The Sphere of Shadow is one of the twelve Spheres of magic recognized by the College Esoterica. Its mages officially dress in robes of purple, though some dress instead in black (which is supposed to be ascribed to the Sphere of Illusion). Its identifying rune is "The Sundial", and it has no associated celestial body. Spells of the Sphere of Shadow deal with obscuring and hiding, but also with the obscure nature of "shadows", which only exist, it is said, in the mind of the observer, which attempts to place meaning upon the division between light and darkness. Thus, shadow magic can involve the twisting of light and perception to warp actual shadows, and even to make such shadows seem to take on more substantial form. In this respect, the Sphere of Magic encroaches upon the domain of certain other Spheres (such as Illusion, Spirit, and even Scrying), but is the weakest of any Sphere and the most easily dispelled or warded in such endeavors.
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