The Baron's Shadow

The legend tells of Baron Arridan, the first ruler of Seres, who was said to cast two shadows: one of his body, and one of his will. According to the tale, this second shadow was alive, loyal yet hungry, and it followed Arridan into battle, into council, and even into his private chambers.

When the Baron died in a border skirmish, the shadow did not disappear. Instead, it returned to Castle Seres, lingering in the halls, ensuring that the barony remained united rather than collapsing into infighting.

Peasants claimed the shadow could be seen on moonlit nights, outlined against walls where no man stood. Nobles believed it whispered warnings to the Baron’s successors, protecting the land from betrayal.

The myth ends with an omen:

The myth likely arose from:

• Arridan’s reputation as a cunning strategist who “seemed always to be in two places at once.”
• Accounts of a silent black-cloaked guardian seen around the castle after his death.
• Old battlefield reports that mention an “unnatural darkness” moving independently of the sun.

At least three historians from Kogogache have attempted to verify the existence of a literal second shadow but regard the phenomenon as metaphorical, stating that it was:

• a symbol of Arridan’s strong influence after death,
and/or
• a cultural coping mechanism during a turbulent post-founding era.

Still, Shadowwatchers, a fringe group, insist there is arcane truth behind it.

The myth is almost universal within Seres. It is:

• Told by farmers at winter hearths.
• Recounted by Knights of Seres before long campaigns.
• Whispered by children who dare each other to walk the castle walls at night.
• Retold in village festivals, where actors dress in two-colored cloaks to mimic the double-shadow effect.

Outside Seres, the myth is less known but respected, often recorded as symbolic folklore rather than literal history.

There are three major variants:

1. The Protector’s Shadow (canonical Seresian version)
• The shadow is benevolent, the lingering spirit of the Baron's devotion to his people.
2. The Hungry Shadow (lowlander cautionary tale)
• The shadow feeds on disloyalty. Those who plot against Seres find their own shadows “dragged away” in the night.
3. The Usurper’s Shadow (forbidden noble variant)
• The second shadow is not Arridan’s — it is the land’s, choosing rulers based on worth. If a Baron grows corrupt, the shadow appears behind another, marking them as the rightful heir.
• This version is quietly suppressed by the nobility.

Among peasants, the myth is protective:

Work the land truly, honor the Baron, and the shadow will walk beside you.

Among nobles, it is both inspiring and threatening; a reminder that authority must be earned.

Among Knights, it is invoked as a battle-blessing, uttered before donning helms:

May the Shadow stand at your back.

Some Seresian artists depict the shadow as a literal guardian spirit; others treat it as political allegory.

The myth appears heavily in:

• Seresian epics retelling the founding era
• Moral plays performed in harvest season
• Children’s cautionary books (“Don’t wander from the path, or the Shadow will find you”)
• Political satire, where authors accuse rivals of “standing in the Shadow’s disfavor”

Modern poets increasingly reinterpret the myth as a metaphor for legacy, burden, and inheritance of power.

The Baron’s Shadow inspires:

• Tapestries showing two silhouettes behind one man.
• Chalk murals in village squares illustrating the double-shadow under torchlight.
• Statuary, often depicting Arridan with a dark stone outline carved behind him.
• Shadow-theater performances, using layered lantern screens to produce a living “second shadow.”
• Modern paintings portraying the shadow as a serpentine or draconic shape, which were possibly influenced by stories of the Lost Dragon Tribe.

In Kogogache’s Hall of Memory, a fresco shows Arridan at twilight: one shadow cast by the sun, the other stretching toward the mountains, as though pointing toward some unfulfilled destiny.