Shadespace
There where we all sink to
Geography
Falling, falling, sinking, sinking. All that is will fall and sink down into the sludge of black and white, suffocating as their chests get crushed under the weight of their own shame. -Markelius 12:32, Multiversal HymnShadespace, or the Shadowfell as it is also known, is the first and last of The Prime Echos, the 4 planes of existence locked in an eternal dance around and through one another within the Abandoned Realm. These four planes are Prime Material, also known as the Batorian Realm, Thoughtshine, Shadespace, also known as the Shadowfell, and the Dancing Dream, also known as the Feywild. These four planes are not physically located within the Abandoned Realm besides each other, but are instead each located within their own layer of existence and connected in the way that leaves are connected with each other through the roots of the World Tree. The Prime Echos are each reflections of one another, with each reflection losing bits of pieces of the original the farther you go through the reflections, similar to how reflections of mirrors become darker and darker when you put two against each other. Within the order of The Prime Echos, Shadespace is considered to be the first reflection right after Bator as well as the last one, depending on how its viewed. The difference comes from how Shadespace resembles Bator most closely physically, so has lost little but with its own dreary twist on it, but if the Echos are viewed as going from heaviest to lightest, and as manifestations of Mortal-kin in the Abandoned Realm, it would be the last as it embodies depression, loneliness, and similar such emotions that drag heavily on on mortal minds and pull them down to dark places. Now that we have the outer geography out of the way, let us discuss the inner geography of the plane. The actual plane is made up of pure negative energy, a corrupting force spawned from all the negative emotions, such as anger, depression, envy, loneliness, and others of such kind, having come together in a maelstrom of energy that formed the black sludge the Undead, Shadow-spawn, and, partially, Golem-souls are made off. For this reason the plane has its name, as the space that makes up the Wildspace of this plane is literally the embodiement of shadow and negativity. Due to the abstract nature of Shadespace, it can be difficult to discern or map the plane and even locations that are locked in place can seem to change size, shape, and location due to the fluidity of the plane itself. There are certain… certainties when it comes to the plane, however, due to it being a reflection of the Prime Material. These certainties are the actual reflections of locations which are always in the same place relative to their counterparts in the Prime Material and are, generally, grim versions of their counterparts. A castle near a lake which was attacked and barely managed to fend off the attackers in the Prime Material, for example, will be in complete ruins near an asphalt lake filled with the corpses of the original inhabitants.
The eight worlds of the Abandoned Realm are now exception to this. The Shadespace reflection of Donkerlucht is called Donkerster and is the largest body within Shadespace, even larger than the star of this plane L'étoile Froide, and is a gas giant that constantly emits a mix of toxic fumes and heat that makes travel around it nigh-impossible unless you take a wide arch or have your Spelljammer within an anti-toxic sealant. The reflection of Kristalberg is called Gebrokenen and was long ago shattered into pieces by The Collision and is now a titanic cloud of crystal dust and diamond comets the size of small Spelljammers that make a border between the inner planets of Shadespace and the Crystal Sphere. The reflections of Sarl is called Non and is a cubic planet covered in dust-devils and black storms that constantly whip up the red sand, encasing the world in an eternal sand storm that withers away anything and anyone that tries to explore its surface. Shadespace has no relefection of Mortol, Blas, or Sarte. The reflection of Bator has no real name, instead just being called Shadespace as it is what the majority of people will ever see when they visit this plane and is what the majority of this document will describe so i will not be idle on it in this part for too long. The reflection of Tellito is called Geschmolzenen and is a spherical ball of molten rock invested by lava-sharks, Giant skeletons, and red dragons. Besides these reflections there are some places that exist only within Shadespace. These locations include, but are not limited too, Solomonărie: Solomonărie is an academy for the Solomonari, a group of 10 wizards that serve, not only, as the lords of Shadespace but also as the only non-fury servants of Acr'Aldr himself, if more-so by association rather than being directly commanded by him. It is located far underneath the mountain fortress of Munteîntunecat, which itself surrounds the mountain Munteîntunecat on the top of which lays an asphal lake where the 10 dragons of the Solomonari reside, in the far west of Aren Leg, the dark reflection of Orom Leg whose name means ''Terrible Turtle''. The academy does not, in fact, serve as a school only; but also serves as an embassy between the Abandoned Realm pantheons and those of other spheres. Here, the Mad and Sane Gods obtained their respective pantheons and the Batorian Pantheon was first assembled. The Academy also does not solely educate the Solomonari, just mainly, and has teached many great mages across the ages, as well as taught many dragon knights when willing or feral dragons were captured by the Academy. It is, generally, considered to be one of the few beacons of light within the grim darkness of Shadespace and many Shadow-vagrants have sought refuge or shelter here when the Academy was willing to take in students or staff. Pit of Tar: This titanic tower of sludge, divine power, and tar is the head lair of the Conjoining of the Mad Gods. It is where the Lord of Madness resides, the pantheon meets to discuss battle plans, and where followers of the Mad religions go on pilgrimages to converse with their deities. It stands within the Dead forest on the upper most point of Shadespace and is surrounded by multiple small settlements of Shadow-Vagrants that fled the Prime Material during The Collision and have adapted to the negative plane over time. Eril May the Onyx City: Once, this city was the dark reflection of the humane capital of Akoni, but when Akoni was obliterated in The Collision Eril May was broken free like a dog having its chain cut and it has since then grown beyond what it could ever be as a mere reflection. Currently, the city has a population of 204,000 which consists of a mix of Shadar-Kai, Shadow-Vagrants, and Undead, and is ruled over by the 7th Lord of Shadespace the Duergar Elim White-strait. It is build on top the ruins of the ancient Onyx City, the actual reflection of Akoni which was demolished when Akoni was to symbolically usher in a new age for the city, using various struts, supports, pillars, walkways, arches, towers, and elevated platforms that mean that the city is at the lowest still 50 metres above the ground and at the highest well over 2 kilometers. Over the last few centuries it has build up quite the military, using spell-wrights, war machines, and constructs to assemble an inexhaustible army that, currently, protects the cities from the more... aggressive residents of Shadespace. The great halls of the Raven's Court: As said before, everything and everyone has a reflection within Shadespace; this includes The Castle of the Raven's Loft. While more the personal negative energy plane of The Castle itself rather than a part of regular Shadespace, to the point where even native Shadar-Kai refuse to go near it fearing its corrupting influence, it has none the less imprinted itself on the very essence of Shadespace as it has on Prime Material. The Great Halls are a rather unnerving location; cold, vast, and empty, as opposed to the claustrophobic and cramped nature of The Castle in the Prime Material, and with a constant whine of wind and forgotten spirits of forgotten worlds that give anyone inside the constant feeling of being observed and followed. The Great Halls get their name from the shere amount and size of halls that the ''building'' is made off, with no hall having a ceiling lower than 70 metres and no one having quite mapped the first few of The Great Halls past the entrance even after 5 centuries. The Great Halls are infested, as their material counterpart, with various kinds of Undead, Mad-Spirits, Returned, and Abominable Aberrations, even for Shadespace, and it is rumored that those who venture too deep into them do not return as anything less than a monster. Gravibus ex anima: Also known as ''The realm of those with unfinished buisiness'' this particular land of Shadespace, located on the surface of Donkerster, is the afterlife for those who could not resolve their regrets, goals, nor trauma during their lifetimes. Here, these lost souls are given the time and help needed to move on into a better afterlife, aided by their fellow spirits and the Shadow Furies, the latter of which were created for this very purpose by Acr'Aldr at the request of Karles and Sereté. While it is not the idyllic realm which most would be willing to spend their afterlife within, when one looks past the noxious air and the dreadful heat they find a safe space where the abused and the fearful are safe from the pains of Mortal-kin and given the time and help needed to ascend to a higher plane.
Fauna & Flora
The plane of shadow is also known as ''The soul of the Undead'' for a very good reason; It is literally where the Undead derive their ''life'' from. The very negative energy that makes up this plane and gives its Wildspace the eerie look of screaming faces is what powers the Undead of the realm and what corrupts any non-native creatures and plants that dare tread upon its soil. Due to this, the majority of creatures, plants, and fungi are of the ''Undead'' type, with some Fey, Aberrations, and Abominations filling in the gaps between the Undead necropoli and mudun mayta.
The most populous creatures within Shadespace are Shadar-Kai, a people of shadow elves descended of the worshipers of Limbo long ago, Bari Tritons, a nation of Tritons who died millennia ago in a siege of their city and got resurrected in Shadespace, Shades, Shadow Mastiffs, Displacer Shadows, Cloakers, Malaugrym, and Veserabs.
While most plant-life could not survive the darkness that always permeated the plane, there were some exceptions to this. These exceptions, more oft than not avoided the need for sunlight by resorting to Chemo-synthesis instead of photosynthesis to get their food or by feeding directly on animals for food. Notable plant-species that life in Shadespace are Melkor Nuts, a most unusual legume that is known to grow on the bodies of Undead and which, when eaten, gives a boost of energy and speed while limiting strength, the Helms feeder, a carnivorous plant that, when dried and powdered, is a highly active opioid but which is highly acidic especially in this state, and the Malum flammae, a type of legume that grows underground and ignites in blue flames every 20 years to spread its spores across the land.
History
Tale of the outcast
Long ago, before the Father had dried His skin from the light of DeFeu, there was a shadow. This shadow was cast by the very Realm itself against the light of the Phlogiston. When this shadow laid its gaze upon the Realm, the shadow was in awe for it saw what it truly was; a glorious pearl among the muck and grime of the multiverse. What else could it think of such beauty when it itself was a face-less imitation of its glory? This awe, however, quickly turned to jealousy and anger as every attempt it made to embrace the pearl was met with disgust and abhorrence. No matter what it did, the pearl saw the shadow as lesser, as an abomination and, as such, that is what the shadow became. Jealously, in an effort to surpass that which had cast it, it drew in shadows of all creatures, places, things, spirits, and faces from within the pearl, telling the shadows within the pearl that they could be so much more if only they would be one.
Tale of the abyss
In ancient times, before the shell was closed, there was a great sea. This sea was a sea of endless possibilities, with every color in every shade in every combination filling its waters. Sometimes, on the surface of this sea, a pear would rise to the surface, still covered in filth and dirt, only for it to be washed away by the tides and for it to sink slowly but surely into the depths of the sea. After uncounted time, all this filth and muck and grime came together, for so much had piled up on the bottom that it had covered the whole beneath. Just above this muck floated a lighter layer of muck, still heavy enough to sink but just light enough to forever dance just above the abyss beneath, carried by the streams. And just above this muck lay the surface of the sea, on which danced the reflections of the pearls, like an idealized mirror that shone only greated with the colors of the sea. After even more time the muck grew lonely, and it reached out with a filthy tentacle to grab the pearls above, to enjoy where it came from just a little more, but all it could grab was the reflection it left upon the tentacle itself, leaving the muck with a parody of what is wished for, but, for then, it was content.
Tale of the enemy
Once, long before the fog left the land, there was a tribe. This tribe was a scarred people, for, within its ranks, was a single man. This man was a cursed man, as the stories go, for his tusks were small and his eyes glowed with white light. To ensure that the cave-mother did not strike the tribe, they cast out this man, poisoning him with his own reflection before sending him out into the wilds. Here, the man was alone entire except for the company all people shared, his shadow. He and his shadow saw many things, but the man had poor memory so would tell his shadow everything he saw during the day so he could remember for him. Years later, when the man was on his deathbed, his shadow asked him but a single thing; for the man to tell him about himself, so the shadow would never forget, but the man had already forgotten who he was, having never thought of himself in all this time. With that realization, the man passed to the cave-cradle, and the shadow began retelling what the man had told him to everything he could find, trying to piece together what the man was like from the stories, but he could never remember all the details and embellished the aspects familiar to him, the darkness and depression, because that sounded right to him. After much time, the shadow had told the entire world what the man had said to him and the world had began believing him, its face contorted to match the heartfelt description of the shadow, and, in the final moments of the shadow, it heard the mans cries.
Tourism
Before The Collision, Shadespace was almost exclusively visited by pilgrims to either attend the Solomari academy, visit the Pit of Tar, or try and trade with Shadar-Kai for the few rare resources Shadespace holds. Besides these, few, reasons, it was considered to dangerous and not rewarding enough to even set foot there when other spheres, planes, and realms were as risky to visit but with much more reward.
Currently, as is likely guessed, there is even less reason to pursue Shadespace for non-natives as it is an expensive ritual to open a portal to the plane and even more dangerous than Bator could ever be. If anyone does, however, choose to travel to Shadespace it is likely to be to seek for someone or something, be it a long lost friend, a magical artifact trapped within the realm, or a villain that influences other planes from the plane of shadow.
Alternative Name(s)
Shadowfell, The black abyss, The soul of the Undead, Where the Shadow has fallen, Where the Shadow falls from, the plane of Negative Energy.
Type
Dimensional plane
Location under
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Contested By
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