"Normal" people (peasants) cannot envision getting out of the DR. Us players can do it because we're supposed to be heroes 'n all - and if your character is of the more mundane type and you knowingly roleplay this way, the Death Realm would be final if you really die - as in get killed legitimately and in-character. There are many people who have given their characters such a finality, and gotten out only through a lot of work IC.
There are ways to prevent newbies from dying outright - and this is once all the bugs are taken care of. Right now it's difficult to work the DR as it is meant to be into your stories, but it's not impossible, and will be quite realizable in the future.
