Odd idea #4
The faith of his people somehow allowed the mage to outlast his own death; he wasn't strong enough to turn into a Patron, so he became the Shade, a mysterious being that sometimes appears to protect the City, the Chamber, or a citizen in special danger. He looks like a shadow with a large hat and cloak,and three strips of flame on his breast (the three oaths he took in life). The inhabitants don't like to speak about the Shade, though they still revere him.