Shadow World
From Realms of Arda
| Type: Otherworldly Realm |
| Names: also called the Shadow-plane1, the Shadow-realm2, the Other Side, the Wraith-world |
| Location: ... |
Short Description
3Middle-earth has another side to it, which is in some way beyond or apart from what most of the Free Peoples think of as simply "the world" or "the living world". When the world is perceived with the subtle senses of the spirit instead of through the five senses of the body of a normal incarnate being, everything is suddenly strange and alien. The same world, whilst its physical nature is unchanged, seems almost like another place. This is the world inhabited by the Ringwraiths, unknown and indeed barely comprehensible to most folk. In their best efforts to describe this mysterious plane of perception, the Wise, Wizards, High Elves and students of arcane lore have called it "the wraith-world", "the shadow world" or "the other side".
In truth, whether they recognise it or not, every being in Arda truly exists to some extent on "both sides": both their physical body and their soul or spirit exist in the same spatial location. But is also true that most creatures are usually limited to perceiving and interacting with creatures of the same primary nature as themselves, which can be physical if they are attached to a living body, or spiritual if they are not. Relatively few beings are able to perceive and interact in both worlds without extremely rare magical assistance.
See also
- Naicefairi
- The Undermarsh
References
- 1ICE MERP 2022, p.153.
- 2ICE MERP 2025, p.78.
- 3José Enrique Vacas de la Rosa, The Other Side (also called "The Shadow World"), published in Other Minds, issue 7.
