Shadow Stalkers lived in relative harmony in their strange, lightless plane, known to them as the Labyrinth. They dwelt in cities scattered among the ancient winding paths, using their plane’s ambient magical aura to navigate in the darkness. This changed when the Voidgates began to appear in their plane.
The Voidgates interfered with the Labyrinth’s magic. The fungi and mosses near the newly opened gates withered and animals shunned them. Shadow Stalkers who lingered close to these Voidgates too long became weak and ill. Soon it was discovered that the magic permeating the Labyrinth was slowly draining life from the Plane through the gate and unless action was taken, their home would become uninhabitable.
The Shadow Stalkers began to investigate the other side of the Voidgate. Near the Voidgates, there were traces of the Labyrinth’s magic, manifesting as a faint miasma which allowed them to sense their surroundings. As they moved further, however, they discovered that magic in Tyria operated very differently than in the Labyrinth. Rather than permeating the plane like air, magical power in Tyria was far more concentrated, and magic users were like bright lights in total darkness. They were able to detect these magic users opening new Voidgates throughout their plane, heedless of the damage their spells caused.
On discovering the cause of the disturbance in their Plane, the Shadow Stalkers sought out volunteers to explore the plane of Tyria and shut the gates. They prepared relics that would allow them to sense things in Tyria, projecting their own magical auras which they could use to sense things. Soon, they were ready and began to pour out through Voidgates, destroying the gates behind them.
They surged through the old Ogre Kingdoms, sealing any Voidgates they found which might connect to their world. The destruction of these gates left the Shadow Stalkers with no way of returning home, and they were now trapped in Tyria. Some Shadow Stalkers hid in the ruins of the cities which they seized, slowly learning to adapt to the new plane, some pursued the Ogres and their Shamans hoping to prevent them from opening new gates, while others sought a way to return home.
How will you navigate this strange plane?
History
The Labyrinth
The Shadow Stalker’s home plane has come to be known as “The Labyrinth”. It is described by some as a maze (or prison) of rusted metal, overgrown with strange plants. Throughout this Plane, everything was connected through an ambient magic, which the Shadow Stalkers’ had become attuned to, using it to sense things in the absence of light.
Tears Appear
Without any warning, Voidgates began to appear in their Plane. These Voidgates interfered with the Labyrinth’s magic, subtly but deeply disturbing those who lived there. The fungi and mosses near the Voidgates withered and animals shunned where they had opened and Shadow Stalkers nearest to the rift became weak and ill. Soon, it was discovered that the magic permeating the Labyrinth was slowly draining and, unless action was taken, their home would become uninhabitable.
Beyond the Veil
The Shadow Stalkers began to investigate through the gate. The experience of passing through was painful. Near the Voidgates, there were traces of the Labyrinth’s magic, manifesting like miasma, which allowed them to sense things. As they moved further, however, they found magic in Tyria was more concentrated; magic users were like bright lights in total darkness. They soon saw that these magic users were the source of the Voidgates in their realm.
Into Tyria
On discovering the cause of the disturbance in their Plane, the Shadow Stalkers sought out volunteers to explore the Plane of Tyria and shut the gates. They prepared relics that would allow them to sense things in Tyria, projecting their own magical auras which they could use to sense things. Soon, they were ready and began to pour out through Voidgates, destroying the gates behind them.
Trapped
The Shadow Stalkers emerged quickly, destroying any Voidgates that they found. They surged through the Old Ogre Kingdoms, trying to seal any portals which might connect to their world. They succeeded in destroying the Voidgates, but as a result, they had no way of returning home. The Shadow Stalkers now found themselves trapped in Tyria. Somes Shadow Stalkers hid in the ruins of the cities which they seized, slowly learning to adapt to the new plane. Others pursued the Ogres and their Shamans, hoping to ensure the gates would remain closed.
Society
Shadow Stalkers are not from the Tyrian plane, nor from any other of the many planes that share similar laws of physics. Their home plane was a strange, lightless place that Ogre Shamans call the Labyrinth. The Labyrinth is composed of eldritch pathways, saturated with a magical energy. This energy allowed the Stalkers to navigate it using arcane senses. It is the same energy that the Ogre Shamans started tapping into in order to create new Voidgates, unknowingly unravelling the very fabric of the Labyrinth.
Self-Exiled
Legions of Shadow Stalkers attacked the Ogres, in order to defend themselves from what they saw as a world-ending threat. They destroyed all the Voidgates that threatened the Labyrinth. In doing so, these Stalkers willingly trapped themselves outside of the Labyrinth. They had done the best they could to prepare for this, hoping to be able to quickly find a way back. But it wasn’t so: whatever allowed the Ogre Shamans to connect to the Labyrinth was lost during the initial attacks. Maybe this knowledge still exists in fragments in the many Ogre groups that fled the catastrophe, or maybe there’s another way. Until they find it, the Stalkers have to endure a painful existence in a world that is as alien to them as they are to it.
Fish out of Water
Shadow Stalkers are blind. The sun burns them horribly, unless they shield themselves with ragged cloaks and tedious spells. The way they perceive reality is confusing to other species. They can meet someone after weeks and carry on their conversation like they never left, or have incredibly long pauses. They are hard to coordinate with because their sense of time and urgency seems more fluid than most.
Even a lush forest teeming with life is a deserted hellscape to a Stalker. Sunlight boils their skin, they don’t eat meat or plants, and the magical energy they use to perceive the world is barely present. They use amplifying artefacts to be able to ‘see’, and cover themselves in thick rags to block out sunlight.
Creatures of Darkness
Due to their vulnerability to sunlight, Shadow Stalkers tend to congregate in very dark places (hence their name), which adds to the fear they inspire to many folks. Groups of them are often found in tunnels, caves, or even deep down in lakes, as they don’t need air. If they need to travel, they do so during moonless nights unless there is an extreme emergency. They are not always hostile to intruders, but it is hard for the uninitiated to gauge whether their shrieks are friendly or angry.
Stalkers travel in groups, usually based on the warband they were originally part of. Other groups are composed of survivors who lost their unit and other stragglers. Their main mission was fulfilled when they destroyed the Voidgates, and there are different opinions regarding what they should be doing now. Some groups cling to their military purpose, tracking down Ogre Shamans to prevent any possibility of another threat to their home plane. Others seek wizards and mages, hoping to discover a way to open a portal to the Labyrinth. A few of the most eccentric are trying to devise ways to adapt to this new world. Some are aimless, simply subsisting in this strange world, hiding away in deep forests and rocky deserts. Finally, some groups simply seem to seek Voidgates, maybe trying to find another route home.
Sustenance
It is hard to comprehend how Shadow Stalkers feed and sustain themselves, but it seems to have something to do with certain shapes and patterns. They collect various trinkets such as intermingled roots, oddly shaped rocks, metallic utensils, spider webs… Each Stalker spends quite some time gathering their collection, sometimes casting away one of them as ‘spent’. Scholars have various theories about this, it is possible that these objects, when gathered, create a kind of magical resonance that could help regenerate Stalkers.
Creatures and Companions
The Shadow Stalkers are often seen accompanied by strange beasts and fog monsters that originate from the Labyrinth. These beasts are terrifying in battle, but the Stalkers take care of them meticulously, as they are their only companions in this foreign universe.
Diplomacy
Shadow Stalkers might fight others of their kind at times. The reasons for this are not always clear to outsiders; though often it seems to be disagreement on duty or when they suspect that they have betrayed their mission in some way.
They will ally with anyone for pieces of occult knowledge, specific magic-resonant trinkets, or to serve a secret plan. Most would not ally with Ogres, except the craziest ones or if they believe this will help to devise a way back to the Labyrinth.
