Shadowfell

The Shadowfell, also known as the Plane of Shadow, was one of the planes of existence in various cosmological models. Its purpose and characteristics evolved as new cosmologies were formulated. Other names for this plane included Shadowland, the Demiplane of Shadow, the Shadow Deep, and simply Shadow.

It existed as sort of a counterpart to the Feywild, in the sense that it was a reflection, or "echo", of the Prime Material Plane. Unlike the Feywild, it was a bleak, desolate place full of decay and death

## Rumors and Legends

The special and unique nature of this plane caused not only cosmologists to speculate about its origins, but visitors and planar travelers as well. Some believed the Plane of Shadow had spontaneously formed as a demiplane out of the Ethereal Plane.

However, most cosmologists and planewalkers with a sense of adventure liked to talk about the legend of the Shining Citadel. Briefly, the legend postulated that the Plane of Shadow was once bright and colorful like the Material Plane, but at some point in the distant past a mysterious group who worshiped the plane's creator took all of the light, color, and most of the life-force from the rest of the plane and concentrated it into a mighty citadel. One would think that a structure containing most of the energy from an entire plane of existence would be hard to miss, but no one has ever found the Shining Citadel, except perhaps, as the legend states, those who venture into the deepest parts of the Plane of Shadows and never return.

A theory bandied about among sages stated that the Underdark was bottomless because it eventually became the Plane of Shadow. The only evidence supporting this hypothesis was that permanent *portals* to the Shadowfell were increasingly common the deeper one delved.

## Inhabitants

The Shadowfell was home to a mysterious form of undead called shadows, other "shadow" creatures such as the shadow mastiff and shadow dragon, and a race of humanoids known as shades. In addition to those, there were numerous other inhabitants, such as communities of shadar-kai, Shadovar, and dark ones.

Probably the most dominant race of beings on the Plane of Shadow were the shades—ancestors of ancient Netherese humans who resided on the plane in their floating city for centuries and acquired many abilities from immersion in shadow essence. Malaugryms may have been superior to shades, having the advantage of being shapeshifters and practically immortal unless killed in some fashion; but their small numbers, fierce independence, and difficulty in mastering interplanar travel made them much less organized and effective.

Other creatures that were either native to the plane or attracted to it included bodaks, cloakers, darkweavers, ephemera of all kinds, veserabs, liches, nightshades, shadar-kai, shadurakul, spectres, and wraiths. Occasionally, animals and monsters would wander or fall into a vortex to the Shadowfell and become trapped there. Those that survived eventually took on shadow-given abilities, carved out a niche in the ecosystem, and preyed on whatever attracted their attention. Examples included apes, basilisks, bears, owlbears, rats, umber hulks, and wolves. Such creatures could give rise to dark creatures, shadowy counterparts of natural creatures.

Shadow demons also inhabited this plane. These fiends were responsible for the creation of the race known as krinth, having interbred with Netherese slaves.

Shadow sea serpents were not native to the Plane of Shadow but were bred there by the Shadovar, crossing warm-blooded carnivorous orcas with vile shadow creatures. These serpents hunted in packs both in the sea and on land.

Especially during the period between the Spellplague and the Second Sundering, the Shadowfell became also prominently populated with dead creatures such as ghosts, specters, and other undead who for whatever reason refused to leave the Shadowfell and continue on to the Fugue Plane.