Overview
Night Shriekers are vampiric bat-creatures, lesser in size than a Terrorgheist but no less horrifying. These undead horrors are the scourge of dark forests and shadowed ruins, hunting in ravenous packs that descend upon prey in a flurry of fangs and wings. Though individually weak compared to their larger kin, Night Shriekers are formidable in numbers and feared for their chilling screeches, which can disorient and terrify even the bravest souls.
Physical Characteristics
Night Shriekers resemble enormous bats, their wingspans stretching several meters, with sinewy, tattered membranes stretched over skeletal frames. Their eyes burn a baleful crimson, and their elongated fangs drip with necrotic venom. Their bodies are hunched and grotesque, with claws that can rend flesh and tear through armor. A faint stench of decay surrounds them, marking their undead nature.
Behavior and Abilities
- Pack Hunters: Night Shriekers hunt in swarms, using sheer numbers to overwhelm their prey. They circle their targets, swooping down one after another, exhausting defenses before going in for the kill.
- Sonic Screeches: These creatures emit piercing cries that disorient and confuse their victims. The sound echoes unnaturally, making it difficult to pinpoint their location, leaving prey vulnerable to sudden attacks.
- Ambushers: Night Shriekers are masters of ambush, often attacking under the cover of darkness or from hidden perches. They strike quickly and retreat into the shadows before a counterattack can be mounted.
- Necrotic Venom: Their bites inflict a necrotic poison that saps vitality and weakens the will, making their victims easy prey.
Origins
Night Shriekers are believed to have originated from colonies of vampiric bats corrupted by death magic or created as servants by powerful vampires and necromancers. Their existence is tied to areas steeped in necromantic energy, such as cursed forests, ancient ruins, or the undercrofts of vampiric keeps. They are often bred in these dark places, multiplying into vast colonies under the command of a greater undead master.
Legends and Local Folklore
Many villages on the fringes of cursed woods speak of the ominous rustling of wings in the night and the bone-chilling cries of Night Shriekers. These tales often warn of the dangers of wandering too far from home after dark. It is said that their screeches can lure children and lone travelers away from safety, only for the victims to vanish, never to be seen again.
One particularly chilling legend tells of The Shrike’s Swarm, a massive colony of Night Shriekers led by a blood-mad terrorgheist that devoured an entire hamlet in a single night. Survivors claim the sky turned black with wings and the cries of the creatures drowned out their screams.
Notable Traits
- Unrelenting Hunger: Night Shriekers are driven by an insatiable need to feed, making them incredibly aggressive.
- Fearsome Swarms: A lone Night Shrieker may be manageable, but a pack is a deadly force capable of overwhelming entire groups of warriors.
- Loyalty to the Undead: Bound to their masters by necromantic will, they are fearless and fight to the death, often acting as extensions of their master’s will.
"Beware the shadow of wings and the sound of distant screeches—where Night Shriekers gather, death follows close behind."
- Survivor's Guide to Cinderfall Gulf