Enshæden
Contrary to what many would have you believe, the Enshæden are not shadow-touched. I believe that their magic pre-dates the splitting of the Fae Realms and Cysgodol, and would be considered the "pure" form of shadow magic. If I am right it may go a long way towards explaining the origins of The Umbral Sanctuary and the Gloam House
"It is a strange thing to see, I'll give ye that." The tavernkeeper of the Hanging Shadow continued to clean the various tankards at the bar. "Nothin' evil about it, though. Its been there sine 'afore my dad's time. You'll be the... fourth, no, fifth set o' clergy and paladins through here to try to test it or dispel it since I can remember. Ye' can do whatever you want between meal services, but I wont have you messing with business or scarin' off customers. "
That was 7 years ago. The Order of the Luminous Vigil had become a permanent fixture in Ironstead. since then. As far as fanatical worshipers of a sun god went, they weren't all that bad. A group would show up, have breakfast (one waffle each with a small pad of butter and tankard of fresh cider) then study and test the hanging shadow until their midday devotions. After devotions they would report back to their chapter house, and in the evening two or three would sit at a corner table observing the corner shadow through the night until the tavern closed.
And in all that time, nothing had ever changed about the shadow, at leastt not outside what had already been observed. Most people agreed that the shadow was someone viewed from behind. At times it appeared to walk, occasionally it would "crouch," a bit of a comical sight as its head was what was fixed in place on the hook, now the only one on that side of the door. More rarely it would "dance" gesticulating a bit wildly, though still obscured as if under a cloak.
That was how it started, according to local legend. Sometime over a hundred years in the past, a person walked into the old tavern. Some stories have them coming in from the rain, or on a cold winters night. Regardless, the weather had them wearing a cloak. They paused near the door, and fidgeted for a bit with their cloak, before taking it off and hanging it on one of the pegs near the door. The person requested a meal and a shelter for the night. They paid, and nothing strange happened, at least not that anyone noticed, until the next morning.
When the traveler left, a shadow was left behind where their cloak had been. A shadow that was not cast, but cast off. or so they say.
A Study of Enshæden by Tilloth'tonogozonannoth
Most of you are probably more familiar with the evil associated with the shadow magics of Cysgodol, and I do not seek to diminish or justify the many, many tragedies that it has caused. I am, I feel, uniquely qualified when I say that Enshæden is a separate, more primal magic. In my studies, i have found it more akin to a bond to one of the primordial elemental planes than the Corrupting Shadow. It is not a consuming darkness, but a refreshing shade on a hot summers day. It is not the pervasive silence of Stalking Death, but the gentle quiet of a summers evening.Abilities
I have had the opprotunity to interact with several Enshæden over the centuries, though it was only in the last several decades that some agreed to demonstrate their abilities that I may study them. Unlike the animal specimens that I have studied, no one was harmed. In fact, depending on how advanced an Enshæden is in their journey, I dont know I could harm one without using magics that would destroy my home... but I digress.Concealment
Despite what it may seem, Enshæden do not turn invisible. They are able to bend the shadows around them, blurring edges, changing colors. Think of it as more along the lines of a cephalopod pulling rocks, shells, and bits of coral while changing its colors to hide from a shark or dolphin, except magical. This concealment also muffles sounds. At its highest levels this concealment even blurs the memories of others. Names get confused, features blur. exact details become hard to remember. This can be done consciously, but it also happens on occasion seemingly without their knowledge. The Enshæden areprotected, in a way one would normally associate with a god's chosen, such as the Dryads, or Those Who Wander... perhaps not that second, now that I have written it down, for there are those of them who are more cursed than blessed, but that is not for this study.Protection
Should concealment fail, Enshæden can protect themselves, though they try their best to avoid violence, a philosophy that manifests in many ways. Despite the propaganda out there, shadows are not a doorway to Cysgodol. They can be used as such, but at great expense. Shadows are instead more of a liminal space, like the shore, or twilight. A barrier that both connects and separates. Those familiar with The Umbral Sanctuary know the strength of such spaces. These protections manifest in many ways. Some of them are, perhaps, why the Enshæden are avoided by many. Lies cannot pass into a shadow sanctuary, anymore that a weapon can. It is not just spoken lies, or magical illusions that are stripped away. I have seen ink stripped from parchment, etchings washed from stone, perhaps most terrifyingly I have seen what happens when the lies one tells themselves are stripped away suddenly.Perhaps the most mysterious though, is what I have heard called Shadow Stasis by laymen. To leave ones shadow behind in a safe place. Many religions consider this severing of a part of ones self to be sacrilege, but I cannot deny the effectiveness of the technique, it is on par with the most powerful clerical blessings and wizard spells.
Healing
I hesitate to call it that, and hesitate even more to write down this little bit. Promises were extracted from me which I shall not break. All I can leave you with is this:Shadows do not bleed. One does not banish the night, you sit through it until you can greet the dawn.
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