Nicely said. The one thing I would take out is the connection to Darkness, for several reasons, though it is very poetic. First, Aldrya's otherworld is also part of the Underworld. I doubt it is characterized by Darkness. (Though, coming from a human point of view, it is as easy to get lost in the woods as lost itn he dark. So to the extent you were describing the sychology of humans facing elder races, your point would still be valid.) Second, Darkness is a distinct element, not undifferentiated primordial pre-element. Third, uz have a sense that allows them to see in darkness, so darkness is muc less ambiguous than to a human. I think the ambiguity of the underworld is simply a feature of the underworld. I liked you description, though, as how humans would react to the uz underworld. I think they would react to the Aldryan underworld rather as some books have people react to fay magic: dangerous stuff where you can lose your identity altogether.
Chris Lemens
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