This couldn't be resolved in /chat so it needs a GM answer.
1. Is shadowmeld considered IC?
2. Is it available to all night elves or just females?
3. Is it considered invisibility, a camo, or a powerful stealth?
I think this covers all the issues.
1. Yes.
2. All of them. How males got the ability to use this after the Third War is left to your imagination.
3. From the same and description, I see it as a sort of weak, semi-magical camo. You're blending into the shadows and letting them hide you.
Edit: Detecting invisibility wouldn't help here, as it is not actual invisibility. A flare would help, though.
A fun thing to note is that Shadow Meld is a low-level spell in
World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game that is available to Arcanists, Assassins, Elven Rangers, and Hunters.
Quote:Shadow Meld
Level: Arc 1, Asn 1, Elr 1, Htr 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 10 minutes/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
- While the spell is in effect, if you remain motionless for one full round (do not move or take any action), you become invisible. This effect functions only in darkness or areas of shadowy illumination. When you move, you become visible immediately. Of course, you are not magically silenced.
If you are carrying gears, the gear also vanishes. Your allies cannot see you, unless they can normally see invisible things or employ magic to do so; you, however, can see yourself.
Any part of an item that you carry but that extends more than 10 feet from you becomes visible, such as a trailing rope.
In terms of pure mechanics,
this Shadow Meld is
very similar to the
night elven racial.
I love the overlap that
World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game has in regards to abilities. They proceed more logically than the MMORPG, mostly because balancing issues aren't prevalent. As a result, there are a lot of spells available to many different types of classes that the game would make us believe should be limited to just one.
If I ever get off my butt (and stop being sick), I'm definitely looking forward to implementing a lot of these spells and features in my events.
Shadowmielding has some rules I believe, like where you can use it.
Don't use it in the middle of somewhere sunny, As Shadows is what normally keeps you un-see-able.
This is why it's suggested to be used in the night, somewhere dark, or in a forest, a shade helps to,
You should know the restriction if these are the so-called rules.
Also, in War3, You could automatically shadowmield in the night, this acts as evidence for my statement.