Information

Nightborne has a minion!

Morana the Black Elemental

Nightborne
Legacy Name: Nightborne

The

Nightmare Magnus
Owner:

Alkuna

Age: 6 years, 10 months, 2 weeks

Born: May 1st, 2019

Adopted: 1 year, 9 months, 3 days ago

Adopted: June 13th, 2024

Statistics

Level: 91
Strength: 227
Defense: 227
Speed: 228
Health: 238
HP: 238/238
Intelligence: 310
Books Read: 307
Food Eaten: 1
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, back when you were younger, that feeling of fear when the lights go off? That unreasoning feeling that something lurked in your closet, in the darkness? Or perhaps you took a flying leap in and out of bed because you were terrified that something was going to reach out from underneath and grab you? I present to you, the Nightborne.

Description and Diet:

A Nightborne is the ultimate living nightmare, brought to our world from another dimension. This creature feeds on fear, and as such can adapt themselves to cause as much fear as they can in their prey. It is the monster in the closet, the thing beneath your bed, and the menacing noise from dark places, large and small. Made out of elemental darkness and given solid form, these beings are the reason for our fear of the dark.

Their forms vary, though the most common descriptions say that their flesh exudes a dark, smoky mist that helps break up their outline in the shadows. Capable of shifting forms in an instant, the most common things they resemble are creatures that cause fear; snakes, spiders, insects, cats, bats, parasites, dogs, mice, and birds. Large carnivores also round out the list; anything with claws and teeth can inspire fear. Tentacles and amorphous shapes are also very common.

Behavior:

Nightborne often follow their prey for days, weeks, even months; stalking, terrorizing, or traumatizing their victims from the very edges of perception. They choose their prey intending to feed on their victim's fear for an extended time, keeping their stalking behaviors on a steadily escalating scale, with the ultimate goal of driving the victim to the breaking point of exhaustion and fear.

While they never intend to kill their victims, they are not above non-fatal mauling to trigger the desired results. This is not to say they actively avoid killing victims; the result of a Nightborne's hunt can, and often does, result in a medically induced death from a heart attack or the victim's system giving out from exhaustion. Still, such deaths are rarely the result of physical violence, as injuries are specifically aimed at increasing fear responses rather than the victim bleeding out and dying. A dead victim is incapable of producing fear.

Lair:

You will never find a location that a Nightborne would call a home or den. These creatures do not eat. They do not drink. They certainly don't need to use the bathroom. They do not need a roof over their heads or a warm place to sleep in. They do not require the creature comforts that a living, biological being needs. They only show signs of tiring or lethargy if somehow blocked from any potential victims long enough to be unable to feed on fear for an extended period.

That being said, the Nightborne require darkness to hunt their prey. Places that are the darkest; alleyways at night, sewers and drains, closets, spaces beneath the bed, inside of cabinets, spaces beneath trees, and near bushes in low light, are all places that a Nightborne can lurk and attack from. 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. It is said that the Nightborne are so terrifying because it is almost impossible to find a place where there are no shadows to hide in.

Social Structure:

Primarily a solitary creature, individual Nightborne hunt individual prey. The rare occasions of pairs coming together usually indicate that the Nightborne in question have targeted a family of three or more. These hunts tend to be more methodical and cautious, as children are more vulnerable, but parents run the risk of responding with aggression rather than fear. Hunts involving human families tend to center around isolating individual family members to harass and frighten.

In areas where the human population may be condensed, individuals may gather together into a group called a "nightmare." Nightmare sizes rapidly increase the aggression between individuals, for while they all have the same goals of choosing a victim and feeding, competition between individuals combined with an increased output of fear from multiple sources increases the chance of death of their victims. Instead of a slow, leisurely hunt, individual Nighborne will rapidly escalate to grab the biggest piece of the fear pie, so to speak. 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:

We currently do not know about mating habits or family dynamics. The few we have managed to capture do not have reproductive organs, nor have they shown interest in reproducing while in captivity. Autopsies have proven to be impossible due to the fact that their bodies dissolve into mist and disappear immediately upon death. As they are not biological creatures, we haven't been able to sedate one for exploratory surgery, and it is too dangerous to attempt to get close to a creature that cannot be sedated or easily restrained.

Area Effects:

Nightborne create a fairly localized effect. Their mere presence can disrupt electrical light, creating flickering lights and even blackouts within a building, particularly when roving in nightmares. This serves their need for fear as their victim becomes more anxious and afraid knowing what the flickering lights mean.

Combat:

An exception to their disruptive presence exists: light sources that are close to their source of power, such as a powerful, battery-powered flashlight, can potentially provide safety.

Tracer bullets and fire are also effective, though fire is a double-edged weapon due to the moving shadows that the flame can cast. Likewise, someone standing next to a large flame can cast a shadow dark enough for a Nightborne to be able to creep in close.

However, the best way to combat a Nightborne is to simply.... not be afraid. Survivors of a Nightborne hunt have reported that once pushed beyond the ability to be afraid anymore, the creatures lose interest and leave in search of new prey, their campaign of terror having ended for the individual.

Origin:

Recently, a portal was opened that unleashed the Nightborne upon the city. The fight was desperate, and ultimately unsuccessful; many people were injured or killed in the onslaught and the city was heavily damaged during the battle. The heroes... did not win. For reasons no one can pinpoint, the majority of the Nightborne left of their own volition, leaving a swath of grief and trauma in their wake. A few were left behind when captured for study.

Adopted from Chrysariel