Southeast of the rolling fields and forested slopes of Aldamar stretches a sprawling marshland called the Shadow Mirror, named for the way its dark waters reflect moonlight in eerie detail. Gnarled cypress trees draped with hanging moss form a dense canopy, filtering daylight to a perpetual dim glow. At dusk, vaporous lights—sometimes called “will-o’-wisps”—dance above boggy ground, luring the unwary deeper into quagmire.
Though remote, the Shadow Mirror is said to be home to a court of dangerous fey. These fey entities are as beguiling as they are deadly; they might offer safe passage one moment and ensnare mortal souls the next. Tales circulate of travelers who vanish after encountering a strange, soft laughter echoing through the mists. Others report improbable bargains struck with entities that demand cryptic debts: stolen memories, a year of one’s life, or a single true name. The region’s name also hints at an unsettling phenomenon: when conditions are just right, the dark waters can reflect not only a viewer’s image but the shape of something “other,” standing just behind them, veiled in the mirror’s surface. Some legends warn that if you stare too long into the Shadow Mirror, you might see your own reflection wink—or walk away, leaving only an empty husk behind.
As The Shadow Mirror is the only land bridge between Averyn and the lands beyond, without a ship, some people venture forth to reach other lands. Whether they make it through or not is a mystery. With the tales and rumors told, it's unlikely that if you do survive, that you would survive twice.