I wanted to do something a little different for this creature than the normal undead-style shadows, so I hit upon the idea of making it a psychic-based creature and went from there. It’s haste mechanic and the returning mechanic were directly inspired by the card, and I’m more than happy with how they turned out.
When a creature dies while under intense psychic pressure, as their mind burns away, a fraction of their psyche may remain trapped on the Material Plane in the creature’s own shadow, even after they have passed on. Illithid experimentation, a brush with a vast and strange intellect, or the trauma of psychic battle are all capable of creating these imprints. The being left behind is known as a nether shadow, a creature capable of feeling only malice and negativity.
Soulless Remnant. Though a nether shadow is created from the shadow of a creature during its death, the nether shadow is not undead. Make no mistake, the once-living creature has truly shuffled from the mortal coil. The nether shadow is only a strong impression of the negativity and pain the creature felt before its death, given wicked form. The nether shadow attempts to attack the minds of other creatures, taking joy only from their pain. At the moment the nether shadow does so, its shape often resolves from that of a vague humanoid to a the creature it was created from. In these moments, those previously familiar with the shadow’s owner often think twice before striking, leading to potentially fatal mistakes.
Sadistic Tormentor. Because of the nether shadow’s psychic nature, it often seems to possess memories related to the life of the creature which created it. Using these, a nether shadow often seeks out the friends and loved ones of the creature, doing everything it can to cause them despair. The nether shadow will often hide in the darkness, waiting to pass into the shadow of an unsuspecting victim in order to follow them for days or weeks without their knowledge. During this time, the nether shadow at first performs minor mischiefs, attempting to cause greater and more devastating misfortune as time passes. Once a shadow has had its fun or is discovered, it will strike quickly, attempting to cause their victim to collapse dead from mental exhaustion.
Dark Tidings. If forced into open combat, a nether shadow prefers to seek a dimly lit area where it can disappear before flitting from shadow to shadow, attempting to catch an opponent off-guard. Should this technique fail and a nether shadow be physically destroyed, the battle is still not over. Even once a shadow has been dispersed, its psychic energy remains in the area it was destroyed for a full day before dispersing. Should a number of creatures die in the area before a day has passed, the psychic impression of the nether shadow gathers negative energy from their passing, returning fully formed. This process is almost impossible to stop, and the only way to be sure a nether shadow has disappeared forever is to prevent any creature from dying near where it was defeated.
