Godgrave

A titanic skull laying on the Hollow Mountains' slopes, one of its eye sockets is empty and the other eye socket, as well as the forehead and the entire left side of the titanic skull was shattered by an unimaginable blow. The skull was connected to an enormous skeleton, stretching at least 5,000 kilometers from the top of the skull to the right knee joint, which was the southernmost intact point of the skeleton. The skeleton and the ground below were known as the Death Zone. It was called Godgrave because the Awakened speculated it was the corpse of a god.^[1]

The sun-bleached bones of a dead god or whatever the skeleton once was seemed like a continuous white surface, but they were filled with cracks and fissures, leading to deep hollows within the titanic bones.^[2]

Godgrave had a peculiar nature. There were no nights, and the sky was constantly shrouded by a veil of clouds. If the veil was broken, the radiant white sky revealed itself, causing everything under it to be erased from existence and turn into scattering ash. There was no exception to the rule and no salvation from the gaze of heaven.^[1]

As everything that moved under the merciless gaze of the white sky was instantly incinerated, the abominable life thriving in Godgrave adapted to its whims. There was no way to predict when the veil of clouds would be torn, and how long it would take for the stormy barrier to repair itself. Therefore, everything here lived at incredible speed. The white plain was bare and featureless before it would be teeming with horrid life in an hour or two.^[2][2]

In Godgrave, there was never night and never dark even if the sun rolled already elsewhere. The grey sky was diffused, and fields of vibrant vermilion grass-colored white bone added a touch of color to the place.^[3]

The skeleton's right hand is in the Song Domain, while its left hand is in the Sword Domain, allowing one to traverse the titanic corpse's bones.^[1]

Godgrave had three routes to traverse, each with its own dangers.^[1]

• The most suicidal route was to move across the ground, shrouded in twilight and covered by a carpet of ash, through the this Death Zone, where the deadliest creatures were hiding.^[1]
• The second route was to travel through the great hollows of the titanic bones, hidden from the sky, which was home to an ecosystem of harrowing creatures and tainted flora.^[1]
• The third route was to traverse the surface of the ancient bones, where there were fewer abominations and those who did so were less powerful.^[1]

The central part of the Breastbone Reach, right above where the dead god's heart would have been.^[4]

Inside the dead deity's breastbone, which was comparable in size to a modest continent, encompassing a realm of its own. The bone marrow that once filled the sternum's interior had vanished, leaving a hollow and replaced by a dreadful jungle.^[5]

The humid air was filled with strong scents, and the subterranean jungle was filled with countless trees, ferns, vines, and wild bushes. Bloodred moss covered everything, and colossal pillars of abominable flora rose to the dome of the sternum, attached to the cracks on its surface. The jungle had extended tendrils to reach the sky, which were used to the diffused sunlight and re-grow when incinerated. Under the canopy, powerful abominations lived, including Corrupted, Great, and Cursed, some of which were enormous and grotesque, and only those lucky enough to reach maturity could survive in the Hollows. The dark jungle was deadly, with most deaths horrid.^[5]

Main article: Godgrave's Hollows

The overgrown ruin, largely swallowed by the jungle, consisted of crumbling stone edifices and a canopy covered in red moss, making it difficult to identify.^[6]

Main article: Nameless Temple

A part of Godgrave was swallowed by darkness, and the stormy sky's scattered light was ineffective against it, while deep shadows remained unaffected by the bright daylight.^[3]

The abominable life in Godgrave adapted to its whims, living at incredible speed. The red moss, vermilion grass, Nightmare Creatures, and larger abominations were all in a hurry to be born, grow, consume, and propagate before turning to ash.^[2]

Godgrave had once been densely populated, with a fairly advanced civilization. There are many ruined cities in the hollows, some as large as lesser population centers in the waking world.^[6]

It had once been a divine realm, the remains of the Sun God's world. The immolating white void hidden behind the veil of clouds, the sea of ash below had to be the broken realm of the Lord of Light.^[6]

The Sword Domain and the Song Domain are in an inevitable war. The House of Night remains neutral, indicating the need for a land bridge. Godgrave is a potential land bridge that they need to conquer first before they can launch an invasion into the enemy's territory. The side controlling Godgrave can harass, disrupt supply chains, and strengthen their Domain while weakening the other. Neither side can allow the enemy to take Godgrave, making the Death Zone the battlefield for the war.^[7]

In Chapter 1881, Godgrave experienced a change in appearance after the stormy clouds that previously obscured the sky, suffused with blinding radiance, gave birth to an actual storm.

Flooding in the ecosystem of the Hollows led the weaker Nightmare Creatures to flee their dens and lairs to seek safety on elevated ground. Fearsome predators lurked in the water, waiting for a chance to hunt. However, the migrating creatures were easily preyed upon by stronger horrors, devouring many.^[8]

• In Chapter 2082, the Sword Domain has spread across the Breastbone Reach, where all its surface is under Anvil's control. Within this Domain, his authority is absolute, and his power reaches its peak. His influence extends into the Hollows, including hunting grounds of the Cursed Ones and Great Nightmare Creatures. However, his will does not eliminate the inherent dangers of the ancient jungle or the abominations that dwell there.
• It is the Sun God's Realm.^[9]
• In Chapters 2769-2771, Cassie witness the past of Godgrave or of the Sun Realm. Mictlan was the civilization born there in the wake of the Doom War called the Hollows.^[10]
• The colossal skeleton, once belonging to a creature of immense size — at least ten thousand kilometers tall, later known as Godgrave. Sunny noted that someone managed to kill this creature, although its origins are mysterious. Azarax expressed disbelief that such a giant could exist, stating that only the World Tree could compare in scale and asserting that it could not have been a Nephilim. Despite this, the skeleton that became Godgrave is associated with the Void. Sunny also observed that Azarax appeared unaware of the being whose remains became Godgrave.^[11]