Shadow Plane
A plane of dark shadows and life-draining energies, the Plane of Shadow is a place of secret motives and greedy ambitions. As one of the
Reflection Planesthat make up the metaphysical essence of the Material Plane, the Shadow Plane overlaps with the Material wherever there is darkness and secrecy and is shaped by them.
Most scholars agree that the Shadow Plane is in many ways a reflection of the combined malice, greed, and secrecy of the Material Plane. This explains the spawning of certain undead and other maleficent entities, as well as the existence of the Great Oblivion deep within its borders.
Navigation
A dark and shattered wasteland, the Shadow Plane is full of eroded ruins and craggy deserts. It can be navigated in much the same way as the Material Plane, but is cast in an eternal, starless twilight. Travelers must also be wary of the life draining nature of the Shadow Plane. Though similar, it is much more malicious than the life draining effect of the River of Death, and much more aggressive.Notable Locations
Lyteg, home of the Scead (Unsælie Fae)
In the bowels of the Shadow Plane, far beyond the borders of the material plane, lies the dreaded land of Lyteg. This frigid, dark land can be found by walking Thoughtward on the material plane, or, more commonly, by getting lost on the Thoughtward edges of the material plane. Also called the Court of Rigor or Court of Winter by some, this terrible place is home to the cruelest, most ferocious fey. Redcaps, invisible stalkers, and even the occasional hag haunt this realm. Mortals who fight their way deep enough into the Shadow Plane to find Lyteg will find it to be a frigid, inhospitable realm whose inhabitants must fight for survival. Unlike other fey, Unsælie fey often have a strong dislike or envy of mortal life. This is not to say they cannot be reasoned with, however. The Unsælie fey love a good bargain as much as the next fey. But such bargains should not be undertaken lightly, as the Unsælie hold to their bargains with a feral force of will that only fiends can match. On the bright side, the Unsælie hate undeath even more than mortals. As such, the usual, life-draining influence of the Shadow Plane cannot enter the Winter Court, and undead who enter are quickly vanquished. Talented slayers of the undead might even find themselves welcomed into the Winter Court as a fellow warrior.The Great Oblivion
Very little is known about this place except that it exists as a hole of nothingness deep within the heart of the Shadow Plane. Its destructive energies obliterate all but the most powerful life forms in a matter of seconds and power some of the most destructively horrible magic known to sentient beings. It is said that great generals of darkness occasionally arise from within the Great Oblivion. Embodiments of true destruction fervently hunting down all that lives in an attempt to extinguish all life from existence.Border Regions
Material - The Shadowlands
The Plane of Shadow borders the Material Plane wherever there is darkness, fear, or deception. These borderlands look strikingly similar to their counterparts in the Material Plane, but darker, more baren and twisted. Eerie cities full of terrible creatures, dark alleys, seedy taverns, and iron-fisted rule dot a landscape of craggy overhangs and forests of withered, dark forests. The only light is a faint grey luminescence that emmanates from a cloudy, grey-black sky. It does not quite pierce the shadows. Numerous creatures roam this region, searching for a way to or from the mortal plane.Wyld - The Unfinished
Where Wyld meets Shadow, the sky gets a bit brighter, a bit more vibrant. Darkness gives way to expectant quiet. Cities give way to ghost towns, abandoned before they were ever completed. Roads in the Unfinished lead to nowhere as often as to somewhere, but the atmosphere no longer drains the life from those within.Inverse - The Cult
Where Inverse meets Shadow lies a dark society of strange creatures known as The Cult. Nobody knows what exactly it is that they serve, if anything. In fact, interrogation of its members shows that even they know not the entity their cult serves, if it serves anything at all. Some scholars believe that the Cult has never served anything, instead using vague rituals and promises to gather power and manipulate others into obeisance.Ice - Black Ice Glaciers
The Glaciers are visible from many parts of Shadow as enormous dark blots looming on the iceward horizon, deep within the coldest regions of Shadow. When viewed up close, the ice that makes up the glaciers is pitch black. These glaciers slide ever-so-slowly forward, carving deep ruts in the ground through which they pass. It is unknown whether they will ever fully reach the Plane of Shadow, or whether they will slide inexorably forward forever.Earth - Caverns of Madness
The planes of Earth and Shadow collide in a complex maze of tunnels and caves known as the Caverns of Madness. The network of tunnels is nearly impossible to navigate and is constantly changing and shifting. Strange creatures roam its halls, long since driven mad by the pitch dark.Water - The Dread Swamp
Shadow and Water combine to form a dense, dark swamp. The primary danger of the Dread Swamp is not the disease-ridden backwaters and quicksand that haunt swamps in the Material Plane, though those dangers are ever present here too. The true danger of the Dread Swamp lies in the changing of the tides. Unlike a regular swamp, the water levels within, affected by the tidal powers of the Plane of Water, are constantly changing. What is dry land one minute can be wet mud the next. A brief swim can land you in quick-mud as the water level simply drops with no warning.
Type
Dimensional plane
Location under
