Applications of Shadow

[Carthrat]

Applications of Shadows

Shadow magic began with the remants of Netheril, after Krasus' folly. Combined with certain sects of Shar, attempts began to pierce the weave, in order to once again seize true magic. However, for the most part, this is now impossible; the weave serves as both wall and guide to the aspirant wielder, and as it is impossible to be intiated into Shadow without gaps in it, even those who know much can teach nothing to their potential students.

The "Shadow" Plane is not really a true plane at all. It is what lies *between* the planes; the fundamental source of all magic as interfaced via the Weave, a sort of reflection of the Astral Plane. But while the Astral Plane is what seperates physical objects from each other (so to speak, all things being relative when you get into cosmology), the shadow plane is what seperates what is 'Real' from what is 'Not Real'. Theoretically, anything that exists in reality has a reflection in the shadow plane, where the very basic essence of the item, idea, concept, or person can be found. One could say that all things sprang from shadow, and to there all things will return.

Of course, such hardly matters; events on the shadow plane are inherently meaningless, changing nothing. Only in the real world does change follow the laws of physics, magic, and the like. "But," I hear you cry, "You said the Weave interfaces with the shadow plane!" And so it does, but is magic itself not an entirely natural force? True, magic draws upon many other planes, many other sources; but the fundamental fuel of the impossible stems from shadow.

Once again, this hardly matters; so does real life, in effect. It is best to think of, perhaps, shadow as the basic hues and dyes for a painting come from; on their own, they are meaningless, even when slopped around, but when taken together with an artist's precision, they create real meaning (a picture) in the world (the easel).

This is not to say the the Shadow Plane is entirely devoid of free-thinking entities- some strange sentiences exist within, driven by unfahtomable purposes. Luckily, they have little to do with reality, only toying with the fabric of their own universe.

As for the gods, only they know the real truth behind this plane- if they created it, or it created them, nobody can tell.


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...and thus, there are two primary applications for *channeling* the ideas lurking within the shadow plane into real, solid form, capable of use within the Prime. They are aptly divided into 'subconscious' and 'conscious' usages. In both cases, some kind of link to the shadow plane has been created in the mind of the user.

Subconscious use itself springs on two levels; those who are 'aware' of their capabilty, and those who are not. The latter is only used by those who have no other connection to the shadow plane; their willpower and their memories are used to combat the efforts of those who would attempt to use the shadow plane on them. Exactly how this works is up for debate; there have been markedly few cases to study. Often, this form of 'internal protection' manifests when one is within the same geographical space as one conducting a large-scale ritual regarding the plane of shadow, enabling them, if their spirit is strong enough, to shape a path against their opponents will. It is noted that nobody aware of this fact is able to channel it, and nor is anyone with some extant connection to shadow. They are on their own.

I theorise that those aware of their capability manifest their dreams into the real world in specific ways. It seems that only strong ideas can be made truth, and only strong ideas possessed by one who has a strong sense of self. These dreams begin as strong, individual images; for instance, 'Life', 'Pain', 'Water', 'Flight'. The more these abilities are used, the more variation they'll provide as the dream becomes more complex. I can't say exactly how these abilities spring forth, but I believe that what a wielder dreams of (or tries to dream of? Is lucid dreaming a possibility?) will become reality in the future.

Conscious use is more akin to magic than anything else. The developed user will be able to consciously determine how they will their powers to manifest. Shadow magic is very powerful, but a single user can only harness so many different mysteries; the knowledge required is alien to the mortal mind. Shadow magic is more powerful than 'Weave' magic- it's better able to channel raw creative force. But it is also, by nature, more limited for the user. There are many avaliable options...

(A summary of most of the different known mysteries is listed here. See actual book for details!)

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...because you can create 'ideas' out of shadows, it is also technically possible to create entire beings. Thoughts and ideas crafted out of shadow can indeed become sentient minds. However, this is usually an unconscious process, brought about by extreme stress or strong emotional attachments/desires. (re: not so for entites living within the plane of shadow? copies of souls as they fly to the fugue? Must do more research.)

These beings are effectively real people; however, because they are made of 'shadow', they are also capable of manipulating their more malleble structure than others. For instance, a common trick is to summon a short-lived 'body double' for some action commonly taken by the memory (re: hah! copying right out the netherese manuals again? cloning is far too powerful to be executed by any but the most skilled mages, boy.)

Usually, such individuals are able to summon doubles of themselves a few times a day. However, it may be possible for such people to push out part of their life-force and manifest other effects. Notably, since any 'shadowman' was made by some other force, traces of *their original creator* may be made manifest through their power. (re: That's somewhat more worrying. Exactly what mind is behind these creations? Is this a way for a sentience to continue forever?)

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...reflections of reality (and vice versa) are what is seen in shadow. Even those able to channel power, however, cannot truly glimpse the basic structure of things. However, those exposed to 'cracks' within the weave have the potential to gain this sort of second sight.

This ability allows, first and foremost, the potential to see the basic makeup of any item or creature; weak points, for instance, become obvious to a warrior, while perhaps a craftsman will see fine, imperceptable details in his tools or materials. However, the shadow plane is one primarily of ideas; the basic themes that cause the makeup of a particular entity could, in theory, be obvious to one gazing upon them.

An interesting side point is that certain kinds of illusionary magic, if 'observed' by such a person, could almost become quasi-real; illusions are reflections of the real thing, but perhaps, in conjunction with one able to channel shadow, they would be made manifest by simply recognizing the true makeup of the *idea* being projected? (re: clean this paragraph up, I have no idea what you mean.)

Finally, shadow doesn't use the same sort of correspondance/distance that we see in the real world. I theorise that people with their 'eyes opened' could be as effective a scryer as any diviner- perhaps even more effective, as they can see things that such a mage may not.

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