Shadow monsters

A personal project by Piffi Sisters

• History
• Factions
• Quick tabs
• All Shadowmonsters

Every Sherlei world has a dedicated water source that comes from the clouds, and they can live for days solely by consuming this water and nothing else. Shadowmonsters do not need to eat frequently, even if food is a part of their culture.However, they have a single requirement: the night. When night falls, the water turns as black as ink, and then the Sherlei transform into their Monster forms. This water can be drank normally, and helps the Shadowmonsters to recover spent energy.On the edge of each world, there's a magic portal that leads to a common middle area between all worlds, which the Sherlei have come to call Oblivion. This plane connects all Shadowmonster isles, but not without its drawbacks. Oblivion is very little more than a desolate, abandoned land of pure shadows, and within, Sherlei in their Monster forms can wander around, only able to find their way home based on instinct alone. Though, sometimes they can detect other worlds simply by smell, and can decide to visit other places if they want to.

• Go Back

Originally, Shadowmonsters were a people called the Sherlei, a humanoid race with innate magical power and specific elements that could be wielded.Their world had six principal regions, with five of them connected, and the sixth being a floating island. Historically, the Sherlei people were mainly recognized by their cultures and their ways of dressing.The Sherlei people, even with some disagreements, were peaceful with each other. However, the Manto, the warriors of the Sherlei peoples, harbored deep, evil desires of prevarication.The Manto decided to use their black magic in secret, trying to create something so powerful that it could subdue the other people of the Sherlei world. Unfortunately, their magic had unforeseen consequences, quickly spiraling out of their control, exploding and dividing their world into six floating islands that were all connected together by magical portals.

While the explosion of black magic was devastating, it was not the only problem; in all six Sherlei worlds, the Manto's magic quickly infested every person and corrupted them with a curse of evil power. From that moment on, every person of the six worlds became surrounded by a dark shadow that was impossible to remove, even with magic. The consequence of this corruption granted the Sherlei some newfound magical abilities, the most notable of them being that they could now transform their bodies into a sort of Monster.And so, the Sherlei people became Shadowmonsters from that day, forever corrupted by the shadow and forced to live with the Monster inside them.After this tragic event took place, which became known as the Great Disaster, the Sherlei people noticed that their tether to both Life and Death became severely disrupted, and they eventually realized that they, as Shadowmonsters, cannot permanently die. Rather, they reborn and are led to another place, a seventh world, a sort of protective halo around their worlds, where all the old spirits live when they are tired of life on earth. Additionally, since it was covered by the halo of the Arialuna world, no one had noticed that even higher than the sky, another halo was connected to the Arialuna world, on an even higher plane. So, in the infinity of the universe, you can see the world of Arianotte.

• Back

Yuli

The Yuli people are the least political out of all the Shadowmonsters factions, preferring to make their own path and live out their own lives and destinies. They are not interested in peace or war, they only want to be quiet and live day by day.After the Great Disaster, they thought that having a Monster form was amusing. However, they were among the first to learn to control their Monster form well, and usually their Monsters are as peaceful as humans!They mostly live in in lush, green lands, having built their houses to live on the earth. They are rather passive, and their culture is based of of friendship, rather than aesthetic or dress, as they love simple clothing. They are also known to have more companions than any other Sherlei factions.The Yuli have chosen Polvere as their leader.
^{"Polvere is able to clean the dust of this life, give you a smile and fix the trouble!"}They have no clan, but are open and accepting of everyone.Yuli can become invisible, and their element is Water.

• Back

Estra

The Estra are often called "partiers" by the other Sherlei people, because the bigger celebrations of their population are celebrated in their castles and villas. Despite not being really interested in much more than fashion, parties and buildings, they are a friendly people, and they love living in big communities. Their Monster forms have a sense of fashion too, and will sometimes wear cute dresses and accessories as well!Estra are also known because of their unique style of dance, which appears to many like a fusion of dance and war.Estra people have a passion for building anything and everything! They build great castles such as residences where they love to organize parties and gatherings.They love elegant, detailed dresses with laces and jewels, as well as other very expensive clothes.The Estra have chosen Nostalgia as their leader.
^{"Nostalgia has a beautiful voice, and when she sings, you can remember the old melody of your childhood!"}Estra can build things from any materials, and their element is Fire.

• Oculus Clan
• Back

Oculus

Some Estra people were tired and annoyed by the attitudes of other Estra. Their world is in trouble, and they are able to build helpful things, but the only interest the others have is organizing a party?So, some Estra decided their own time of peace had to end for the sake of everyone else. They created the Oculus clan and decided to make a deal with the darkness. Searching for the powerful material to create the perfect weapon, able to defeat the Manto, they found the answer. Using their eye as primal material, they are now capable of crafting a big, indestructible weapon.Now, Oculus are the only Shadowmonsters that are truly capable of facing off against Manto power.The Oculus always have an eye covered; no one knows the pure darkness behind their blindfold.They always have their weapon with them, be it melee or firearm.They still have the Estra's sense of style, but they prefer more practical clothing instead of pretty ones. They also tend to like accessories more than most.The Oculus have yet to choose a clan leader.Oculus can create their own weapon, and their element is Lava.

• Back

Mabisa

Mabisa are Shadowmonsters who are largely in contact with nature. They live on top of a big lake, and there plants and trees everywhere!They like meditation, and the Great Disaster gave them the chance to apply what they've learned to their Monster form. Their Monster is always hungry, this is considered strange to other Shadowmonsters!The Mabisa are sure that with words and a smile you can resolve everything. Their connection with animals, life, and food are the most distinctive features of this faction.Mabisa have a big passion for food of any kind; in fact, they love food more than any other Sherlei!Their style of dress is very inspired by Asian aesthetics from Earth; they love bright colors and accessories like scrolls and talismans.The Mabisa have chosen Vanessa as their leader.
^{Vanessa is the guide and the light in the night; if you can't find her light, follow the scent of their food!}The Mabisa can telepathically project themselves into an animal's mind, transferring their soul into them, and their element is Earth.

• Back
• Hotaru Clan

• Back

Hotaru

Some Mabisa think a passive approach is not always the best way to solve things. Additionally, while most Mabisa prefer meditating and living with animals, isolated from others, some of them felt the need to discover new places.These two groups of Mabisa banded together, and eventually met a group of Farah people. They watched the Farah's ways to face adversity, and while they inevitably learned a new way of loneliness, they were charmed by these Farah, and the two ended up mixing their cultures.The Hotaru started living in the deepest forests, completely without sunlight, and using only their powers to be surrounded by sparks, like little fireflies. They are able to see in the night, and would often find ferocious creatures in the forest. In their attempts to use their power to subdue these ferocious creatures, sometimes they are hurt and injured.Hotaru always carry an Object with them, because they have another Human Shadowform hiding in said object. The most common items are jars/vases/pots, books, and lanterns.Their skin is dark, and they always have fireflies around them.They can fly with their scrolls, making them biggerTheir style of dress is a mix of Mabisa and Farah aesthetics.The Hotaru have yet to choose a clan leader.

Farah

For a long time, the Sherlei people didn't know of the Farah's existence because their Isles are not properly connected with the rest of the world. Due to some earthquakes in the past, their Isle broke away, and became a permanent floating fixture in the sky. Ancient Alerie say that in the past, the Farah lived normally with other Sherlei, but it was the Manto who sent them away to avoid a war. Now they live on a deserted island that is very hot because they are closer to the sun than the rest of the Sherlei. Additionally, once the Great Disaster struck, their world was affected less than all the other six due to their distance, which is why their Monster forms appear more humanlike in appearance than any of the other Shadowmonsters.The Farah are peaceful but are also very capable of war themselves, and the wound that the Manto inflicted on their people has never been forgotten, resentment living forever in their hearts.In ancient times, there used to be roaming dragons that would spend time with the Farah, teaching them how to wield the power of ice. Spending time with the dragons also caused the Farah to absorb some of their features.Because of their close proximity to the sun, their skin is usually darker, and they rely on their ice powers for survival.Farah are considered to be very wise, and a lot of their culture directly relates to spirits and magical elements. They usually spend time studying books and parchments in massive libraries that can be found in any Farah city.Their clothing is inspired by Indian and Arabian styles from Earth, which helps to keep them cool on their hot world. They love large, bright coats to reflect the sun, topped with soft fur for comfort. Most Farah will wear large rosaries, and their skin is often full of symbols.One of their eyes is always black, a price they paid to remove a part of the corruption in their mind.The Farah have yet to choose a leader.Farah can touch an item or person to see their entire story, and their element is Ice.

• K'arishkhali Clan
• Back

K'arishkhali

Back when no one but the Alerie knew the existence of Farah, some Farah started to appreciate the Alerie's white magic and their calmness. They wanted to expel the resentment for the past, just like the ancient dragons used to teach them, and so they decided to move away from the Farah people.There is a place on the top of the highest mountain of Farah's world where the sun is rare and the cold is unlivable, called the Dragon Caverns. Farah would tend to avoid that place because of that, but the K'arishkhali clan has learned to live in this difficult environment. Since the mountains are very high they have since learned to summon a pair of spectral wings to help them fly in the caverns.Unlike normal Farah, they can have white skin, and their trademark black eye has turned white, as they have learned to transform its evil origins with their white magic.They always have an icy aura around them, and their style of dress is a fusion of Farah and Alerie. However, unlike normal Farah, dragonlike features are not as common with the K'arishkhali.Their Monster form is a blend of more normalized humanlike shapes like Farah Monsters, but they are white in color like the Alerie's.While animal companionship Dragon Caverns is rare, there are small snow animals that end up latching onto the K'arishkhali, especially their Monster forms.The K'arishkhali have yet to choose a leader.K'arishkhali can calm troubled souls, and their element is Snow.

• Back

Alerie

Alerie is the most peaceful Faction of Sherlei, and are largely known as the healers of the entire world. People called them also to heal the broken earth with their white magic. Their life didn't need excitement, and they were often pilgrims, as they found peace in solitude.After the Great Disaster, the Alerie were the people who suffered the most from the corruption. They tried to remove the weakness and their Monster with all of their power, but sadly, a lot of Alerie lost their lives to reach this goal, and in the end, they learned to accept their Monster form, and learned how to resist suffering using white magic.Alerie doesn't need a lot to live or enjoy life. They live in simple homes on top of trees or in caves, and they keep using white magic, even though it does hurt them due to their corruption. They can also use tomes or a staff for their spells.They love the color white more than other Sherlei, and their Monster form has more white than most others. To go along with this, their outfits are generally light and bright, with veils and caps to cover their heads, but are generally full of details like talismans and nature. Alerie people also have white eyes; sometimes they can have a touch of color, but it's rare.Alerie taught themselves to sing special songs to help heal the Sherlei and the land around them, and even their Shadowmonsters can sing; their voice is very powerful!The Alerie chose Silencio as their leader.
^{"You don't always need to talk to solve problems, Silencio can calm your soul just with their eyes."}Alerie can see in the past and in a part of future, and their element is Wind.

• Back
• Hitobito Clan

Hitobito

Despite the Alerie having learned to live in solitude without a real family because of their pilgrimages, they are fascinated by the Mabisa culture and their connection with animals. Inspired by the Mabisa, a clan of Alerie then chose to renounce a part of their soul to create a guiding animal that takes the form of a small white Fox. However, in doing so, they must sacrifice one of their most important things: their voice. Hitobito cannot physically speak anymore, but they can talk through their Fox! Now they can walk everywhere, because their Spirit foxes have no material body, and a big part of the corruption has disappeared. They always keep their Fox with them!Hitobito have colorful dots on their body, though sometimes you can find that some of their colorful features, like horns or eyes, have become white.Their style of dress was greatly influenced by the Mabisa culture, so it is common to find Asian themes from Earth in their fashion. They love large outfits and kimono styles, and the patterns are usually detailed like a landscape as a tribute to the mix of their cultures and the beautiful places they can see with their Fox.The Hitobito chose Incanto as their leader.
^{"Incanto looks at you but she does not see a monster in you, always a friend .... her soul will always smile at you."}Hitobito can travel with their animal guide, and their element is Storm.

• Back

Manto

The Manto people were the black warriors who destroyed the whole world, and have been the real problem of the Sherlei since the start. Light cannot exist without shadow, and the Manto are the shadow.Due to their warlike spirit, Manto don't only attack other Sherlei, but they also fight against each other. Because of this, the Manto population has always been small in number, and they are generally not interested in reproduction. And so, despite the Manto's dark strength, they couldn't face all the rest of the regions at once, so they decided to make a path of peace.Unfortunately, a group of Manto who were uninterested in peace tried to summon a powerful entity from the center of the world. It was known as the Endless Obscurity, and they had learned of its existence from forbidden, ancient books. The Endless Obscurity escaped from their control and corrupted the entire world, and this became known as the Great Disaster that ravaged the world of the Sherlei. However, unlike everyone else, the Manto could not have benefitted more from this disaster. Since they were hit by the corruption much stronger than the other Sherlei, they gained more powerful magic abilities, but their minds became corrupted even more than they had been before this all happened.Manto have a great thirst for power, and their nature is generally very evil. They are able to see in the dark and can speak in lost Sherlei languages to subjugate others, especially in their Monster form. Their Monster form is also the biggest of them all, and they have a sort of smoke that lingers behind it.Both the Manto and their Monsters can have black wings and black silky tails. They wear armor, a mask to cover their face, and always have an intimidating weapon. The Endless Obscurity wounded their bodies, but Manto show off their scars proudly!The Manto have yet to choose a leader; they usually kill any prospective candidates because they're not strong enough.Manto can use Black Magic to give themselves more power, and their element is Shadow.

• Immondo Clan
• Back

Immondo

The Immondo Clan is not a real Clan, but is instead the consequence of a tragedy.There was a place under the Manto city, a sort of underground network, where a group of Manto lived, ones who were more interested in Black Magic rather than fighting and wars. These were the Manto who discovered the ritual to summon the Endless Obscurity, and were also the ones who chose to use it.Once the Great Disaster happened, their underground city became covered by Shadow, and all Manto living there began to suffocate. Since they felt lifeless, no one imagined they were transformed by the Shadow from the inside out. After many years, the Immondo's souls had completely merged with the Shadow, and they made their way up and out from the underground city, stronger than ever before. The Shadow changed their body, their sclera becoming black, the skin with a tone of grey or white, and they now had a third eye in their body.However, their most distinctive feature is ultimately their Monster form— they do not have one.The Immondo's Monster form escaped from their body during the soul-merging process, and their living parts caught the Monster, imprisoning it for eternity. Now, their Monster is nothing more than the human they once were, and is chained to their Master and forced to obey them. Sometimes, you can even hear the Immondo Monster crying.The Immondo have a third eye, and their weapon also has an eye. It seems to be alive, somehow.It is not uncommon for Immondo can have dead parts of their own bodies. They also like to collect bones of any kind; humans, animals, whatever, as long they can have some to show off to everyone else.Their smoke and shadow are almost tangibly dense.The Immondo are still not yet ready to have a leader.Immondo can speak with the dead, and their element is Death.

• Back

Arialuna

Arialuna were almost unknown because they are not a real Faction. The Arialuna world is a sort of "beyond world", where all Shadowmonsters go once their life is finished. No matter what faction, clan, or any defining trait of any Shadowmonster, once they have passed, they can choose to be reborn as Arialuna.Ancient Arialuna told their story to their people. They know that the first Arialuna was a Spectrum named Sefarvaim, who died after a war with their brother, Amon. After Sefarvaim died, their soul started floating around the Sherlei world, around and around with no purpose and no destination. After a great deal of time, they noticed that their soul was accumulating dozens of small stones, having spent an eternity collecting them without knowing. They realized that these stones were actually the wandering souls of lost Sherlei, tired and weary.The Spectrum desire is to help lost souls, and so Sefarvaim decided to help them.Traveling in circles for ages, Sefarvaim created a sort of Halo above the Sherlei world, inside the clouds. They were then reborn, and their Monster shattered into thousand tears made of gold and stones, and this material was called the Stone of Sky. With these stones, Sefarvaim's Manta created a Guardian, in place of their Monster.Sefarvaim began to welcome all lost souls in search of another kind of life and call them Arialuna. When an Arialuna is born, their Monster form becomes a guardian too, made from the Stone of Sky. Arialuna are very peaceful, and instead of shadow, they have clouds to connect with their Guardian.Arialuna have a lot of wings that they can use to fly with. Sometimes some parts of their body are made of gold, or are disconnected from each other, and their horns are made of Stone of Sky. They have a halo but some of them love to decorate them! Their tail is very silky, and most Arialuna will braid them or style them in other ways.They can see their old world in a golden glassy sphere they can have with them, and their own "beyond world" is a big Halo above the Sherlei world.Arialuna have their own language but can also still perfectly speak the language of the Sherlei people.The Arialuna are born thanks to Sefarvaim, their God and their Leader.
^{"A new life even for a creature with endless life...Sefarvaim is the symbol of eternity."}Arialuna can impart new life to exhausted creatures, and their element is Eternity.

• Back
• Arianotte Clan

• Back

Arianotte

More than just a Clan, Arianotte is the other face of the same coin.It all started with the Spectrum twins, Sefarvaim and Amon. Sefarvaim absorbed the sunlight, and Amon, the shadows of the night.Tired of being separated from their brother, Amon decided that in death they would be together for eternity. Since the legends tell that only one Spectrum can kill another, a war broke out between the two brothers. The battle between the survival of Sefarvaim and the madness of Amon ended with the death of both:
Amon's arrow pierced through Sefarvaim's heart, and Sefarvaim's sword through Amon's.When Sefarvaim's soul, exhausted, circled the world of the Sherlei for ages, Amon tried to follow them again and again. The more time passed, the more Amon felt lost. They drifted away, and the sky grew more and more distant. Amon was absorbed by the universe, lost in infinity, and it was there that their soul breathed the dust of the stars. Their Manta lost a great deal of its body while lost with Amon.When Sefarvaim came back to life, Amon's soul was also ignited, but by now they were too far away.If Sefarvaim created a halo into the sky, Amon created it in the universe. Surrounded by lost souls like them, Amon called their people "Arianotte".Arianotte are souls who have accepted that they are only a small star in the infinity of the universe. Stripped of their clothes, their story is told on their skin and their wings. Their Guardian has no real substance, and only brings back traces of the best memories they had when they walked among the living.Arianotte save "fabric of universe" instead of wings to fly, and can also float throughout the universe. Their halo sometimes tells their story, as do their fabric wings, and their tail is a concentrate of glass, dust and stars.They do not require oxygen to breathe in the vast expanse of the universe, and can even travel underwater completely undeterred because of this.Their skin is made of stardust that can be any color, and with the exception of a few details, their clothes are painted on their skin.Arianotte have no gender; their body serves only to represent the memories of their soul, and they are very big compared to other Shadowmonsters.The Arianotte are born thanks to Amon, their God and Leader.
^{"We loved each other so much in life, like the sun and moon we will remain together even after death; Amon believes nothing is stronger than death."}Arianotte can draw memories in the stars, transforming them into constellations, and their element is Infinity.

• Back

Spectrum

It's common knowledge that unions between factions don't cause problems, and the child will take the features of one or another patent, or also both. However, there are two factions that, because of their nature, rarely have a relationship: Alerie and Manto.It's exceptionally rare that the Manto and Alerie people have children together, but on the occasional chance when it does, their children are the most rare people of Sherlei world, and they are known as Spectrum.When a Spectrum is born, their first teardrop shines and floats as if the tear were alive. From that teardrop is born a Manta: the eyes of the Spectrum, and their voice and their soul. Their Manta will fly always at the their side, talking in other's minds as if it were the Spectrum themselves talking.When they are really young, Spectrum are fragile, almost transparent, and are so light that their steps are invisible.All Spectrum are blind and to protect their eyes they wear bandages.Because of the Manto's terrible attitude, usually the Alerie parent will raise the child, and it is usually the Alerie that are the mothers. However, while rare, sometimes the mother of the child is the Manto parent, and can choose to raise the Spectrum in their world.Spectrum are the only ones who don't turn into Monsters, but their ghostlike Manta always follows them.Even if they can't see with their eyes, they are connected with their Guardian, and so they can see much more than normal people.Every spectrum has white hair and a strange tail with a rose at the end. It is rumored that the Spectrum cannot die until all the petals are lost.Usually Spectrum have white hair, but if they are raised in the Manto lands, they can have black hair due to the shadow contamination of the area.Spectrum have the power to shine by themselves, so even in the dark you can see them.There is no difference between a white or black Spectrum; their heart is pure Light.The Spectrum have no clan.Spectrum can heal the minds of lost Shadowmonsters, and their element is Light.