#plane of shadow

[rowan-of-waterdeep]

Daily Wyll!

Wyll: The Plane of Shadow. My tutor called it a dark mirror held up to our own plane of existence, a perversion of all we hold dear.

[mechaniaa]

shadowfell collection !

[dailycharacteroption]

Planar Tour Guide: The Plane of Shadow part 4

(art by Laura Monvoisin on Artstation)

Adventuring

So what exactly draws adventurers to the plane of shadow? There could be any number of reasons, and that place of twisted geography and architecture, as well as muted colors, can be a perfect backdrop for an adventure in a hostile land that is both strangely familiar and terrifyingly alien.

Unlike the ethereal plane, the key transportation magic tied to the plane of shadow is meant mostly for skipping along the border of the plane to arrive at another material destination at a swift speed. However, the vague wording of the spell does seem to indicate that you can step further into the shadow, eliminating the need for a plane shift spell or portal. That being said, a shadow walk mishap that strands the party in that strange, unknown space is a potential start of an adventure right there. Additonally, the plane of shadow does touch upon the astral, ethereal, and negative energy planes, so a shadow walk spell can, with some work, let you travel to those realms beyond.

Sometimes, however, dangerous monsters and villains bring the shadow plane to the adventure, with the likes of velstrac kidnappers, shadow giant invaders, unleashed nightshade horrors, and the like may appear, causing all sorts of plots and havoc, and potentially driving the heroes to enter the Netherworld in search of answers about the attacks.

Of course, direct hostility is only one such option. Some may seek to enter the plane of their own volition. Perhaps a rare item can only be found in shadow plane markets, or a quest for an artifact or spell might lead them there. Maybe structure that was demolished long ago might still exist on the plane as a dark reflection of the terrible deeds once committed there, and therefore still holds clues to the truth about them. The sky is the limit there.

Some characters may also bring elements of the Netherworld with them. Any user of shadow illusions technically draws upon the plane to make their shadowy figments have an unnerving grain of truth, while there are plenty of class options and archetypes tied to the shadows as well. Things like shadow bloodline sorcerers to shadow caller spiritualists, to the ankou’s shadow slayers, and so on.

As we can see, there’s plenty for adventurers to do in that dark terrible place, but we’re not quite done, as there are still some final thoughts to look at before we end this special for the week. Tune in then!

[solsoma]

Husk Shadar-kai

[justavulcan]

Airmark's Guide to Planar Vegetables: Fugue Weed

Most easily identified among the flora of the Shadowfell by their dark violet shoots and their long, curling leaves, fugue weed is one of the shadowfell's few indigenous animate plants. They most commonly grow along waterways and in damp, marshy environments, towering in dense clumps when at rest and crawling on a large nest of glossy black roots when mobile.

Fugue weed is not predatory in the sense of most carnivorous plants; instead, they are memnovores, feeding on memories and thoughts. Typically they feed on undead, but are content to sift the living for recent memories in a pinch, and can also benefit from the memory-infused sediment in the River Styx.

This last trait leads some to believe it originated in the Lower Planes, but the greatest concentration of fugue weed and the presence of local predators in the Shadowfell indicate it is not an invasive species. The fugue weed's most common predators are the sorrowsworn, who are resistant to many of the plant's most potent defenses, but the local shadar-kai also consider fugue weed a rare delicacy.

Fugue weed reproduces by seeding about once a standard year, during the wet season, and casts its seeds to the water around itself to be propagated downstream. They sometimes travel great distances to seek running water to drop their seeds. Fugue weeds have a crude intelligence and a basic understanding of the common tongue, which they mostly use to size up potential prey.

[deckofmanycharacters]

A race of people warped by the Shadowfell.

Having spent much of their life surviving in the Plane of Shadow, these people were altered by it on more than just an emotional level. The Shadowfell took a toll on their lifespan and vitality, but in exchange they were granted strange powers, that now lurk within them, waiting to be used.

Tiny wisps of darkness still cling to their bodies, nearly imperceptible in the daylight of the Material Plane. But still present.

[daemons-and-deathrays]

Ramon's Guide to Strange Realities and Stranger Planes

Ramon’s Guide to Strange Realities and Stranger Planes

Currently, I find myself researching into the boundless possibilities of parallel universes, alternate realities if you will. Such a pursuit is a headache. But, no matter! An explorer must persevere for the good of all! Throughout all means of realities, little pockets of truly wondrous strangeness hide in their own obscure places. For the time being, let me chronicle some travels to other…

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[enddaysengine]

Apostle Kyton (Planescape, Template)

So it's a pretty awesome feeling to have your phone barraging you with follows, reblogs, and likes. A big thanks goes out to @dailybestiary and @dungeoninspiration for the mentions and reblogs that kicked it all off. Both awesome and you should be following them if you aren't already.

I've already talked about Kytons and their possible context in Eberron, but I haven't touched on Kytons in Planescape, which is a pity because I really love Kytons. This fascination dates back to one of my favourite Planescape adventures,  Tales of the Infinite Staircase, a portion of which takes planes in the 2e/3e home of the Kytons, the suspended city of Jangling Hiter. Paizo's Cenobite-infused interpretation of the Kytons just made them better.

The Apostle Kyton fills the niche of a recruit. This template allows any humanoid or monstrous humanoid to gain cold immunity, as well as some other evangelically themed abilities. Agonizing prayer deals subdual and bleed damage, which is useful when the kytons want to take someone alive, probably for "conversion therapy." Seductive oration, on the other had, breaks the soul (literally, it can cause celestials to gain the Broken Soul template) so completely that it drains wisdom and shifts alignment towards Lawful Evil. It is pretty nasty. I imagine that some members of the Lawful factions may try to make use of it, but only those who are the most desperate or corrupt.

Also worth noting is that this template boost all the apostle's ability scores, and give bonuses to bluff, heal, and intimidate checks. Kytons are very, very good at making it look like a good deal, but is the person who goes into the process the same one that comes out? Given that the transformation turns a mortal into an outsider, its unlikely. The entire twisted process is probably a good source of nightmare fuel if your party can handle it.

Finally, while this template is technically meant for humanoids, you could probably apply it any corporeal, living non-outsider. I know that if I want to make a kyton based on a dragon, this template is going to be my first stop. In fact, I have done that, and it was a brainstealer dragon, but that is a story for another day.

As her people fall to twin destructions of Ragnarok and war with the drow, the frost giant Midhr wanders the ruins of Cis-Midgard preaching salvation and enlightenment through the painful euphoria of the kytons. Her disciples are veds who have become apostle kytons, their gale breath now carrying the seduction of eternal torment through the mountain passes.

Tensions are building on Erebus. While Mammon has always been content to allow the Kytons build settlements on the surface that mortals call Minauros, the catacombs below are his sole domain. Lately, however, the Argent Prince has been fearful that the natives of Jangling Hiter are plotting to expand their political reach. To reinforce his dominance over his shadow fiend subjects, the Archdevil has put forth a unique bounty. The Hell Gigas Apostle Kyton Praxis is to be brought before him as a trophy - either alive to serve as his “consort” or decapitated so as to be mounted on the catacomb walls. 

Deep One Apostle Kytons should be a logical contradiction, but they can none the less be found in the deep oceans of the Plane of Shadow. Most believe that these populations are the result of Deep One Hybrid Apostles who later underwent the final change while retaining their lawful evil nature. Such supernatural history is merely academics, however, when an Elder Deep One Apostle rises from the deeps of the Stormy Sea at the head of a massive army intent on overrunning Gloamwrought.

Sources: Horror Adventures 

Notes: In other Kyton news, when the Book of the Damned gets released, it appears we will finally get more details on Kyton Demagogues! James Jacob says that he thinks some that weren’t mentioned in Bestiary 3 will be included too!