Quote Originally Posted by CGMidlander View Post
Dark Knights derive their power from (feelings of) salt.
Not entirely. The power of darkness responds to a desire - any true, heartfelt desire. During the DRK 58 quest, Rielle and the Moggles- er, the Pomguard give Sidurgu crap over using his duty as an excuse to indulge in vengeance, and that the power of darkness responds to love just as readily as hate. To use it to its fullest extent, a Dark Knight must accept their selfish desires - but that doesn't necessarily mean it's evil or wrong, just that it's what the Dark Knight wants, not what s/he feels obligated or forced into.

(If this was a jest, I apologize for taking it in earnest.)

Anyway, no, your shadow is not "evil you" or a photo-negative of your normal self. It's you, literally, you, just without society to keep your impulses, desires, and emotions restrained. For instance, while the Warrior of Light is considerably more irritable and less willing to put up with other peoples' shit, s/he still does everything s/he normally would during the 30-50 line. "Fray" just gives you a little push into learning how to use the power of darkness, and the rest is you. From slaughtering Temple Knights to save a maid, to getting annoyed with "Fray" for making you do a largely meaningless task, to slaughtering Amalj'aa for a sporting battle with the excuse of saving fools who could have saved themselves, to chewing out a merchant for being a massive ingrate, to beating up the Whitebrim soldiers to save yourself... those are all things you, the Warrior of Light, actually want.

But, because you're expected to be the calm, confident, selfless, stoic badass you're known for being, you can't actually express those feelings in polite society. Deep down you're suffering, and unsure of yourself, and angry and resentful over everything that's happened despite your best efforts. Nobody actually cares about that, though, and it's something you're very, very angry about. At the same time, your shadow is also your sorrow and despair. "Fray" is everything you are, but deny for whatever reason.

So again, "Fray" is not dark, evil, mean, jackass, or bad you. S/he isn't the other side of the coin. "Fray" is you, and you are "Fray."