The Shadow

The Shadow is the second moon of Alven. It is usually colored pink or red in the sky and follows the same trajectory as The Shine but is positioned much further away from the first moon. Being at such a distance from the world of men, it is only a pale shadow in the skies. It appears behind the Shine and seemed to be falling behind its brilliant brother.
Many myths have been attached to the Shadow and the Shine over the millennia. The southern kingdoms have different stories than the clans of Alven about the moons, but all share the same idea of pursuit or chase across the sky. In the southern kingdoms, the moons are said to be sisters while in the north, they are brothers.

Most Recent Research

Recent more scientific theories have been put forward that would point to the fact that the Shadow is not actually a moon orbiting this earth but another, much bigger astral body that we do not know very much about yet. Advances in the creation of lunettes and the building of observatories and Planetarium  have been instrumental in developing our understanding of astronomy. Extensive knowledge of the Shine has been gathered in the last 50 years by The Archive and more particularly The Guild of Stargatherers.
The Shadow remains a more mysterious object as we do not yet possess powerful enough lenses to pierce its mysteries.

History

The Myth

The most prevalent myth surrounding the two brother moons has been written down in countless songs and epics since the start of The Age of the New. The Bright and the Shine were both hunters of The Set Plane well before the Eras of Alven. They both belonged to a race now forever gone from this world. The the Ancestors have all found their way through the planes a long time ago, and no one now remembers what they might have looked like. Only the brightness of their spirit lives on in the shape of the two moons of Alven.
Two Hunters
Both Shine and Shadow were said to have been the best hunters of their tribe, both shining as bright as each other, both as skilled and as handsome as each other. However, Shadow was jealous of his brother Shine as he had the favour of the chief's daughter, Valine. Valine was as radiant as the star that bears her name in the constellation of The Hare, and both hunters were very much in love with her. Valine's father, Merion, could not decide which of the brothers should earn his daughter's hand, and decided to test their abilities by pitting one against the other.
Betrayal
Shine and Shadow were asked to carry out a series of tasks that would determine which one of the brothers would marry Valine. Valine was determined that Shine should win the contest, so she visited him in his dwelling the night before the contest to give him a magical belt she had crafted herself under the light of the stars: The Belt of Odon, made from the hide of the sacred white bull. This powerful magic item would give him greater speed than his brother's and would ensure his victory on the morn.
The Contests
By the end of the day, both Shine and Shadow were neck and neck after completing all but one task set by Merion. Bright had won the trowing of the spear, and the singing contest, while Shadow had won the swordfight and storytelling contest. In their last task, both hunters were asked to outrun The Stag of the Wild Woods and bring it back unharmed to Merion. With the help of the Belt of Odon, Shine won the last challenge and won Valine's hand.
Tragedy
However, Shadow, who could communicate with the birds of the forest, learned from a raven that Shine had cheated by using the powers of the Belt. Furious, he challenged his brother in mortal combat and killed Shine by strangling him with his own belt. Unconsolable, Valine took her own life as soon as she learned of her lover's death.
Eternity
Taking pity over the participants in this tragedy, The Queen of the Ancestors, who was an immortal being in both The Set Plane and The Underworld, transformed the two brothers into moons and Valine into a star so their story and their love will never be forgotten.

Alternative Name(s)

The Hunter

Type

Planetoid / Moon

Location under

The Two Moons of Alven