[KaneRage]

Throughout Meranthe there is a sudden epidemic of Sleep-related illnesses that have a variety of ranges.
While some exhibit Insomnia others seem to have fallen into a deep slumber only to wake up weeks later.
  Holy magi would note the lingering traces of a Demon's work, and not one of simple means either.
Thus did the Lord of Slumber make their mark upon the realm.
The assaults mostly centered around the Non-Magi populace yet as more magi began to investigate they too became inflicted with a terrifying curse.

The Curse of the Sleepless Eyes.
A curse made of pure madness woven together causing the afflicted to become unable to sleep driving them ever closer toward madness.
Although there are some that indulge in this to awaken occultic power.

The Curse of Rotting Slumber.
A deadlier Curse that caused internal sleep of one's essence. To Non magi this would perhaps be fatal but to trained magi they would find themselves constantly drowsy and exhausted their bodies slowly beginning to deteriorate.

Humanity now has a new foe, the newest Kaor. The Phantom Lord of Slumber
Those who were too far gone to be saved would begin to recite a nursery rhyme of sorts As if it was burned in their minds.

"I will peel your mind, and make it mine.

You hide, You seek, You only attack the weak.

I will give you what you desire.

Hunted by me and beheaded by the Demonic Sire.
Pitiful Assassin."

"It was a living Shadow! It glowed like the night sky! It was just a nightmare though....right?"

-Nightmare Victim.

OOC: 
Discord:@KaneRage

Opening up the chance for people to get Dreamwalked by the Lord of Slumber. Whether to battle, or bargain to learn the Occult, etc! To set something up send a letter to Eranath detailing how you're contacting/Reaching out to him through the mental space. Please review Dreamwalking rules ahead of time! Who gets Dreamwalked is my choice and will lean toward IC.

[KaneRage]

It has been years since the Phantom became a Kaor and since the Nethrademon Nightmare. 
Despite having died once the Phantom continued to pursue its endeavors to unlock the power of Death and see its enemies brought to ruin.
While Na'Ria embodied the very change of Knowledge like their father,
Eranath represented the change of Death realized within Nightmares.

It had become the Demon Lord of Fel Garden and the Demon King's most trusted Disciple amongst all others.
Yet the Phantom knew this title meant little without the strength and influence required of them.
Thus did the Night hunts begin
Alongside trusted allies,
They scoured Meranthe in search of battle.

The Demon Lord Eranath Lord of Nightmares challenged all they came across.
  The Nephilim, the Chaste heroes, and the forgotten father.
All to become The Shadow of Death itself.
When none were within the wilds of Mernathe.
The Phantom took to their Dreams instead.
Non-Magi and Magi alike are driven mad by nightmares.
The outcome made many Insomniacs cursed to be unable to sleep.

Yet the Phantom's hunger is not yet satiated.
Death feeds on all things living, as they Ascend further towards 
Imperfection
 

"Myself and my Knights continue to hunt you humans. Those who oppose us will learn this is no longer a matter of morality or conceration.

We invade your Churches, We invade your Homes, We invade your Dreams.

 The Sleepless Nightmares

we spread to all.

Learn this well mortals. 

The more you fight us the stronger we become.

The more you fear us, the fiercer we attack.

Adversity brings, change. Change brings chaos. Chaos which will lead to your demise.

Gather your courage and challenge us as much as you like, But until you are made to kneel?

The Sleepless Nightmares will continue.

As Demon Lord I serve my King, I am their Shadow.

Should you meet their Kaor blades famed edge or mine?"

Thus more would continue to fall victim to the hunts of the fel fiends of the Skarnfel Empire.
Magi of all ages and sizes have been seen being carted off clutched in Demon Claw, either to fel Garden or other places within the Empire. 
Mostly to never be seen again or sometimes to be ransomed back to their kin.

All these things beg one question.....
Will the Dark Nightmares ever end?

[KaneRage]

There is a vacancy within the Fel
Its physical vessel crushed within the hands of the Radiant Pylae Champion
A Champion of Darkness meets their demise
Yet there was an omen left behind......

The very vision of the would-be Imperfect,
A Phantom Kaor that  was so close to,
Change that it tasted Death to attain it.

"Sons of Man while I may have fallen here. The Nightmare will return...
The change will be administered.
Death is only the beginning of Change...Did you not know?"

Then the shadows loosened as the Kaor Blade Great Spear,
Nocture was raised in defiance of the Death they had been given. 
Even in Death, they rebelled
And yet the shadows distorted and faded back into the Ether.


Yet upon the minds of all who witnessed this did man, magi, and mortal.
The fear of what might be.
The fear of the Never Ending Nightmare.
As long as this fear remained.
All Hope would be consumed
and the Nightmare would be borne again.

Hold your fears close,
Do not let the Dark creep within,
Because if you see a lingering shadow.
It's already too late.....

OCC: Opening the floor to Dreamwalks DM me at KaneRage let's make some cool scenes.

[KaneRage]

There was a scraping of the mind,
A  grind of psionic power pierced through any mental defenses 
and forced all especially those of the Aegis to witness the same vision.
The Nightmare incarnate, Drenched in the Shadows of Death. 
The rotting mass of corpses collected would one by one be raised by the Necromancers of fel Garden.
There was no hope that the nightmare would end because.
It never did.

The minds of those too weak to bear the pressure of the Nightmare Demon
 found themselves unconscious or collapsed due to the psionic pressure of their growing presence.

What would become of the world, Where Demons reigned free?

It was the worst of Nightmares that would soon come true.

Atop Castle Mourngrave did the Phantom Nethrademon roared.

as the invaders were pushed back to the Black Seas and cast into the Ocean.

The Driftwood Battalion suffered many losses,  their fleets were now reduced to almost half.

The Black Seas engulfed the ships into Davy Jones Locker.

And so did those who mourn their souls begin to fuel the Undead and Demons spreading the Corruption.

 Black Seas now more chaotic than ever as Demon and Undead Pirates scout more closely towards fortune than before—

a result of the resounding victory and the terrors yet to come.

The Demon Lord of Nightmares reclaims their grasp upon the Southern Seas.

And the Projected Shadow of the Nightmare Lord began to speak with a resounding voice.

"There is no better humbling than to watch as your ships burn and boil in the seas of blood you attempted to create.

Your vengance pulled you all towards the place that would wind up your graves, and Now, You will rise from them to serve me ever more.

How restless you mortals are
Yet I appluad you efforts.

You've brought me much material to use to incubate my Demons, This feast will be in the honor of my Demon King, Na'Ria.

And the Undeath Lord Xarxes. Those who raised me to power but it is not by their merit alone that I stand Demon Lord of fel Garden.

It is because I am the very antithsis to your mortals, The Impending Death you fear and attempt to destroy so many times before.

Listen Sons of Man, Be it the failed Aegis, or those Defending Aphros.

The Roars of Skarnfel's Demons, The Danse Macabre of Sheol, And the Crimson Blade of the Keep.

Will rip this continent intwine. 

The Nightmares have only just begun."

There seems to be an intentional amount of animosity drawn,
The fears of the populace now know the full breadth of Demons and their capabilities.

Even though the Phantom was a Kaor they were a Demon Lord still. 

Those who crossed the line would suffer the consequences,

Eranath turns their attention towards other projects including the war upon Aphros.

All could only wonder if the Death of this creature would ever stand,

Or perhaps they were truly above Death.

However,

the Nightmare grew the depths of their Umbral Darkness.
And soon all would be consumed by it.

[KaneRage]

As the sunsets and Dawn turns to Dusk.....
Shrieks are heard from the bedsides of the Residents of Meranthe.
Rumored Shadows of a Boogeyman like being collecting its toll upon the realm.
The Nightmare Plague some call it.

 While some were left unscathed others were mentally scared or even showed signs of being cursed.
However there are those that also suffered the Nightmares and unlocked the power of the Occult.
All that can be said for certain is that this plague of Nightmares has a source.

And to those brave magi who are able to move beyond the Nightmare
Are given a chance to meet with it.
Be it friend or foe all are welcome to attempt to sleep.
Yet the Demon within the Nightmare wishes to feed.

And it preys on all who are within it's six eyed gaze.
Would that be you?


OOC
Eranath is now able to give Nightmares to those who desire it!
Note this will be mostly for scene build up and dev purposes.
 (Meaning its not always going to be a battle in the first few scenes.)

DM me at KaneRage on Discord or Message Eranath.
Detail what type of Nightmare your character wants to have that fits your IC
Also for occultic lessons refer to my prior post Here

[KaneRage]

Where once their was light now there is Darkness,
Where one there was hope you can taste the despair.
Those of faith and those of fortune can read into what's happening.

Victims by the dozens fall into a trance like sleep, only to never awake.
Yet some Magi who were strong enough not to be consumed by the despair
would have broken free and survived another day.
Many others were not so lucky.

Two such Victims now carry the Demons curse,

The Synth A-0AI2-A.
Their Memory core corrupted by the onslaught of Nightmares.

The Giant Warrior Catharine Silver
The visions of her Nightmares still tortures her memories.

there doesn't seem to be any end in sight.
Perhaps there won't be.

As the Nightmare Demon intends to harvest more Despair.
Who will be next to fall into Depravity
...Who could slay a Demon that invades the mind?

Only few could say yet one thing was certain.
The Nightmares Will Never End.

[KaneRage]

In the Year 2113
Reports indicate of a Celestial Catastraphoe taking place within the Cursed Area of the Shadowlands,
The Moon turned Blood Red, and the Apostle of Ba'al Ascended upon Meranthe.

The Vessel that was chosen this time was the body of an Imperfect Demon Eranath.
Both consumed by the energies of Helheim and the Celestial power of the Crimson Moon Eranath succeeded in Ascending.

 In an attempt to distort reality by bring forth Walpurgis, to end his greatest Enemy All of Meranthe.

However due to the Actions of brave heros, Uriah Dominic, and Hina Lam, working in tadem they were able to quell the Nethrademon Impefect but for a moment. 

Endless Darkness like theirs never slumbers forever.

And so this era marks the Arrival of many great disasters upon Meranthe's long dark History.
A silent question is posed to all who would hear it.
"When will we be free from the Demons wrath?"

From the corners of the abyss came an answer....

"Until Humanity proves itself worthy to be the shepards of reality. And master their nightmares.
Never."

Eranath has Ascended. May the Blood Moon Rise once more with the coming of the next great Disaster. 
Zunal Ha Ba'al.
(Translation: "Hail Ba'al the Moon Demon")