"At the very end where there is Nothing, that Nothing is Something. The Great Dark Ocean, as a concept, is difficult to understand. And it is a whole other thing to see it and more so to even visit it. It has always been there, because if something exist, there has to be something that does not exist. Nonexistence is a counterbalance towards Existence itself.

— The Architect, to Origin.

General

An interpretation

It was the Architect that gave Nonexistence the name of the Great Dark Ocean. He once said that it was the very first thing He detected after he Awoke from His slumber within the White Sanctum. He wondered if it was His interpretation of it as a vast, dark ocean that gave it its current appearance from the Shores of Existence; that the very presence of Existence gives it a tangible form.
If one were to travel beyond the Horizon of Unknown, one would notice that the Great Dark Ocean is something of a misnomer and that the only reason it feels and looks like an ocean, is because it is interpreted it as one by the beings of Existence.

— From Tome of Dark Depths.

Origin's Testimony

"The best way I can describe what it felt like is…. Hm. Imagine being… ripped apart on a metaphysical level. Every annihilation smaller than a grain of sand… every single part of your body attacked with, just, so much pain – so intense that each individual point, inside and out, felt like it was vaporized and flash-frozen at the same time.
Try to imagine all of that, Archivist. And then realize that I felt it constantly during my dark Exile. Why yes. I do still sometimes, feel, phantom pains... Especially when one of my Vesalls die. That is why I usually leave death and destruction when that occurs. The pain — it makes it difficult to control my power. And I fear that day I'll lose complete control...

— Origin to Archivist.

Ocean Waters & Heavy Air

Origin has said, that during Her Dark Exile, it actually did feel like being underneath a vast ocean. It pressured against Her from every possible direction. It felt wet and cold.
At random intervals, however, when Her concentration was lacking from the strain of keeping Herself together, it instead felt like being surrounded by nothing but cold air that was difficult to breathe. It almost felt somewhat similar to floating throughout the Caverns of Void.

— From Tome of Dark Depths.

Entombed & Free standing

In a handful of rare occurrences, the ocean waters would solidify and entomb Her after they had washed over Her like immense waves of something. Those moments did not last long, however, but they were the most uncomfortable.
The most comfortable moments during Her Dark Exile, was when she found Herself standing on a solid surface, breathing the heavy air and hearing the ocean waters underneath Her. But those too were rare, as they only occurred when She was most in control of Her surroundings and in a somewhat calm state. Unfortunately, that never lasted long there.

— From Tome of Dark Depths.

Dark suns & Singing Ice

"I remember noticing something in the far distance at times. They resembled suns made from pitch-black darkness and spun ... unimaginably fast around their axis. They looked darker than their surroundings and I could pick up a sound that reminded me of singing ice. It came and went, and with every soundwave, I felt a metaphysical wave hitting me. They were the ones that did the most damage to me, I reckon...
Anyway, after enough time I could even see them in the darkness. They were like a light of liquid silver rippling across the nothingness. It was beautiful, in a strange way.

— Origin to Archivist.

Planets & Continents

"There were ... landmasses there. Or the closest equipment of one. Some were the size of planets, while others were the size of continents. The only times I noticed them, was when I got close enough that my Presence of Existence gave them dimension and depth. Other times I could see the silhouette of them from the light of the soundwaves at a far distance.
The Postiraem laid claim to these landmasses; they were their realms; separate yet part of the whole of Nonexistence. I guess our equivalent would be the Divinities' Demiplanes. The Eizemans lived there; I could sense them. The spark of existence within them. Dying, slowly fading.

— Origin to Archivist.

A realm beyond ones' senses

"You know what the scary thing is, Archivist? It is that, what we see of the Great Dark Ocean is like trying to get a sense of a landscape you will only ever see in the darkest of nights. And your only light source is a simple lantern that is nearly out of oil. You can only illuminate a tiny area around you and you will never get the big picture. You can only see bits and pieces, with the shadows near you, making you see things as they are not. A simple tree may look like a castle, and a river like a deep ravine.
Do you understand? That only makes me wonder, what exactly does the Unmade see and hear and feel when they have gotten through to Existence? Is our reality as dark and uncomfortable for them as theirs is to us?

— Origin to Archivist.

Native beings

The Postiraem
Ashyt
The Eizemans

Other beings

Zarallions
Árions

Alternative Name(s)

The Nonexistence, The Darkness, The Outside, The Unreality, The Far Realm, The Negative Realm, The Negative Multiverse

Type

Dimensional plane

Owner/Ruler

Soronath

"They say one fear what one do not understand. I guess, it is an explanation as to why that ... realm is so dreaded.

— Guardian, looking out over the Great Dark Ocean from the Shores of Existence.