Halls of the Dead

The Halls of the Dead is a Logical, Virtuous World featured in Every Heart a Doorway.

Description
The door between the Halls and Reality is described as solid oak, which leads into a grove of pomegranate trees. The air smells sweet, and the sky is a black velvet color, spangled with unflickering stars. The grass is wet with dew, and the Pomegranate trees full of fruit.

At the end of the pomegranate fields is a wall of marble, with a tall, imposing door that opens into the actual Halls. There are several marble pillars holding up white walls decorated with friezes and muted watercolor paintings.

The Statues in the Halls of the Dead are employed, and are expected to hold still for days at a time. Serving girls feed them with sponges full of pomegranate juice and sugar. They wear white draperies, and all ages are employed.

Nancy describes the aesthetic of the world resembling the paintings of Waterhouse. Most of the items in the Halls of the Dead are black and white, with colors reserved for those who had earned it, but mostly for the Lady of Shadows and her entourage.

The leaders of the Halls are the Lord of the Dead and his Lady of Shadows, who "had spread their ardor throughout the palace, and all had been warmed by its light." Their throne room is decorated with gray stone, and is a natural vault. Lights and gems hang from the ceiling, and on either side of the two thrones are three statues.

The Halls would sometimes have feasts that lasted weeks, with tons of food, such as unicorn. Mostly, there were silver cups of pomegranate juice; hunger dies quickly in the Halls.

The Room of Souls is completely pitch-black, except for the lights of the souls that go there to work out their restlessness before reincarnation.

There is a River of Forgotten Souls, where there are many magical turtles and a possible doorway to Belyyreka. Many Drowned Worlds border the Halls of the Dead.

Place on the Compass
During Every Heart a Doorway, Nancy assumes that the Halls of the Dead is a Virtue and Logic world after reading the introductary chapters of the textbook for the "A Traveler's History of the Great Compass" class, and by using Prism and Confection as touchstones. However, we learn in the multiverse map that her world is actually moderate Wicked. The reason for her incorrect assumption is likely because of what Sumi said about her possibly not being able to see how wicked her world really was.

It is unknown where it places on the Rhyme, Linearity, and Vitus/Mortis sections.

Known Members

 * Lord of the Dead
 * Lady of Shadows
 * Nancy Whitman
 * Statues
 * Serving Girls
 * Lady of Shadows's Entourage
 * Nadya (temporarily)

Trivia

 * There are many references to Greek Mythology in the Halls of the Dead, the most prominent being the Pomegranates, which were what caused Persephone to remain in the Underworld. It is probable that this is the same underworld, as Nancy references Persephone specifically.