Dark Magic

"“All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end.” - Ansem"

Overview
Dark magic is a forbidden art that draws power from the Plane of Shadows to power its spells. Powerful in battle, and relatively easy to learn quickly, yet no power comes without cost. It corrupts all who use it over time, leaving them prone to volatile bouts of negative emotion and dampening their conscience. If used often enough, it may produce visible effects on the user, bleaching their hair white or turning their eyes golden.

Dark Evocation
Because the Plane of Shadow is a dark reflection of our own, it makes sense that dark magic could produce foul copies of evocation spells. The power behind such spells, as well as their elements, depends on the caster.

Shadow Manipulation
Bend the darkness itself to one’s will, allowing for all manner of grim powers to be wielded. Most comparable to the evocation of darkness itself.

Shadowfell Summoning
Summon all manner of creatures from the Realm of Shadow, from mere fragments of blackened souls to formless beasts of shadow from outside time itself.

Dark Teleportation
The Realm of Darkness is a mirror to the Material Realm, making travel between the two rather easy. Adepts of the darkness might use this ability to “teleport” through that realm, whether in short hops or long-range jumps, though doing so presents significant risk from the inhabitants of that plane.

Learning Process
Anyone can learn to wield the darkness, though it is not a process for the faint of heart. If one immerses oneself sufficiently in negativity and evil, they may even come upon such powers naturally, though it is easier to learn from an adept or through dedicated research. Users of the darkness tend to grow quickly in power, yet if their minds or souls falter for even a moment, they risk being consumed by the power they sought to control. Beasts created by such tragedy usually fall into the shadows whence they came, but those that escape are among the most deadly creatures around.

Note: Legend says there exists a rare discipline of dark magic that, while rather significantly weaker, allows its practitioners to remain uncorrupted so long as their wills hold strong, by swearing oaths through which their power is channeled. Those practitioners are known as dark knights, and use their magic in conjunction with swordplay to deliver justice across the realm, without regard for nations or laws. These dark knights, clad in black armor,  are few and far between, often taking on an apprentice or two at most in a lifetime. Legends say their shadowed order was founded by an Unseelie Lord in the distant past, who betrayed his kind for the sake of righteousness, of but none know for certain the veracity of this tale.