Netherealm

The Netherrealm is a fictional world found in the Mortal Kombat universe.

It was mentioned for the first time in a Mortal Kombat 3 biography of Noob Saibot (the first official record about his history), a native of the Netherrealm, which is described as "the darkest region of reality".

Despite of this, the Netherrealm would not make its debut until Mortal Kombat 4 (1997), during the Second Shinnok war. Many of such backgrounds (the Well, the Ice Palace, and the Prison, to name a few) ACTUALLY take place in the Netherrealm, although the Tournament also spread to Edenia and Outworld.

The Netherrealm also appears briefly during the introduction of the Deadly Alliance, which takes place between 5 and 10 years after Mortal Kombat 4. This is mentioned because Quan Chi manages to double-cross Shinnok and escape the vengeful Scorpion's wrath.

In Mortal Kombat:Deception, it is the second of the six realms that Shujinko has to travel in during his quest to retireve the Kamidogu. A small excrept from the game reveals his first impression:

Shujinko: "This place... it feels dark."

Damashi: "As dark as every heart that inhabits it... Your presence here would not be possible... only evil resides in this realm..."

He begins his journey in a large city, which is the base area of the realm built by Quan Chi as a source of protection against the wastelands that characterise this region. Located in the southwest, prudent Sorcerers must not wander off beyond the city's limits as the energy of the Netherrealm weakens them. The only place where they can stroll down is close to an ancient artifact at the heart of this world, called a Soul Stone, which will temporarily give them energy to survive the hostile surroundings.

The Netherrealm is considered to be the home of the most evil and vile creatures of the universe. Shujinko is often addressed by them in a coercive manner. Threats like "...go now or face torture!" or "...if this is true, we'll flay your soul!" and other menacing phrases are commonplace. Among the residents include Noob Saibot, who is revelead in the Arcade mode to be the original Sub-Zero, but twisted after his death at the hands of Scorpion, according to Raiden's overview of Shinnok's amulet. He assigns Shujinko a task of tracking down Sarenna. Other residents and travelers found in the Netherrealm include Jarek and fallen Elder God Shinnok from Mortal Kombat 4 (both eventually ask Shujinko to do some favours), Shang Tsung and Quan Chi in their Deadly Alliance regalia, as well as Kabal and his Black Dragon students.