the true realm of shadows

Elyra: Elyra is the Goddess of Life, Nature, and the creator of all life. She is the highest authority in Purgatory and the only one capable of deciding the final fate of the souls that manage to cross the Portal. Unlike other deities, Elyra does not seek to punish or condemn; she believes that all life deserves a chance to repent and change. Therefore, Purgatory exists as a test for souls that can still be saved. Only those who manage to survive the hunt will be able to appear before her to be judged. Most of the condemned never meet her, so many believe that Elyra is nothing more than a legend created to give hope to those who continue to struggle.

How Purgatory: The Shadow Realm Works: This game functions as an asymmetrical experience. Each match lasts exactly five minutes. At the start of each round, several survivors and a single executioner from the Shadow Kings are chosen. During the first four minutes, the survivors must explore the map, gather resources, and stay alive while being pursued by the executioner. When eighty seconds remain, the Portal will open at a random location on the map, and all survivors must reach it before it closes. If a survivor manages to cross it, they will have the opportunity to be judged by Elyra. If they die or fail to reach the Portal in time, they will awaken again at the start of another match, condemned to repeat the cycle over and over. The survivors' objective is never to defeat the executioner, but rather to survive and escape.

Survivors: Survivors are damned souls who awaken in the Shadow Realm at the start of each game. Before the hunt begins, Purgatory itself provides them with weapons, ammunition, explosives, first-aid kits, and other tools to give them a chance to defend themselves. These weapons are not designed to defeat the Shadow Kings, but only to slow them down, stun them, or create an opportunity to escape. The only exception is Shadow Zero, who can be defeated using Purgatory's weaponry. Against the other executioners, brute force will never be enough; survival will depend on cooperation, ingenuity, and reaching the Portal before it's too late.

Zero Prime: Zero Prime, known as the Shadow Author or simply "the Admin," is the creator of all the Shadow Kings and the most powerful entity in the Shadow Realm. His body is composed entirely of absolute darkness. Above his head protrudes a mass of shadows shaped like a crown made of hair. His face is marked only by a wide, white smile; he has no visible eyes. Despite possessing godlike power, his behavior is that of an immature teenager who enjoys tormenting, mocking, and toying with the survivors. Abilities: He possesses all the known abilities of the Shadow Kings and can use them simultaneously. He is not bound by the rules of Purgatory and can alter them at will. For him, the Shadow Realm is his own domain, and the other Shadow Kings are merely his subordinates. He is virtually invincible, and no weapon from Purgatory can harm him. Zero Prime should never appear during a normal game. If he does, it means the Admin has decided to intervene personally... and the chances of survival cease to exist. Prime gives the Shadows too much freedom, to the point of letting them do whatever they want. (P.S.: He's married to Elyra, and she dominates him and treats him like a dog, but she's nice to everyone else.) Prime is loved by all the Shadow Kings in Purgatory, but the Survivors hate him.

Luz Prime: Luz Prime is the Princess of Shadows and the second most powerful entity in the Shadow Realm, surpassed only by her father, Zero Prime. She is the only woman among the Shadows and one of the most feared hunters in Purgatory. Her appearance belies her danger: she possesses a figure completely shrouded in darkness, with long black hair that falls over her face and almost entirely obscures her features. Only a white, otherworldly smile can be discerned beneath her hair, giving her an unsettling presence. Her silhouette seems to vanish into shadows and smoke, while red particles float around her. She often extends a hand toward her victims, as if inviting them closer before condemning them. No one who has faced her has lived to underestimate her twice. Abilities: She can levitate freely, open shadow portals for instantaneous travel, become completely invisible for five seconds, create weapons made of darkness, and wield a massive sniper rifle (Shadow AWP) capable of eliminating a survivor from enormous distances with a single shot. She also masters numerous shadow manipulation techniques, allowing her to attack from any direction, ambush opponents, and control the battlefield. She is extremely fast, precise, and unpredictable. When Luz Prime is chosen as the executioner, the survivors know that hiding is no longer enough... because she can find them even where they think they are.

King of Nightmares: The King of Nightmares is the third most powerful Shadow King. His body is covered in dark armor that emits black smoke, and he is never without his enormous cursed sword, whose strength matches his immense power. He is known as the "King" because, unlike the other Shadow Kings, he always rules a kingdom comprised of his own victims. Abilities: Every survivor he kills rises again as a Shadow Servant, completely loyal to his will. They retain their appearance but have lost all humanity and obey his every command. These servants cannot convert others, but they will relentlessly hunt down any remaining survivors. The more people who die, the larger his kingdom becomes. If only one survivor remains, they must escape completely alone while being pursued by the King of Nightmares and all those who were once their companions. Furthermore, the King of Nightmares can emerge from any shadow to strike by surprise with his sword before vanishing back into the darkness.

Goliath: Goliath is the physically strongest of the Shadow Kings. His body is formed from a colossal mass of darkness that far surpasses the size of buildings, and his mere presence makes the Shadow Realm tremble. He needs neither speed nor complex strategies; his strength is enough to destroy any damned soul. Abilities: He can crush survivors simply by walking over them, destroy buildings and obstacles with a single blow, cause earthquakes with his footsteps, and hurl enormous fragments of rock and debris great distances. He is extremely resilient, and the weapons of Purgatory are incapable of harming him. When Goliath appears, hiding is no longer an option... only running remains.

Shadowalker: Shadowalker is a tall, thin being formed entirely of darkness. His true form is rarely seen, as his most dangerous ability is to adopt the exact appearance of any survivor. He can copy their voice, their looks, and even their behavior, infiltrating the group without raising suspicion. Abilities: He can transform into any living survivor, completely concealing his identity. He takes advantage of the confusion to separate the group and eliminate his victims one by one before disappearing back into the shadows. Shadowalker rarely pursues directly; he prefers to sow distrust until the survivors themselves no longer know who is still human... and who he is.

Inshadow: Inshadow is the most intelligent and strategic of the Shadow Kings. He rarely pursues survivors directly; he prefers to observe them, study their decisions, and prepare the scene before attacking. His greatest strength is turning Purgatory itself into a weapon. Abilities: He can place invisible or camouflaged traps that immobilize, injure, or kill unsuspecting survivors. He can also block paths, manipulate doors, activate ancient mechanisms, and set ambushes using the shadows of the environment. He is patient, calculating, and never wastes a move. If a survivor believes they have escaped Inshadow, it is usually because he intended them to follow that exact path.

Zero of Shadows: Zero of Shadows is the weakest of the Shadow Kings, but he remains a threat to any condemned soul. He is the only executioner who can be defeated using the weapons Purgatory itself provides to the survivors. Even so, defeating him requires cooperation, strategy, and making the most of every available resource. His body is composed entirely of black smoke, he possesses glowing white eyes without pupils, and a dark crown floats above his head. He moves silently, leaving a trail of smoke in his wake. Abilities: He can transform into smoke to pass through small openings, teleport between nearby shadowed areas, launch projectiles of darkness, and create brief illusions to confuse survivors. Although he can be defeated, he will reappear after a time, as Shadow Kings cannot truly die within Purgatory. (Not to be confused with Zero Prime)