The Shadow Fold, sometimes called the Fold or the Unsea, is a symbol of division and greed. Created by the Darkling many years ago, the Fold has plagued Ravka by cutting the mainland off from vital supplies located in West Ravka. It is a place of impossible darkness, inhabited by flying beasts called volcra that feed on humans. Volcra are descended from transformed humans born as a consequence of the Darkling’s greed. They are blind from living in darkness and are frightened away by light.

The Shadow Fold reflects the Darkling’s true nature. Symbolically, it is a manifestation of the saying “blinded by greed.” As long as the Fold exists and the Darkling tries to control it for endless power, Ravka remains both physically and morally divided, and thus weakened against its enemies.

As the world’s most powerful amplifier, the stag is used throughout the novel to represent power, mercy, and hope. The stag is a mythical creature thought to only exist in children’s stories, where it’s said to grant wishes to those who spare it. Searching for the stag represents the resiliency of hope: They search against odds that the stag can be found, or even exists, because it is their greatest hope for destroying the Fold.