Night-Mare

[Requires a DM to encounter.]

The steed of choice for many demons and their counterparts, Night-Mares are considered the distant and more destructive cousins of the commonly known Pegasus. Often veiled in a dark and shrouding mist, it is difficult to see the true appearance and coloring of a Night-Mare unless it has been tamed. The mist functions similarly to smoke or dark fog from the outside. This prevents anyone outside of the mist from identifying what is within, but creatures inside of the mist can see out through it clearly. Night-Mares breathe this cloaking mist out through their nostrils as a method of self-defense. Once tamed, they can be trained to use and dispel this mist at will, though it takes 2 turns to fully cover the Night-Mare and its rider when used. While moving or in flight, the mist will trail behind the creatures like smoke from a moving torch, and the Night-Mare is capable of constantly producing more in order to remain cloaked while traveling.

These creatures are stark opposites to Pegasus, possessing darker colorings ranging from pitch black to ashy grey and varying shades of darker reds and browns. On rare occasions, Night-Mares can even be dark purple in color. Large, fleshy wings expand from the backs of Night-Mares, closely resembling that of a bat but more smooth. The manes and tails of Night-Mares are typically darker than their body colors and can also be seen in deep shades of black, grey, red, brown, or purple.

Another unique feature of the Night-Mare is their hooves, which are made of a substance that gradually degrades and decays whatever they come into contact with. These hooves are capable of leaving first degree acid-like burn wounds to unprotected creatures struck. When trampling over an area for an extended period of time, the hooves will cause all of the plant life to decay and rot.

Distribution

Night-Mares are rare and difficult to find. They tend to be seen more often in swamp or volcanic areas and regions where the land is corrupted or destroyed. Night-Mares can survive in most climates but seem to prefer swamplands the best.

Habitat

Night-Mares tend to select a particular location they’d like to call home, trampling the area until it becomes an ideal, partially-decayed environment to their liking. Once an area becomes degraded to the point where it’s nearly barren, a Night-Mare will move on to select a new location to live.

Diet

Interestingly enough, Night-Mares are capable of sustaining themselves off of a varied diet. Grass, moss, twigs, and fungi seem to be the preferred diet of a Night-Mare, but some will also eat small rodents, bones and all, making these creatures omnivores.

Relations

Night-Mares are typically solitary creatures, but can be tamed. They do not usually get along with other animals, and tend to respond best to one single master if tamed. They do not seem to have much of a drive to breed, and therefore it is rare to find a Night-Mare foal. Night-Mares only seem to breed on happenstance, if a male and female come across one another. Mothers are prone to abandoning their young, and family structure between Night-Mares is almost nonexistent.

Mechanics

• Night-Mares are capable of flying with their large, fleshy wings.
• Night-Mare hooves will inflict first degree acid burns on unprotected creatures.
• Night-Mare hooves will cause plant life in an area to decay and rot when trampled over.
• This decay will start quickly, but progress more slowly as time goes on until the area is barren.
• Night-Mares are capable of breathing out a cloaking mist that takes 2 turns to fully cover the creature and any riders.
• This keeps the Night-Mare and riders completely unseen by those outside of the mist, but those within are capable of seeing clearly through it.
• Night-Mares cannot wear armor of any kind.

The World of Aethius • The Multiverse of Aethier