The Shadow

## Description

The Shadow is an entity that only existed outside of Eventide's existence until Year -7, when a Nether Magic projectile collided with an Eden Magic Missile to form a piece of it. It crashed somewhere in Northwestern Ghulfrost, and spread out from there. Visually, it appeared as a black and purple mist, moving between different places. While in this state, it was loosely connected to the disappearance of four sects of Lunar Paladins, LPS-002, LPS-010, LPS-018, and LPS-034.

## Entrance

As previously mentioned, The Shadow entered Eventide when Nether Magic and Eden Magic were fused together, and accidentally summoned a miniscule piece of it above Northwestern Ghulfrost. It then fell onto the land. When this happened, Northwestern Ghulfrost was tainted. The Shadow spread out from its miniscule portion and eventually became the size of an actual figure. Once it gained this much power, it continued to grow, but manifested in this form as a wanderer throughout Northwestern Ghulfrost.

## History

### A Bloody Start

The Shadow was first found by Nik, a man disheartened with the Chaos War and with Ghulfrost as a whole. Nik, his family, and their friends came into Northwestern Ghulfrost trying to flee from LPS-034, "The Lady's Rule". the plan worked, as LPS-034 was never responsible for their deaths. The Shadow tore through Nik's family and friends, reducing everyone he took with him into the wasteland a bloodied pulp on the ground. Nik buried his family, then set out to escape the endless tundra. At some point, The Shadow met with him as well. It was going to rip him apart, just like it had done with so many others. However, it chose this time to use him wisely. It invaded his mind, trying to take him completely. Nik decided he would rather than die than allow this, so he jumped into a nearby river. His suicide was unsuccessful, but it did stop The Shadow from doing anything major for 400+ years.

### Out of The Ice

In Year 406, a Ghulfrostian expedition recovered a man in the ice. They thought for a long time about whether to thaw him or not, ultimately deciding to free him from his frozen prison. Nik was reassimilated into Ghulfrostian culture, after losing his memory. He never forgot his family, and The Shadow never forgot his weakness.

### Came a Monster

Nik would go on to become a prominent figure from 411-413. The Shadow took full control of him halfway through his plan, destroying whatever remained of him. Every move after this point was calculated. After a quick skirmish in the Enclave, he retreated into the far west to collect his thoughts. Thinking for a long while in its temporary home, it settled on taking the Sword of Eden for itself. The Shadow knew that it could do this itself, though. So instead of corrupting new people, it would release a voice from its prison. The voice was given the body of the Stone God. This voice would become the King of Kathar, wield the Axe of Eden as it once did many years ago, and repeat the same mistakes that led to its death in the first place. The voice belonged to Symond. With Symond helping it, The Shadow came extremely close to its goal, but was missing something when it came to unlock the Sword from its sheath. It remained calm, though. The Shadow had a backup plan, one that would not require any Piece of Eden to be successful. After all, it had already returned a monster to Eventide, so it had more time to search for an opportunity to strike again. The Shadow allowed itself to die, and released a large amount of souls from its mind scape to decieve Eventide into believing its victory was absolute.

### Nikarda

The opportunity to strike would come sooner than any except the Shadow would anticipate. Emperor Silvar summoned Dakarda into Eventide, and it watched as Kantje practically gave it the perfect opening. As he destroyed the magical crystals holding Dakarda's magic in place, The Shadow replaced Dakarda's soul, swapping Dakarda to Symond's Sword, Kingsmourne. Taking control of a god would not have been an easy feat, even for The Shadow, but Kantje handed Dakarda on a silver platter to it. Nikarda would corrupt each nation, sending out swaths of corruption throughout the lands. During the invasion of the HRE by Kathar, Nikarda made his debut as a real threat. The orbs became visible all at once, a sound played across the world, and the minds of thousands shifted into its control. Even The Lady had been trapped now. Carolus and Kantje fled, and Nikarda held his control for a full week. That following Saturday, Nikarda would attack the remaining stable minds in the world with his army, with the focal point of the battle taking place at The Enclave. Despite its victory being so close, Nikarda was eventually overpowered by The Lady, who had been set free by Kantje. The Avatar of The Shadow, Nikarda, was struck down at the docks of Old Kathar by Kantje wielding the Staff of Eden. With that, The Shadow was forced out of Eventide, awaiting a time where it might return, if only by chance alone. It had a long while to wait, and it had all manner of other universes to conquer in the mean time.

## Predictions

"There is no escape, not in this life, not in the next." The Shadow referring to the people of Eventide, as they only lose pieces of their soul. Suicide would not be enough to escape the judgement they will recieve.

"All that you have accomplished, all that you have won, yet still you lick the boots of kings." These words could refer to any number of things, but could be related to the uprooting of Symond as a tyrant.

"You will learn, no king rules forever." The Shadow refers to the approaching death of Kantje at the hands of the Captain, Symond dying in the forest at Snow's hands.

"Your friends think you are weak." A lie told to Reea, repeated later as the voice Carolus hears after forming the OVA.

"They have turned against you, (now take your revenge)" A message repeated in Carolus's head while Snow was in Chief Viktor's prison.

"The fall of night reveals her true face." This refers to The Lady becoming more dangerous once Hermes has taken over, as a desperate reach for hope.

"I was pure once." Referring to Nik. This voice is always heard differently, as if one in pain. This might also refer to Symond, who was addicted to the Axe of Eden and the control it gave him.