SOCIETY
At the base level of shadow society the hierarchy is simple: Survival of the fittest.
During the lower stages of evolution, it is an eat or be eaten world. Shadows at this stage are more akin to simple sentient animals. Driven by a deep need to understand and evolve, shadows will aim to grow by any means necessary. This means finding a steady source of thought fragments to feed on. This can bring them into direct conflict with other shadows ending in one party running away, consuming, or cooperating with the other. The outcome highly depends on the shadows and particular situation.
The more mature they get the more sophisticated and intelligent they become. Mature shadows can often grow quite large, and are generally composed of much more complex combinations of emotion and thought. Eventually reaching full sentience and independence, becoming similar to human beings. Just like humans they begin to create intricate networks, alliances, and tribal bonds.
It is thought that there are highly intelligent shadows that form councils, groups, or gangs with the will to enforce, protect or even exploit other shadows. It is entirely possible that they have long term plans and agendas of their own. It is unknown if there is a ruling class or if there is an existing political structure. The complexities of shadow society might be much deeper than we once thought - perhaps complex enough to rival our own.
It is also rumored that some shadows have grown and expanded so large that they surpass any human-like form and become Egregores. An Egregore is a distinct non-physical entity that arises from a collective mass of people or ideas. They take on a psychic manifestation or thoughtform representing a group sharing a common motivation or belief.
