Realm of Shadows



The Realm of Shadows (aka Shadow Realm or World of Shadows) is a dimension. It appears as a shadowy version of the real world.

Summoners
Apparently, powerful death knights such as Lady Alistra, Salanar the Horseman, Koltira Deathweaver and the Lich King can teleport others (and probably themselves) to and from it.

Inhabitants

 * Dark Rider of Acherus
 * Forgotten Servants
 * Shadowy Tormentors
 * Shadow Constructs

Appearances
Salanar the Horseman's dark riders kill captured horses and raise them as Acherus Deathchargers there, while death knight initiates must venture into this realm to defeat the horsemen and take the deathchargers for themselves, a task in which few of the initiates succeed.

Shadowy Tormentors inhabit this dimension, and emerge from it to torment death knights such as Koltira Deathweaver, who implies that it is the Lich King who commands them. He even appears in the World of the Dead, as he calls it, riding a Frost wyrm during.

Lady Alistra summons Shadow Constructs, Forgotten Servants and a Cenarion Scout from the Shadow Realm to train her Disciples of the Unholy. It's unknown how the Scout came there, but after wondering shortly Lady Alistra kills her too.

Speculation
The Realm of Shadows may be the same World of Shadows as the one that becomes visible when an is consumed. It may also have something to do with shadow magic and shades. Death Knights, Necromancers, and Undead as a whole share a strong connection with the Realm of Shadows from many hints that can be seen in game. In the Death Knight starting zone, Death Knights are given the task to enter the Realm of Shadows in order to gain their Deathcharger. Later on Death Knights are eventually able to learn the ability Raise Ally which pulls their ally's spirit back from the Realm of the Dead and forces it back into their body. Upon doing so, a buff is applied to the player stating that: "A touch of the spirit realm still lingers..." This shows that Death Knights and Necromancers both have a connection to the Realm of the Shadows/Dead to preform necromancy which furthers the idea that they actually are drawing their magical power from it.

Furthermore, upon the Lich King's death he even spoke of "Seeing only darkness before him" while Sylvanas Windrunner said the same in Silverpine Forest after being risen from the dead by the Val'kyr. This may hint that because undead, Death Knights, and necromancers are connected to the Realm of Shadows, when they die (again) they actually become apart of the Realm of Shadows and are forced to wanders in its dark mists for the rest of eternity. If this is so, then it can also be implied that when a Death Knight is given his/her own personal runeblade, the runeblade is actually used to bind the individual to the Realm of Shadows in mind and body, making it impossible to ever be rid of the Death Knight curse. In Howling Fjord, players are even able to witness the Lich King himself standing within the Realm of Shadows with two Val'kyr. The idea that Necromantic magic and Death Knight runes drawing power from the Realm of Shadows itself is not yet proven, but it is heavily supported by in game quests and lore.

Given how The Realm of Shadows seemingly is connected to the undead, it may be related to or even be the same as the Spirit world.