Shadowkey:Narrative

The story of Shadowkey can be tricky to follow. Although there is an intended flow to the narrative, the player can visit almost any area at any stage and this can result in some confusion.

The hero or heroine of the story lives in Azra's Crossing, and is awoken one night by the screams of other villagers. It transpires that the village has been attacked by bandits, some of whom remain in the area. After killing the bandits and their tamed rats, the player is told by the inhabitants of the temple that the other villagers were taken to Delfran's Hideout.

In the hideout, the player rescues the other residents of Azra's Crossing and kills the lair's leader, obtaining a strange artifact called a Shadowkey. Additionally, a prisoner called Skelos Undriel hints that more might be at stake, and requests an audience back in the village.

Back in Azra's Crossing, Undriel tells the player that he is being hunted by Jagar Tharn, and needs a safe place in which he can hide. He asks you to clear Earthtear Caverns of creatures so he can use it as a hideout. Once this is achieved, the player is told that somebody is using the ongoing war to create a Shadow of Conflict, or Umbra' Keth. Undriel insists that it must not be allowed to fall into the hands of Tharn or any other like-minded mage.

Luckily, Undriel knows of a solution. He asks that you find five Star Teeth, magical crystals whose power can be used against the shadow. He suggests that you start looking to the north, with the Witch Tree in Ghast's Pass, or in the Twilight Temple. While searching in the Temple, you will encounter Pergan Asuul, another shadow mage who also seeks to control the Umbra' Keth. At the moment of his death, he speaks of a prophecy that states the two of you will fight three times.

The search for teeth will eventually take you to Fearfrost II, in which a large crystal is found. It reacts to the closeness of your shadowkeys, splitting apart to reveal a mysterious mage. He has forgotten his name, but eventually turns out to be Azra Nightwielder. He asks to meet you again by the crater in Azra's Crossing. There, Azra tells you that in his day there were seven star teeth, not five. He knows that one can be found in Broken Wing and another in Glacier Crawl.

The star teeth can be obtained in any order, but the "intended" order has the one in Glacier Crawl being the last. There, the last of the entities that first gathered the teeth from the stars themselves can be found, and Captain Nym will reward you if you have already found all seven.

With all seven teeth collected, the Umbra' Keth can at last be faced. It resides in the deepest dungeon in the Crypt of Hearts, but cannot be killed there. The Shadow must be lured to the "Vault of the Heavens", on the middle level. With the teeth placed on pedestals in the vault, the Umbra' Keth is vulnerable.

With its death, the threat to the world is ended at last.

Cutscenes

The game contains seven cutscenes that appear when certain zones are entered, and in which more details of the story are revealed. They may be revealed in almost any order as the player advances through the storyline, but are presented here in the order that the main quest expects.

Azra's Crossing	War comes to Hammerfell, danger and ambition consuming three kingdoms.	But some dangers arrive not upon studded boot, but move in stealth among the shadows.	For a war of magics roils in the shadows, mixing with, and as dangerous as the war fought with steel.	But unknown to kings and High Mages, the flames of war will forge a hero. It is this hero's destiny to alter theirs, and change the world of Shadowkey.
Delfran's Hideout	The journey began on behalf of a village...	...disturbs a struggle millennia old.	A struggle which moves new pawns...	...in the service of ancient powers.
Ghast's Pass	Here the slightest of things, a memento, a merchant's pack.	... align a hero's path toward destiny.	Forces revealed now are needed later...	... if the new hero can survive a meeting with a master of shadow.
Dragonfields	Skyrim and Hammerfell's ambitions fall hard on Dragonstar.	Heroic defenders from all walks of life...	... battle idealistic warriors embracing a new vision...	... neither knowing that the struggles of each serve a darker cause.
Glacier Crawl	In eras gone by they sailed the skies, capturing the stuff of stars.	One still waits for a hero strong enough...	... to brush aside the pawns of the shadow wars...	... and take up this last to take the battle to the heart of the enemy.
Crypt of Hearts I	Torch passed, a new hero embarks on the final journey.	Ahead, death cheated three times awaits final release.	Destiny's path leads here, for one chance, a true chance...	...to repulse the twisted forces of shadow.
Crypt of Hearts III	Whirling sparks of light from the Star Teeth shred the shadows of the defeated Umbra' Keth.	The oppressiveness of the crypt begins to lift. A huge weight is lifted from your shoulders.	The plans of Pergan Asuul and Jagar Tharn to create and control an incarnation of war have been defeated.	What destiny awaits tomorrow is uncertain, but today you emerge from the Crypt of Hearts victorious...	And with the true soul of a hero.