Monastery of the Shadow

Deep within the Upper Umbric Plains stands the House Keepers of the Eternal Shadow.

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House Facts

Plane: Umbric Plains

Beliefs: Knowledge, Balance and Amelioration.

Knowledge...we want to know all that we can. It's power. And with that power we can achieve the other two beliefs.

Balance...We strive for balance in everything. Ourselves, the family, the dreamers, the City. The Shadow is balance itself.

Amelioration... is the act of making something better. How you do that is with Knowledge and Balance.

Last is the Shadow itself. To some it's a guiding force. It's the embodiment of what we want to become.

Role: Mystical

Prime Artifact: Heart of the Shadow

House Art: Shadow Step

House Roster

Advisors:

Rulers: Koriania, Starfall, Mengyao

Guardians: Ironies II

Initiates: Purple Lace, Ludakris, Stormsy, Nathan,

Beliefs & Teachings of The Monastery of the Shadow

by Cianne as penned by ~ Synteny - Guardian

The Monastery of the Shadow is a place for those who wish to improve themselves, feel wanted regardless of desires or reputation, find friends and family, and to make the city a better place for all. The Shadowkin follow the teachings of the Shadow: Balance, Knowledge, and Amelioration.

~ The Shadow Explained ~

The Shadow is a force that exists in the city. It was created when Light and Darkness touched. It keeps both from destroying the other, and maintains life and balance in the dreamstate. Just as the shadow exists because of, and works with the forces that created it and all the teachings of the Shadow; Balance, Knowledge and Amelioration work together to support each other. You cannot fully realize one of the beliefs without the others.

~The Shadow Teaches of Knowledge~

The gathering of knowledge from all and any source. The preservation of knowledge, both that which you have gathered, and that others have gathered. Destruction of knowledge is abhorrent. Also the use of knowledge is in support of Balance and Amelioration.

~The Shadow Teaches of Balance~

Balance and peace within yourself, Balance in your actions, and Balance and safety in the city. There are many ways to break down balance. The Shadow itself is a being of pure balance; Existing between Light and Dark, being of both but of neither, and yet cannot be without both.

~The Shadow Teaches of Amelioration~

The act of improvement. Always improving ourselves according to our personal goals. Supporting the improvement of friends and family according to their personal and group goals. Also, always striving to improve the state of the city around us.

Past House Roster

Ruler: Synteny

Guardians: Dreiko, Noshkapana, Tamarisk

Initiates: Apothos, Braelynn, Cianne, Maddisyn, Wishbringer, Xyn Rhade

Prayer for a return

by Coraal

~ deep within the Monastery of the Shadow, in the center of a room hidden within the maze, Coraal sits with legs akimbo. The lighting of the room has been adjusted so that arcing beams of illumination crisscross the room at interesting angles and never fully illuminate the chamber, but create a pocket of shadow in the center where he sits. The shadows work to wash out color and leave him cast in a unique array of monochromatic grays and blacks; a very startling contrast. In his hands he holds a small, wrapped bundle as he meditates. His mouth mutters soft prayers to the Shadow as his voice rises into a soft and gentle tone that echoes out through the room ~

My dear, dear friend...where have you gone? Many dreams have passed since the last time I heard your laugh, saw your smile, and felt the comfort of your company. I miss those dreams. We miss you in our dreams. The home you once knew has been reborn, made through sacrifice and struggle, and now calls out to you once again. Come home to us, dear friend...

~ as he speaks, he unwraps the bundle that contains a single nail file. A strange object, yes, but an important one. He holds the file in his hands and speaks into the shadows above him ~

I know in my Val'He that you can hear my voice, reaching out across the vastness of infinity. And in my fondest and most cherished memories I can see you smiling back at me. I can hear your voice and I still believe that you can call out my name, as I now call out yours as well...

~ he takes a breath and speaks once more, his voice echoing through the room and then far, far out beyond it ~

Sorsha...

~ as the echoes of the name ripple throughout space and time, the image of the room ripples and fades away ~

Gallery

References

• https://forums.underlight.com/viewtopic.php?p=24973#p24973