Shadows and Manifestations
Shadows and Manifestations was a treatise written by Wendy Salmoth from the Free Union of Magical Scholars documenting all the strange, new and deeply unsettling entities which had started to spread over Magicians' End in the Age of Shadows
Document Structure
Clauses
Separate chapters in the book are dedicated to specific manifestations, all of which Wendy Salmoth had researched in person with the aid of local guides. Her authoritative account of the locations and habits of the dangerous entities she described was quickly seen as a very valuable resource by readers. As a deeply practical book, the text is not prone to fanciful speculation and sticks to well established facts, tackling its sinister subjects in decreasing order of the danger they represented in the author's assessment.
Shadow Suckers
The first and longest chapter is concerned with Shadow Suckers. It describes how to recognise them and how to avoid their entrapment techniques. The work of Aldebaran Smith is summarised with an emphasis on the best techniques to dispose of them updated with subsequent discoveries and improvements developed by later mages in the Purifiers Guild.
Dark Fakes
In this chapter there is a discussion about how to recognise a Dark Fake and the precautions everyone should take to avoid mirror substitution.
Noctipedes
The third chapter is dedicated to an analysis of Noctipedes, where they can be found and how to prevent an infestation from claiming more victims.
Dragonspiders
Dragonspiders were largely confined to the jungles of Punjuki, making them less of a threat to most people, but for travellers who needed to pass through those regions, this chapter in the guide provided useful advice.
Skrurtulgrippers
Skrurtulgrippers were primarily a problem for fishing boats, but the book described the waters where they could be found and the best way to deal with an attack from the vicious fish.
Missing Horrors
In this final section of the book, Wendy Salmoth provided a quick historical overview of some of the creatures from the Dark Domains that had been encountered after the Planar Conformation and before the closing of the Hylacon Gates which has NOT been seen in recent times. The presumption was that these entities could not, at least yet, escape their prison, but recognising them might be important in future so descriptions were given and notes on how they had responded to magical and mundane attacks in so far as this was known.
Stalkers
Demons
Goblins
Dragons
This was without even considering the mightier forces that were rumored to rule the Dark Domains but had never been seen in the lands beyond. The last chapter of the book could certainly be taken as a warning that things could be worse.
Shadow Suckers Infest 03 by DMFW with Midjourney
Noctipedes Hunting by DMFW with Leonardo AI
Dragon Spiders by DMFW with Midjourney
Skrurtulgripper by DMFW with Leonardo AI
Magicians' End - Dark Domain Stalker 01 by DMFW with Midjourney
Magicians' End - Dark Domain Stalker 02 by DMFW with Midjourney
Magicians' End - Dark Domain Spy by DMFW with Midjourney
Magicians' End - Goblin Attack on Brukin by DMFW with Midjourney
Magicians' End - Oroth Aerial Invasion by DMFW with Midjourney
Magicians' End - Fall of the Old Pale Empire - Oroth Attacked by DMFW with Midjourney
Publication Status
Shadows and Manifestations was a widely referenced book, at first within the academic community of mages at the Free Union of Magical Scholars and then at the Institute of Magical Analytics in Ralsimoor.
Originally written in Beaneese, it was translated into all the common contemporary languages of Magicians' End and because it was written in an accessable style it also became popular with the general educated public.
A second edition was published postumously, in 4661 APC edited by a group of scholars from the Free Union of Magical Scholars. This included four new chapters describing what was known of the Justice of the Shadows and how this changed thinking about the Shadow Suckers, topics which were unknown to Wendy Salmoth.
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