Shade

Anika gripped the token in her hand, drawing strength from its memories, as her corporeal form faded to a translucent gray. She knew the man who had killed her was on the other side of the wall, and she looked forward to returning the favor, as she stepped through the bricks, eyes glowing a vengeful blue…

Anika, a Shade

Sometimes a person’s passion, purpose, and will to live are so strong, their tie to the living world so unbreakable, that their memories create a vessel for their soul after their body dies. These people are called shades. Shades can arise from any living race.

Shades possess physical bodies that look, act, and feel similar to their original race from before they were risen, at least superficially. However, their bodies are composed of memory, rather than flesh and blood. The older they grow, or the more injured they become, the more that corporeal form fades and begins to reveal their ephemeral existence, as the colors of their body wash out to pale, desaturated tones, and light begins to pass through them. Keep in mind, while a shade’s pseudo-undead nature grants them certain benefits, such as darkvision and the ability to become temporarily ethereal, it also means they are susceptible to the same things other undead creatures are, such as a cleric’s Turn Undead ability.

Roleplaying Tips.
Nothing is as important to a shade as the memory of who they once were, though it is followed closely by whatever their new purpose is. To that end, when creating a backstory for your shade, consider what pivotal events from their prior life would be most important to them. It could be a lost loved one, a heroic deed, or perhaps a betrayal that led to their death. To strengthen that memory, a shade’s friends or companions can create for them a token, gift, or work of art to honor them, resulting in the creation of a memento mori. A shade can attune to this memento to forgo the need for food, drink, or sleep, or even drain its memories to strengthen their resolve temporarily.

Because anyone can become a shade, you can select from a broad variety of backgrounds to suit your needs. You could have been a trophy hunter who was defeated by an infamous predator, an archivist who dabbled in dangerous magical texts, or a mercenary recruit cut down on the battlefield. No matter which you pick, it should inform who you are and for what purpose your soul remained tethered to this plane.

The shade is one of the many races available to subscribers in our Core Content Pack, along with others such as the Dhampir or the Spindrift Dwarves. Create your own shade character and tell us about it in the comments below or on any of our social channels.

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