Sam “Samwise” Weiss posted this on the CF Discord Simon line with the Zavoda Principle (don’t let good stuff be lost the the endless scrolling) I post it here:
… I turned my gaze on shadows, which, as noted, are also created from manes in the AD&D Monster Manual.
Shadows do not have the same real world background as ghouls, or the same depth of legendarium or inspirational reading references, or even the same attention within D&D. However, there are still some interesting things to note.
First, we have the shadow demon showing up in the Fiend Folio. There it is described as a demon imprisoned in a shadow, and having similar defensive abilities as a shadow. However, it is not attached to the Negative Energy Plane. It does not drain Strength, but it can still be turned. The shadow fiend got some background massaging in 2E that made it into a stealer and dealer in souls like a night hag but demonic. Still, it is interesting.
Next we have the slow shadow from Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure. They do not drain Strength either, despite the Negative Energy Plane connection. Instead, they freeze victims and slow them. Okay again.
There is a note in the D series that shadows serve Lolth. Later, apparently, they are connected as serving other demon lords and powers of the Abyss.
Looking more at this demon connection, I checked out the maurezhi demons, which are very ghoul-like, and probably should be added to the background of demon ghouls. Despite the name, the maurezhi are not connected to the Maure, having joined the party with PS MC II in 2E. In addition to eating people like ghouls, they gain power from it. They can also summon ghouls. Yes, definite ghoul upgrade action there.
Thinking of the maurezhi reminded me of another demon that eats people, the nabassu. Curiously, the nabassu function like another fiend introduced with it in the AD&D Monster Manual II, the barghest. That is, they have to travel to the Prime Material Plane and eat souls there in order to mature. Unlike the barghest which just hangs out with goblins, the nabassu have a connection to our friends the ghouls. When they "steal death" from victims, the victim is turned into a ghoul. Then the plot thickens! The nabassu can then bestow that stolen death on another victim, who is turned into . . . a shadow! Well, how about that, sports fans! The nabassu makes ghouls AND shadows, enslaving them both.
Overall, we do have quite the continuum here, from manes to ghasts and shadows. Ghasts are then connected to ghouls while shadows have some unknown connection to slow shadows. Those focus on the undead and Negative Energy element. Meanwhile, shadow demons stealing souls, maurezhi eating flesh and souls and being ghoulish, and nabassu stealing death and spreading it around create ghouls and shadows to serve them in a parallel to the manes creation method.
Over all of that, we have Lolth, or some other drow powers, Orcus, and whatever other demon lord can be brought into the mix, all winding up in parallel to Doresain.
Are ghouls and shadows more closely connected than might otherwise appear?
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