Shadar-kai

The Shadar-kai are a mysterious and enigmatic race, born from The Shadowfell. Said to be descended from ancient elves who made pacts with the Dark Lords and Elder Beings during the Fracture War, Shadar-kai are bound to the shadows both physically and spiritually. Their skin ranges from ashen gray to deep obsidian, often with a faint shimmer like starlight caught in darkness. Their eyes glow with pale silver or violet hues, reflecting the ethereal gloom of their home.

Living mostly on the fringes of society—whether in shadowed forests, forgotten ruins, or hidden enclaves between worlds—Shadar-kai are famed for their stealth, resilience, and mastery over shadow magic. They move silently as dusk, blending seamlessly into darkness, and are known for their stoic and somber demeanor. Yet beneath their often cold exterior lies a deep loyalty to those few they call kin.

Shadar-kai culture is steeped in the philosophy of balance—between light and shadow, life and death, hope and despair. They revere the Dark Lords as both tormentors and necessary forces of change, embracing the harsh lessons of suffering to find strength. Many Shadar-kai are skilled assassins, spies, or shadow dancers who serve as emissaries between the mortal realms and the hidden courts of the Elder Beings.

Despite their somber origins, some Shadar-kai seek redemption or freedom from their shadow-bound fate, traveling far and wide to learn new truths or aid in the struggle against the lingering chaos of The Fracture War. To encounter a Shadar-kai is to meet a soul forged in shadow, shaped by loss, but ever striving toward a dawn that may never fully come.

Basic Information

Growth Rate & Stages

Mature around ~100 years old.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Elder Being
• Elf

Scientific Name

Feaus sapiens shadus

Lifespan

~750 years

Geographic Distribution

• The Shadowfell

Discovered by

Xekton, The God of Dusk

MotM

Shadar-kai

HUMANOID

Shadar-kai Traits

Size: Medium (5-6ft)

Speed: 30ft

As a Shadar-kai, you have these special traits.

Blessing of the Raven Queen

As a bonus action, you can magically teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Starting at 3rd level, you also gain resistance to all damage when you teleport using this trait. The resistance lasts until the start of your next turn. During that time, you appear ghostly and translucent.

Darkvision

You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.

Fey Ancestry

You have advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the charmed condition on yourself.

Keen Senses

You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Necrotic Resistance

You have resistance to necrotic damage.

Trance

You don’t need to sleep, and magic can’t put you to sleep. You can finish a long rest in 4 hours if you spend those hours in a trancelike meditation, during which you retain consciousness.

Whenever you finish this trance, you can gain two proficiencies that you don’t have, each one with a weapon or a tool of your choice selected from the Player’s Handbook. You mystically acquire these proficiencies by drawing them from shared elven memory, and you retain them until you finish your next long rest.