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The world without magic is a parallel universe to the world with magic.

History[]

It was created by Richard Rahl in 44 ACB using the power of Orden. The world without magic has no link whatsoever to the Creator, the Keeper, the underworld, or the afterlife; the spirits of the dead in that world simply extinguish from existence. Because of this, Richard believes the world without magic to be an "island of life," whose sole meaning is just and truthful living and humanistic potential.

Creation[]

You wanted a new dawn of mankind. You wanted a world of life in which pining for other realms invented in your minds alone was the righteous cause of mankind. I grant you your wish. Now you must live with it.
―Richard Rahl, on the creation of the world without magic[src]

During the closing events of the war with the Imperial Order, Richard Rahl was forced to activate the Boxes of Orden using the Sword of Truth in order to defend his followers from the attacks of Emperor Jagang. Richard knew that the Imperial Order's ultimate goal was a world in which magic did not exist. So, using the power of Orden, Richard duplicated his world minus all its magic and offered everyone in the world of magic the choice of going to this new world, where the Order would reign unchecked, or staying in the world of magic where they would be allowed to live their own lives.

More than half of the world of magic's population chose to go into the world without magic. After the Order and its followers departed, the Pillars of Creation, led by Richard's sister Jennsen Rahl, also chose to go to this new world, not because they agreed with the Order's doctrine, but because they felt that, since they were pristinely ungifted, this new world was where they really belonged.

To be certain that no spark of the gift could ever exist in this world, Richard banished the Chimes and the Chainfire spell to the world without magic. The Chimes would drain the remaining sparks of magic from the new world's inhabitants while Chainfire would ultimately destroy the people's memories and all evidence of the world of magic. After everything was completed, Richard withdrew the Sword of Truth from the Boxes of Orden, sealing the gateway between the two worlds.

Progression[]

Jennsen knew that Richard was real, but to the rest of her friends in the new world, Richard and all that he embodied, all that he represented, everything they once had known...was passing into the shrouded realm of legend and myth.
―Jennsen Rahl, on the effects of Chainfire in the world without magic[src]

The world without magic initially mirrored the world with magic, and was therefore a roughly medieval society. It progressed to become a world uncannily similar to our own, having all the conventions, places, and technologies characteristic of modern society today. The rule of the Order was apparently overthrown.

It is interesting to note that since the world without magic is an entire planet resembling Earth, and was a duplicate of the world with magic, the world with magic must have lands and oceans beyond the Old and New Worlds.

Cain conflict[]

You are still haunted by it.
―Jax to Alex, on magic[src]

An undisclosed amount of time after its creation, probably some two thousand years, Jax Amnell, a sorceress and Confessor from the world with magic entered the world without magic, the only person among the Cain opposition to have done so since it was sealed off by Richard Rahl. She informed Alexander Rahl of the world with magic, the first counteract towards the effects of Chainfire, and had his help in preventing the followers of Cain from bringing technology across the Gateway.

Earth theory[]

It is strongly indicated that the world without magic is Earth, and that its parallel universe is our own. This would mean that:

  • the world with magic's geography, at least at the time of the world without magic's creation, is identical to that of our own medieval times. The Old and New Worlds must be part of a larger planet similar to Earth.
  • the Chainfire spell must have fabricated the evidence of a history for the world without magic that includes the Big Bang, evolution, and the ancient civilizations, as well as a new identity for the Imperial Order (or alternatively, these features were present in the World With Magic and, like everything else, were duplicated by Orden in the World Without Magic). What we may know this identity as now is uncertain.
  • the book covers of Wizard's First Rule, Blood of the Fold, and Soul of the Fire are from the world with magic, being the paintings of Richard and Kahlan seen in the People's Palace.

Notable inhabitants[]

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