The Shadow

The Shadow is and is not a physical place. It is a state of being, which any and all realities can inhabit and manifest from the smallest gnat to the greatest Power.

The most obvious example of this is the daily cycle of night and day. The Shadow falls on the land and it becomes something different. The natural tendencies of forest and sea to consume and destroy are intensified, as well as the intensity of natural desires to play and procreate. Under the cloak of darkness, every land becomes the Shadowland and are more wild, more terrible, and also more passionate and joyous.

This heightening of senses and feelings has resulted in darkness being a time of incredible danger. Everything touched by the Shadow will have less judgement and restraint, and more raw emotion pushing them to act on their deepest primal impulses. No one is immune from the Shadow's pull, but those who labor to exist only in the light are the most drastically affected by the Shadow if fate or ill fortune catches them out at night.

This effects all creatures, Thinking, Feeling and Other; beast, spirit and soil. Passions are intensified to fevered madness, terrors wrought from fear, laughter heightened to mania. For this reason, the Dragons, creatures of order and control, do not emerge at night unless it is absolutely necessary. Many of the good peoples of the worlds follow their lead and close their doors tight against the dark, allowing only their dreams to tread the Shadow.

In contrast, the Hassynzo Fae are creatures chaos and energy who have embraced the darkness of the Shadow. They are so rarely seen in daylight that most people believe that the Hassynzo can be wounded by light itself. This likeness between darkness and the Fae is so deep that many people think that they are creatures of the Shadow itself, embodiments of its chaos and danger.

It is said that there are no good people at night, for all are Shadowed. Dear friends and beloved family are all treated with fear and caution, because everyone knows a story of someone who lost their mind in the Shadow and committed terrible atrocities. It is well known that many go out into the Shadow anyway, leaning in to the chaos and darkness for their own gain. Some do this knowingly, others in ignorance. These are labeled as Sable souled, and in many communities the Sable are treated with distrust and often shunned. They are believed to be either a criminal or a criminal in the making. Though rare, some towns will jail the Sable for nothing more than the crime of going out at night. Other towns will give warnings the first time, fines the second, and if the Sable go out again the town believes that the Shadow has seeped into their soul and it is only a matter of time until they hurt someone. They are run out of town, jailed, or worse.

In all lands, people believe the Shadow can be fought with light. Inns and alehouses are brilliant stars of light that burn against the darkness. Like moths to flames, people flee the darkness and cluster around safe pools of light, be it the home hearth or campfire on the road.

But there comes a time when every living thing must greet darkness behind their eyelids when they sleep. Many find the nightly task of falling asleep a horrible trial where they feel vulnerable, afraid of others and themselves. Thoughts and fears feel more real, and many can only cower under their covers and wait for the peace of sleep or the coming of the dawn. Others spend precious resources and risk fire to keep lights burning through the night. Sadly, this has resulted in more than one horrible fire that's destroyed entire cities, but still the practice continues.

Many argue that the Shadow and the Collective Dream, Thas'ong Hi, are one and the same. But there is much debate on this question.