Shadow Absalom

Shadow Absalom

(City)

Plane

Shadow Plane

Region

Shadow Kortos

Size

Metropolis

Population

102,000✝

Demographics

51,000 fetchlings, 24,480 Material Plane humanoids, 10,200 d'ziriaks, 6,120 intelligent undead, 10,200 other

Alignment

Neutral

Ruler

Argrinyxia, the Shifting Lady of Ebon Scales

Images of Shadow Absalom

Source: Distant Realms, pg(s). 37

A pale, twisted reflection of the great city of Absalom, the city of Shadow Absalom is the greatest settlement on the Shadow Plane.

Geography

Shadow Absalom is located on the shadow counterpart of the Isle of Kortos by the Bay of Dusk, which is filled with dust instead of water. The most famous feature of Shadow Absalom is the Glare, a portal which can return any extraplanar visitor from their home plane, at the exact spot where they originally left. The Glare, a natural light source that can be seen from miles away, also keeps Absalom and Shadow Absalom the same size.

Shadow Absalom's walls are made out of aszite and druchite, and its spires rise hundreds of feet into the air. Entire districts are covered in termite mounds which serve as the entrances to the vast underground d'ziriak hives.

Districts and major locations

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• Hive Izt Sixt'Zym
• Soul Stalls
• Unspoken City

Government

For as long as anyone could remember, Shadow Absalom has been ruled by the mysterious umbral dragon Argrinyxia, who frequently flies over the city to ensure that everyone can witness her. She has a monopoly on all commerce within Shadow Absalom, harshly punishes any perceived impediment to trade, and strictly forbids the establishment of all planar portals in the city without her permission.

History

When Aroden raised the Isle of Kortos and the Starstone from the Inner Sea, the Glare appeared in the same spot on the Shadow Plane. The Glare quickly became a beacon for the fetchlings on the Shadow Plane, who established a pilgrimage to it and built a city around it. As more and more fetchlings arrived, the city expanded quickly. The fetchlings could not decide on a name for the city until the residents met the first planar travellers from Absalom and adopted the name Shadow Absalom, which eventually became the official name. When the fetchlings first encountered the nearby d'ziriak hives as they established mining operations, the d'ziriaks saw them as foes, but the fetchlings eventually convinced them to join them in the development of Shadow Absalom.

One day, the corpses of Shadow Absalom's councillors were found arranged near the entrance to the Glare, and dozens of residents spread among the crowds to proclaim that Argrinyxia now ruled the city.

Inhabitants

Fetchlings make up roughly half of Shadow Absalom's population. The remainder of the population consists of d'ziriaks, humanoids from the Material Plane, intelligent undead, velstracs, and shadow fey, among others. Visitors often find the city accommodating, as the residents try to avoid Argrinyxia's ire.

A mysterious organisation known as the Onyx Alliance is believed to operate in the city, regularly crossing over to the Material Plane to collect slaves and wealth.

Relations

Shadow Absalom's greatest trade partner is Absalom. Most of the trade is based around magical goods or spell components, but some Material Plane traders have expressed an interest in aszite and druchite. The only Shadow Plane settlement that deals with Shadow Absalom is Shethalliahaya, whose shaes maintain a small presence in the city. Some merchants complain that the shaes earned their privileged position after they crafted a special white mask for Argrinyxia.

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.