| Shades
Shades
Shades are rare beings in Alagaësia, but still very feared.
They possess immense magical and physical talents and are extremely difficult to
kill—only a thrust to the heart can destroy them.
A Shade is either created by accident or by someone willing
to pay a great price for greater powers. The creation occurs unintentionally
when a sorcerer summons spirits he or she cannot control and instead the spirits
take control of the sorcerer. Alternatively, it may be created intentionally by
someone who is willing to release control for the sake of gaining greater
powers. Since only the most vile of spirits seek to possess a human body, Shades
are always evil creatures. The spirits will never leave the body; the Shade must
be killed.
As previously stated, the only way to kill a Shade is to
pierce its heart, similar to the mythical vampire. Any lesser injury will only
cause it to disappear and come back in a spirit form. Then it will only proceed
to grow stronger.
Because there have been so few Shades in Alagaësia, some
observations about their skills and traits must be made solely based on one
known specimen: the Shade Durza. Durza’s appearance was mostly human, but with
some striking non-human features. He had crimson hair and maroon eyes. His teeth
were filed and sharp, while his skin was pale and seemed to be pulled taut
across his body.
The Shade had strength and swiftness that far surpassed any
human’s, along with accentuated eyesight that pierced the darkness. Durza also
had incredibly powerful magical abilities that were more than a match for the
young Rider Eragon. He was slain by Eragon the Second in the battle of Farthen
Dûr with a thrust to the heart by the Rider’s sword.
Eragon earned the title of Shadeslayer, one of the few
beings in Alagaësia’s history to survive the feat of a destroying a Shade. Once
the creature is killed, its memories flood into whoever killed it. This event is
an onslaught on the mind and can be difficult to survive.
Sometimes Shades can be pitied, for their human hosts are
oftentimes victims themselves. But once they are created, they are too dangerous
and to vicious to be permitted to exist unchecked.
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