Shadow

AC:DM Bestiary Description

The tale of the Shadows is long and still unclear in many respects.

Three thousand years ago, an Empyrean named Ilservian Palacost gave himself over in service to an ancient, nameless power of darkness and madness. He became known as Bael’Zharon, the “Slayer of Hope” in the language of Asheron’s people. Ilservian’s followers were changed into Shadows.

The first Shadows, then, were Empyrean, corrupted by the same force of chaos that empowered Bael’Zharon. These Shadows fought a vicious war against the ancient Empyrean and nearly destroyed them. Only the actions of the Yalain Mage Council and Asheron saved the race from absorption or destruction.

In recent months, the Shadows captured and corrupted many humans into members of their ranks. They took other species as well; some believe Greivvers to be wildly mutated Olthoi, and the Shadow Sprites bear a striking resemblance to the fey Zefir. It is known from historical records that in the last war, the Shadows similarly twisted several Gromnatross — the adult form of Dereth’s Gromnies — into the Shadow Spires.

There are only three Shadows known by name. Ler Rhan and Black Ferah are “generals” in the service of Bael’Zharon. They are extremely powerful entities that do not seem to fully exist in our world. Instead, they send aspects of themselves into Dereth. Isin Dule was once a fellow Shadow general, but rebelled when his master was freed in P.Y. 11. When Bael’Zharon was defeated, he exiled Dule and his forces from the ranks of the “true” Shadows. The current location and activity of Dule’s followers are not known.

There are indications that some Shadows, particularly those of the more powerful Panumbris and Umbris types, predate the conversion of Ilservian into Bael’Zharon. Scholars believe this indicates the force that empowered the Hopeslayer has sought the conquest of Dereth for a far much longer time than is commonly known.