Category:The Fraternity of Shadows

Canon

The Fraternity of Shadows was described in Domains of Dread as a Neutral Evil secret society of wizards dedicated to discovering the secrets of Ravenloft. Only neutral evil male wizards who can cast illusion spells are allowed membership, and the upper echelons of the society are composed entirely of illusionists.¹ The daughter of ? was allowed to join but it is unclear whether this is an exception or a precedent. Members of the Fraternity identify themselves by their possession of a signet ring in the shape of two intertwining asps whose mouths form the setting for an onyx; this ring can cast a darkness 15' radius spell once per day.

In Van Richten's Arsenal it was revealed that the leaders of the Fraternity are known as the Umbra, and that Lord Balfour de Casteelle, president of the University of Dementlieu, is one of the Umbra. In Gazetteer II "S" reveals that her attempt to join the Fraternity was rebuffed because of her gender, and that the Brautslava Institute in Darkon is a center of the Fraternity's power.

Real World Organization

The Fraternity of Shadows is also used as the real-world name for the moderators and managers of the Fraternity of Shadows website, presently the largest active Ravenloft site on the Internet.

Data from the Ravenloft Catalogue

		Domains of Dread Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume II
		Domains of Dread p138 Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume II - p28
		Fraternity of Shadows, The Fraternity of Shadows

¹Under the Second Edition rules for specialist wizards, this meant that necromancers could not join the Fraternity, and the highest ranking members of the Fraternity could not cast necromantic spells.