Shadow sorcery is a condition of the soul, which can be considered as either a boon or an affliction. Like other forms of
sorcery, it imparts an innate talent for spontaneous magic which can often escape the control of the individual who attempts to wield it. All shadow sorcerors have a connection to the
Pivot, the metaphysical centre of the universe that exists shrouded in darkness, from which the
Fountain of Night arises; their magic draws from the Fountain, and is inexorably linked to that of the
Paragons of Azoth.
The shadow of the Pivot often has a physical effect on the sorcerer themself, though this can manifest in any number of different ways. A premature whitening of the hair is common - either in its entirity, or in streaks and patches - as is a certain pallor to the skin. Many have poor peripheral circulation, and feel cold to the touch; and in many cases their hearts beat far slower than those of others. Others breathe very shallowly when at rest, and a few may even appear at first glance to be dead when they are asleep. The Pivot also casts its shadow over the mind, and shadow sorcerers are thought to be uniquely vulnerable to the effects of the
Utterdark; and even among those who have not fallen towards this end, a certain morbid outlook is fairly common - though not universal.
Shadow sorcerers are often said to exist in a state halfway between life and death, and many have been known to survive injuries that by all rights shouldn have killed them. In a few cases, such as that of
Motion Ashbrook-Sarren, there have been reports of mortally wounded shadow sorcerers retreating inside their own minds through a form of spontaneous
oneirurgy.
Origins
The vast majority of shadow sorcerers were once followers of the
Paragons of Azoth who had sworn the
Oath of Night, though few today have any recollection of this. Shadow sorcery is understood to have been a much more recent phenomenon than the Oath of Night, however, with the first records of their kind dating back only as far as the
Empire of Kataris. It is understood that their condition emerges from the effects of the
Snare of Kythos on the souls of the oathknights who become entangled in it; the power of the Oath of Night causes them to reincarnate within minutes of their death, but causes significant and cumulative damage to their souls, preventing them from retaining their memories from one life to the next. It is perhaps this cumulative damage which increases the risk of the shadow sorceror succumbing to the
Utterdark, and which may be behind the belief of the
Auditors of Artifice that the Oath of Night has but a few generations before its original adherents die out altogether.
A handful of individuals who have never sworn the Oath of Night have been known to develop the power of shadow sorcery, though this is extremly rare; one example would be that of
Echoed Murmur, who did so as a result of absorbing a portion of the
Hunter's Shadow.
Hounds of Shadow
A handful of shadow sorcerers are able to call upon the service of enigmatic beasts known as
Hounds of Ill Omen; scholars disagree as to the nature of these beasts, though some observations point towards them being independent spirits in their own right rather than mere projections of the shadow sorcerer's psyche. Some have concluded that they were created as companions for the lieutenants of the Paragons, bound to their souls to reincarnate alongside their masters in each successive life. It is unknown if shadow sorcerers who have not sworn the Oath of Night are capable of calling upon a Hound of Ill Omen.
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