The Shadow, also known as the guardian of the Orb,[1] is the otherworldly and mysterious guardian of the esoteric Orbs, that hunts down and usually kills those who come into contact with an Orb without being sufficiently initiated into the Mithraic arts and capable of wielding its power.[2]
The Guardian's true nature is ultimately unknown as it doesn't assume a physical form, with it being variously described as a "beast",[3] a "brooding abomination",[4] a "shadow cast by the Orb";[2] or in more abstract terms such as "a living nightmare, breaking down reality"[5] or "the universe catching up with itself".[6] It instead makes its presence known by leaving behind a pulsating, flesh-like organic residue that is harmful to the touch; the manifestations of which is usually paired with a loud roar and a violent shaking that can cause damage to surrounding structures and may result in their collapse.[7] It is also known to cause great mental anguish in the minds of those who wield the Orbs.[8] Its typical method of killing includes tearing its victim limb from limb, splitting their heads open, and flaying their skin.[9][10]
Before the fall of the Mithraic faith, the knowledge on how to wield the Orbs without unleashing the Shadow was more widespread.[11] This knowledge ended up lost to humanity, with Dutch physician and occultist Johann Weyer being one of the notable few to figure out how to properly wield an Orb without falling victim to its Shadow thus amassing a large collection of Orbs throughout his lifetime.[11]
History[]
Description[]
Physical appearance[]
The Shadow's true appearance is a mystery. It is not even known if it has a cohesive form or not.
The only tangible evidence of the Shadow's form is its residue—a fleshy, pulsing, red organic substance with both unearthly pliability and toughness. The Shadow's residue is left where ever the Shadow has been. Its fleshy texture can harm the player if touched or stepped on.
Nature[]
Origins[]
Other World[]
In the Other World, the Shadow was an equally enigmatic threat. [12] The Shadow was encountered in early experiments with the Orbs, spreading its fleshy residue in its wake. [12] The Other World wished to harness the enigmatic Orbs and thus needed to assuage the Shadow's wrath. Through heavy experimentation, the alchemists were able to separate the Shadow from the Orbs it guarded. [12] Its fleshy residue was also experimented on. Later on, Kita and his disciples used the Shadow's residue to corrupt the pipes transporting the vitae.
Notable victims[]
Trivia[]
- The Shadow's residue is inspired by the T. tubifex worms found in the North Carolina sewers.[13]
- Alexander was the one that named the enigmatic Guardian of the Orbs as "The Shadow".
- The cosmic nightmare moves much faster outside Castle Brennenburg than inside the thick walls. The structure is the only thing that is slowing down the surrounding Shadow and preventing it from instantly swallowing up the helpless Daniel.
- It would appear that the Refinery is the first place in Brennenburg that the Shadow manages to break into. This is the first area where the fleshy matter appears and several large holes appear above, looking as if it bored or burrowed its way deep into the castle.
- There is no mention of the supernatural entity's fleshy residue according to Agrippa and Herbert in the journal entries. It can only be heard roaring or baying and can only be 'seen' as it interacts with the environment.
- Throwing objects into the flesh-covered walls such as crates or bottles can result in them either being lodged in the organic matter or hurled back out with great force. If pushed into the pulsating matter, the Shadow can easily destroy these large crates and unbreakable big bottles that Daniel may find lying around.
- It takes almost three minutes for Alexander to complete his ritual and then the Shadow slowly arrives to kill Daniel, but if Daniel disrupts or stops the ritual the Shadow invades the Orb Chamber almost instantly.
- In the bad ending, the guardian kills Daniel much slower than Alexander in the other endings. Although should he abuse the Orb himself and save Agrippa in the 'special ending' the entity will engulf him very quickly.
Videos[]
References[]
- ↑ Daniel's Diary – The Ceremony (1/1) (TDD)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Daniel's Diary – Brennenburg (3/3) (TDD)
- ↑ Letter Regarding the Discovery of an Orb (TDD)
- ↑ "With the Blessing of a King" (Remember)
- ↑ Daniel's Note to Self (TDD)
- ↑ Loading Screen – Brennenburg (TDD)
- ↑ Daniel's Diary – Discovery (2/3) (TDD)
- ↑ Flashback – Nightmares (TDD)
- ↑ Daniel's Diary – Haunted (3/3) (TDD)
- ↑ Herbert's Lost Diary – 20th May 1839 (TDD)
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Dialogue (TDD) – Agrippa: "Weyer was a brave man and dared to proceed where I did not. He unearthed a number of cavern temples and gathered a whole collection of Orbs. But unlike every other finder since the fall of the Mithraic faith, he was able to unshackle the horror you and I connect with the Orbs."
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Cylinder – The Flesh (Rebirth)
- ↑ "Fun fact: This video was the main inspiration for The Shadow's slime in Amnesia: TDD". frictionalgames, @frictionalgames. Accessed 7 December 2021. Published 2 June 2017. Twitter. https://twitter.com/frictionalgames/status/870540115969552384.
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