Shadow taint

Shadow taint is a feature found exclusively in Shadows over Loathing. (Capitalization note: I could have sworn it was written as "Shadow taint" ingame, but now I'm seeing "Shadow Taint". Confirm?)

It has a similar effect to Cowrruption and effects from reading Nex-Mex Books from West of Loathing, with one exception: the taint are accumulative and can not be removed.

Acquisition

Shadow taint is obtained by consuming shadow foods and potions. If you haven't consumed any before, the narrator warns you it's really dangerous. If you consume it anyway, you're informed: "A pleasant numbness spreads within you. Soothing darkness."

The effectiveness of shadow consumables depends on the world's overall, let's call it shadow corruption, which can be increased in several ways:

• Using Cursed items where opportunity rises.
• Using shadow items and weapons.
• The Haunted perk doubles the above increases.
• The world becomes more corrupted at the end of every day, other than the Prologue (Day 0).

Depending on how corrupted the world is, it takes 2-4 consumables to gain your first level of Shadow Taint. Level 5 taint takes at least 7 and at most 20.

Effect

There are boons and banes to obtaining the shadow taint, most notable after reaching level 3. Taint levels above 5 have no effect.

• With each level from 1 to 5, you gain the ability to take items from shadow rifts. Each item requires a minimum level of taint.
• Each level also lets you get items from some wandering shadow monsters instead of fighting them. Different encounters require a different level of taint.

Level 0 (at least one consumable used)

• Alphonse Gator may appear while wandering in The Big Moist.

Level 1

• After dealing with The President of Shadows in the Epilogue, you can press the red button, damning the world.

Level 2

• You unlock the option "Let him sleep forever" to the sleeping gatorman in Gatorman Hamlet, gaining and increasing the world's shadow corruption.

Level 3

† Mechanics note: These check for the shadoweyes flag, rather than shadow_fromconsumables.

• You're now able to read Librum Umbra Malum Ovilla and spend XP to learn shadow skills and traits from it.
• Your eyes become "holes in the universe," like tiny shadow rifts.^†

This level comes with quite a few downsides:

• You cannot change facial expression.^†
• You can no longer uncurse cursed items.
• Hobos refuse to to speak with you. Your speech becomes shadow-tongue when you attempt to talk to them.^†
  • Obie the Oboe Hobo, Agamemnon, and the pencil-seller at Fission Chips are exceptions.
  • Wandering hobos may also talk to you and invite you to the Hobo Camp, if you somehow reach this level without finding it nor refusing enough hobos that they no longer approach you.
• Barnaby no longer gives hints for speakeasy items.^†
• The janitor at S.I.T. (Main Lobby) will not speak with you.^†
• "Corruption of the Self" perks from Librum Umbra Malum Ovilla come with permanent downsides if you learn them.

Level 4

No effect other than some wandering monsters and rifts.

Level 5

• Ability to absorb your nemesis for their hat during their final encounter instead of fighting them.
• You can drink the pylons surrounding The Black House as a means of destroying them.
  • If you drink all three, you cannot press the green button after dealing with The President of Shadows, nor can you fight. Unless your companion can save the world, the only option that remains is to Claim your throne as the Shadowcaster and cover the world in darkness.
• Ability to absorb The President of Shadows in the Epilogue.

Mechanics

There are a few flags in your save file: shadow, shadow_player and shadow_fromconsumables.

shadow

This measures the overall shadow-corruption of the world. You'll see more dead trees and more shadow anomalies as this value increases.

• Gain 100 shadow at the end of each of days 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
• Gain shadow in equal amount every time you gain shadow_player.
• Shadow pouches start appearing at 200 shadow.
• Shadow rifts start appearing at 110, 230, 420, 690 or 1111 shadow, depending on the rift (see that page for details).

shadow_player

This measures how much shadow was caused by the player's actions.

Action	shadow_player increase
Using the terribly cursed fedora to intimidate	25
Using the dangerous pocketwatch in combat	10
Using the cursed compass to navigate	10
Unlocking something with the cursed key	25
Starting a combat with the shadow coin, shadow bird, shadow rat, shadow skullcap, shadow shorts, shadow loop, shadow boots or rift crystal amulet equipped	5 each
Using a shadow apple, shadow clarinet, shadow bomb or shadow rope in combat	5
Taking the rift crystal from Ernst Zimmer's House	300
Reading the DiMaggio Fragments, the Nachotic Manuscripts, or The King in Blue	100 total (20 per use)
Acquiring the shadow bird from Barbara Yargara's Hut	30
Drowning the gatorman in Gatorman Hamlet	100
Using the cursed haunted duck call at MacMillicancuddy's Farm	60 total (10 per use)

• Note: Freeing Charles from Gatorman Fortress requires the cursed key, unavoidably gaining 25 shadow_player (and shadow).
• Note: With the Haunted perk, all the above are doubled.

shadow_fromconsumables

This measures how much shadow-corruption the player character has taken in personally.

• Your Shadow Taint level equals shadow_fromconsumables / 20, rounded down.
• Each time you use a shadow food or potion, your shadow_fromconsumables increases by 5 + shadow/100 (capped at 15).