Shadow Users
The journey of a shadow user begins at the simple stage known as "
Shadow". The user becomes aware of an innate ability to affect the world, in what history has recorded as both court magic and gospel alike. At the first stage, the individual can begin to use their unique power, at this time entirely weak and able to be changed by the slightest shift in personality.
This is the most basic form of control, and takes almost no training to achieve. However, after this power is developed, it can begin to take another form.
When power grows beyond the control of one person, it enters the "
Encounter" stage. At this time, the shadow manifests as another being, often humanoid, and pulls away all of the user's gift. It can act with varyind degrees of free will, based on how well a person has learned to do so, but if power is left to grow without limits, Shadow Users can often wind up getting killed by their own out-of-control shadows.
Once under control, another change is sure to occur.
Just as a butterfly emerges from the cocoon, the true beauty of a Shadow is found in the "
Merger" stage. Rather than a seperate existance, the power manifests as an object, usually a weapon, and the user gains full control of their ability once more. Most Shadow Users will simply stop at this stage, given how much more useful it is than the first two.
For those that truly wish to complete their journey, however, another stage exists.
"
Assilimation" is the mark of mastery in any Shadow User. All outside objects disappear, and only a few physical changes remain to show that the User has drawn the most out of their talent. It works in the same way that the Shadow's first stage does, with no outside objects to manipulate, but unlike all stages before it, this power may very well be able to shape the world through sheer strength. Only a select few people have gotten this far, but those who have can perform acts that only the gods and spirits of myth have been capable of.
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