The Night Realm

The Night Realm is a distinct location tied to IS-0059 and classified in the GATE compendium as Anteverse 39. It first came to GATE’s attention in 1991 after IS-0059 appeared in the Cascade Research Facility, but its origin, purpose, and exact relationship to IS-0059 remain unknown. Access to the area is unpredictable, and no successful TransRecon or Gatekeeper expeditions have been recorded.

The realm presents a distorted version of the Security Sector. Its walls are built from brick and metal-reinforced wood, while the floors are cobblestone with patches of what resembles dead grass. Despite the unsettling atmosphere, there are no hostile entities in The Night Realm. Instead, the area is inhabited by Shades imprisoned in the unique liquid known as Ink. Interacting with them produces only a low moan, displayed as "...".

Several notable Shades and interactions can be found here. A unique Shade resembling the Sister of the Unlost sits on a tree branch and behaves like the others when approached, but does not have additional dialogue. Another unique Shade appears near the Ink Well if the player is not wearing a Night Helmet; this one reacts by screaming and disappearing permanently, leaving behind a rising column of black leaves. This appearance requires completion of the Security Sector. A Shade of Dr. Cahn can also be found in the realm and uses the same dialogue as his Security Sector counterpart.

The Night Realm also contains useful resources and points of interest:

• Inkfish and the rare Sable Inkfish can be fished from the well of ink in the center of the first area, both providing Night Essence.
• Sable Inkfish only appear if the player has a Night Helmet equipped.
• Security Set Equipment, which yields Kevlar Scrap, can also be fished from the same well.
• One of the three outlets in the realm is located directly beside the well of ink, making it a convenient place to set up a small teleport base and fish efficiently.
• The object found beneath the ink well requires a Diving Suit to reach.
• After returning from The Night Realm, all trees in the Facility begin to take on the appearance of the realm’s trees, most noticeably those in the Office Sector plaza.

The Night Throne is located at the end of The Night Realm and in the Night Realm section of Fragments. Sitting on it ends the black fog weather event. A related progression use comes from breaking a Nightsphere, which opens an exit portal and clears the corresponding Clinging Shadow in the Security Sector; because the two areas mirror one another closely, using the map is a practical way to navigate and identify the correct target.