The Shadowfell
Type: Plane of existence — the mirror-realm of shadow and death Also called: The Plane of Shadow; Letherna (used loosely to refer to the whole plane, though Letherna is technically the Raven Queen's specific domain within it) Ruler: No single ruler — the Raven Queen governs Letherna, her domain within it; other powers (vampires, ghoul-kings, Shar's faithful) hold territory elsewhere
Overview
The Shadowfell is the "dark echo" of the Material Plane — a parallel realm where light is dim, color is muted, and death is close. Every place on the Material Plane has a Shadowfell counterpart, typically ruined, drained, or corrupted.
Souls of the dead pass through the Shadowfell — specifically through Letherna — as part of the cosmic order. When they don't, it is a catastrophic anomaly (see the Bedegar Keep riddle and the soul-lab beneath Evernight).
Known Locations (Campaign)
- Letherna — The Raven Queen's domain. Contains Neftis, the Shadar-Kai city; the Fortress of Memories; the route via the Netherese Portal under the Toke Inn. The party has spent significant time here. See the Letherna stub for full details.
- Evernight — The Shadowfell mirror of Neverwinter. A city of the undead, ruled by vampires and ghoul-kings; the flesh trade is the primary economy. Contains the Temple of Filth (transit portal to the Material Plane) and the Nagpa-run soul-siphoning laboratory. Visited during the Brookside escape arc.
- Church of Sorrow — Gothic cathedral on a Shadowfell mountaintop; reached via the Temple of Shar / The Dread Ring. The Chorus of Sorrow — grief-trapped souls — fills its nave.
- The Inky Lake — Unnamed body of still black water between the Church of Sorrow and Evernight. Something large moves beneath it. Unstubbed.
- Grey-Robed Order nexus — Nimri Greyflame knows of a Grey-Robed Order waypoint somewhere in the Shadowfell. Location unconfirmed.
What the Party Knows
- The Shadowfell is where the dead go — passing through Letherna to the Raven Queen, then onward.
- Some souls are not reaching Letherna. This is an open, load-bearing mystery.
- The party has traveled through the Shadowfell twice: arriving via the Netherese Portal (Brookside arc); navigating through Evernight and the Temple of Filth (escape from the 273rd Layer / Bedegar Keep portal).
- Ubys is Shadar-Kai and grew up across multiple lifetimes in Letherna.