Information

Nightborne has a minion!

Morana the Black Elemental

Nightborne
Legacy Name: Nightborne

The

Nightmare Magnus
Owner: Alkuna

Age: 7 years, 4 months, 2 weeks

Born: May 1st, 2019

Adopted: 2 years, 3 months, 4 days ago

Adopted: June 13th, 2024

Statistics

Level: 91
Strength: 227
Defense: 227
Speed: 228
Health: 238
HP: 238/238
Intelligence: 311
Books Read: 308
Food Eaten: 1
Toys Played: 0
Job: Certified Mad Scientist

Greetings and welcome! We're going to take a turn into a much darker (literally) path of knowledge today. Buckle up, grip your flashlights tightly, and prepare for an education! Let's jump right in!

Do you recall that feeling of fear when the lights go off? That weird, creeping dread that something was hiding in your closet? Or maybe you launched yourself into bed because you just knew something was waiting to grab you from underneath? I present to you: the Nightborne.

Description:

A Nightborne is the ultimate living nightmare, a creature pulled from another dimension and dropped straight into our world. These things live to terrify. They’re the monster in the closet, the shape under your bed, the heavy breath in a dark hallway. They’re darkness with a body: creatures that exist to explain why we’re so scared of what’s lurking in the dark.

They are shapeshifters. No two Nightborne look the same, but you can always count on them to slowly give off a thick, smoky darkness that makes them nearly impossible to spot in the shadows. They shift forms instantly: sometimes they’re giant spiders, snakes, bats, parasites; other times, they look like ordinary animals you wouldn’t want to meet in an alley—think wild dogs, cats, big birds, or anything with too many claws and teeth. Tentacles and blob-like shapes show up a lot, too. They’re different from the Kagemono (which you might remember) because Nightborne have solid bodies and don’t need to wear dead things as a disguise. Still, experts think there’s some evolutionary connection.

Hunting and Feeding Behavior:

Nightborne feed on fear. Sometimes they’ll stalk their victim for days, weeks, or even months. They’re not just hunting for a quick scare. They want to squeeze every last drop of terror out, ramping things up bit by bit, with the ultimate goal of driving the victim to the breaking point of exhaustion.

The result of a Nightborne's hunt can, and sometimes does, result in deaths. They never intend to kill anyone outright; dead people can’t be scared, after all. However, they are not above non-fatal mauling if it really ramps up the fear. Death by heart attacks, panic, or sheer exhaustion is pretty common; death by bleeding out isn’t.

Nightborne also mess with electricity wherever they go. Just having one nearby can cause lights to flicker or whole rooms to plunge into darkness. Victims pick up on what these blackouts mean, only making them more terrified.

Lair:

You won’t find Nightborne hiding out in cozy caves or nests. They don’t eat, drink, or even need to sleep. Creature comforts don’t matter to them. The only time you’ll see one slow down or act tired is if it’s gone too long without finding anyone to scare.

All they need is darkness. The blacker the spot, the better: alleyways at night, sewers and drains, closets, spaces beneath the bed, inside cabinets, spaces beneath trees, and near bushes in low light are all places where a Nightborne can lurk and attack. They can slink into the farthest of hiding places, reach up drainpipes in your bathroom, or fit into the tiniest of places. Sliding between the walls of your home among the studs and gliding like a shadow out of electrical ports is a common tactic once the sun sets. People say you can’t ever be fully safe from a Nightborne, because shadows are everywhere. Unlike Kagemono, who seem to need animal pelts and can't use alternatives, Nightborne can hide anywhere.

Social Structure:

Nightborne usually hunt alone, picking one victim each. If you ever see two together, it usually means they’re after a whole family. These hunts tend to be more methodical and cautious. Kids are more vulnerable, but parents tend to jump straight to anger instead of fear. Nightborne focus on splitting up family members and targeting them one by one.

In crowded places with a lot of people, Nightborne can form groups known as a “nightmare.” There’s more competition to feed, hunts go faster, and it’s everyone for themselves. This usually leads to way more deaths from heart attacks, panic, and even outright violence. It can get ugly, fast. Sudden heart attacks and medical events related to stress, fear, and high blood pressure become prevalent. Mauling may also increase in levels of harm and risk to human life.

Reproduction:

No one’s figured out how Nightborne reproduce, or if they even do. The ones researchers have captured didn’t have reproductive organs, or any interest in making more Nightborne. Autopsies have proven to be impossible because their bodies dissolve into mist and disappear immediately upon death. Because they are not creatures of flesh and blood, no one can sedate or restrain them long enough to investigate, and, honestly, it’s too dangerous to try.

Combat:

There’s one big exception to their power over darkness: light sources that are close to their source of power. such as a powerful, battery-powered flashlight, can potentially provide safety.

High-powered flashlights, anything above 2,000 lumens, can burn them or even kill them outright. Tracer rounds and fire works too, but using fire can be risky. The flames might cast new shadows, giving the Nightborne a chance to sneak closer. Don’t stand with your back to a huge fire—it can leave you surrounded by darkness.

In the end, the best weapon isn’t a gun or a torch. It’s not being afraid. Survivors say that if you stop being scared, if you hit the point where fear just isn’t left in you, Nightborne lose interest and leave. They need terror to live on; without it, they move on to the next person.

Conclusion:

Nightborne don’t get their power from darkness; they get it from us, from our fear. They slide into the corners of our rooms, and deeper, into our minds. Every time we feed them terror, they get stronger. But because they depend on fear, that’s also their big weakness. If you face them with real courage, if you shine a literal or metaphorical light on their shadow, you take that power away. So tonight, when you hear something moving where it shouldn’t, don’t give in. The real power comes from letting go of fear and refusing to back down.

Adopted from Chrysariel