Nightwalker

Born from the Mother of Monsters, Nightwalkers are wild, enduring beasts with insatiable hunger and unmatched ferocity. Nightwalker requires a Minor Merit to acquire.

Nightwalker

History

The Night Father saw great beauty in Pelezotz, and great tragedy in Their demise. Almost in tribute to this lost Godhead, Nihilos sought to twist Their Pact into something enduring and beautiful– the Nightwalkers. The Night Father granted them all of the monstrous majesty of Pelezotz and then imbued them with the rage, fervor and bloodlust required to wreak havoc upon a world that rejected the Mother of Monsters so.

The first of their number was one Duane fyn’Kjær Ulrik, an Æld'Norai who’d lost himself in meditation deep within Myrkvior’s caverns; Nihilos had reached out to his exposed mind and…twisted him, irrevocably. Horrified of what he had become, he lived in hiding until he was guided in a dream to happen across Reykr– the first Scourge among his kin. Reykr introduced him to the rest of Alítheia, and he joined them as the progenitor and eventual leader of the Nightwalkers. From the security such a coven brought him, he was able to temper his rage and grow his curse’s numbers slowly, all over the world.

Acquisition

To become a Nightwalker is to endure an arduous trial that requires ample space of some sort. Some common examples are large, underground sanctums or isolated fields in the middle of who knows where. And to ease the pup’s transition, it is required that their Pater (or Mater, in the case of female progenitors) bring along with them ample meat for them to feed upon, preferably fresh, but not necessarily so. Once the location has been chosen and other preparations made, the pup will be forced to eat about a cubic inch of their Pater’s flesh. And once that part is complete, they will be struck with Lunacy, making this initiation take a minimum of eight hours.

In this first lunatic state, the initiate may end up taking a bit longer than eight hours to fall out of it depending both on the individual and the quality feed that their initiator brought them. If no food for them is brought at all, they will cannibalize themselves to death or attempt to eat their Pater. When they are not consuming, they will actively burn away their energy shifting into whatever their base Therianthropic state will be and exploring their new anatomy’s abilities, though their thoughts will be reduced to about the intellect of a wild animal during this time.

Whensoever their trial ends, the initiate is born anew; a Nightwalker pup, young and restless.

Living as a Nightwalker

Monstrous Blood

Made in a twisted tribute to Pelezotz, the therianthropic Nightwalkers are imbued with unstable, corrupted blood that affects them even when they are in their ‘normal’ shape. Their body will be snapshotted at the time of transition and they will cease aging, effectively becoming immortal. If they were old or sick, they may utilize their newfound Regenerate ability to wind back the clock or restore their illnesses and injuries.

They no longer gain sustenance from standard food, though they may consume it for the sake of blending in. Though they need only eat as much food in quantity as they did in life, that food must be replaced with raw meat, organs and bone. They still must consume water, though much of their liquid intake can be replaced with blood if they so desire. Their stomachs are veritable Absentia furnaces, burning away anything they consume, effectively making them black pits that consume however much they desire should they wish to indulge endlessly.

Finally, through their monstrous blood they are reinforced; musculature and bone density about twice that they had in their previous life. Their endurance will also feel as it has doubled, too, able to run or fight for far, far longer than they ever could prior. Consequently, they make for some of the finest frontline fighters any could ever find.

Heightened Awareness

As soon as they are born anew, all five of the Nightwalker’s sense are roughly half again what they were before. They are able to detect the life force of the living, their circulatory systems alight in red beneath the skin. And finally, they are capable of detecting the heartbeats of those nearby. The cost of this greater awareness is that many among them consider existing in populated areas, particularly in crowds, to be incredibly overwhelming and they risk revealing themselves due to their unstable blood. As a result, most Nightwalkers are solitary things, only called upon when Alítheia wishes to bring the hand of carnage down upon their foes.

Lunar Sacrament

If a Nightwalker desires to change their base form, they must endure a special trial prone to running awry. To begin, they must starve themselves beneath a full moon, surrendering to lunacy. During this ferine state, they will duel a shadowy manifestation of their inner beast and should they win, they will be able to manifest a new form.

Mageburn Symptoms

• Lesser: Emotional Instability, Fever, Light Sensitivity
• Moderate: Chimerism, Muscle Soreness, Hypersensitivity
• Greater: Unstable Blood, Bloodlust, Lunacy, Burning Sensation (throughout the body)
• Lunacy: A crazed, frenzied state. This is temporary, and lasts about 8 hours. During Lunacy, the Nightwalker thinks naught beyond their hunger for meat. This can occur from both Greater Mageburn and/or starving oneself.
• Moonstruck: Moonstruck Nightwalkers are lost ones; they are beasts who must be put down. This is a shade more extreme than the Lunacy they’d experience with Greater Mageburn, and in this case, irreversible. Their minds become blinded to any thought outside of hunger, and they will wander the world consuming every living, fleshbound creature they come across until they’re killed.

See Therianthropy for definitions regarding ‘Chimerism’ and ‘Unstable Blood.’

Spells

Like all Blights, Nightwalker uses the Metaphor of Absentia to cast.

Therianthropy

Nightwalkers are capable of shifting from their natural state into that of a wild, untamed beast. The nature of this beast depends on the individual and evolves with them as they grow in power. For example, different Nightwalkers might shift into a werewolf, a weretiger, a werebat, a werecentipede and so on. The base of their Therianthropy may manifest in the full shape of a beast or be anthropomorphic, but once this base form is chosen, it cannot be altered outside of the additions gained with mastery or performing the Lunar Sacrament.

They will also gain one additional, distinct feature per tier of Mastery, including but not limited to:

• Venom
• A pair of additional limbs
• Wings
• Body spikes
• Plated, armored flesh
• Anything else similar in scale to the above.

Note Regarding Size: A Nightwalker's base size in Therianthropy is limited to being half again that of their original shape. One may expend their 'additions' gained through mastery to increase size by about half again their original shape on top of that per addition.

Chimerism: Strong emotion brings out a Nightwalker’s inner beast. For example, as they get angrier, features of their Therianthropy may begin to manifest ranging from subtle to not so much. Eye color changes, sharpened teeth or nails, visual shifts to their skin, changes to body hair patterns, etc.

Expert and higher may also engage Chimerism at will.

Unstable Blood: If a Nightwalker becomes too emotional, such as losing themselves to anger, they will uncontrollably shift into their beast shape.

Fury of Pelezotz

By activating this spell, the Nightwalker’s body and senses are preternaturally enhanced. The tissues of their muscles and bones become denser, their senses heightened, and they are put into a constant state of heightened awareness similar to adrenaline for the entire duration.

While raging, they may use their Therianthropy in place of defending against poisons (Resistance) or mental, even Metaphoric manipulation (Meditation).

Blood Frenzy

Carnage incites the Nightwalker to frenzy. Consuming at least as much of a body equivalent to half of their own body size fuels their rage and doubles the effect and duration of Fury of Pelezotz. The Absentia cost of this spell is half that of normal.

Note: each cast beyond the first is always another addition of the Nightwalker's base. So two casts is a total of 3x their base, three casts is 4x, etc.

Regenerate

The Nightwalker can heal their wounds and regain physical endurance to stay in the fight and outlast their opponents.

Hunting Ground

A Nightwalker may pull a foe with them into a caliginous domain overlaid atop the world around them. It is gloomy, devoid of color and deathly silent aside from the sounds made by the two combatants within. Within their domain, the Nightwalker is less injury prone, their black blood sizzling and burning away as its shed, superficial wounds more easily coagulating.

Hunting Ground persists until the Nightwalker consumes the heart of their target, they themselves die, or their prey manages to evade them for long enough. All, including the Nightwalker, that perish within it are seemingly erased from existence, eaten away by the Absentia that powers the Hunting Ground when the spell fades.

Tiers of Mastery

Novice

A novice Nightwalker is a clumsy thing, and they will spend most of their time simply adjusting to the transformation process and back, as well as their new anatomy and how to control their emotions.

• Therianthropy:
  • It takes about a minute for the novice to fully shift into their beast shape.
• Fury of Pelezotz:
  • The sensory and bodily enhancements provided are about 1.5x the caster’s base state.
• Blood Frenzy:
  • Consuming at least as much of a body equivalent to half of their own body size fuels their rage and doubles the effect and duration of Fury of Pelezotz.
  • The Absentia cost of this spell is half that of normal.
• Regenerate:
  • At novice, a Nightwalker may only perform small feats such as mending small scrapes and bruises.
• Hunting Ground:
  • Unavailable at this tier.

Apprentice

By apprentice, the Nightwalker will have found some footing, but their existence will likely still feel undoubtedly alien, even to themselves.

• Therianthropy:
  • It takes about 45 seconds for the apprentice to fully shift into their beast shape.
  • They gain 1 addition to their form, for a total of 1.
  • If they choose to reinforce flesh or bone, the reinforcement is only about the strength of wood.
• Fury of Pelezotz:
  • The sensory and bodily enhancements provided are about 1.5x the caster’s base state.
• Blood Frenzy:
  • Consuming at least as much of a body equivalent to half of their own body size fuels their rage and doubles the effect and duration of Fury of Pelezotz.
  • The Absentia cost of this spell is half that of normal.
• Regenerate:
  • A step above their novice skills, an apprentice can heal larger, but still minor, wounds.
• Hunting Ground:
  • Unavailable at this tier.

Journeyman

By now, the journeyman Nightwalker will have found enough comfort in their Therianthropy that they have become far more than formidable warriors. They will have gained some semblance of control of their new emotional volatility compared to a novice, but would still be prone to lashing out.

• Therianthropy:
  • It takes about 30 seconds for the journeyman to fully shift into their beast shape.
  • An apprentice gains 1 addition to their form, for a total of 2.
  • If they choose to reinforce flesh or bone, the reinforcement is about the strength of stone. Enforcements chosen at prior tiers upgrade to this level.
• Fury of Pelezotz:
  • The sensory and bodily enhancements provided are about 1.5x the caster’s base state.
• Blood Frenzy:
  • Consuming at least as much of a body equivalent to half of their own body size fuels their rage and doubles the effect and duration of Fury of Pelezotz.
  • The Absentia cost of this spell is half that of normal.
• Regenerate:
  • As a journeyman, a Nightwalker may heal mildly traumatic wounds
  • At this stage, they gain the ability to purge disease and cleanse poisons, though the deadlier varieties will outpace their ability to Regenerate.
• Hunting Ground:
  • Unavailable at this tier.

Expert

By expert, the Nightwalker is a durable, preternatural force not to be underestimated; they are siege engines unto themselves.

• Therianthropy:
  • It takes about 15 seconds for the expert to fully shift into their beast shape.
  • They gain 1 addition to their form, for a total of 3.
  • If they choose to reinforce flesh or bone, the reinforcement is about the strength of steel. Enforcements chosen at prior tiers upgrade to this level.
• Fury of Pelezotz:
  • The sensory and bodily enhancements provided are about 2x the caster’s base state.
• Blood Frenzy:
  • Consuming at least as much of a body equivalent to half of their own body size fuels their rage and doubles the effect and duration of Fury of Pelezotz.
  • The Absentia cost of this spell is half that of normal.
• Regenerate:
  • As an expert, a Nightwalker can heal fairly traumatic injuries, sealing them and stabilizing themselves quickly.
  • They can cleanse most non-magical poisons and diseases.
• Hunting Ground:
  • The arena is about the size of 1 acre, centered around the Nightwalker at the time of casting.
  • It takes 6 hours to outlast the effect.

Master

Monsters that would instill any of those that followed Pelezotz with pride, the master is truly borne of nightmares, with endurance and ferocity unmatched by any except their betters.

• Therianthropy:
  • It takes about 7 seconds for the master to fully shift into their beast shape.
  • They gain 1 addition to their form, for a total of 4.
  • If they choose to reinforce flesh or bone, the reinforcement is about 1.5x the strength of steel. Enforcements chosen at prior tiers upgrade to this level.
• Fury of Pelezotz:
  • The sensory and bodily enhancements provided are about 2x the caster’s base state.
• Blood Frenzy:
  • Consuming at least as much of a body equivalent to half of their own body size fuels their rage and doubles the effect and duration of Fury of Pelezotz.
  • The Absentia cost of this spell is ⅓ that of normal.
• Regenerate:
  • A master Nightwalker may revitalize even the catastrophic wounds.
  • They may cleanse even the most pernicious diseases and poisons in a matter of minutes, including magical varieties.
• Hunting Ground:
  • The arena is about the size of 2 acres, or a city block, centered around the Nightwalker at the time of casting.
  • It takes 12 hours to outlast the effect.

Gengore

Each Gengore is a unique, ferine force of nature unto themselves; no single description could fit all of them.

• Therianthropy:
  • It takes about 3 seconds for the Gengore to fully shift into their beast shape.
  • They gain 2 additions to their form, for a total of 6.
  • If they choose to reinforce flesh or bone, the reinforcement is about 2x the strength of steel. Enforcements chosen at prior tiers upgrade to this level.
• Fury of Pelezotz:
  • The sensory and bodily enhancements provided are about 2x the caster’s base state.
• Blood Frenzy:
  • Consuming at least as much of a body equivalent to half of their own body size fuels their rage and doubles the effect and duration of Fury of Pelezotz.
  • The Absentia cost of this spell is free.
• Regenerate:
  • The Gengore are considered miracle workers in terms of their self-healing prowess; able to shrug off blows and keep fighting for absurd amounts of time.
• Hunting Ground:
  • The Gengore’s arena is about the size of 5 acres, or a little over two city blocks, centered around the Nightwalker at the time of casting.
  • It takes 24 hours to outlast the effect.

Contrivances

Contrivances may be crafted from the Nightwalker's Sundered Absentite directly.

Nightwalkers themselves may convey with Conjuration any spells that they satisfy the requirements for:

Abrogation Talismans may be crafted that would block the insidious Absentia required to enact Hunting Ground. Knowledge of these are generally kept only to other members of Alítheia in order to combat rogue Nightworkers, but a particularly ambitious Illuminary may figure out how to craft these, too.

”Never had I any prior encounters with such beasts– but I knew immediately what it was when the world around me lost all of its color. I am lucky that I was capable of dodging him, feral monster that he was, with my Exodus for as long as it lasted. The Absentia was so dense that I could not teleport outside of it, but I could jump from location to location, confusing him long enough to make my escape.” - An Illuminary Mage 

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