While the Forces Arcanum teaches a mage how to ignite or snuff out a light, it gives no power over the quality of darkness.
In Atlantean cosmology, darkness was not merely the absence of light, but an active force. An initiate of Death learns how to manipulate that force, giving form to existing shadows or thickening them. Mages use this spell to hide themselves from easy scrutiny, literally hiding in shadows, and even sculpting shadows to best cover themselves or an awkwardly shaped object that otherwise might jut out into the light under natural conditions.
A simple success allows a mage to shape a one-yard radius area of shadows or darkness into shapes of his choosing,
or he can thicken its gloom, making shadows deeper even under bright light. The Storyteller assesses the quality of
existing shadows, categorizing them into three degrees: from light to dark to complete darkness. Each success deepens
the darkness by one degree. Once complete darkness is achieved, additional successes impose dice penalties to perception
rolls on a one-for-one basis for anyone peering into the area.
With Death 2, the mage can give shadows animation, while Death 3 allows him to conjure them.
Guardians of the Veil Rote: Fall of Night
Sleepers rarely believe in anything more than what they can see. When a phenomenon is masked by shadows, most simply walk away, unwilling to delve any deeper into Mysteries best left to the Awakened.
