternal hopelessness on the other side of the Gates of Oblivion, which may be what Purgatory actually represents since it appears to be another plane of existence. Bandur Etrevion reflected this with the use of [[phantom|phantoms]], which in the archaic lore were created through the intense suffering of hopeless imprisonment. In the other frames this is the "abandon all hope" of limbo and the blessed spirits who lived rightly ordered with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maat#The_Weighing_of_the_Heart Ma'at] according to the [[Luukos#Behind the Scenes|Devourer of Souls]]. The descent into earth is the fall into the Void. Unlike the pharaohs who descended to preserve the [[Ordainers#Behind the Scenes|balance]] of nature, the [http://biblehub.com/revelation/6-12.htm extinguishing] of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Battle the sun] is celebrated in chaotic images of [[The Unlife]]. This fate was recorded in a famous [[The Temple of Darkness|vision]] of [[Andraax]] where The Unlife [http://www.geocities.ws/icemuletrace/Tomes/1000.html appeared] as [[Muylari|slithering shadows]] that put out the sun. The freezing can be considered what follows from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Battle the end] of the stars and moon.
</pre>

=See Also=
===Shadow World===
* [[Kelfour Edition volume I number IV]] - September 1990, page 6 (mentions Eissa holding a soul in purgatory)
In the Shadow World setting there is nothing corresponding to limbo, nor was there any premise of hopelessness or vanishing identity in Oblivion. For the Eissa ([[Lorminstra]]) religion there is the [[Flows of essence#River of Life|River of Life]], which is a current of essence flows between the world and the moon, which swept souls toward her [[Gates of Oblivion]]. This river is symbolically represented in both the [[Order of Voln|Order of Vult]] ([[Voln]]) monastery and The Graveyard ending in the bog. This was not represented in the death mechanics, only the other side of the Gates of Oblivion, making its cosmology unique to GemStone III. Being "lost to the demonic" is somewhat more canonical, as the Dark Gods sent the souls of their followers to the [[Pales]].

Interestingly, the archaic diction used by the death goddess in the purgatory messaging is also used by a statue of Orgiana ([[Eorgina]]), which threatened to steal the souls of [[Phantom Gatekeeper|trespassers]] in her temple. It is standing guard over a powerful artifact called the Helm of [[Kadaena]]. Several rooms in The Graveyard are explicitly modeled on this temple, which was [[Black Hel|ruled]] by the daughter of Kadaena at the same time Bandur Etrevion supposedly pledged himself to her. The symbolism of the [[Bandur Etrevion#Behind the Scenes|Ice Shrine]] corresponds to the [[Black Hel]] theology, [[Ordainers]], the Ninth Circle of Hell, and the pharaonic ascension into Ra (with Bandur-as-Set cast into the darkness, but ending the sun, having replaced Osiris as Lord of the Underworld.)

More subtle still is the role of Klysus ([[Luukos]]), who was simultaneously the serpent, sun, and soul devourer god. Without the Shadow World background his relationship to The Dark Path through [[Lorgalis]] is missing, as well as his role in the sun god symbolism in The Graveyard. (In the Egyptian frame it was only possible for the pharaoh to ascend to godhood by slaying the serpent god in the underworld. The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_religion#Judgment "weighing of the heart"] was added later under the burial mound, with the general premise inverted.) The necropolis is equally defiant of Klysus as Eissa, but it is much less obvious. Interestingly, the underworld had its own sky like [[Shadow Valley]], which was haunted by an Ordainer-serving [[Muylari|serpent demon]].

==See Also==
* [http://www.tragicjester.net/about/gemstone/purgatory.html Purgatory Messaging Variants] - (incomplete)
* [[Kelfour Edition volume I number V]] - October 1990, page 18 ("life levels" going to zero means "spirit death")
* [[Kelfour Edition volume I number V]] - October 1990, page 18 ("life levels" going to zero means "spirit death")
* [[Kelfour Edition volume I number VII]] - December 1990, page 25
* [[Kelfour Edition volume I number VII]] - December 1990, page 25 (another soul destroyed by zero life levels reference)
* [[Journal 27]] - March 2004 (Kor'thriss the shadow dragon and Death's Sting introduced)
* [[Tyriyn Bythronian]]
* [[Research:The Graveyard#Death|Research:The Graveyard]]
* [[Research:The Broken Lands#Death|Research:The Broken Lands]]


[[Category:ICE Age]]
[[Category:ICE Age]]

Revision as of 06:57, 10 April 2020

Warning: This page concerns archaic world setting information from the I.C.E. Age of GemStone III. It is not canon in contemporary GemStone IV, nor is it canonical for Shadow World as the details may be specific to GemStone III. It is only historical context for certain very old parts of the game and these things should not be mixed.

Purgatory was the name of the place souls went when bodies decayed in GemStone III, including the situation of retiring a character or family name following permanent character loss. The messaging for departing or spirit death in GemStone IV is mostly the same, except is no longer represented as a room called Purgatory, and a few of the lines were removed. It was seemingly the other side of the Gates of Oblivion. Purgatory was part of the death mechanics between 1990 and 2004. Since 2018 "Purgatory" is instead the space between Liabo and Elanthia when disconnects happen in the Rings of Lumnis.

Purgatory was not part of the Shadow World source books, nor was the deeds mechanic for escaping death. These were unique features of GemStone III that have to be interpreted within the context of the game itself. Research:The Graveyard and Research:The Broken Lands construct a theory about the meaning of its messaging. "Life levels", now called "spirit", came from Rolemaster Companion II (1987).

Death Mechanics

The death mechanics have changed a few times over the history of GemStone III and GemStone IV. In the beginning there were five free deaths for level 1 characters, and five more that had to be paid for with deeds before reaching level 2, or else there would be a spirit death. In GemStone III there was a "Deaths this level" counter, rather than the "Recent deaths" counter which helps determine the severity of Death's Sting in GemStone IV. In the I.C.E. Age there was a harsher kind of death's sting where the risk of stat loss was calculated at each new level with increasing severity for each "deaths this level."

This counter increased for every decay, spirit death, or cleric resurrection while having zero deeds. Items were also dropped from the hands when killed, and all items were dropped in the event of a decay. Later in GemStone III these were removed. There was instead experience point loss for decays and spirit deaths. Permanent death was removed from GemStone IV and Death's Sting added in 2004.

Representation

This is intended to cover the spectrum of first-person depart messaging possibilities. It is not including the announcements of deaths to the game, which since 2015 have indicated the region of death, except for spoof messages on Halloween and April Fool's. The first of these was the Rift death screams in 1998. The ordinary ones were "XXX just bit the dust!" and "XXX's soul has been lost to the demonic."

Owed Favor

There are a few variations of the messaging for when you have just been killed. These messages are the same in GemStone III and GemStone IV, even though deeds no longer have this function.

(1) With Deeds

It seems you have died, my friend. Although you cannot do anything, you are keenly aware of what is going on around you...

You mentally give a sigh of relief as you remember that the Goddess Lorminstra owes you a favor.

...departing in 10 mins...

(2) Without Deeds

It seems you have died, my friend. Although you cannot do anything, you are keenly aware of what is going on around you...

You realize that you have no outstanding favors which Lorminstra owes you, and without having accomplished a deed for Her, your soul is in danger of vanishing from the land forever!

...departing in 13 mins...

(3) Dark Gods Temple

It seems you have died, my friend. Although you cannot do anything, you are keenly aware of what is going on around you...

You get a sick feeling in the back of your mind as you realize that you have had the ill fortune to die in a shrine to one of the Dark Gods! You offer up a mental prayer to the Lady Lorminstra, in the hopes that she will rescue you from her eternal foe, but somehow feel that your plea will go unheard.
...departing in 10 mins...

GemStone III

When it was still possible to have permanent character loss through decaying without deeds, characters under level 2 were protected from it by the gods themselves. There would be messaging about Eissa (Modern: Lorminstra) or later the Great Spirit Vult (Modern: Voln) intervening to bring the character back to the living. The messaging for this is not included, it still has to be recovered from old logs.

Decaying With Deeds

This is the typical messaging you would see when your body turned into compost. In the I.C.E. Age it would have said "Goddess Eissa" rather than "Goddess Lorminstra".

Slowly the world begins to dissolve into a grainy montage of color...

[Purgatory]
You find yourself wandering amidst endless streaming light, and vast nothingness. This place feels torn between two prophecies, each vying for your loyalty.
Also in the room: All the spirits of those who could not choose.
Obvious exits: light and darkness.

Time seems to have no meaning as you wander aimlessly amidst the uncomfortable tugging for your attention. Hopelessness washes over dreams you once held like the creeping tide of doom.

In time the Goddess Lorminstra finds you wandering the endlessness of Purgatory and says, "For thy deed, my promise to intercede shall be fulfilled." Taking you by the hand, the Goddess leads you back to mortality...

Suddenly you feel an intense pain scorching your very soul! The world of your past suddenly comes rushing back into your memory. You are quite bewildered by what has transpired, but alive...

[Hall of Rebirth]
Sunlight streams through the ice, illuminating the room with clean, golden light. Faint rainbows dance on the walls, playing across the huge mural hanging on the southern wall. The air is still and cool, layered with peace and serenity. You cannot help but feel calm here, as if something loving was watching over you.
Obvious exits: out.

Departing With Deeds

This illustrates a variant where an old man is speaking to you in Purgatory. It is most likely supposed to be Lorminstra taking the form of the old man on the dais, who is probably supposed to be the Lord High Cleric of the temple in the Landing. It was probably a random variant and not specific to using the depart verb. In her original lore she allowed souls to return if their missions in the world were not completed.

Being dead is truly boring...but things could be worse. You could be bored AND in pain. If you wish to depart this plane, so as to immediately continue on your journey, please type DEPART CONFIRM.

Slowly the world begins to dissolve into a grainy montage of color...

[Purgatory]
You find yourself wandering amidst endless streaming light, and vast nothingness. This place feels torn between two prophecies, each vying for your loyalty.
Also in the room: All the spirits of those who could not choose.
Obvious exits: light and darkness.

Time seems to have no meaning as you wander aimlessly amidst the uncomfortable tugging for your attention. Hopelessness washes over dreams you once held like the creeping tide of doom.

You are not sure when it started, but you suddenly realize that an old man has entered into a conversation with you. He speaks of things left undone, of special children who were chosen to make a difference. You cannot quite grasp what he is talking about, but he seems to be referring to you. Although he seems to find it excruciatingly difficult, the man grants you back your mortal life.

"Heed this!" he says, "Thy future relies upon thy deeds, for even I am powerless beyond a point!"

Suddenly you feel an intense pain scorching your very soul! The world of your past suddenly comes rushing back into your memory. You are quite bewildered by what has transpired, but alive...

Sign of Hopelessness

The Sign of Hopelessness used to immolate the character in black flames, instantly ripping out the soul and causing a spirit death. Later it allowed characters to depart in spite of lifekeep before there was an unlink verb. It was most likely playing off the "hopelessness" line in the Purgatory messaging. This caused a variant where she "gently reassembles the pieces of your tattered soul" when you had deeds.

>sign of hopelessness

As you make the sign, the forces of darkness rip your soul from your body!

You realize you have called upon your powers without due caution and have made your affiliation plainly obvious to all nearby.

It seems you have died, my friend. Although you cannot do anything, you are keenly aware of what is going on around you...

You mentally give a sigh of relief as you remember that the Goddess Lorminstra owes you a favor.

Slowly the world begins to dissolve into a grainy montage of color...

[Purgatory]
You find yourself wandering amidst endless streaming light, and vast nothingness. This place feels torn between two prophecies, each vying for your loyalty.
Also in the room: All the spirits of those who could not choose.
Obvious exits: light and darkness.

Time seems to have no meaning as you wander aimlessly amidst the uncomfortable tugging for your attention. Hopelessness washes over dreams you once held like the creeping tide of doom.

In time the Goddess Lorminstra finds you wandering the endlessness of Purgatory and says, "For thy deeds, my promise to intercede shall be fulfilled." She gently reassembles the pieces of your tattered soul, and then, taking you by the hand, the Goddess leads you back to mortality...

Suddenly you feel an intense pain scorching your very soul! The world of your past suddenly comes rushing back into your memory. You are quite bewildered by what has transpired, but alive...

Lost to the Demonic

This is the messaging that resulted from a spirit death with not enough deeds to prevent permanent character loss. It is unclear if the specific message "lost their soul to the demonic" was triggered for all zero deed decays or only the spirit deaths. This was not an indication of society affiliation. The first person messaging appears to be the same either way, unless it was something else for spirit death in the early 1990s. The messaging refers to the "Gates of Oblivion" and would have said Eissa originally. Gosaena was not associated with the other side of Lorminstra's "Ebon Gate" in the lore until the late 1990s.

The last of your life force is drained from you and you die!

It seems you have died, my friend. Although you cannot do anything, you are keenly aware of what is going on around you...

You realize that you have no outstanding favors which Lorminstra owes you, and without having accomplished a deed for Her, your soul is in danger of vanishing from the land forever!

Slowly the world begins to dissolve into a grainy montage of color...

[Purgatory]
You find yourself wandering amidst endless streaming light, and vast nothingness. This place feels torn between two prophecies, each vying for your loyalty.
Also in the room: All the spirits of those who could not choose.
Obvious exits: light and darkness.

Time seems to have no meaning as you wander aimlessly amidst the uncomfortable tugging for your attention. Hopelessness washes over dreams you once held like the creeping tide of doom.

In time your soul finds a home, be it in the light or the darkness, but not again in the mortal world. As the last memories of your existence fade, an image of the Goddess Lorminstra, who guards the Gates of Oblivion, tempts your hindsight.

[Purgatory]
It appears that your mortal life has ended once and for all, and that Lorminstra shall be embracing you shortly. This Purgatory is here to provide you with information about what to expect as you move on to the next stage of your existence. Before you is The Afterlife. You will need to enter it in order to create a new character for yourself. --->
You can LOOK AT THE AFTERLIFE to get information about what to expect now that your character has died permanently. When you are ready, simply RETIRE.
Obvious exits: none.

DEAD>look at the afterlife

DEAD>
Upon entering The Afterlife you will be given two options:

1. Retire XXXXX only (keeping the YYYYYY family)

2. Retire the YYYYYY family (loosing all family fame)

Selecting the first option will result in asking you for a new first name for your new character, while the second option will result in asking you for a new first and last name. In either case you can reselect your old names, but your family fame will only transfer to your new character if you select the first option.

DEAD>
As for up to the point of making your choices, it is the same routine as if you just started a new character. If you RETIRE the family, you will lose your character entirely. If you choose to RETIRE the first name only, You will be able to keep the same family name as well as the same first name if you wish to keep it.

If you choose the same first name and family name, you must remember, when you went demonic, you lost everything except the name. You will not have any items, character fame, stats, skills, age or trainings as you did when you died, including any coins you had in the bank or on your person. In keeping the family name, you WILL still have your FAMILY fame but not the character fame.

Locating

When the character was still in the character manager after permanent death, it was possible to locate them as their last memory being Purgatory.

You feel the memory of XXXXX blend with yours for a moment, and see their location as they last saw it:
[Purgatory]
You are in Purgatory. For more information, type HELP.
Obvious exits: none

GemStone IV

It is no longer possible for player characters to be "lost to the demonic" and have permanent character loss from death. Whenever the lost to the demonic message is seen in GemStone IV, it is a GameMaster run non-player character being killed off forever. Deeds only reduce the severity of Death's Sting. The wording in the deed ceremony in the temple in unchanged, even though deeds no longer have any role in whether Lorminstra brings back departed bodies, and the messaging when just killed about her owing you a favor or (when having zero deeds) being at risk of being lost to the lands forever still exists.

Decaying

The following is how Purgatory is represented in GemStone IV. It no longer has the Gates of Oblivion, Purgatory, or Lorminstra actually speaking, and now defaults to the "tattered soul" variant in general.

The world before you dissolves into a grainy montage of color... 

You find yourself wandering amidst endless streaming light and vast nothingness. This place feels torn between two powers, polar opposites vying for your loyalty. You are surrounded by the spirits of those who could not choose. The only way out seems to be through light or darkness. 

Time has no meaning as you wander aimlessly amidst the uncomfortable tugging for your attention. Hopelessness washes over dreams you once held like the creeping tide of doom. 

After what could be moments, or perhaps an eternity, the goddess Lorminstra finds you wandering in the endless space and speaks soothingly to you. She gently reassembles the pieces of your tattered soul and then, taking you by the hand, the goddess leads you back to mortality... 

[Temple, Altar]
The altar is plain, and bears only onyx bowls of smouldering incense and smoking paraffin. Draped behind it is a cloth banner, appliqued with an ancient mystical pattern. A legend is embroidered along the bottom. On the far side of the room at the end of an aisle, you see two pillars.
Obvious exits: out 

Rings of Lumnis

There is now also a dark space located somewhere between Liabo and the Needle of Pentas on the Isle of Ornath called Purgatory. It is reached by disconnecting while in a Rings of Lumnis quest area, which is located within magical domes on the surface of Liabo and reached by teleportation disks which send you through space between the celestial bodies. In the later Shadow World books this space is called the River of Life, where souls were swept along the flows of essence between the planet and the moon, brought to the Gates of Oblivion. The Lords of Orhan (Liabo) would ride the flows down to the planet.

[Rings of Lumnis, Purgatory]
Located somewhere between extremely dark grey and the blackest of black, the space here is filled with nothing but darkness.  It is unclear which way is up or down, and the disorientation is overwhelming.  You also see an atmospheric tear.
Obvious paths: none

>location
You carefully survey your surroundings and guess that your current location is the Needle of Pentas or somewhere close to it.

>look tear
You see nothing unusual.

Lornon

There is a special case of the death messaging where you go to the moon Lornon, have your soul feasted upon by Luukos, and then your body is tossed back to the world. It is a very old script on Teras Isle, which was released in early 1996. In spite of technically being released after the De-ICE, it represents him as Klysus appears in the Shadow World source books. While it is still possible to sacrifice your soul in this way, it might not be possible to access every variant in GemStone IV. It is unclear if there was a special message for permanent death. It might have just gone to Purgatory after this regardless.

Improper Sacrifice

This is a message that happened when you displeased Luukos by being in the wrong location when you were sacrificed.

Slowly the world begins to dissolve in a vortex of utter blackness...

[Lornon]
You find yourself in a barren cavern of black ice, totally alien to your sensibilities. There are no exits in the seamless dark walls, and you wonder what forces have brought you here...

The Dark God Luukos appears before you in a sudden flash of stinking brimstone. Your eyes follow his tall, muscular form up to his lizardlike head, and meeting his cold, slitted eyes you begin to fear for your very soul.

Luukos looks at you with displeasure. "You seek to honor me with a sacrifice?", he hisses angrily.
"Perhaps you should be nearer my sacred altar if you wish to please me."
Luukos reaches into your soul and tears it out by the roots, flinging you away from himself when he is finished consuming it.
To your surprise, you find yourself with a tenuous grasp on the universe, and your sole thought as you fall seemingly forever is that of amazement that you still live . . .

Your fall is broken by the hard earth beneath you as you awaken, dazed and bewildered, but alive nonetheless...

Insufficient Sacrifice

This is a version of the messaging where Luukos is unsatisfied with the spirit he can eat because you are too weakened.

Slowly the world begins to dissolve in a vortex of utter blackness...

[Lornon]
You find yourself in a barren cavern of black ice, totally alien to your sensibilities. There are no exits in the seamless dark walls, and you wonder what forces have brought you here...

The Dark God Luukos appears before you in a sudden flash of stinking brimstone. Your eyes follow his tall, muscular form up to his lizardlike head, and meeting his cold, slitted eyes you begin to fear for your very soul.

Luukos looks at you with displeasure. "You seek to honor me with a sacrifice?", he hisses angrily.
"Perhaps if you were not so weakened from such a recent death, you would present a more appetizing picture."
Luukos reaches into your soul and tears it out by the roots, flinging you away from himself when he is finished consuming it.
To your surprise, you find yourself with a tenuous grasp on the universe, and your sole thought as you fall seemingly forever is that of amazement that you still live . . .

Your fall is broken by the hard earth beneath you as you awaken, dazed and bewildered, but alive nonetheless...

Satisfactory Sacrifice

When the sacrifice was done the right way Luukos was pleased with the offering.

Slowly the world begins to dissolve in a vortex of utter blackness...

[Lornon]
You find yourself in a barren cavern of black ice, totally alien to your sensibilities. There are no exits in the seamless dark walls, and you wonder what forces have brought you here...

The Dark God Luukos appears before you in a sudden flash of stinking brimstone. Your eyes follow his tall, muscular form up to his lizardlike head, and meeting his cold, slitted eyes you begin to fear for your very soul.

Luukos looks at you with a glint of pleasure in his reptilian eyes. "A fitting offering!", he exclaims, lisping softly as he does so.
You see his long, forked tongue slip out of his mouth and shudder uncontrollably. "You shall be well rewarded, my servant!" Luukos reaches into your soul and tears it out by the roots, flinging you away from himself when he is finished consuming it.
To your surprise, you find yourself with a tenuous grasp on the universe, and your sole thought as you fall seemingly forever is that of amazement that you still live . . .

Your fall is broken by the hard earth beneath you as you awaken, dazed and bewildered, but alive nonetheless...

See Also