The Midnight
The Midnight is as seductive as death. It draws in both the unwilling and the wanting, regardless of their wishes. It is the realm of the dead, the plane of shadow and despair. To enter the Midnight unprepared, at best, means you will likely never return. At best it means your death. At worst, you will unleash a being that will stalk the world in your absence, the dreaded Nightwalker, killing and killing until it is destroyed, or you return.
Entering the Midnight is both simple, and entirely unpredictable. Shadow crossings can appear anywhere there is no light, dripping with magical shadows, leeching shadowmist that can drag anyone inside the Midnight forever. It most often targets those who have done acts of great evil, but it also claims innocents and heroes, perhaps to create balance. Worse, sometimes a Nightwalker waits just on the other side of a shadow crossing. Some shadow crossings exist for only a moment, others exist for hours, months, years, or centuries, just waiting for an unwitting soul to stumble into it.
The Midnight is a place of existential despair. Stay too long as one of the living, and it will weigh on you, much in the way of clinical depression. However, there are those who live there, who have either learned to live alongside despair, or who are somehow resistant to it. As such, small settlements do crop up in the Midnight from time to time. They are constantly besieged by the undead, vast hordes of weaker forms, and occasionally far worse abominations.
Those who commit acts of great evil are often claimed by the Midnight, either after their death, or occasionally immediately after their evil act. Judged by the Raven Queen as deserving of eternal punishment, they, and sometimes those around them, are dragged into the Midnight, into a Domain of Dread. Well minded travelers avoid these mist hidden places at all costs, for while entering a Domain is easy, escaping one can be nearly impossible. These Domains are meant to be prisons for their Darklords, in their own personal hell, but anyone who was drawn in, or enters later, is a captive as well. Even death is not an escape here, as whatever runs the Domains of Dread keeps everything they find inside.
Entering the Midnight is both simple, and entirely unpredictable. Shadow crossings can appear anywhere there is no light, dripping with magical shadows, leeching shadowmist that can drag anyone inside the Midnight forever. It most often targets those who have done acts of great evil, but it also claims innocents and heroes, perhaps to create balance. Worse, sometimes a Nightwalker waits just on the other side of a shadow crossing. Some shadow crossings exist for only a moment, others exist for hours, months, years, or centuries, just waiting for an unwitting soul to stumble into it.
The Midnight is a place of existential despair. Stay too long as one of the living, and it will weigh on you, much in the way of clinical depression. However, there are those who live there, who have either learned to live alongside despair, or who are somehow resistant to it. As such, small settlements do crop up in the Midnight from time to time. They are constantly besieged by the undead, vast hordes of weaker forms, and occasionally far worse abominations.
Those who commit acts of great evil are often claimed by the Midnight, either after their death, or occasionally immediately after their evil act. Judged by the Raven Queen as deserving of eternal punishment, they, and sometimes those around them, are dragged into the Midnight, into a Domain of Dread. Well minded travelers avoid these mist hidden places at all costs, for while entering a Domain is easy, escaping one can be nearly impossible. These Domains are meant to be prisons for their Darklords, in their own personal hell, but anyone who was drawn in, or enters later, is a captive as well. Even death is not an escape here, as whatever runs the Domains of Dread keeps everything they find inside.
Geography
The Midnight is vast, and holds many geographic features, from Oblivion Bog to the Darkreach Mountains. It stretches far below to the Shadowdark, and into an ocean of dark water. Much of the Midnight, however, is a vast forest of trees and massive mushrooms known as the Vigilant Forest. Mapping the Midnight is nearly impossible, as the terrain constantly shifts from place to place. The only things that are somewhat constant are the mysterious roads, which while they lead to different places, are normally somewhat consistent in also leading to the center of the Midnight, Letherna, the frozen home of the Raven Queen.
Localized Phenomena
Time passes differently in the Midnight, creeping ever slower compared to the outside world. Without a consistent cycle of day or night, and the ever creeping depression, days and weeks begin to feel infinite. Compared to other planes, days or weeks might pass, and in fact years are going past in the outside world, or the opposite. It is impossible to predict, and even harder to notice happening unless you've lived there for quite some time.
Despair constantly creeps up on beings in the Midnight. Everywhere you go, it is a constant companion, ever growing, ever waiting for a moment to sink its teeth in. If you stop moving for too long, or become set in a routine, it can overwhelm you, turning you into a lifeless shell, just going through the motions of life.
Occasionally, life will seep from an area with astonishing quickness. Light vanishes from the area, necrotic energy strengthens, and the living can feel their life force draining away. This is called a Darkland, and mostly they are unstable, and short lived, though extremely dangerous. Occasionally, however, one of these will strengthen, often drawing on the power of an extremely powerful mortal or undead, and become more long lived. These areas become havens for undead, and worse, nightwalkers.
Despair constantly creeps up on beings in the Midnight. Everywhere you go, it is a constant companion, ever growing, ever waiting for a moment to sink its teeth in. If you stop moving for too long, or become set in a routine, it can overwhelm you, turning you into a lifeless shell, just going through the motions of life.
Occasionally, life will seep from an area with astonishing quickness. Light vanishes from the area, necrotic energy strengthens, and the living can feel their life force draining away. This is called a Darkland, and mostly they are unstable, and short lived, though extremely dangerous. Occasionally, however, one of these will strengthen, often drawing on the power of an extremely powerful mortal or undead, and become more long lived. These areas become havens for undead, and worse, nightwalkers.
Climate
The Midnight varies from chilly, to freezing. Not as cold as the Everbright, it is still not a pleasant place for those that like the heat. Different areas will be warmer or colder, but there is an ever present chill in the air. In places like Letherna, that chill deepens into a deathly, freezing cold, adding yet another danger to travelers. This is worsened in that the sun rarely shines in the Midnight, mostly covered by shadowy clouds at all times. Even when it does, its dim light offers little comfort or warmth, instead reminding you of what you are missing.
Fauna & Flora
The most common inhabitant of the Midnight is the undead. Most common are the willed, but lost ones, somehow separated from the path through to the Raven Queen: Ghosts, Allips, Banshees, and the like. The willess undead are not uncommon either, most often rising on their own whenever a traveler dies in a Darkland, or created by something worse. The most powerful undead also tend to find their way here, living as lords. Vampires build great castles, liches wizard towers, and worst, the Nightwalkers roam constantly, searching for any living beings to devour, or a shadow crossing to lurk at, and take the place of a mortal in the Overworld. In their wake trails other undead, especially Bodaks, who rise from mortals the Nightwalker kills.
The most common undead lords, however, are the Skull Lords. These were once servants of Vecna, punished for insubordination by being bound to each other in death forever. Some act as warlords in the Midnight, fighting amongst themselves in death just as they did in life. A few, however, have earned a reprieve, and work for the god of secrets even now.
Balhannoths are vicious predators native to the Midnight, and have infused some of the regions shadow magic into themselves. They create near real illusions of places that creatures need, such as an inn, or a temple, using its limited telepathy abilities. Then, it snatches anything that comes near, feeding on their fear and despair.
Banderhobbs are little frog looking demons, normally created in a dark ritual devised by hags. However, they are beings of shadow and flesh, and as such thrive in the Midnight. Whereas elsewhere a Banderhobb will only live for a few days, they can sustain themselves in the Midnight, as such become quite dangerous on the blackened plains and great forests of the Midnight.
Blights roam the forests of the Midnight. Each group is connected to a particular tree that has been corrupted by an evil power, and spread from there. Thus, they are quite common in the Midnight, where evil presences roam freely.
Darkmantles are most common in the Shadowdark, the vast cavern network beneath the Midnight, similar to the Underdark. They cling to cave ceilings, looking like stalactites, and then drop down, crushing whatever they fall on. Death Giants are the remains of a giant clan that came to the Midnight to conquer, and never returned alive. They did not adapt well to the eroding despair of the Midnight, and tried to perform a ritual to stop it. The ritual failed quite dramatically, they were turned to shadows of their former selves. Attempting to repair the damage, they devoured the souls of their slaves and servants, creating immensely powerful shadow undead beings that still rule over their tiny kingdoms of nothing.
Dark Ones are an elder species, perhaps the first of the midnight. They believed that the Death Giants were their gods, and served them faithfully. When they were betrayed, some managed to flee before being devoured, and carved out new homes in the Midnight. Now, they have adapted to life, many living in the small settlements that pop up in the Midnight. However, they have learned their lesson, and are loyal only to themselves. Some, however, break this ancient grudge, and find common ground with others. The Raven Queen and her Shadar-kai have had the most success with this, and many Dark Ones serve her faithfully.
Meazels are a particularly dangerous threat in the Midnight. Similar to hags, they are creatures of hate, evil beings corrupted further by the power of the Midnight. They can move from one shadow to another, and will take their prey with them. Anyone else who travels with a Meazel is cursed, any undead or other being of the Midnight can sense them from 300 yards away, which even if they can escape the Meazel can be a death sentence.
Shadar-Kai are some of the most common mortal beings in the Midnight. While they have adapted to it, it has made them a primarily mournful people. While on other planes they resemble extremely pale elves, here they age rapidly, looking more like walking corpses. Most Shadar-Kai serve the Raven Queen, looking for souls who experience great tragedies, and might make good servants for their god.
Shadowborn is the term given to mortals who live in the Midnight. They create settlements and survive the best they can in the deeply hostile terrain.
Shadow Dragons are perhaps the most dangerous beings in the Midnight. Any true dragon that spends too much time on the plane risks becoming a shadowy apparition of itself. Their scales fade to black, their wings grow translucent, and their eyes become pools of grey. They hate sunlight, preferring the darkness of their new homes. Often, they are resentful of this transformation, making them even more dangerous as there is no way to restore them to their previous majesty.
Shadow Mastiffs are similar to wolves, though far more aggressive. They will hunt things far larger, such as humanoids lost in the Midnight.
Skulks are the result of losing oneself to the Midnight. If you fade too much into the despair of the Midnight, you will slowly become translucent, before disappearing altogether to all but mirrors, and the eyes of children. Skulks are violent upon being disturbed, and because they are invisible it can be very difficult to determine when that would be. Skulks will take on the lives of the people they kill, silently, invisibly following the patterns that doomed them in the first place.
The Sorrowsworn are the most dangerous beings, other than gods, in the Midnight. Known as shadow reapers, luckily for most they are not as evil or aggressive as similarly powerful threats, such as Nightwalkers. In fact, they tend to be the enemies of such monstrosities, so while they will kill a mortal without a second thought, many are thankful to them, as they also can keep mortals safe. They are the most powerful servants of the Raven Queen, tasked with maintaining order amongst the dead, and sometimes with hunting down someone who have cheated death in some way.
The most common undead lords, however, are the Skull Lords. These were once servants of Vecna, punished for insubordination by being bound to each other in death forever. Some act as warlords in the Midnight, fighting amongst themselves in death just as they did in life. A few, however, have earned a reprieve, and work for the god of secrets even now.
Balhannoths are vicious predators native to the Midnight, and have infused some of the regions shadow magic into themselves. They create near real illusions of places that creatures need, such as an inn, or a temple, using its limited telepathy abilities. Then, it snatches anything that comes near, feeding on their fear and despair.
Banderhobbs are little frog looking demons, normally created in a dark ritual devised by hags. However, they are beings of shadow and flesh, and as such thrive in the Midnight. Whereas elsewhere a Banderhobb will only live for a few days, they can sustain themselves in the Midnight, as such become quite dangerous on the blackened plains and great forests of the Midnight.
Blights roam the forests of the Midnight. Each group is connected to a particular tree that has been corrupted by an evil power, and spread from there. Thus, they are quite common in the Midnight, where evil presences roam freely.
Darkmantles are most common in the Shadowdark, the vast cavern network beneath the Midnight, similar to the Underdark. They cling to cave ceilings, looking like stalactites, and then drop down, crushing whatever they fall on. Death Giants are the remains of a giant clan that came to the Midnight to conquer, and never returned alive. They did not adapt well to the eroding despair of the Midnight, and tried to perform a ritual to stop it. The ritual failed quite dramatically, they were turned to shadows of their former selves. Attempting to repair the damage, they devoured the souls of their slaves and servants, creating immensely powerful shadow undead beings that still rule over their tiny kingdoms of nothing.
Dark Ones are an elder species, perhaps the first of the midnight. They believed that the Death Giants were their gods, and served them faithfully. When they were betrayed, some managed to flee before being devoured, and carved out new homes in the Midnight. Now, they have adapted to life, many living in the small settlements that pop up in the Midnight. However, they have learned their lesson, and are loyal only to themselves. Some, however, break this ancient grudge, and find common ground with others. The Raven Queen and her Shadar-kai have had the most success with this, and many Dark Ones serve her faithfully.
Meazels are a particularly dangerous threat in the Midnight. Similar to hags, they are creatures of hate, evil beings corrupted further by the power of the Midnight. They can move from one shadow to another, and will take their prey with them. Anyone else who travels with a Meazel is cursed, any undead or other being of the Midnight can sense them from 300 yards away, which even if they can escape the Meazel can be a death sentence.
Shadar-Kai are some of the most common mortal beings in the Midnight. While they have adapted to it, it has made them a primarily mournful people. While on other planes they resemble extremely pale elves, here they age rapidly, looking more like walking corpses. Most Shadar-Kai serve the Raven Queen, looking for souls who experience great tragedies, and might make good servants for their god.
Shadowborn is the term given to mortals who live in the Midnight. They create settlements and survive the best they can in the deeply hostile terrain.
Shadow Dragons are perhaps the most dangerous beings in the Midnight. Any true dragon that spends too much time on the plane risks becoming a shadowy apparition of itself. Their scales fade to black, their wings grow translucent, and their eyes become pools of grey. They hate sunlight, preferring the darkness of their new homes. Often, they are resentful of this transformation, making them even more dangerous as there is no way to restore them to their previous majesty.
Shadow Mastiffs are similar to wolves, though far more aggressive. They will hunt things far larger, such as humanoids lost in the Midnight.
Skulks are the result of losing oneself to the Midnight. If you fade too much into the despair of the Midnight, you will slowly become translucent, before disappearing altogether to all but mirrors, and the eyes of children. Skulks are violent upon being disturbed, and because they are invisible it can be very difficult to determine when that would be. Skulks will take on the lives of the people they kill, silently, invisibly following the patterns that doomed them in the first place.
The Sorrowsworn are the most dangerous beings, other than gods, in the Midnight. Known as shadow reapers, luckily for most they are not as evil or aggressive as similarly powerful threats, such as Nightwalkers. In fact, they tend to be the enemies of such monstrosities, so while they will kill a mortal without a second thought, many are thankful to them, as they also can keep mortals safe. They are the most powerful servants of the Raven Queen, tasked with maintaining order amongst the dead, and sometimes with hunting down someone who have cheated death in some way.
Alternative Name(s)
The Plane of Shadow, the Land of the Dead
Type
Plane of Existence
Location under
Included Locations
Additional Rulers/Owners
Inhabiting Species
Comments