Shadowfell
The Shadowfell, also known as the Plane of Shadow, is one of the planes of existence. It exists as a sort of counterpart to the Feywild, in the sense that it is also a reflection, or "echo" of the Prime Material Plane. Unlike the Feywild, it is a bleak, desolate place full of death and decay.
Geography
The most striking and immediate impression a visitor to the Shadowfell experiences is the lack of colour and light; no sun, moon, or stars adorn the inky black sky, and all things look as though the colour has leeched out, leaving nothing but black and white, which in the dimness more closely resembles "dark black" and "light black". A light source in the Shadowfell only illuminates half the distance it normally would, flames and fires produce less heat, and spells that involve light or fire are less predictable, and prone to failurem whereas shadow spells are enhanced. On the other hand, although it does not illuminate as far, any light source on the plane can be seen up to ten times its normal range of illumination, such is the contrast with the constant gloom, comparable to a star in the night sky. Even a light source that only produces shadowy illumination, such as a darkness spell, can be seen up to five times its range of illumination.
Gravity and time function the same on the Shadowfell as on the Prime, but because the Shadowfell is magically morphic the landscape is a dark, twisted echo of what exists on the Prime. Upon entering the Shadowfell, the local features are usually quite similar to where the individual entered from the Prime; in a forest, they appear in a shadowy forest, or from underwater, they appear in a similar body of water, etc. But from that starting point, the landscape diverges rapidly away from the familiar, and on subsequent visits from the same starting point it diverges in different ways, making mapping the Shadowfell a useless endeavour. Landmarks are usually recognisable but altered in some bizarre way; buildings might be constructed in a diffrent style, built with different matericals, at a different location, and/or in any condition from dilapidated ruins to its normal appearance, for example. Similar sites are sometimes called "shadow-analogues".
Due to the ever-changing landscape, the Shadowfell is subject to relatively frequent but very small earthquakes (known as shadow quakes). For anyone on the ground, the damage is the equivalent of an earthquake on the Prime Material Plane; however, the shadow quakes can also disrupt a shadow walk (the process of entering the Shadowfell) and deposit unfortunate travellers to onto the Shadowfell at a place very likely unknown and far from their destination.
Some areas of the Shadowfell seem to have an affinity with life-draining undead such as shadows, ghosts and vampires. These "darklands" have a minor negative energy effect, and unprotected visitors immediately feel the life force being sucked from their bodies - unless they exit the darkland quickly, they will be reduced to ash. Thankfully, no natural vortices open into darklands regions, preventing the unwary from stepping through into almost certain death, and keeping the creatures that thrive there from having easy access to other planes. Material Plane locations such as desecrated graves, haunted battlefields and necromantic foci frequently have a darkland echo on the Shadowfell.
Other less dangerous but quite unsettling echoes occur in areas analogous to towns and cities in the Prime Material Plane. They are nothing more than mirages, but familiar faces and places seen through the macabre mirror of the Shadowfell can be very demoralising. Structures might appear altered, dislocated, destroyed, or replaced entirely by something else. Mirages of the living have visages of distorted nightmares, but are still recognisable enough to give travellers a jolt of fear and revulsion.
Air, water, and food exist on this plane, supporting plants, animals, and some humanoids adapted to the shadow environment. Visitors can survive indefinitely if they are willing to endure thick, foul-smelling water, food that oozes dark blood, and a pervasive nip in the air. A visitor can never feel warm, can often hear or sense the presence of things that aren't there, and can never shake the feeling of being watched. It is a constantly unsettling place. Over time, exposure to the Shadowfell alters living things, increasing various traits and abilities but also introducing some vulnerabilities. Emotions and the ability to experience them seem to fade over time for those imbued with shadowstuff.
The morphic nature of the Shadowfell can produce strange effects, mainly in areas like the Black Rift that are especially morphic, and with events that have a particular affinity with the plane, such as death. For example, in the Black Rift alone, a pile of bodies can cause more skeletons to appear, until there are thousands. More bizarre are the strange biers upon which dead bodies spontaneously appear, apparently drawn from wherever they rest, anywhere in existence, only to disappear after a few seconds, presumably to wherever they'd come from.
Localized Phenomena
Known as "shadowstuff", the material of the Shadowfell can be manipulated by illusionists to form semi-real monsters and quasi-real evocations that are still effective (albeit to a lesser degree) even if the target successfully disbelieves the illusion.
Another tool of illusionists is the shadow well spell, which can turn a creature's shadow into a temporary gateway into the Shadowfell. If successful, the victim is sucked through their own shadow and spends a few moments in a pocket realm being terrorised by dark phantasms. No physical harm is caused by this spell, but mental and emotional trauma resulting in a fear response is possible.
An unsuccessful attempt to build a gate to the Shadowfell can result in what is known as a failed Shadow Gate. A being that steps through one is taken momentarily to the Shadowfell, but in that moment a "seed of shadow" is implanted in their flesh. This can cause their flesh to be subsumed by shadow, and mist away into darkness. Many die, reduced to bare skeletons, but those who survive acquire the powers of a dark creature.
Type
Plane of Existence
Related Ethnicities
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