Prominence of Shade

Shadowcasting (Hedge Magic)

Introduction

Prominence of Shade is a sorcerous path of the Shadowcasting school of hedge magic.

The key to "Prominence of Shade" lies in realizing that shade isn't just the comparative darkness caused by the interception or screening of rays of light from an object, place, or area. Rather objects, places and areas are projections of the Abyss in our world.

Therefore, shade is the liminal zone between our world and the world of the Abyss. The dark magician simply calls upon various mystical qualities already inherent in these liminal zones to produce visible or tangible effects in our earthly plane. Thus the allegory of Plato's Cave would have us believe that if we are sitting in a cave looking at a blank wall and upon that wall appear shadows, that those shadows are just illusions of things passing in from of the light. But in reality, the opposite is true, the shadows are more real that the objects to which they are attached and their influence upon the material world and the beings who live there is absolute.

Plato's theory acts to protect the mortal mind from a higher truth, that occurrences of shade are simply humanity's imperfect perceptions of encounters with another "realm", a place incomprehensible because, theoretically, it is the source of a higher reality than the one we have always known; it is a realm of pure form, pure fact, pure darkness - the Abyss.

It is entirely understandable that from the point of view of the uninitiated, the path of Prominence of Shade appears as little more than sophisticated shadowplay. Yet nothing could be farther from the truth.

And so it follows that each rank of mastery along Prominence of Shade possesses two distinct effects, an apparent but insignificant effect and a subtle but meaningful Response.

In most languages the difference between shade and shadow are vague as all things cast a shadow. But in certain languages shade is usually the shadow of a place or thing. The distinction for the purposes of this path and power are irrelevant.

Shade of Mine -- Level 1

Shade of Mine is the keystone power of the path of Prominence of Shade, granting the shadow-magician the ability to control and manipulate his own shadow.

This feat is largely accomplished through the lesser Principle of Identity which suggests that even as the man is a material projection of a potential shadow-self, his identity remains the primary abyssinian prominence which binds the man to the shadow and shadow to the man.

Through rigorous practice of Shadow-play and meditation, the caster can conciously influence his shadow as he was once influenced by his abyssinian prominence.

Once the Shadowcaster has learned to control his shadow, he may manipulate the appearance of his shadow without altering it's underlying substance. This means that to the untrained and undiscerning eye, the caster's shadow contorts to his every gesture taking on whatever form he might wish. The appearance of the caster's shadow can seem to move against the light, completely change length, volume or speed.

Remember this is all an illusion and the caster's shadow may not separate from him or affect the material world in anyway. But the contorting and capering shadow can, if utilized correctly with timing and an appropriate performance evince desired emotions in nearby onlookers.

System: The Shadowcaster expends a point of Will power and makes a roll of Charisma + Occult at a difficulty of (5) five. A botch results in the caster's shadow mocking him for a number of scenes equal to the botches rolled. Failure results in a wasted expenditure of will power and a lackluster performance. A successful roll grants the caster complete control over his shadow for one scene per success. The scenes may be spread out over the course of a day or used back to back at the caster's discretion.

Shade of thine Eyes -- Level 2

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Shade of Another -- Level 3

Shade of Another grants the shadow-magician the ability to touch and manipulate the shadow of other person, either mundane or awakened.

The shadow-magician attunes himself to other person's abyssinian promenence through the lesser Principle of Contagion as the caster's shadow and the target's shadow overlap, the caster's shadow communicates the shadowcaster's influence upon the target's abyssinian prominence and brings the target's shadow fully under the shadowcaster's control.

There are two distinct functions of this power. The first is that the Shadowcaster can now detach his shade from his person and allowing his shadow to move about within line-of-sight, but still under his influence. While the caster still has a shadow, it doesn't appear in the expected location regardless of local lighting or time of day. When used as part of an act, it should elicit surprise and amusement, but if used in a one-on-one situation or an unexpected location it could become the object of superstitious fear and quite intimidating.
System: The shadow magician expends a point of Willpower and rolls Manipulation + Occult at a difficulty of six (6)
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Shades of Truth -- Level 6

Shades of Truth is lesser form of divination in which the caster uses the lesser Principle of Identity to divine hidden truths about himself or another.

System: The caster must be standing in the shadow of the spell's target and expends a point of willpower followed by a roll of Perception + Occult at a difficulty of seven (7). A botch shows the caster something horrific and otherworldly, such images are a threat to the caster's sanity should he fail a secondary roll of willpower at a difficulty of seven (7). Failure results in a pointless waste of time and the needless sacrifice of precious willpower. Each success achieved on the casting roll allow the shadow magician to look into the target's past, enabling him to witness actions or events as if the Shadowcaster was present. The caster is merely an unseen observer of past events and nothing more.

The number of successes determines how far back in time the shadowcaster can gaze.

1 success: 1 night
2 successes: 3 nights
3 successes: 1 week
4 successes: 1 month
5 successes: 1 year

Shades of Plunder

This power utilizes the lesser Principle of Heredity and allows the caster to separate the shades of things carried by one target or many from their personal shadows. This not only gives the caster possession of the shades of individual items, it also reveals details about the items to the caster.

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Shades of the Many

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