Appearance
This breed of unique creature bears two forms. One being a horselike form...some looking like a simple horse, or pegasus, while others may be so elaborate to have a lion's head with a horses's body. Another famed image is of a pitch black horse with eyes, breath, and hooves aflame. They are normally a dark colour with ranges from black to a cobalt blue. Some even bear unicorn forms...and there is theory that the two breeds may very well be related.

The second form is the humanoid form. They tend to be rather beautiful in appearance, bearing their equine majesticness in this figure...with hair the same colour as their beast form pelts. There are difficulties in revealing this form among Humans...as they tend to retain certain elements of their beastform....be it glowing eyes, a horn or even wings. There is also an eerie glamour about them...an ethereal exotic aura they exude without concious knowledge.

Gender
Contrary to what the common english name implies, there are male and female variants. 'Mare', rather than of a female horse, is derived from the ancient germanic term for 'demon'.

Lifespan
By their nature, Nightmares do not age...surving from host to host in the Dream World. However, matters of procreation are near impossible for the species...mostly spawning from a particularly potent dream by a powerful being. In these times, there are barely a hundred of these fabled creatures left. Long lived, they are far from immortal. In the waking
physical realm, they are as vulnerable as humans.

Feeding
In order to survive, Nightmares must feed off dreams. Similar to food, different dreams have different tastes...and certain Nightmares prefer one kind over another. They also tend to alter the dreams of their chosen 'victim', controlling the dreams into incredibly vivid and intense states, magnifying the intensity of the over all feel...horror, fear, passion, joy. In doing so, they must lay over their chosen's chest or body to glean the essence of these dreams...and while they are feeding, the sleeper is rendered immobile until the Nightmare is cast off. Folklore warn of death should one of these creatures be provoked to feed too deeply...the stress on the victim's body stopping the heart or ceasing the breathing.

Once the victim DOES wake up, they will be having a level of exhaustion equivalent with the severity of the dream or nightmare. Immediately after waking, they will remember nothing of the dream. However...as time goes by bits and pieces of the lost dream will return along with the strange person or beast that seemed to be in it. For some, finding this elusive 'dream weaver' becomes an obsession. For other that experience a feeding more than once, some gain an addiction to it, a craving for an entirety or more of those dream snippits they can only recall partially recall.

Weaknesses
There are a variety of weaknesses that bind these enchanted creatures.

• Plugging a keyhole. By allowing a Nightmare in a room and sealing it to keep them from escaping, they are bound to fulfill a task or demand to the person that sealed them within.
• Keeping iron in the bed. A Nightmare will not feed off a person who sleeps with iron in the bed with them.
• Individual weakness. Each Nightmare, as all are different, bears a different weakness....a gease. Something that, when used properly, will put the creature utterly at the mercy of the one. However, these are jealously guarded secrets and are not easily discerned.
• Prized. Magi and other creatures have searched to try to trap one of these elusive creatures of the dream world for various reasons. Their beast forms often contained rare componants sought after by alchemists or collectors. others simply seek to trap one for status symbols or glorified beasts of burden. Their blood, however, is a sought after item...being an intense stimulation enhacement as well as aphrodesiac properties.

Abilities

• Dream Manipulation. By laying or sitting on a person, a Nightmare can manipulate and alter a person's dreams. While they are atop them in such a manner, feeding...the person is unable to move unless the Nightmare is disrupted.
• Traversing the Rift. A Nightmare can easily slip between the physical realm and the dream world.
• -Illusion. These ethereal creatures are quite good at casting illusions...making themselves look like different creatures, or make it seem a table was elsewhere in a room. Harmless but efficient.
• Iron Mind. Such things like illusions and commanding magic bear little effect on these enchantede folk... their entire nature revolving around such things naturally. They are, however, notoriously naieve and lacking in the understandings of things such as sarcasm... making convicing through words easier than wasting the energy to attempt other methods.

Artwork: Adrienne Draconovich (RPC Member), Equinox