The intersection between the supernatural and the mortal plane. Sometimes also called nightlife or simply the night.
General[]
The Shadows was a term more defined by what it is not, making it a very nebolous term. It was made up of beings moving on the mortal plane with connections to the supernatural. These connections could be of varying strength, be of different frequency, and imply different levels of awareness of the supernatural. Many people in the Shadows were outside Heaven’s light, but this seemed to be a consequence of life in the Shadows rather than a prerequisite.
“Yes,” she said, looking him in the eye again. “You’re a good guy. Not everyone walks into the shadows with their eyes open.”
— Sierra, Personal Demons, chapter 14
Just because two beings both were in the Shadows did not mean they would feel any specific connection or relation with each other. They would have a greater probability of encountering each other due to the way magic and the supernatural drew to itself, but there was no overarching society, unity, or community.
Elements[]
The Shadows included Practitioners, jinn, vampires, other undead, werewolves, demons active in the mortal world, and possibly other groups. It also could include the mortal non-practitioners who had more than intermittent contact with the supernatural, like the muscle of a Circle.
According to Lorelei, vampirism was among the more easily spread curses that afflicted mortals.[1] This implied that there are more former humans associated with Hell than werewolves and vampires. Some of these were of unique nature. Examples of beings in or associated with the Shadows without belonging to any particular known group were Anatole, Katerina Sorrow, and Sunday.
The FBI had a Special Task Force to investigate crimes that possibly involved or originated from the Shadows, though it is unclear if they used the term themselves, and to what degree they could be said to be part of the Shadows, or just be aware of it.[2] Kevin Murray and Tyrone Johnson were similar examples of regular humans with some awareness of the Shadows but were not really part of it.
Culture[]
“These waters are filled with monsters and sharks. They search for weakness. Humility will not help you here.”
— Zafirah, Past Due, chapter 14
Most who lived or moved in the Shadows were fractured and isolated, and outside small groups it mostly functioned as an anarchy.[3] The vampires were the most organized group, but had trouble keeping up with rapid change.[4] Most attempts to unite groups within the Shadows—or move them closer together—foundered on mutual distrust, mutual prejudices, or infighting. This was true within each element of the Shadows, and even more so when attempting to bring different elements together.[3][5]
Not all who lived in the Shadows were criminals or made their living through illegal means. However, nearly everyone could be said to be extralegal, in that they could not depend on the institutions and the laws of the mundane world, at least not when interacting with other elements of the Shadows. Some considered themselves to be above or beyond the law.[6] Thus they generally needed to be prepared to defend their own interests, if needed with violence. A further cause for that was that might makes right for many who are involved in the supernatural.[7][8]
The economy of the Shadows mainly ran on favors and trade. Money could play a role, but was largely secondary to other concerns.[9][10]
Name[]
The Shadows were probably so named because it fit in several ways. One was the absence of Heaven’s light for many of the people living there; it is however unclear how many in the Shadows who are aware of that. A second was that it was largely hidden from the rest of human society. A third was that many of the people within it preferred more or less nocturnal lifestyles.[9]
The word nightlife had also been used for either the Shadows as a whole or specific parts of it, most often about vampires.[6][11] The night and the enlightened seems to be less used terms.[12][13]
Locations[]
Los Angeles[]
Los Angeles had a large presence of the Shadows, if only because of its sheer size. The FBI had a permanent team based there. There were three known werewolf packs on the outskirts of the metropolitan area.[14] The vampire society was in flux after the death of Lord Cornelius, and had split into three factions.[14] Anatole, a human who had gained some sort of supernatural power, was a growing influence, and attempted to fill at least some of the vacuum left after Cornelius.[10][15]
Seattle[]
Seattle and environs had a relatively large presence of the Shadows, both in general and in comparison to its size. Anastacia’s court of vampires had over sixty members, and was one of the largest identified in the USA.[2] There were ghosts and several large Circles, where the largest known was the Brotherhood of Apollo. At least six different Practices could be found. There were werewelves in the rural areas outside the city.[16] Demons were common, and relatively well-organized.[17]
After the Battle of Blackthorne manor and Rachel’s time as Dominion the Shadows in Seattle were in a volatile and uncertain state.[18][4] A major effect, that also caused more upheaval, were the twin battles of the casino and of Suite 1705.
Vancouver[]
Very little is known about the Shadows of Vancouver. The Family had a large estate there, but it is unclear how many of their members had their permanent home there.[19][20] It had an influx of demons and other beings from Seattle during Rachel’s time as Dominion there.[21]
References[]
- ↑ Natural Consequences, chapter 17
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Natural Consequences, Prologue
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Personal Demons, chapter 4
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Past Due, chapter 2
- ↑ Past Due, chapter 29
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Good Intentions, chapter 16
- ↑ Past Due, chapter 18
- ↑ “Outsourced”
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 “Legitimacy”
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Grand Theft Sorcery, chapter 2
- ↑ Past Due, chapter 13
- ↑ Grand Theft Sorcery, chapter 4
- ↑ Grand Theft Sorcery, chapter 13
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Grand Theft Sorcery, chapter 1
- ↑ Grand Theft Sorcery, chapter 5
- ↑ Good Intentions, chapter 14
- ↑ Skin
- ↑ Personal Demons, chapter 11
- ↑ Past Due, chapter 8
- ↑ Past Due, chapter 16
- ↑ Past Due, chapter 10