Darkness
The Spectral Element of Darkness in Stehreel is a symbol of love and subterfuge. It exists in sympathy with the Umbral Element of Void and can be harnessed by wizards in the Physical Plane of the world through its three aspects: Darkness, Shadow, and Black Matter.
The main source of darkness in Stehreel is the night caused by Eza's absence. It is believed that the Goddess Suriel sacrificed her life to create the Binding that holds the other deities and only exists ephemerally in that darkness.
On the surface layer of the Spectral Plane, the element of Darkness is at its weakest save in the Physical Plane of the world where it has no tangible form. There are several Specters associated with darkness, totem spirits that exist in the surface layer of the Spectral Plane. They were created by the Fey of Darkness.
The Totem Specters of Darkness are the Wolf, the Raven, and the Moth.
The great Fey of Darkness, the weakest of the Demigods are called Wraiths.
On the middle layer of the Spectral Plane, the element of Darkness is strong and steady, a thick conflagration of shadow and black matter. No Specters journey to this layer of the Spectral Plane, because all of the passages to it are guarded by those touched by the hand of Suriel herself.
Some say that the spirits of those aligned to Darkness journey to this layer of the Spectral Plane in death, dwelling in the pockets of safety and love.
The Black Draken, strongest of the Demigods, used to dwell on this layer of the Spectral Plane, but gave up their Spectral forms in favor of Physical forms to guard the world from destruction.
Suriel
In the deepest layer of the Spectral Plane, the element of Darkness is so overpowering that it is said no mortal could bear to stand within it. Only the Gods live here, among them Suriel, the Inkari of Darkness.
Suriel is commonly believed to have died during the Cataclysm. Contrary to the human take on darkness, the darkness of Stehreel is not a terrifying or mysterious place. The Drukar, dark elves of Stehreel, dwell exclusively in the darkness of night and consider Suriel to be the ultimate great grandmother of their species. Most accounts agree that she came down from the sky, forsaking her role as the black moon in orbit around Stehreel, in order to wed the first Drukar who had been cast aside by his creator, Eza. The Dark Goddess fell in love with the mortal elf, and bore his children to the world, literally mothering all of the races of the Dark Elves.
Suriel is personified as the Goddess of Sheltering Shadows, the one who loves all things in the universe, no matter how far from the light they stray. The Goddess of Sacrifice, Suriel is the deity that put in place the Great Binding that sealed all of the Gods and Goddesses of Stehreel in order to stop the Cataclysm from wiping out all life on the planet. As the deity who is said to have been the most active of all the Inkari and Nameless in the major events of the world, it is a shame that Suriel gave her life to forge the great Binding to stop the Cataclysm. If she were still alive, it is almost certain she would still have both hands in the activities of the world.
Suriel is the matron goddesses of the Stone Elves of Stehreel, though they worship her posthumously.
