How (not) to die in the Shadowfell

(Despite this being on the Wiki it is not public knowledge. It is in the library, yet is among Jericho's personal collection of information-Vallax.)

Everything started with a chime.

In a heartbeat, the world closed, and opened again.

In a heartbeat, I was deconstructed, and put together again.

*In a heartbeat, everything ended.*

Greeting me was a world of black. There was no sun, no light, no warmth, and no colour. There were masses of lands broken and rebuilt into different shapes in the distance, and bone-chilling cold in the air. The landscape resembled that of the prime material plane, with various trees of smaller sizes than those in Ulrok, all dipped in a sea of blackness.

*Greeting me was Sharoc.*

Sharoc lead me through the never-ending night, following the direction to what she called The Forest of Kings. According to her, there were currently a dispute between a Council of thirteen members and someone else. The Council was continuously expanding their land, and Simbul, who once ruled over them, were said to be defeated. After several speculations I came to the conclusion that my own existence in this Plane of Shadow, as the only one possessing a shadow (ironically), was considered a valuable asset by this Council, for reasons I had yet to find out. During the whole time we headed for the Forest, there had been underlings of the Council members pursuing me, who seemed to have received orders to keep me alive. Despite the fact that I managed to deal quite a blow on one of them, a spectre, enough to enrage it, I realized they were much stronger than me. Especially when I had lost Glaucia (although I would rather not have her suffer this plane at all, in the end). Had it not been for Sharoc, I would have either died or been captured much faster. It was also possible that she kept me from their detection when I woke up as well, but unfortunately my mind had not been clear during those moments.

*Notes: The food and drink of Shadowfell were repulsive.*

We came across a mire at one point. There were large, unidentified things falling from the sky, causing massive splashes of water in it, which Sharoc explained as a byproduct of 'the great void's eating'. It looked like something from a long time ago, the void having always been there and growing over time, eating everything bit by bit. The event seemed to make her much more solemn, unlike usual. I wanted to ask more, but she did not seem to be in the mood.

*I should have asked more. Much more.*

We were attacked, then. By three similar creatures that float in the air, which almost overpowered both I and Sharoc at some point had I been less lucky. We were heavily injured, and Sharoc had to rest. We had a brief talk about how the Plane of Shadow worked, and it pained me even now that I did not manage to grasp the concept she was explaining then. The core of it, was about controlling shadows. Every creature in this plane had the ability to control shadows at will, or so I was told.

*Had I been wiser, things might have changed.*

Afterwards,... everything was dark.

There was absolutely nothing but darkness surrounding me, cutting me off from Sharoc and everything else. Nothing but black as it started to suffocate. There was no air, no light, and as I slowly succumbed to the dark, which afterward I realized was a spell, it looked like I was able to control the shadow, true to her words, for just a fleeting moment.

*When I woke up again Sharoc was nowhere to be seen.*

I was captured by Ben-Hadar, Master of Voids, and Lord of the current domain. The jail was brightly lit with torches too high to reach, and I was also chained to a small area of the whole cell. There was colour. There was a human voice, self-named Coleus, in the cell next to mine, who seemed to be very content where he stayed. There was a guard, a humanoid which was also wrapped in shadow wisps. There was no sign of Sharoc.

Until the guard pointed out a black, smoke-like creature, hovering in a shaded corner of the cell, barely seen. There she stayed, unable to move forward, unable to speak, unable to even function normally. Reduced to a crazed, raw state, hardly recognizable, save for her obsidian eyes. The obsidians that had lost all emotions, but not memories. She attacked when I entered the shadow. Coleus called her an evolved wraith. And the guard seemed overly enraged with me talking to her, even though he was smug enough to think I was in shock. I was not in shock.

*Additionally, I should have realized then, that this 'Coleus' should have had no ability to see through stone walls, let alone see enough to give comments on what happened. I was not paying attention to this person*.

When I woke up again, this Lord, Ben-Hadar, made an appearance. He claimed to be thankful for my existence, which was not such a surprise, and offered me a boon before the time comes for his plans. He had a striking blue, bone-chilling cold aura, and seemed to be a skeletal being beneath artificial flesh. Ben-Hadar left just as vague as he came, almost as if he faded away into the night.

*It was at this moment that I lost my final grasp on the hope of returning to Ulrok.*

I was left alone from then on, everything remained silent and dull as long as I stayed still. The guard did not move, the food came periodically, Sharoc hovered. During the time being left alone I finally managed to control the shadows around me, pulling and pushing at it, although it were only weak reactions as all shadow was fiercely stopped by the torches.

*Note: Do not try on self.*

The best thing that came out of my practices, was that Sharoc spoke to me again. She seemed sad, and I didn’t like it.

I then made up some plans to stay away from boredom.

The first one, was to force my way out of this prison, and out of Ben-Hadar’s domain, or die trying. Depending on how this lord actually valued my life, I might have been able to venture quite some ways before dying. I might not die at all, if someone was willing to help, but that was never a solid option.

The second one, was to strike a bargain with him, on my life that he would have to honour my own terms or I would kill myself and ruin his plans. This did not seem very probable, but if it did come to this plan then in the end I would have made some progress and set him back another hundred years until the next target came along.

The third and hardest one, was honouring his terms, gaining the Council’s favours, and work my way up so as to have the powers to avenge Sharoc. This plan heavily depended on whether I would live after fulfilling Hadar’s plans, whether I still remained a valuable asset to them, among many unknown factors.

The last and simplest one, was to die by Sharoc’s hand right in this cell.

I tried both the second and fourth plan at the same time, testing the guard.

I terribly underestimated him, as he dealt a considerable blow against my reasons, and I lost myself in that moment. *Stupidly* lost my own sense at that moment.

He then went on to torture me, which first started as a beating. He then left me to my own accords, which I took advantage to roam the hallway, doing a bit of exploration with a constant weirdness in the back of my mind.

There was no sign of Coleus anywhere in the cell next to mine.

Aside from one rude female dwarf, none of the prisoners took notice of me running through the corridors. I did not venture far, however, since everything seemed too weird and quiet, yet as soon as I returned to my cell the guard reappeared. With nowhere else to run I was subjected to further torture both mentally and physically, as he did not at all seem to care that his Lord ordered for me to remain intact. I was brought to death’s door several times, and taken back only to die more, and more.

*Had I been stronger, things might have been different.*

When I though I had died, the guard left, revealing it was simply a spell, a game he played with my mind to get a meal. Considering how easily I succumbed to anger at his taunts, I supposed I deserved that.

*I did not want to die anymore, however.*

Ironically enough, during that time of torture, I learned many things.

After regaining clear thoughts, I tried the third plan.

Ben-Hadar came to pick me up, then, and I took his hand, actively forming a contract.

Hadar lead me through his castle proper, which I still feel regret even now that I could not understand much of it. We arrived at a room with four braziers burning around a piece of clear blue metal altar. Circling around it was many substances and sigils, and seven candles along with a black plant. Hadar also revealed himself as a lich, and commanded me, bound by his will, to start a ritual.

He brought Sharoc to me. She seemed sad, and I didn’t like it.

As Hadar started the ritual, I was shown to the three hanging moons in the night. It was beautiful, almost. He chanted in Draconic, with words of binding. Binding me to him, to his payments for someone, binding Sharoc to me, as he ripped my shadow away. It was a pain more terrible than any I have been through. It last from the moment he touched the shadow, to when it left my body, and continued as Hadar protruded a silver thread to sew Sharoc in its place. It lingered on even after that.

In my hazed state, I can hear Sharoc’s voice once more. She spoke directly to my mind.

I was also able to make out Hadar’s next ritual as he seemed to have taken my own form using the shadow. He went on to summon seven beings using the candles, all seemed to be women and called ‘the Sisters’, and from them the oldest one agreed that he was, then, freed. Using a shadow ripped from me, he was ‘freed’. That was my value.

The women then all circled the black plant, calling for a ‘Shepherd’, chanting ‘Coleus, the shade’. This was when I once again regret that I did not pay attention to him, the voice behind the wall. Coleus emerged from the plant, with a wooden mask and a lantern hooked onto a sheperd cane. He seemed disappointed that I did not tell him my story properly.

This man then also agreed on Hadar’s freedom, although reluctantly, and created a portal in exchange for the blue metal altar.

Hadar thanked me then, ironically, and told me to show the Council my neck should any of them come to find me. He also implied I had the power to shape the world, but before I was able to extract any more information *the lich stepped through the portal and exited to, according to Coleus, the material plane*. He left his domain in my hands.

*I now send these notes to you. I chose to stay in this plane of shadow, and continue my studies of it here. Whether I return or not shall depend on time, as I have plenty. It is up to you to find me, or use this as an uncomplete guide should the time comes for you to stray into this realm, but you have been warned. If you do manage to trace back to me using this notebook, you will have my help when you leave.*

*I am now immortal, and Sharoc by my side.*