Cult of Forgotten Shadow

[byzantine 12]

Shadow priest roleplay can be difficult, thanks to the often confusing and expansive lore involving the religious body they may worship.

The purpose of this post is to break down the fundamentals on the structure and tenets of the shadow-cult in the Warcraft universe, both for informative and referential usage.

This post will contain RPG material. Some speculation on the Virtues will be provided.

 

Summary

• Originally a series of writings collected from the workings of orc necrolytes after the First War by a bishop from Lordaeron, Natalie Selene, that developed into a functional theology after Forsaken shadow-priests located her teachings.
• Revolves predominantly around the balance betwixt light and dark. This is not a cult similar to the Twilight's Hammer, who pledge allegiance to the dark powers in the far, lightless reaches of the Great Dark Beyond; rather than being a polar opposite to the Church of the Holy Light, the Cult of Forgotten Shadow teaches that equilibrium is part of the natural order and must be maintained. Moderation is a pillar of this symbiotic relationship between light and dark.
• Interestingly, undead in the Cult are similarly affected by shadow magic as they are light magic; whereas usage of Light evokes positive emotion and sensation, usage of void encourages colder, recessive emotions to come into the forefront of one's mind. To a certain degree, the undead present in the Cult are more rounded as people than the average inhibited Forsaken.
• Adherents of the Forgotten Shadow cultivate a sense of surety and responsibility that may be interpreted as arrogance. They are determined to believe that the weak and destitute will flock to them in their hour of need, the repulsive will revere them, and the ignorant will seek them out for guidance.
 

Tenets

• Understanding the Cult's perspective on the universe is instrumental to understanding their virtues. They are not at all similar to the Church of the Holy Light; where the Church encourages symbiosis with the universe and integration with oneself, the Cult promotes the absolute betterment of the spirit above all else, revering the determination to carve out a place in the universe for the faithful. Their belief is very insular, leaving no room for accommodation or compromise. Ironically, the Cult of Forgotten Shadow accepts every race from every faction; so, despite their authoritarian approach to philosophy, they seem to be more progressive than the Church.

Respect
• The cardinal theme of the Cult. To abandon one's respect for their fellow Cult member is failing to acknowledge their place in the universe - their power - and this is both disruptive and dangerous. Being bereft of respect in the Cult of Forgotten Shadow is paramount to insubordinance. As aforementioned, the Cult relies on self-sufficiency and power; failure to respect the order of things is a compromise of both principles, and makes the perpetrator a liability.

Tenacity
• The driving force behind the Cult's philosophy. To master tenacity is to hold governance over one's willpower; and, if one happens to be undead, this makes them a formidable creature indeed. The will to shape the universe around oneself is not easily underestimated. Worse still is will substantiated by power; and the harmony of all three Virtues leads to a terrifying symbiosis of strength and mastery. It can be assumed that, in the Cult of Forgotten Shadow, sycophants do not last long. Minions exist to bolster one's power, not construct their own; and, consequently, subvert the core belief of this strange and esoteric religion.

Power
• Power left unchecked can be dangerous. However, power cultivated over the years, armoured with respect and armed with tenacity, is a terrible force to oppose. This final value represents the mastery of one's potential and accepting that there is yet room to grow. Power is fuelled by ambition. The cultist that understands the principles of the Cult and exercises them with this goal in mind will excel. However, one cannot express one tenet without the other two in the Cult. Power is nothing without will and order. Order is nothing without power. Will is nothing without respect. The three represent balance just as keenly as light and shadow do; and he who recognises this will become unstoppable indeed.

Ascension

• Perhaps the most coveted state for every cultist; to ascend is to hold mastery over the Cult's teachings and still yearn for more. This ambition is duly rewarded in the form of functional and literal immortality. A shadow ascendant is neither corporeal nor incorporeal, shifting betwixt realms in a breath and exerting their insurmountable will over reality as easily as one might blink. These ascendants are created when a cultist fully realises their "inner shadow" - or, to put it more aptly, develops their power enough to the point where they're capable of manifesting it permanently. The shadow ascendant thrives on the darkness, stealing shadows from men and feeding on them in but a single, silent moment. Thereafter, the shadow ascendant may replicate a man's shadow and haunt him as if it were his own shadow. This makes shadow ascendants particularly terrifying to face, especially at night, where their influence goes totally unchecked and they may strip a man to dust at a whim. Shadow ascendants are arguably the best spies in the world, and their minimal number gives the Cult of Forgotten Shadow a monopoly on subterfuge and assassination.

Lightslayers

• Albeit less remarkable than shadow ascendants, they are no less dangerous to enemies of the Cult. Presented in a clandestine fashion, they act as the insular knife of the Cult, hunting down agents of the Church wherever they encroach upon the lands of the Banshee Queen and snuffing them out. They perform their tasks with consummate skill, relying on solitary tactics limited to hit and run, stealth and surprise. Some Lightslayers devote themselves so wholly to the dark powers fuelling the cult, they're able to subvert some spells cast at them by priests and paladins. This particular property makes them difficult to contend with on the battlefield -- if you see one coming, that is.

Edited July 23, 2017 by byzantine
Inconsistency

[Romeo 320]

Great job! But one thing I'd like to point out is that lightslayers are not only female. Not only would it be strange for the cult to give a flying shit about your gender, because the undead don't, but also there isn't any material stating this. In wowpedia and other sources the lightslayer is always mentioned as her and she, which might be a suggestion that there are more females than males, but there is also

http://www.wowhead.com/npc=34033/teegan-holloway

who is a male lightslayer in the game. Otherwise, fantastic job as always!

[Mordred 183]

1 minute ago, Romeo said:

Otherwise, fantastic job as always!

Romeo's post just about sums up my thoughts, but indeed a fantastic outline! 

[byzantine 12]

2 minutes ago, Romeo said:

Great job! But one thing I'd like to point out is that lightslayers are not only female. Not only would it be strange for the cult to give a flying shit about your gender, because the undead don't, but also there isn't any material stating this. In wowpedia and other sources the lightslayer is always mentioned as her and she, which might be a suggestion that there are more females than males, but there is also

http://www.wowhead.com/npc=34033/teegan-holloway

who is a male lightslayer in the game. Otherwise, fantastic job as always!

Fixed, cheers o/

[Romeo 320]

1 minute ago, byzantine said:

Fixed, cheers o/

A fun fact actually was that when I created my undead lightslayer, I was afraid that this female thing would be a problem. But rebellious as I was I didn' give a flying shit, and wanted to taunt my server with a male lightslayer with a fitting name, and so Romeo was born lol

[Mordred 183]

Just now, Romeo said:

A fun fact actually was that when I created my undead lightslayer, I was afraid that this female thing would be a problem. But rebellious as I was I didn' give a flying shit, and wanted to taunt my server with a male lightslayer with a fitting name, and so Romeo was born lol

This is how Zanaris came to be as well.

[byzantine 12]

Just now, Romeo said:

A fun fact actually was that when I created my undead lightslayer, I was afraid that this female thing would be a problem. But rebellious as I was I didn' give a flying shit, and wanted to taunt my server with a male lightslayer with a fitting name, and so Romeo was born lol

lmao my ass got grilled for applying to hand of agony on AD EU w/ a male lightslayer or something similar, was playing it safe here yano

< just in case >