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Description
It should be clear by now how difficult it can be for the common folk to recognize certain Mancers. You can't really blame them, though, as most people have a hard time believing that the creature before them was once a human. Geomancers are easily mistaken for statues, Mycomancers can give the appearance of a dryad and Hydromancers are often thought to be sea beasts. Umbramancers face these same problems. When encountering one of these beings, people often only see their shadowy bodies, which lead them to assume it is some demonic entity or a crazed shade. Those who see the Umbramancers true body will guess that they are merely corpses, or victims of the shadow beast. Another problem for identifying Umbramancers is the fact that people already believe that they know what these beings look like. What they know is only a stage of their evolution, as their final forms are often believed to be a monster (and rightfully so).

Umbramancers are masters of shadows, a statement that instantly gives folks the wrong image. When the words "Masters of Shadow" or "Shadow Mage" is used, people think of some black cloaked figure blasting beams of darkness, corrupting life and spreading evil. They think that shadow is used like some fireball or lightening blast, but this is not the case. To make something perfectly clear, Umbramancers never fire bolts of shadow to a lethal effect. Umbramancers never really use shadow as a straight up weapon, instead they use it like a tool. When a mage starts learning umbramancy, they will gain the power to control shadows. They can use this ability to expand and darken shadows to provide hiding spots, shrink their own silhouettes to mask their movements and even change shadow shapes to create frightening images to scare off foes. While these abilities may sound silly and good only for parlor tricks, they can be quite effective when one requires stealth and secrecy. If one were to wear black clothing and then use their powers to expand and darken a shadowed corner, they would be practically invisible to the naked eye. Altering shadows and creating temporary images can also distract opponents or guards, allowing the user to slip by unnoticed. If you want someone to sneak into a secure area, hire an Umbramancer.

As they advance, Umbramancers will begin to wear cloaks and hoods to blot out the light. They will shy away from daylight hours, preferring to come out in the blissful night. Their own shadows will become darker and more present no matter the lighting, and at times they may appear to move on their own. Over time they will become more distant and despise crowded areas. Umbramancers at this stage usually avoid being in the center of a room, preferring to stick near the walls and empty corners. While they become more antisocial, they are also becoming more powerful. Advanced Umbramancers can use their magic to melt into shadows and "leap" to another shadow, much like teleportation. This method requires eye contact with the shadow they are teleporting to, which may not seem impressive at first. When you witness a true master of these arts at work, though, you will see that this is an incredible ability. Using this power, they can jump behind enemies and pursuers, slip past bars and barriers, reach high or low places and trick enemies into dead ends. By jumping from shadow to shadow, they can cover great distances in a very short amount of time. If they do not have a handy dark portal to use, they can extend their own shadow to use instead. This, combined with their shadow altering powers and stealthy abilities, make them great assassins, saboteurs, spies and thieves. A master of these powers can easily slip past any defense, which often makes their line of work as dark as their own shadow. Those who even start studying this line of magic will often face a lot of scrutiny and assumptions, as these powers are mostly used for crime. Certain prestigious universities and academies ban such studies, as they don't like the image of cranking out thieves and assassins. Usually this criminal life is enough for them, and most Umbramancers will stop at this stage. This is the image that is well known to the commoners, and they believe it to be the last part of the Umbramancer evolution. Oh, how I wish it was.

When an Umbramancer gives into Mancer Syndrome, they will at last be one with their darkness. With intense concentration and power, an Umbramancer will force his/her very own life force to leave their body and drain into their shadow. As this twisted, painful process goes on, their shadow will swell and boil while their physical body shrivels up like a dried husk. When the process is complete, all that remains of their body is a mummified skeleton and an immense shadow that is darker than obsidian. At this final stage, the roles are reversed. It is the shadow that moves the corpse-like body and it is the source of all actions. The mind and soul of the Umbramancer is within the shadow, controlling it just as efficiently as we drive our own bodies. At this point, the Umbramancer will have lost its mind and humanity, and it will toss away its humanoid form. They will instead take on monstrous shapes, their darkened bodies bursting into chaotic messes of claws, teeth and eyes. As the shadow, an Umbramancer can change its shape at will, but often these forms will appear just as twisted and vile as the last.

In this form, Umbramancers are separated from the physical world, as they are mere darkness thrown against a wall. They can, however, still affect our plane, but only through shadows. For example, an Umbramancer cannot reach out and push a box like we would. Instead, its form will push the shadow of the box, which will move it in the real world. In short, they must interact with shadows of the things they want to affect. While this may seem inconvenient and troublesome, it actually gives them extraordinary powers. The shadows of an object have no weight or mass, so an Umbramancer can juggle boulders like they were made of cotton. The shadow of a warrior doesn't take into account what armor or gear they are wearing, so the claws and teeth of an Umbramancer can shred them with ease. Soldiers can be lifted and tossed around like dolls, while weapons can be grabbed and snapped in half like twigs. By changing their forms, they can swarm around foes and rip into their shadows from all sides. Fighting an Umbramancer can be extremely difficult, as there is no physical form to even swing at. Most unprepared foes can just flail around uselessly until their silhouettes are seized and torn in two.

While their shadowy forms ignore all rules of the physical world, they still have mortal ties to our realm. Their minds and souls may reside in the darkness, but their anchor to reality remains in their shriveled body. This husk may look like a corpse, but it is still alive. Barely. A shadow must be cast by something, and this comatose body is the Umbramancer's source. They are forever anchored to it, which makes it their one weakness. An Umbramancer can never separate itself from its husk, nor can it stretch too far away from it. If one were to kill this husk, the Umbramancer would lose its anchor and vanish from existence. With this, Umbramancer's protect their physical bodies fiercely. They will carry their anchors to safe locations, hiding them behind bars or sticking them high up where blades cannot reach them. Crafty Umbramancers will lock their frail bodies into solid vaults that have the smallest of openings so that their shadowy body can slip out and terrorize others. If you ever have to fight an Umbramancer, focus all your efforts on locating that anchor.

It should come as no surprise that Umbramancers often gain a god complex. With the ability to do the impossible, their bestial minds start to see the physical world as an amusing plaything. They will move into dungeons and dark places to use their power and hide their vulnerable bodies. Those who enter their homes will be toyed with and tortured, as they amuse themselves with the intruder. Occasionally they will leave these places to enter towns and spread chaos. They will steal, vandalize, kill and trick those who live in the village, and they will find it hilarious. To them, it is all just a cruel game.

Though my descriptions of these monsters may make them seem unstoppable, there are ways to combat them. As I have already said, the main focus is to target their anchor. Umbramancers will hide their bodies in hard-to-reach places or secured areas. Their lairs are often labyrinthine, making it difficult to locate their source. Despite this, you need to do everything in your power to hunt down their anchor. Since their bodies are still technically alive, you can try using spells that scry their location or home in on heartbeats. Be sure to check every corner and ceiling, as they tend to hide them up high where eyes rarely travel. When the anchor is located, waste no time in killing it. Don't hesitate for ceremony or flashiness. Shoot an arrow into their skull, or stick a dagger into their heart. Do the deed quickly, as shadow can still see through the husk's eyes and will rush to defend its body. The more time you waste, the more chances the shadow gets to zip in and start ripping people apart.

During your hunt for its anchor, the Umbramancer's shadow will be constantly pursuing and attacking you. This is the most dangerous part, as their shadows can easily chew up a warrior and reduce their physical body to a bloody pulp. The one thing to keep in mind is that the Umbramancer plays by the rules of the shadow world, not ours. Like I said, armor means nothing, as your shadow doesn't care about things like substance or consistency. While this means that Umbramancers can cheat in normal combat, that also means you can too. What your silhouette looks like is what you get, which is quite helpful if you know how to prepare. Take note that the pointy part of a shadow is just as sharp as any blade to an Umbramancer. If a part of your silhouette makes a sharp point, then it will translate that into the shadow world. So instead of burdening yourself with heavy, iron armor, you should cover your whole body in objects that will make a spike-like silhouette. You can honestly glue paper cones to your clothes and become a difficult foe for the Umbramancer. While your physical body is coated in flimsy paper, your silhouette is covered in sharp, shadowy points. This will make it difficult for an Umbramancer to get its grip on you, as you will be like a black porcupine to it. This also applies to weapons as well! To fight against an Umbramancer, you can literally wield a sword made of wood. As long as it projects solid edges and a point, it will work just as well as any real weapon. Use these tools to make your shadow duel with them. If you have made shadow puppets "fight" before, this is exactly how you do battle with an Umbramancer. During these duels, the thing to keep in mind is speed and escape. Since armor and any other defenses are useless, you need to rely on dodging. Shields won't stop a stabbing claw, but moving your shadow out of the way will. This makes it important to not overburden yourself with heavy gear or armor, as you need to be able to slip past any attack the creature throws your way. The "escape" part refers to getting out of an Umbramancer's grip if it happens to grab you. For this, it is important to wear gear or clothing that is easy remove. When snared by a shadowy hand, instantly yank off whatever article it is grabbing so that your own shadow can escape. If it nabs you by the gauntlet, rip that off so that the shadow creature is left holding a useless silhouette. The thing I really advise is to learn how to manipulate your own shadow. It is quite disorienting trying to move your silhouette in deliberate ways, but such control and precision is vital. When delving into their dungeons, bring your own light source so that you can project your shadow in the way that is easiest to control for you.

Physical fighting isn't the only way to ward off an Umbramancer attack. Light is a very effective tool, but not in the way you might think. While some may assume a bolt of light will burn an Umbramancer like a flame, it won't. Light creates and alters shadows, it does not truly destroy them. Though this direct method of attack is not an option, a powerful light source is still an optimal weapon. While the Umbramancer's shadow is unaffected by light, other shadows are not. By swinging a bright lantern around wildly, you will throw all sorts of shadows around the room, which is quite disorienting to an Umbramancer. You can also pivot your light source precisely to cause the shadows of stationary objects to "ram" the creature. This pivoting trick can also be used to rapidly move your own shadow to different parts of the room, allowing you to escape an oncoming attack. The other thing to keep in mind is that shadows need a surface to project onto. While you cannot damage a shadow in the physical world, you can destroy the surface it is projected on. Lure the Umbramancer onto a flimsy or easily breakable surface, and then knock it down to send its shadow hurtling towards the next available space. This rapid change of location is disorienting and confusing to the Umbramancer, but it will do nothing to you or your shadow. This is important, as it buys you time to track down the husk and kill it. That is the number one thing to keep in mind: the only way to kill an Umbramancer is to kill its husk. The shadow of the Mancer cannot be killed by any other means, which means battles against it can only end with your own death. Such fights should be used to fend off the shadow or stun it, which should then be followed up with a hasty retreat. The longer you duel with it, the more chances it has to breach your defenses and slaughter you. The best thing to do is split up and have each group search for the body. That way the shadow is only fighting one part of your team, while the rest use the reprieve to hunt down its core. Fighting an Umbramancer is wildly different than usual combat, but smart thinking and good preparations can make such battles manageable.

Cavarious Shaid

-----------------------------------------------------

Dryads aren't the only ones getting updates! We still got some mancers to clean up!

Description
It should be clear by now how difficult it can be for the common folk to recognize certain Mancers. You can't really blame them, though, as most people have a hard time believing that the creature before them was once a human. Geomancers are easily mistaken for statues, Mycomancers can give the appearance of a dryad and Hydromancers are often thought to be sea beasts. Umbramancers face these same problems. When encountering one of these beings, people often only see their shadowy bodies, which lead them to assume it is some demonic entity or a crazed shade. Those who see the Umbramancers true body will guess that they are merely corpses, or victims of the shadow beast. Another problem for identifying Umbramancers is the fact that people already believe that they know what these beings look like. What they know is only a stage of their evolution, as their final forms are often believed to be a monster (and rightfully so).

Umbramancers are masters of shadows, a statement that instantly gives folks the wrong image. When the words "Masters of Shadow" or "Shadow Mage" is used, people think of some black cloaked figure blasting beams of darkness, corrupting life and spreading evil. They think that shadow is used like some fireball or lightening blast, but this is not the case. To make something perfectly clear, Umbramancers never fire bolts of shadow to a lethal effect. Umbramancers never really use shadow as a straight up weapon, instead they use it like a tool. When a mage starts learning umbramancy, they will gain the power to control shadows. They can use this ability to expand and darken shadows to provide hiding spots, shrink their own silhouettes to mask their movements and even change shadow shapes to create frightening images to scare off foes. While these abilities may sound silly and good only for parlor tricks, they can be quite effective when one requires stealth and secrecy. If one were to wear black clothing and then use their powers to expand and darken a shadowed corner, they would be practically invisible to the naked eye. Altering shadows and creating temporary images can also distract opponents or guards, allowing the user to slip by unnoticed. If you want someone to sneak into a secure area, hire an Umbramancer.

As they advance, Umbramancers will begin to wear cloaks and hoods to blot out the light. They will shy away from daylight hours, preferring to come out in the blissful night. Their own shadows will become darker and more present no matter the lighting, and at times they may appear to move on their own. Over time they will become more distant and despise crowded areas. Umbramancers at this stage usually avoid being in the center of a room, preferring to stick near the walls and empty corners. While they become more antisocial, they are also becoming more powerful. Advanced Umbramancers can use their magic to melt into shadows and "leap" to another shadow, much like teleportation. This method requires eye contact with the shadow they are teleporting to, which may not seem impressive at first. When you witness a true master of these arts at work, though, you will see that this is an incredible ability. Using this power, they can jump behind enemies and pursuers, slip past bars and barriers, reach high or low places and trick enemies into dead ends. By jumping from shadow to shadow, they can cover great distances in a very short amount of time. If they do not have a handy dark portal to use, they can extend their own shadow to use instead. This, combined with their shadow altering powers and stealthy abilities, make them great assassins, saboteurs, spies and thieves. A master of these powers can easily slip past any defense, which often makes their line of work as dark as their own shadow. Those who even start studying this line of magic will often face a lot of scrutiny and assumptions, as these powers are mostly used for crime. Certain prestigious universities and academies ban such studies, as they don't like the image of cranking out thieves and assassins. Usually this criminal life is enough for them, and most Umbramancers will stop at this stage. This is the image that is well known to the commoners, and they believe it to be the last part of the Umbramancer evolution. Oh, how I wish it was.

When an Umbramancer gives into Mancer Syndrome, they will at last be one with their darkness. With intense concentration and power, an Umbramancer will force his/her very own life force to leave their body and drain into their shadow. As this twisted, painful process goes on, their shadow will swell and boil while their physical body shrivels up like a dried husk. When the process is complete, all that remains of their body is a mummified skeleton and an immense shadow that is darker than obsidian. At this final stage, the roles are reversed. It is the shadow that moves the corpse-like body and it is the source of all actions. The mind and soul of the Umbramancer is within the shadow, controlling it just as efficiently as we drive our own bodies. At this point, the Umbramancer will have lost its mind and humanity, and it will toss away its humanoid form. They will instead take on monstrous shapes, their darkened bodies bursting into chaotic messes of claws, teeth and eyes. As the shadow, an Umbramancer can change its shape at will, but often these forms will appear just as twisted and vile as the last.

In this form, Umbramancers are separated from the physical world, as they are mere darkness thrown against a wall. They can, however, still affect our plane, but only through shadows. For example, an Umbramancer cannot reach out and push a box like we would. Instead, its form will push the shadow of the box, which will move it in the real world. In short, they must interact with shadows of the things they want to affect. While this may seem inconvenient and troublesome, it actually gives them extraordinary powers. The shadows of an object have no weight or mass, so an Umbramancer can juggle boulders like they were made of cotton. The shadow of a warrior doesn't take into account what armor or gear they are wearing, so the claws and teeth of an Umbramancer can shred them with ease. Soldiers can be lifted and tossed around like dolls, while weapons can be grabbed and snapped in half like twigs. By changing their forms, they can swarm around foes and rip into their shadows from all sides. Fighting an Umbramancer can be extremely difficult, as there is no physical form to even swing at. Most unprepared foes can just flail around uselessly until their silhouettes are seized and torn in two.

While their shadowy forms ignore all rules of the physical world, they still have mortal ties to our realm. Their minds and souls may reside in the darkness, but their anchor to reality remains in their shriveled body. This husk may look like a corpse, but it is still alive. Barely. A shadow must be cast by something, and this comatose body is the Umbramancer's source. They are forever anchored to it, which makes it their one weakness. An Umbramancer can never separate itself from its husk, nor can it stretch too far away from it. If one were to kill this husk, the Umbramancer would lose its anchor and vanish from existence. With this, Umbramancer's protect their physical bodies fiercely. They will carry their anchors to safe locations, hiding them behind bars or sticking them high up where blades cannot reach them. Crafty Umbramancers will lock their frail bodies into solid vaults that have the smallest of openings so that their shadowy body can slip out and terrorize others. If you ever have to fight an Umbramancer, focus all your efforts on locating that anchor.

It should come as no surprise that Umbramancers often gain a god complex. With the ability to do the impossible, their bestial minds start to see the physical world as an amusing plaything. They will move into dungeons and dark places to use their power and hide their vulnerable bodies. Those who enter their homes will be toyed with and tortured, as they amuse themselves with the intruder. Occasionally they will leave these places to enter towns and spread chaos. They will steal, vandalize, kill and trick those who live in the village, and they will find it hilarious. To them, it is all just a cruel game.

Though my descriptions of these monsters may make them seem unstoppable, there are ways to combat them. As I have already said, the main focus is to target their anchor. Umbramancers will hide their bodies in hard-to-reach places or secured areas. Their lairs are often labyrinthine, making it difficult to locate their source. Despite this, you need to do everything in your power to hunt down their anchor. Since their bodies are still technically alive, you can try using spells that scry their location or home in on heartbeats. Be sure to check every corner and ceiling, as they tend to hide them up high where eyes rarely travel. When the anchor is located, waste no time in killing it. Don't hesitate for ceremony or flashiness. Shoot an arrow into their skull, or stick a dagger into their heart. Do the deed quickly, as shadow can still see through the husk's eyes and will rush to defend its body. The more time you waste, the more chances the shadow gets to zip in and start ripping people apart.

During your hunt for its anchor, the Umbramancer's shadow will be constantly pursuing and attacking you. This is the most dangerous part, as their shadows can easily chew up a warrior and reduce their physical body to a bloody pulp. The one thing to keep in mind is that the Umbramancer plays by the rules of the shadow world, not ours. Like I said, armor means nothing, as your shadow doesn't care about things like substance or consistency. While this means that Umbramancers can cheat in normal combat, that also means you can too. What your silhouette looks like is what you get, which is quite helpful if you know how to prepare. Take note that the pointy part of a shadow is just as sharp as any blade to an Umbramancer. If a part of your silhouette makes a sharp point, then it will translate that into the shadow world. So instead of burdening yourself with heavy, iron armor, you should cover your whole body in objects that will make a spike-like silhouette. You can honestly glue paper cones to your clothes and become a difficult foe for the Umbramancer. While your physical body is coated in flimsy paper, your silhouette is covered in sharp, shadowy points. This will make it difficult for an Umbramancer to get its grip on you, as you will be like a black porcupine to it. This also applies to weapons as well! To fight against an Umbramancer, you can literally wield a sword made of wood. As long as it projects solid edges and a point, it will work just as well as any real weapon. Use these tools to make your shadow duel with them. If you have made shadow puppets "fight" before, this is exactly how you do battle with an Umbramancer. During these duels, the thing to keep in mind is speed and escape. Since armor and any other defenses are useless, you need to rely on dodging. Shields won't stop a stabbing claw, but moving your shadow out of the way will. This makes it important to not overburden yourself with heavy gear or armor, as you need to be able to slip past any attack the creature throws your way. The "escape" part refers to getting out of an Umbramancer's grip if it happens to grab you. For this, it is important to wear gear or clothing that is easy remove. When snared by a shadowy hand, instantly yank off whatever article it is grabbing so that your own shadow can escape. If it nabs you by the gauntlet, rip that off so that the shadow creature is left holding a useless silhouette. The thing I really advise is to learn how to manipulate your own shadow. It is quite disorienting trying to move your silhouette in deliberate ways, but such control and precision is vital. When delving into their dungeons, bring your own light source so that you can project your shadow in the way that is easiest to control for you.

Physical fighting isn't the only way to ward off an Umbramancer attack. Light is a very effective tool, but not in the way you might think. While some may assume a bolt of light will burn an Umbramancer like a flame, it won't. Light creates and alters shadows, it does not truly destroy them. Though this direct method of attack is not an option, a powerful light source is still an optimal weapon. While the Umbramancer's shadow is unaffected by light, other shadows are not. By swinging a bright lantern around wildly, you will throw all sorts of shadows around the room, which is quite disorienting to an Umbramancer. You can also pivot your light source precisely to cause the shadows of stationary objects to "ram" the creature. This pivoting trick can also be used to rapidly move your own shadow to different parts of the room, allowing you to escape an oncoming attack. The other thing to keep in mind is that shadows need a surface to project onto. While you cannot damage a shadow in the physical world, you can destroy the surface it is projected on. Lure the Umbramancer onto a flimsy or easily breakable surface, and then knock it down to send its shadow hurtling towards the next available space. This rapid change of location is disorienting and confusing to the Umbramancer, but it will do nothing to you or your shadow. This is important, as it buys you time to track down the husk and kill it. That is the number one thing to keep in mind: the only way to kill an Umbramancer is to kill its husk. The shadow of the Mancer cannot be killed by any other means, which means battles against it can only end with your own death. Such fights should be used to fend off the shadow or stun it, which should then be followed up with a hasty retreat. The longer you duel with it, the more chances it has to breach your defenses and slaughter you. The best thing to do is split up and have each group search for the body. That way the shadow is only fighting one part of your team, while the rest use the reprieve to hunt down its core. Fighting an Umbramancer is wildly different than usual combat, but smart thinking and good preparations can make such battles manageable.

Cavarious Shaid

-----------------------------------------------------

Dryads aren't the only ones getting updates! We still got some mancers to clean up!