The Nether (Union)

The Nether is a volatile dimension that serves as a somewhat sinister reflection of the present universe. Despite its high volatility, it contains no shortage of life.
== Description ==
Like our universe, the Nether contains many planets. However, contrary to the normal universe, every planet is barren and extremely volatile, and some of these worlds are even known to have massive volcanoes covering the surface. Very few worlds are able to harbor vegetation or even oceans, and would be a colonist's worst nightmare. Despite this, all of the planets within the Nether have a breathable atmosphere which, without known reason, replenishes itself without the need for sunlight or plants. These worlds, despite their volatile nature, harbor no shortage of life forms, many of which are extremely aggressive, to the point where the Union placed them under the "mob" category of organisms.
During the earliest days of the Notch-Herobrine War, Herobrine's armies would use Nether portals to travel unseen to distant locations across Minecraftia. Navigating the Nether was extremely easy, for 1 unit of distance in the Nether corresponds to 10 of the exact same units in realspace. After Brineforge was abandoned, the feral mobs continued to utilize the Nether portals to travel across Minecraftia. During the nuclear bombardment in the mid-16th millennium AS, every Nether portal on the surface was destroyed, cutting off all teleportation to the Nether. This left billions of mobs stuck in the Nether, with no way to return.
Some mobs were smart enough to direct others and retained the knowledge needed to build advanced technology. They would spend countless centuries building their own empires within the Nether.
=== The City of Death ===
Within the Nether resides the city of Aelliothan, or the City of Death. It was built by the legions of mobs left behind during the war. Despite its name, Aelliothan would seem more like a massive interstellar empire than a city. Its size and population rivaling that of a heavily populated ecumenopolis, Aelliothan is spread across multiple star systems, and has no single government. It would not be uncommon to find entire worlds or entire star systems worth of this city under control of witch cults, militarized corporations, zombie alpha-packs, or even split between two warring groups. 
The city's size and population has become so massive that if the Minecraftian Alliance's entire population were to live here, they would only inhabit an extremely small percentage of this city-empire. With no single administrative authority, the exact size and population of the city is unknown even to the faction rulers. After many millennia since its construction, it has become the haven of other species as well. At unknown points in time, large groups of humans, Dark Eldar, Sangheili, Zerg, and countless other races have begun entering the Nether and taking refuge in the city. However, instead of a safe, welcoming haven, many of these groups would find the city an even greater hell than their last home. Many of these refugee groups would not even survive their first year in the city, and many others would be enslaved by crime lords. Those harder to control would slowly rise through the ranks of the city. 
As is the case with the total size of the city, the number of factions dominating it are also very unclear. There are possibly thousands or even millions of factions within the city, and with no central administration, the exact number will always be unknown. These factions can vary in both size and functionality, from massive war fleets to vicious corporate empires, though due to the city's overall nature, concepts such as liberty, democracy, and peace are all but non-existent. There are also multiple battles taking place in Aelliothan, with millions dying every single day, and with the city's sheer population, a single person's life literally means nothing.
== Gallery ==
Nether.jpeg|An underground cavern of an unknown world within the Nether
Aelliothan.jpg|One of the many regions of the city of Aelliothan
Aelliothan 2.jpg|A Chaos-controlled region of Aelliothan
Category:Places
Category:Dimensions
Category:Union Canon