Shadow Realm

"It is much darker there. We have no sun to speak of. But we have a moon, oh yes. Quite a thing that moon, imperfect in its perfection. I recognize some of your constellations as mirrors of ours. What is strangest to me, is your waterways and oceans. We don't really have anything like that. The shadow surrounds us and flows through the lands. It is a corporeal thing. I see you are confused, but you needn't be. Just know that my home is lingering just at the edge of yours. You can come and visit it one day perhaps. But that visit may turn into something a bit more permanent. It is hard to leave the realm once you arrive."

- Ebra "Shadowborn"

Six Truths

• Water and plants are all infused with shadow, making them taste bitter to outsiders and slowly change those who eat them.
• Time moves differently in the Shadow Realm, sometimes faster, sometimes slower than on Cadash.
• Magic in the Shadow Realm is not predictable and can not be controlled.
• Distances and even geographical features seem to shift in the Shadow Realm.
• Shadow Elves were pulled into the realm during the Cataclysm and few have ever been back to Cadash.
• There is no sun in the Realm, only a moon that shifts colors, and a smattering of stars that mirror those on Cadash.

Geography

The land of the Shadow Realm is as varied as Reluria, with soaring peaks, open deserts, rolling hills, broken canyons and lush fields. Everything is full of shadow, causing the lands to appear murky and indistinct at times. Rivers and waterways exist, but are filled with inky black fluid that isn't water. The landmass is surrounded by the Shade Sea. While the Shadow Elves have attempted to explore the expanse, it proves difficult to navigate. Islands do not appear to be fixed, and distances in general fluctuate. 
In fact most maps of the Shadow Realm are vague when it comes to distances. Roads do seem to connect towns, but sometimes the land surrounding the paths will change. A mountain pass may touch insane altitudes one month and be quite shallow the next. Because of this impermanence, most creatures rely in innate or magical skills to find what they are looking for.

Localized Phenomena

True water is exceedingly rare in the Shadow Realm. The inky black fluid that runs in rivers and cascades down the side of cliffs has some properties as water. It is cool, refreshing to thirst and does not stain clothing. But newcomers find the taste bitter and lingers on the tongue long after drinking. It is said that once you drink of the water and eat the fruit of the Shadow Realm, it becomes part of you, and changes you forever. It is why the Shadow Elves look different from their kin on Cadash.
Springs and wells of true water can be found, but they are treated like treasures. A few who dwell in the realm claim to have only ingested true water, and that is has granted them powers of some kind. Beyond that, the taste of true water is prized as a luxury.
Magic has always existed in the Shadow Realm, but it is warped and not as reliable as what Yeno brought into being on Cadash. Because of this, while those who live in the Realm are used to magic, they see it as a shifting and sometimes tricky thing. The idea of being able to control magic is laughable. Those that attempt such foolishness end up losing their minds. Much better to embrace the instability and uncertainty of the whole.
Time in the Shadow Realm does not synch with time on Cadash. But there is no fixed measurement. Sometimes it is faster. Sometimes it is slower. It can make things very difficult for those who travel between the worlds.
There is no sun in the Shadow Realms. Light comes from the stars and moon. Star form some familiar patterns to those seen from Cadash. But others are mirror opposites, and others appear to be completely different. A few appear to move, planet-like across the sky. A large comet is seen every few years, bleeding a hideous yellow light that seems to taint the vary atmosphere of the Realm, and usually brings misfortune. The moon of the Shadow Realm is unique in that it seems to shift colors across silver, crimson and ash grey. It goes through phases as well that seem to time with the colors. Full moon is typically silver. Half moon is red and the sliver of crescents are ash. Like everything else here, these color and shape combinations are typical but not reliable.

Fauna & Flora

Vegetation in the Shadow Realm is just as unique. Like the ground that surrounds it, vibrant colors are rare, with most trees and grasses having a murky dulled look to them. But when fruit is opened, the inside is almost jewel-like for a few seconds, before that glittering flesh starts to warp into more somber hues. Like the "water" of the realm, the flavor of fruits and vegetables takes getting used to. Once you are used to the flavors, you are already part of the world.
Animals in the Shadow Realm are both familiar and bizarre. Creatures that hunt and forage at dusk and night are common. But many of them have odd twists. The owls speak in whispers and human like shrieks. What few deer that roam the world have humanoid like heads at the end of their necks. Horses eyes always seem to glow with colors like gems and precious metals. Fish refuse to stay in the water, some with scaly wings and others with strange fin/feet that allow them to crawl on the land for unknown reasons.
Fey touched creatures are more easily found here than on Cadash, including hags, black unicorns, red caps and fairies. Most claim this is their true home, and when they appear in the other world is is by mistake. Some of the oldest even claim that all Elves originated here first, before Yeno took them to Cadash to start their empire. If this is true, no one knows for sure.

History

Like everything else in the Shadow Realm, history isn't certain. Was it created by the three great gods? If so, what was the purpose? Some speculate it was a first draft of a world, corrupted by Chaos and thrown aside, but forever linked to Cadash. Other say that Chaos tried it's hand at creating a world, and this was the result. Stories swirl, but no one seems to know the truth, and the gods have never revealed it.
What is known is that those who dwell on Cadash would sometimes find themselves in the Shadow Realm. Many times it was due to a magical mishap. But sometimes it just seemed to happen, as if the worlds were touching and someone pierced the thin barrier only to end up standing in a shadowed world that was familiar and yet alien all at once. The door would go both ways and sometimes the creatures of the Shadow Realm would find themselves in Cadash and be just as confused (but perhaps more amused).
Then The Cataclysm erupted. Yeno had infused her people, the Elves, with magic and so they were greatly affected by the horrors of that day. Many disappeared, pulled into the Shadow Realm and never seen again. These became the Shadow Elves.
Over time the Shadow Elves built towns and even a small city called Sable Tower, where their leader the immortal Rolen dwells with his Shadow Court. The Shadow Elves may be the most populous of sentient life in the Realm, but any attempts at conquest are thwarted by the very nature of the world. Nothing is permanent, nothing is fixed and it makes control nearly impossible.

Alternative Name(s)

Realm of Shadow, Shadow Kingdom

Type

Magical Realm

Included Organizations

• Chaos Renegades

Related Ethnicities

• Shadow Elves