What is a shade?
A shade is similar to a
familiar, yet the opposite of one. They are unwilling servants to
Shadow Dancers . They do not take a physical manifestation like
familiars do, unless their master orders them to. They are bound to the will of their master until death . Stronger shades can overwhelm a weak or inattentive master, forcing the soul into servitude as a shade while the body is taken over by the former slave. Once their master learns to manipulate magic on their own, they are used for more mundane tasks or as shadow soldiers.
How is a shade created?
When a shadow dancer is tried, spirits of the departed will gather around the whirlpool of magic, either out of curiosity or ill intent. When a shadow dancer succeeds their trials and is born, they are able to enslave the souls around them to their will. When a soul is successfully ensnared, either by accident as a side effect of the shadow dancer's birth or intentional by the dancer, they become a shade bound to the dancer's physical being, typically described as residing in their 'head space'. They are not actually in the dancer's head, but shackled to them within
The Veil. There is almost always more than one shade per dancer.
Shade Abilities
- Shades are able to communicate exclusively with their master. To the master, it feels like they are talking in their head, but in truth it is just a disembodied voice that only the master can hear.
- Shades operate in the shadows to create portals for their master through the The Veil and into The Mirror , often called Shadow Walking
- Shades step through the The Veil into the physical world at the command of a master and draw in the energy from the The Veil to create bodies in the shape of their choosing, black as shadow, and the reason they are referred to as shades.
- Shades are able to be used as a conduit to utilize magic. They are not able to access the four elements of Earth, Fire, Air, or Water. Instead, they utilize the flows of "Life" and "Death". They specialize at displacement of space and time to create links in every day items to a storage facility for the shadow dancer, more realistic illusions than normal mages can create, true healing, and if the shade and master are strong enough; time manipulation.
Strength Grades
Weak
Weak Shades are capable of communication with their master, manifesting no larger than a large dog, and small feats of magic, such as binding illusions or
displacements to small closets.
Middling
Middling shades are capable of communication with their master, opening the
The Veil to
shadow walk , manifesting as large as a man, and magics stronger than a weaker shade (
displacing to the size of a large storage room, longer lasting or stronger illusion charges, moderate healing)
Strong
Strong shades are capable of everything their weaker counterparts are and more. They can manifest as large as a full grown bull elephant,
displace items and retrieve them in a facility as large as a warehouse, major feats of healing such as reattaching or regrowing limbs, and even small acts of displacing their master in time (stopping time, going back or forward a few seconds or minutes).
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