"Where did nightbane come from?" If I was the writeer/GM

[Mad Cow Milk]

I would just like to share my theory on the creation of nightbane if I was the writer, as well a hear what others would do.

Nightbane are not the true owners and inhabitants of the Shadow Lands. Rather a nightbane is created when a fragment of the dimensional barrier between the Shadow Lands falls off and collides with a sentience being. The Night Lands is a type of psychic construct made real of humanities dreams, and mostly its nightmares. The fragments themselves exist outside of time, thus forcing those individuals to be erased from time; thus why they are all orphans, their families forgot they existed, or rather never brought them into existence. However their existence still remained due to them having a soul. This is because the soul is a true spark of magic which already transcends time and logic, a fragment of paradox if you will. However sunshine and happiness. The past creations of ancient nightbane were due to the night lords slowly pecking away at the dimensional barrier and pieces falling to earth (their desired destination). In the end, unless the night lords can be defeated, the night bane might need to be sacrificed for their dimensional fragment sealing the barrier once again re-trapping the night lords and their minions.

So what do you think? What are your ideas on what caused their creation?

[Mad Cow Milk]

CJ Carella origenal intention

Spoiler:

Nightbane are the vengeful spirits of the dead formless ones

Hmm.... I like mine better, seems rather simplistic to me.

[Damian Magecraft]

CJ Carella origenal intention

Spoiler:

Nightbane are the vengeful spirits of the dead formless ones

Hmm.... I like mine better, seems rather simplistic to me.

no one ever said CJ was a complex man

[MurderCityDisciple]

I would just like to share my theory on the creation of nightbane if I was the writer, as well a hear what others would do.

Nightbane are not the true owners and inhabitants of the Shadow Lands. Rather a nightbane is created when a fragment of the dimensional barrier between the Shadow Lands falls off and collides with a sentience being. The Night Lands is a type of psychic construct made real of humanities dreams, and mostly its nightmares. The fragments themselves exist outside of time, thus forcing those individuals to be erased from time; thus why they are all orphans, their families forgot they existed, or rather never brought them into existence. However their existence still remained due to them having a soul. This is because the soul is a true spark of magic which already transcends time and logic, a fragment of paradox if you will. However sunshine and happiness. The past creations of ancient nightbane were due to the night lords slowly pecking away at the dimensional barrier and pieces falling to earth (their desired destination). In the end, unless the night lords can be defeated, the night bane might need to be sacrificed for their dimensional fragment sealing the barrier once again re-trapping the night lords and their minions.

So what do you think? What are your ideas on what caused their creation?

Thats a neat take, I like it.
CJ Carella origenal intention

Spoiler:

Nightbane are the vengeful spirits of the dead formless ones

My personal view would go a bit darker into the realms of cthulhu like horror and madness. The Nighbane Earth/Nightlands are part of a Dimentional lock holding back a alien being of unimaginable power from entering our reality/existance. Im thinking something that even The Old ones would be afraid of, something....to steal from Dr. Who a bit " Something from before Time, before light, before energy and matter. Before the event that created the megaverse. " The very Primordial Nothingness.

My take on the banes would be I guess similar to your but in reverse, its when the dreams and subconcious minds touch onto fragments of this beings essence they are given life of their own and shape and form. In direct opposition to the nightmare that borders beyond the walls of sleep.

Ive always wanted to explore this further if any of my players ever chose Dream Psychics.

Yeah I'm on the Lovecraftian bandwagon as well.

[MurderCityDisciple]

With my game I'm even going more Lovecraftian....which is there is no answer it's beyond humanities scope of understand and knowledge...by humanity I also include Nightbane.

Too many untold eons have passed, the answer is lost in time and darkness.

[TechnoGothic]

my nb are not orphans. That NB are a dimensions Anti-bodies to Nightlords, and the Dark...

[Hendrik]

Hi there,

to my mind, all can be hinged on the nature of the nightbane in contrast to the denizens of the nightlands and humans. Every human has an opposite in the nightlands. The nightbane do not. They are both, their "opposite" (the weird, the ugly [most], the grotesque, the super powered), i.e. the morphus, as well as the (normal, mundane, un-supered) human facade, at the same time. I think that this blending between the realms/natures makes for a new and independent creature. I do not think that it needs to be genetical, it could be magical, it could be a virus. To me that part does not matter so much. I see the nightbane as free agents. Maybe that is what the nightlords hate about them, perhaps that is what empowers them. Why the nightbane (all?) actively fight the nightlords, I see no particular determinism there - it is just the way it is. Which makes sense, though - if I turned into a nightbane and would find out that some demons are really out to get me, suddenly my reality turns into a warzone and I am part of the rebellion threatened with "genocide", this would get me into a "ok, then I have to fight those guys" position without much thought.

I do not care much for the wraith or formless one idea. I find that unnecessarily mystical.

Mind you, I love Lovecraft and all that "when the stars are just right" stuff, but I think that the setting will not be harmed by a simple (not overly mystical) explanation. Especially because the nightbane do NOT know, so the mystery is still in place and people (I guess Nightbane included) can get a lot of motivation out of faith, whether it has truth or not. Maybe that is a factor, too. I guess a nightbane who thinks that he is the "wraith of the formless ones" (sounds like goth 'bane would think that or, perhaps, Star Wars fans ) destined to end the intergalactic menace of the nightlord demons will behave very different from a nightbane convince that he is "just" genetically different ("why the heck are these guys pickin' on me"), unless he likes superhero comics.

Cheers
Hendrik

[JMHutchins]

I have some ideas for that very question that I'm going to incorporate into the Dark Day Chronicles stories in the near future. I don't want to give them away here, but the origin suspicions voiced by one of the more learned characters will emphasize his own personal beliefs and will in no way mean that he is correct. It will be very interesting to consider and would answer a lot of the questions about the Mirror Wall, Nightbane fading away in Morphus form, and some of the ties between the Nightlands and Earth. I've given it a lot of thought and I think I've come up with a pretty cool explanation. I'd feedback on it if/when its published.

Max