On the one hand, the Shadow Plane generally has decayed/decrepit/twisted reflections of places on the Material Plane, while on the other hand the Magaambya is the oldest center of magical learning on the planet. What would you expect to see if you crossed over to the Shadow Plane from the school?
Would you expect to find nothing much different than other Shadow Plane places, because the Magaambya doesn't do much Shadow research?
Would you find evidence of active or previous student expeditions?
Would the magic that has seeped into the bones of the school somehow show itself in the Shadow Plane?
I'm just curious what other people would imagine it being like.
I'd like to think it is petrified jungles. Just as dense, but it is also solid stone.
I think it would be rife with the impressions of magic gone disastrously wrong. That could make for a good source of magical hazards actually.
I see the Shadow Plane as the plane of fear because of its link to Zon-Kuthon. So, what can we get when mixing magic and fear ?
Or some other source of high-level threats.
The shadow side (negatively) reflects and is tied to a location of major significance so should (IMO) have commensurate gravitas. One could invent whatever metaphysics necessary to warrant this, narrative being primary.
The Upside Down
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With the focus on community as well whatever civilization is there could echo that as a toxic community. Gossping, back stabbing, a general lack of trust. The worst kind of personal politics at all levels. Sure it's a very social place, doesn't mean it's a nice place.
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I think it would be interesting if there was a large D'ziriak university there that taught their light-weavers. Could even have some cross-training programs.
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Thank you all for your input! I had the session on Saturday and ended up making the immediate grounds of the Magaambya in the Shadow Plane mysteriously impervious to plane shifting rituals. I had a forest of stone pillars that slowly and sporadically move to prevent building there, and the ground causes magical ritual circles to evaporate. It was completely devoid of creatures, so it was creepy but peaceful compared to the rest of the Shadow Plane. This was an ancient Magaambyan defense mechanism to discourage nefarious machinations across the planar veil.
The rest of Nantambu was filled with a huge D'Ziriak city amidst dry riverbeds and towering, crafted spires. They knew of the Magaambya, which predates their city by a long shot, and they have a history of wanting to engage in trade and magical exchange with the university, but have been unable to make inroads.