The Fade

The Fade, known by the Dalish as the Beyond, is a metaphysical realm that is part of Thedas yet separated by the Veil. The Fade is split up into fiefs belonging to the spirits that live there, and they change the landscape of the Fade to emulate what they see in the minds of mortal dreamers. The Fade and its inhabitants generally copy locations, objects, people and concepts of the real world, often in a cruel or confusing way. These copies are nowhere near consistent, and may alter from moment to moment. The Black City seems to be the only constant feature of the Fade, always on the horizon. No one has managed to 'reach' it since the catastrophic event described in Codex entry: Tears in the Veil. The Fade has become a wasteland nightmarish place as the largest proportion of the Fade is controlled by Tzeneech, while a small segment is controlled by the new Titan God of Magi, but this is only tolerated by Tzeneech out of amusement.

Every living being (with the exception of dwarves) enters the Fade mentally when they dream, and mages tap into it when they cast spells. Most people do not remember their time in the Fade - mages being a distinct exception. 'Killing' a mortal's dreaming form while in the Fade (thus ending that individual's dream and waking them up) is a shock to the living body, but not inherently lethal.