Shadow novice comes from native folk where Umbra runs strong. They are coreless like all the Hallow's natives. A kingdom recruits them through its Barracks for geld, a little mana and people.
No native has a Seal-shard, and only a shard can cast a spell. So what they throw in battle is not a spell. The Sealborn say the novices carry their lord's affinity in their hands, learned slowly at the lord's side. That is why training them takes longer than drilling a soldier.
The first thing they are taught is the lesson every cultivator of Deep Hand inherits from Odrin Half-Core: the dead do not walk for free. A novice who serves a Umbra lord sees that price paid in the kingdom's own people.
On the field they are quick and strike true. They are kept on geld and a little mana, and they can be sent home.
Player-visible facts
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack | 700 |
| Counter attack (defensive strike) | 0 |
| Hit points | 100 |
| Recruitment cost per unit | 360 geld, 0.75 mana, 2 population |
| Ordinary upkeep per unit per spent turn | 8 geld, 0.1 mana, 0 population |
| Can be dismissed | Yes |
These are base unit values. Battle reports show effective attack and hit points after current effects. Defence uses resistance; no single defence score is exposed.