You place the tome on the dais. The runes once again glow with the same shadowy light, and the runes on the pages coalesce into a language you
can read.
There are those forms made of shadow which are not shades, but are none the less, creatures in their own right. Some of these creatures can take forms
which are useful to those who can bend their will to their own. While not all creatures of woven shadow are sentient like shades, they are still capable
of learning. Most of the time, these creatures are molded and trained to perform tasks that shades do not wish to engage in. However, some are simple companions
for shades that are on their own, it can help keep form to have a creature to focus idle thoughts upon.
Before the first shadow weavers began to ply their craft, tools to work the land or work leverage were still required. For this, the early shades turned to the beasts
of the land. In particular, the shade brute was a large creature of limited intelligence but a specifically docile nature. This made them very ideal
for all manner of burdensome or tiresome work. These brutes were domesticated in short order and became very useful for working land and pulling heavy loads.
In the early eras of the shadow lands, there were a species of creature which had needle like teeth. They were a bane to early shade life, as they could tear
the very fabric of the shades apart. It would be dangerous enough if they simply were mindless killing machines, however the rending shades displayed a much higher
level of intelligence than most other creatures apart from the shades themselves. However, this also led them to being a prime target for shades to tame. By using
the rending shades capacity for learning, they were able to teach some of the less vicious ones to work with shades for mutual benefit. At first, they acted as early
hunting and security partners, since both could help the other survive. But as generations passed, different functions began to appear, from performing courier tasks to even
simple construction tasks. In more modern times, they are even just used as companions. Some say that they are even able to be taught basic shadow weaving, although using
some differentiated forms.
Return The Book of Companions
Leave the Archive
Escape the Cave