The Shadow

"A cleansing fire always burns little Mandus, but it purifies and it makes anew."

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The Shadow
Species	Unspecified/Unknown
Method of Attack	Flesh residue, effects to a person's psyche.
Damage	Low (from residue) High (direct attack)
Appears in	Amnesia: The Dark Descent Amnesia: Rebirth Remember (short story collection) Amnesia: The Bunker (minor role)

“

One last thing, a shadow is following you. It's a living nightmare - breaking down reality. I have tried everything and there is no way to fight back. You need to escape it as long as you can.

”

Daniel on the nature of the Shadow.

The Shadow, also known as the Guardian of the Orb, is the otherworldly and mysterious guardian of the esoteric Orbs. It 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. It serves as an overarching antagonistic force to the Amnesia series, except in Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs.

The Guardian's true nature is ultimately unknown as it doesn't assume a physical form, with it being variously described as a "beast", a "brooding abomination", a "shadow cast by the Orb"; or in more abstract terms such as "a living nightmare, breaking down reality" or "the universe catching up with itself". 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 are usually paired with a loud roar and a violent shaking that can cause damage to surrounding structures and may result in their collapse. It is also known to cause great mental anguish in the minds of those who wield the Orbs. Its typical method of killing includes tearing its victim limb from limb, splitting their heads open, and flaying their skin.

Before the fall of the Mithraic faith, the knowledge on how to wield the Orbs without unleashing the Shadow was more widespread. This knowledge was ultimately lost for most of 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.

The Shadow plays a central role in Amnesia: The Dark Descent, as the primary reason behind Daniel travelling to Brennenburg Castle deep in the Prussian heartlands to seek the aid of Alexander. Its fleshy residue can provide a significant obstacle in-game, as it grows increasingly prominent as areas in the castle are revisited - dealing damage upon touch and impeding Daniel's progress by blocking the way forward.

The Shadow is also featured in the Remember short story "With the Blessing of a King", which follows Johann Weyer as he collects an Orb from a church tomb in Calais with the aid of three French soldiers. It later also makes two more appearances in the midsection of Amnesia: Rebirth and in an optional event/ending in the final area of Amnesia: The Bunker.

Information

The Shadow is a massive, invisible being that pursues those who have abused the power of the Orbs.

Wherever the Shadow passes, it leaves behind a fleshy organic "residue" that is harmful if touched. This residue can take the form of pulsating lumps of flesh or membranous webbing and is blood red in color. If Daniel is too close to this residue, his sanity will slowly decrease. Sometimes, Daniel has to jump on this residue in order to advance. Although the residue will not always hurt Daniel upon contact, it's good practice to avoid touching them as much as possible; if Daniel sees the residue "moving", then there is a good chance that he will take damage if he stands too close to it. If Daniel is hit by the residue, he may take only a little damage, while other hits can drain his health to the next stage and possibly even kill him. Residue dodging can be very difficult at times while being unavoidable during others. If unavoidable, Daniel can run through these areas to take minimal damage.

Though the Shadow safeguards the power of the Orbs from thieves in order to protect the Universe and has killed many people to achieve that end, it may spare some robbers' lives. When Agrippa discovered his first orb in the Prussian forests, near Altstadt, he was caught by the Shadow but not harmed. It reclaimed the Orb and carried the man many miles away across the Alps to a grassy field outside of Genoa. It's ultimately up to this otherworldly force's discretion if the victim is spared, mutilated, or completely devoured.

Johann Weyer was the only one since the fall of the Mithraic faith who managed to amass an entire collection of orbs and separate the Shadow from them. He could use their power without incurring the cosmic beast's wrath, but he had very little control over the Guardian itself. In 1558 he was able to summon the Shadow within an Orb Chamber in Calais to consume some murderous French soldiers so he could claim the mystic relic they had found, but he could not then stop it from swallowing up everything and everyone around it and had to flee.

At the beginning of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, the Shadow was pursuing Daniel because he had taken an Orb that resided in the tomb of Tin Hinan in Algeria. Though he was not directly harmed, everyone else he came into contact with was brutally killed afterwards. In order to seek refuge from this ancient horror, Daniel travels to Brennenburg Castle, where the baron Alexander promises a means of warding off the Shadow.

Alexander repeatedly mentions that Daniel is "tainted" and "branded" by this supernatural force. The meaning of these labels concerning Daniel is not understood, as Baron was intentionally being cryptic. To "taint" something is to contaminate it, whereas "branding" someone is to mark them indelibly, indicating ownership. Nevertheless, it proves itself to be unstoppable in its hunt for Daniel. From the towers of the castle to the toxic sewer tunnels and the bottomless pits of the Chancel, no environment deters or hinders its expanding organic matter. Its organic matter even extends outside the castle itself; the forest can also be seen covered by its fleshy residue.

While this residue is easily seen even in the darkest reaches of the castle, there is no mention of it before Daniel arrives in Brennenburg. In the journal entries, the Shadow is described as a completely invisible force. A bright red aura is often radiated when large masses of flesh join together. Also, though this residue is known to be left by the Shadow, the being itself is never seen. It is unknown if it has a physical form at all. All that can be assumed is that the ancient horror is gigantic. The stomping noises made as it chases Daniel gives a feeling of its immense size. The movements it makes when following Daniel cause all of Brennenburg Castle to tremble. It makes the ground quake, and fells tall trees. It also makes the castle start to cave in.

Kita was able to successfully study the residue on a small scale before the event of Amnesia: Rebirth and found out how to utilize it as a weapon. However, when the residue used in a mass-scale, it caused a catastrophic destruction in Kita's city/empire. This event may indicate that the Shadow's residue cannot be yielded on massive amounts by anyone, other than Shadow itself.

Tasi Trianon used the orb to open a portal in The Other World. The Shadow appeared to not be interested in killing her and so only retook the orb when it could, and its flesh was later used to destroy a Vitae pipeline when injected into the system by the Frenchwoman. This may be explained by Tasi: she didn't want to use Shadow's power for gaining personal power, instead used it for returning to her home with her daughter.

Physical appearance

The Shadow is a mysterious, invisible creature. It passes and leaves behind with red, fleshy, web-like "residue" which can be dangerous to touch.

After Daniel escapes the Cells and before leaving them, the Shadow, in its most directly seen appearance when chasing Daniel appears as a red, glowing sphere of mist-like substance.

Encounters

Amnesia: The Dark Descent

The Shadow starts to chase Daniel

Throughout Amnesia: The Dark Descent, the Shadow constantly hunted Daniel, and—while not directly confronted since it was not visible to the human eye—its effects on the environment could be found all over Brennenburg Castle. It was responsible for the fleshy residue that appeared whenever it touched a surface, as well as the unnatural darkness that shrouds the rooms in the Storage, and the flooding of the Cellar Archives and Archive Tunnels. If Daniel lights some candles it will sometimes roar causing the entire environment to go darker still. Any lit candles and his own lantern will also glow with an eerie dark red.

The Shadow blocked Daniel's escape from the Entrance Hall and initially his progress until the acid is created and utilized to erase a thin webbing of the Shadow's residue that is blocking the path to the Refinery.

Curiously, the Shadow interacts with different types of monsters it encounters differently. When Daniel entered the Cellar Archives, the Shadow flooded the area, thus allowing a Kaernk to pursue him. The Shadow also could have unleashed a Kaernk into the Cistern. However, the remains of a dismembered Servant Grunt are found in a room in the Sewer filled with the Shadow's fleshy residue, suggesting that the Shadow has no mercy for any Gatherers caught in its path.

When Daniel repaired the machine that powered the elevator in the Back Hall he entered the lift just as the Shadow swallowed up the entire area. The guardian advanced through many floors and overtook the shaft as it tries to stop him. However, the cables snap in the process and the elevator plummets down to the prison before it can consume Daniel.

Interestingly, if Daniel were to wait long enough in the Cistern, the Shadow unintentionally allows him to escape this area. While it does block the normal route of escape and summons another Kaernk to contend with, its flesh actually forms a "bridge" leading out into the next room that Daniel may walk over safely.

If Daniel were to fall back down the well he climbed out of to reach the Nave, he will respawn in a room that's locked off at first from the outside. Upon trying to leave the room, the Shadow consumes it, thereby briefly blocking the only exit door with its organic residue, then removes the residue off of the door to allow Daniel to leave.

Although described as "sluggish", the Shadow could occasionally move much faster than normal. When Daniel escaped the Cells, a tense pursuit between Daniel and The Shadow was initiated and the red residue appears at a much quicker pace. Should Daniel cover a lot of distance the guardian will advance even quicker, only slowing down a little when it comes across shallow water. Being caught during the chase is fatal.

The Shadow bellows angrily when Daniel completes Weyer's Tonic for Agrippa. It does not want him helping the dying alchemist, knowing full well it would mean Daniel has to abuse its orb's power to help another.

When Daniel entered the Inner Sanctum to confront Alexander, another tense pursuit between Daniel and this cosmic persecutor commenced. Fortunately, Daniel was able to slow it down by closing a huge door buying him precious time to break the final seal to the Orb Chamber where the Baron awaited. The Shadow overtakes the area with its organic matter and roars again when Daniel leaves the area.

The Orb Chamber marked the final encounter with the Shadow in the Dark Descent, one that will result in three different endings depending on what Daniel decides to do next. Allowing the ritual to take place, either by doing nothing and watch Alexander escape, or throwing Agrippa's head through the portal. This will result in him being consumed by the Guardian.

Furious with him for either allowing another to abuse the orb's power, or misusing it himself, the cosmic force devoured him. Daniel's consciousness is sucked inside the Shadow, a dark void, where the only sound is the sickening squelching of the beast's fleshy matter. If Daniel decided to save Agrippa, he asks Johann Weyer to work on a way to save him, as heavenly lights appear beneath the Shadow. If not, Daniel faces the cosmic guardian alone without any hope of escape and his worst fear is finally realized as he's trapped forever inside its absolute darkness.

If Daniel chooses to stop the ritual, the Shadow will overtake the chamber. Alexander's escape-bid, foiled, makes no attempt to run and he screams that they're both going to die. However, the Guardian is appeased by the length and effort that Daniel went to stop the Baron from misusing the Orb. It will not roar or frighten Daniel and further prevents its organic tissue from hurting him. The Shadow spares Daniel, and for his earlier transgressions, only devours Alexander as atonement. No longer hunted, Daniel is free to leave Brennenburg with a guilt-free conscience.

Amnesia: Rebirth

Tasi directly encountered the Shadow in Amnesia: Rebirth only once. She got chased by it in The Tomb of Tin Hinan and barely escaped to The Portal Chamber. Her other encounters were indirect; she mainly stumbled upon its residues in the Other World. At the end of the game, if Tasi chooses not to give Amari to Empress Tihana, then Tihana will become hostile. To protect herself and her newborn baby, Tasi will have to infect Tihana's vitae feeding system with The Shadow's residue, killing her. This also causes The Shadow to appear and further infest the area with even more residue.

Amnesia: The Bunker

In Amnesia: The Bunker, just after escaping the bunker, Henri Clément arrived in what appeared to be an arena, made by an outpost of the Other World, in concert perhaps with the Mithraic Cult and the Roman Empire for bloodthirsty rituals of combat. If he managed to fall down the pit in the last battle against Beast, he will find himself in an endless vast dark expanse, where a distant light will grow bigger as a screeching howl can be heard, engulfing and killing Clément.

Although it is unknown what the Shadow's presence and purpose are in this area, it is highly possible that the Shadow's occupation in the area was related to its destruction of the Great Gate in the Other World. In the Roman tunnels, it is evident that there is a dimensional merge going on between Earth and the Other World, creating the possibility of the Shadow reaching the Roman arena through the clashing worlds.

Trivia

• The Shadow's residue is inspired by a video of a colony of T. tubifex worms found in a North Carolina sewer.
• 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 where 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.
  • It temporarily goes outside while Daniel is exploring Study.
• Shadow can assume an "invisible form" if it wants to. 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.
• In the 'revenge ending,' all traces of the Shadow's fleshy residue vanish.
  • This is probably explained by The Shadow's withdrawal from the castle.
  • Since Brennenburg collapses after the disappearance of the fleshy residue of the Guardian, it may be theorized that it was sustaining the castle's structure until Daniel could leave.
• Depending on the player's actions, the Shadow can kill every single antagonist in the series through optional means, with the exception of the Machine and the Engineer in A Machine for Pigs, as Oswald Mandus sacrificed himself to shut them both down. Alexander of Brennenburg, Empress Tihana, and the Beast can all be consumed by the Shadow.

Video

Amnesia The Dark Descent - Shadow Sound 1

A clip of The Shadow roaring as it manifests.