The Divide

The Divide is a mountain range that runs the length of Asoumiranz from north to south, meandering along the way. This mountain range is not visible on the surface, but rather exists on the inside of Otherworld, protruding from the reverse side of the crust through the molten mantle. The Divide has its own gravity, opposite of the gravity on the surface, which makes it able to support life. The creatures that are known to inhabit the Divide are incredibly diverse and invariably dangerous, with many more presumed to exist. The term for things found in the Divide is "divernal".

The Divide runs concurrently with some mountain ranges on the surface of Otherworld, such as the Red Mountains and the Great Elder Ridge. There are places in these ranges where the most daring of adventurers may enter the Divide.

The Divide does not consist of a single chain of mountains, but rather a series of interconnected ranges. There are five confirmed entrances to the Divide in Asoumiranz, with at least a dozen more suspected to exist.

The Divide's gravity pulls away from the core. It's like walking on the inside of the planet's crust.

The mountains of the Divide rise through the molten mantle into the vacuum. To someone traveling the Divide, the mantle appears as a sea of magma, and the vacuum an endless, empty sky. The core cannot be seen from anywhere in the Divide.

## Creatures

All non-spirit creatures found in the Divide have scarlet red skin, due to continuous exposure to the ambient heat of Otherworld's molten mantle. In addition to the unique divernal creatures found there, the Divide is also home to creatures from the surface of Otherworld that found their way there by accident. These creatures adapt quickly to survive in the Divide's harsh environment, taking on the red skin tint common among divernal creatures, as well as becoming incredibly aggressive and strong.

A notable example are the Alsan Magna, Alsan that found their way into the Divide after escaping from captivity. Their electrical abilities are amplified far beyond those of their surface counterparts, and they are about twice as large.

## Known Entrances to the Divide

### Dreaded Chasm's Entrance

The Dreaded Chasm along the northern border of Grimleaf Forest serves as the largest entrance to the Divide. However, it is also the most dangerous, as there is no way to climb down. Instead, travelers must jump into the chasm and free fall through the layers of Otherworld until they reach the Divide. The momentum gained from freefall will at first counteract the reversed gravity of the Divide, causing travelers to appear to fly high above the mountains. However, once said gravity takes over, travelers must deploy special gliding equipment in order to land safely. Exiting the Divide through the Dreaded Chasm works much the same way. Though it may seem exciting to enter the Divide in this way, there are several dangers. The chasm narrows as it goes down, and the walls are stained with the blood of careless jumpers. Moreover, waiting too long before deploying your glider will cause you to fly out of range of the Divide's gravity and fall into the core.

### Alvalpan Entrance

A smaller entrance can be found in Alvalpa. In a dormant shield volcano, an earthquake unearthed a hole in the earth that fell so deeply down, one would reach the Divide. Descending is similar to the method of the Dreaded Chasm's, but most people don't do it, since the walls are much narrower, and the Dreaded Chasm's descent is much more roomy.

### Untorr Cavern Entrance

The entrance in the Untorr Caverns is a tunnel found deeper in the cave that seems to go straight forward although it is actually slightly sloped downward. As one goes deeper through this tunnel, it will become wider but also hotter. Most turn away before getting to the Divide because the heat is simply too unbearable. It doesn't help that the Untorr Caverns are always filled with terrifying creatures waiting to kill anyone who enters. Some of these creatures get into the Divide to become more terrifying. One example is the Shrieker, a divernal version of the Screamer.

### Cave Cvaron's Entrance

One entrance to the Divide exists in Cave Cvaron, the most explored cave in Xapyctal. When one turns right on the Fork of Death, they enter the most dangerous part of the cave. The entire path is a large, slippery crystal that slopes down steeply. Sharp crystals line this path. It is incredibly challenging for humans to traverse this path. However, Conics use this path regularly to get into the divide. Presumably, there are other Divide entrances in Xapyctal, but they remain unfound.