Shade

A shade, also known as a petitioner, is what remains of a mortal that has traveled to a Far Realm (Elysium or Tartarus) for their ultimate reward or punishment. They often retain limited memories of their former lives, although their form is dependent on the plane they inhabit and the manner by which they arrived there. A shade that manages to return to the Cycle of Regeneration typically has no memory of its life as a shade, although those who please the powers of the Far Realms-- and are thereby transformed into a suitable outsider, such as a Devil or a Seraph-- have been known to have some remembrance of their former lives.

Once a mortal becomes a shade, they are irrecoverably altered. At this point, the entity's relationship with their mortal vessel fully ends-- the shade gains a new body formed of Akasha and can never be resurrected into their previous mortal form. Shades vary greatly in appearance, demeanor, and abilities, depending on which plane they reside in. Most are still recognizable as vaguely humanoid and retain some characteristics from their mortal form, but others are completely transformed. The nature of a shade's journey (and their eventual fate) is heavily influenced by the nature of their patron's realm.