History Roleplay / ShadowQuest

''Shadow Quest'' is a PlayByPost game that was started on /tg/ in April 2013. It quickly became one of the most popular Quest Threads on the imageboard, mainly due to well thought out setting and characters.

* LiteralSplitPersonality: [[spoiler: The Shards of Order and Chaos. On Chaos's side, we have [[TheJuggernaut Judgment]] [[DarkIsNotEvil (Shadow himself)]], [[TechnicolorFire Huma]][[FirePurifies nity]], [[MagicEater Ardor]], [[FragileSpeedster Breeze]], and [[DropTheHammer Hammer]]. On Order's side, we have [[BlackMage Temerity]], [[BarrierWarrior Isolation]], [[InvisibleJerkass Silence]], [[TheBerserker Wrath]], and [[MadDoctor Maker]]. All of the Shards of Order are eventually converted into Shards of Chaos, or rather Balance.]]

* {{Troll}}: [[MagnificentBastard Yi]] [[ItAmusedMe Fang]], and ''how''. At the summit in Arland, the man [[RefugeInAudacity taunts]] [[PersonOfMassDestruction Sandalphon,]] the most powerful of the angels, [[HypocriticalHumor after he specifically warned Shadow against doing so.]]

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Several:
** Duke Vellik of Kelvere is a powerful lightning mage, and leads his soldiers into the battlefield himself.
** Yi Fang, archmage of Archon, is stated to be roughly the second most powerful person in the world.
** The Black Lady, Sandalphon, and all of the Highest in general have been known to perform great feats of power. Sandalphon is considered to be the most powerful mage on Venia.

* LargeAndInCharge: [[KnightTemplar Sandalphon]], the [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking Most High]].

* AndManGrewProud: Somewhat. Though the Elementomachy is centuries in the past and has become a thing of legend for much of the population, the angels were all created prior to or during the war and still remember it. Centuries of propaganda have turned it into a cautionary tale about the evils of the "lesser" elements that were on the losing side of the war. In the case of [[spoiler: Erebus at least]], the tales of evil are [[spoiler: totally justified, and in fact barely even scratch the surface of just how bloodthirsty he was.]]

* LaserGuidedKarma: [[spoiler: Michael's nightmarish death, courtesy of an enraged Shadow.]]

* EvilCripple: [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil Michael]].

* FireForgedFriends: Shadow and Flint.
* FiveManBand
** Heroes:
*** TheHero: Shadow. Alternately, Donovan Flint, who fits the more classic mold, with Shadow occupying the role of TheBigGuy.
*** TheLancer: [[OnlySaneMan Auriel.]] See the entry for WhatDoesThisButtonDo.
*** TheBigGuy: [[TheJuggernaut Shadow.]] Especially if you consider Donovan TheHero. If you don't Donovan can fill this role, especially after [[spoiler: his magical parasite has been dealt with.]]
*** TheSmartGuy: [[OldMaster Adavan.]] [[TheCaptain Auriel when it comes to airships.]]
*** TheChick: Joey. [[spoiler: Later Abigail.]]
*** TheSixthRanger: At varying times: Kirt [[spoiler: (AKA Obis Vin)]] and Ila.
** The Highest, the senior most servants of Hyperion who have taken over in his absence. There are technically 14 of them, though for the vast majority of the story only a few are seen at a time.
*** BigBad: Sandalphon. Most High, leader of the Empire of Light, and the most powerful mage in the world.
*** TheDragon: Lucifer. Second Highest, generally the one doing the dirty work that the others can't or won't do. May or may not [[TheStarscream harbor ambitions of his own.]]
*** EvilGenius: Michael. Seventh Highest, widely known as a great healer, actually a sadistic torturer, rapist, and murderer.
*** TheBrute: Raziel. Eighth Highest, sits somewhere along the border between BloodKnight and AxeCrazy. [[spoiler: He becomes Shadow's first angel kill fairly early in the story.]] Later [[WreathedInFlames Metatron]], the Third Highest. The fight against him is one of the longest in the entire story.
*** DarkActionGirl: Auriel. Fifth Highest, skilled airship captain, OnlySaneWoman. [[spoiler: Eventually defects and joins the heroes.]]

* SubmissiveBadass: Ila, initially to Auriel [[spoiler: and later to Shadow. And still to Auriel, [[DefectorFromDecadence who joins Haven.]]]]

* FiveBadBand
** The Highest, the senior most servants of Hyperion who have taken over in his absence. There are technically 14 of them, though for the vast majority of the story only a few are seen at a time.
*** BigBad: Sandalphon. Most High, leader of the Empire of Light, and the most powerful mage in the world.
*** TheDragon: Lucifer. Second Highest, generally the one doing the dirty work that the others can't or won't do. May or may not [[TheStarscream harbor ambitions of his own.]]
*** EvilGenius: Michael. Seventh Highest, widely known as a great healer, actually a sadistic torturer, rapist, and murderer.
*** TheBrute: Raziel. Eighth Highest, sits somewhere along the border between BloodKnight and AxeCrazy. [[spoiler: He becomes Shadow's first angel kill fairly early in the story.]] Later [[WreathedInFlames Metatron]], the Third Highest. The fight against him is one of the longest in the entire story.
*** DarkActionGirl: Auriel. Fifth Highest, skilled airship captain, OnlySaneWoman. [[spoiler: Eventually defects and joins the heroes.]]

** TheHero: Shadow. Alternately, Donovan Flint, who fits the more classic mold, with Shadow occupying the role of TheBigGuy.
** TheLancer: [[OnlySaneMan Auriel.]] See the entry for WhatDoesThisButtonDo.
** TheBigGuy: [[TheJuggernaut Shadow.]] Especially if you consider Donovan TheHero. If you don't Donovan can fill this role, especially after [[spoiler: his magical parasite has been dealt with.]]
** TheSmartGuy: [[OldMaster Adavan.]] [[TheCaptain Auriel when it comes to airships.]]
** TheChick: Joey. [[spoiler: Later Abigail.]]
** TheSixthRanger: At varying times: Kirt [[spoiler: (AKA Obis Vin)]] and Ila.

%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Do not uncomment them without explaining them properly. Just the trope name is not context. Just the trope name and the character name is not context. Tropes are renamed all the time, and it must be clear that the example fits the new name or it will simply be deleted.

* MayDecemberRomance: Donovan and Auriel. He's in his late 20s. She is over 700.

* BadassAdorable: Abigail, capable of impressive magical feats despite being an eight-year-old child. As it turns out, she also counts as a [[spoiler:BadassPrincess]].

* WorldInTheSky: Xile, the floating island at the heart of an immense magical storm.

* ForbiddenZone: The sky in general, thanks to the Sky-Sever. [[spoiler: Xile as well.]]

* NoGender: Shadow itself, given that it's, well, a shadow. [[spoiler: He chooses a male identity after entering the Archonium.]]
* OldMaster: Adavan, the lich [[spoiler: found in the abandoned keep at Jacob's Field. He's a veteran of the Elementomachy seven hundred years ago and the only remaining expert on the mental branch of spirit magic.]]

** TheLancer: [[OnlySaneMan Auriel]]. See entry for WhatDoesThisButtonDo.
** TheBigGuy: [[TheJuggernaut Shadow,]] Especially if you consider Donovan TheHero. If you don't Donovan can fill this role, especially after [[spoiler: his magical parasite has been dealt with.]]
** TheSmartGuy: [[OldMaster Adavan]]. [[TheCaptain Auriel when it comes to airships.]]

** TheSixthRanger: At varying times: Kirt [[spoiler: (AKA Obis Vin) and Ila.]]

* RedemptionEarnsLife: [[spoiler: Or rather, redemption earns something to live for. Shadow's sacrifice in the Core of Chaos keeps Venia safe, and by choosing to die to fix Erebus' mistakes it earns something that Erebus had lost. While Erebus was a burnt out sensation junkie who had lost his ability to actually appreciate life, by turning his back on who he was Shadow is able to enjoy love, friendship, and everything else that life has to offer.]]
** [[spoiler: The Highest that turn against the Empire of Light have a much higher survival rate as a result of not joining in Sandalphon's plan.]]

* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Initially this question focuses on Shadow, which though undeniably intelligent is also very inhuman at least at first. [[spoiler: Later on, the exact opposite is revealed. Shadow is, in fact, the only human being in the entire story. The entire rest of the cast are technically creations of the Core of Chaos.]]

* DidYouJustRomanceCthulu?: Shadow being what it is, its relationship with [[spoiler:Abigail]] certainly qualifies. Even the normally unflappable Yi Fang has to take a moment for it to really sink in that [[spoiler:his niece]] is in a relationship with [[spoiler:an Elemental Lord.]]