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Jul 31, 2010, 5:10pm

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WHAT IS SHADOWLIGHT?
All throughout human history, everywhere around the world, the belief in "other worlds" has existed side by side with the belief in magic and the supernatural. In fact, these two are one and the same. The Shadowlight is the world in-between that binds all other mythical Otherworlds together. It is intertwined with ours, yet unless you possess the gift of magic, it cannot be perceived. And magic and life flow from it.

THE PLOT SO FAR
The year is 2012. After the explosive and public 20th century, things have settled down. The old covens remain safely secret, the Guardians still keep watch. But the young defy the Laws of Secrecy, and everywhere there's rumors of dark magic. On All Hallows Eve the year shall "die" to lie entombed till it's once again reborn. Winter Solstice is the day, Fate and Time be squared and met.

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Shadowlight :: Informational Section :: What You'll Need To Know :: The Shadowlight

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Topic: The Shadowlight (Read 41 times)

The Shadowlight
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The Shadowlight
« Thread Started on Apr 28, 2008, 12:38am »

Shadowlight is the name given to the realm in-between. It connects all worlds and is the neutral space between them all. In Norse Mythology, it was also referred to as "Yggdrasil" or the "World Tree" that contained all Nine Realms. Of course, in reality there are more than 9.

Every culture and every religion has created a myriad of different realms, ruled exclusively by their gods, monsters, demons, and heroes, even the dead. For example, the Greeks had a few distinct realms: Mount Olympus was quite separate from the mortal world, as was the realm of Poseidon, and especially the Underworld, realm of Hades. Just as humans created the gods and spirits of nature, they too created the worlds beyond.

Tied to specific "spots of power" a million Otherworlds co-exist with ours, all linked by the Shadowlight, the realm in-between. But, far from being only a link from on world to another, Shadowlight is, itself, a distinct place. Many have explored it. Many cultures have, in fact, not exactly created worlds beyond, but dedicated all of their energies to populating the Shadowlight with their living thought-forms. So it happens to be that while strange and barren, all "realms" are occupied by beings. Some are more distinct and closed off from the rest, others have permeable boundaries, making them seem closer to our physical world, and easier to stray into.

There are many ways to enter the Shadowlight, all of which require a degree of disassociation, and strong force of will. Though there is no official boundary, and it is in fact surrounding us everywhere, the magic worker has to shift his or her senses entirely to be suited for that world, in order to perceive it. Of course, it follows rationally that the more immersed your senses become in the world of Shadowlight, the better you'll be able to navigate your way through and around it. But it is also equally true that complete immersion in it can derange the magick worker, and leave one stranded in it. Such instances of "soul flight" occur only rarely, but it often requires a shaman of one type or another to retrieve the lost soul.

Perhaps heeding this danger, it happened that historically, the more societies developed, and magic along with it, the less inclined the magic workers were to stray into the Shadowlight. Forms and rituals were created to instead bring the power of the Shadowlight *into* the world, with them acting as conduits. But just as before the danger was in one's soul leaving the body behind and getting lost in the Shadowlight, now the danger was that of possession (co-habitation or displacement).

Exorcists arose to combat this threat, but at the same time a select few managed to gain enough control through these experiences to act as mediums for the forces of beyond. Oracles soon became quite popular in the ancient world. Those who used these new techniques in the role of summoners soon learned to deal with their own short comings: hauntings and poltergeists were dealt with similarly as exorcisms, but in this case of places rather than people.

There are specific places around the world where it is easier--and better--to enter the Shadowlight. These places have usually been historically the centers of some sort of magic, or where powerful magical imprints have been left behind. However, it is not always easy, or practical to travel to such distant places. All that remains of some is ruins, and the residual magic, making the threshold thin and penetrable. For this end, the magic users (especially during the secrecy of the Middle Ages) devised their own personal portals and gateways to enter the Shadowlight. By creating a physical locus of devotion and worship, they relied on the power of the Divine Beings they worked with to ferry them through safely.

Because of this adaptation to the dangerous times, as the years passed, cities became such similar gateways to the Shadowlight. Certain cities more than others, especially those where greater numbers of magic users lived in. It was specifically due to this that the Guardians of Magic came to be. The places of power were not only then inhabited by magic users, but also by common folk who might unknowingly stray in, or open the door for spiritual pests and plagues to roam free.

In a city that also serves as a gateway to the Shadowlight, there will be various such entry and exit points. Generally speaking, these are existing doorways that are seldom used, and wouldn't raise suspicion if someone came racing out of there all of the sudden. Naturally, these are protected by several spells of illusion and distraction. Generally speaking, entry and exit gateways are NOT the same. You might enter into the Shadowlight through the front door in an old bookstore in Manhattan, and emerge through the exit somewhere in the Bronx.

The appearance of the Shadowlight is also distinct. Mostly, it is varied. Since it is created by those who experience it (and those powerful enough to indirectly populate it with thought-forms), anything can be found there. In modern times there have even been encounters with Imperial Storm Troopers and other such creatures. Anyone who goes in must be capable to stay safe. The worse that could happen would be to die in the Shadowlight, in which case the death is final and the soul of the individual would remain to haunt the Shadowlight, unable to move on. Sometimes, a strategic retreat (at several hundred miles per hour) is the best option.

Generally speaking, it is always the opposite time in the Shadowlight. This first comes into magical consciousness at the time of the ancient Egyptians, who said that when the sun disappeared in the West, it rose in the Underworld (their Shadowlight). For all intents and purposes, this is true. It is also true that clarity of vision (and other senses) slowly decreases as one leaves well-known and explored areas. Many a magic user has gotten lost in the "Land of the Mists" where everything becomes shadowy or hazy, and sounds echo or are oddly muted.

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