Shade

A Shade is a creature that is created when a person overspends themselves through use of magical practice or even through the undertaking of certain rituals. A Shade, whilst not having a corporeal form, can nonetheless be a very dangerous enemy to face alone, especially if they have been allowed to grow in strength.

A Shade comes to exist only when a person has effectively drained all of their energy from their form, and can no longer sustain their own life, nor their own body, and it is at this point their body consumes itself in order to give life to a Shade, a creature of great hunger, that seeks to devour any and all spiritual and magical energy it can find.

Abilities & Growth
A Shade is capable of draining the energy from both the land and the people upon it should they come close enough. Dependant on the location, density and strength of the magical or spiritual energy drained, a Shade can effectively 'grow' in both form and strength, allowing them to have stronger defences against The Arts, and even temporarily take physical form in order to lash out at the living.

Shades can be fiercely intelligent once they progress beyond the first stages, essentially beginning to recapture 'echoes' of their former selves, although this can be counterproductive if the original self had a strong will, as it can force the Shade to seek it's own end or even expend it's energy by casting it outwards into the land and surroundings.