Nightmare (Shadow)
shadowDescription
The First Shadow creature that was introduced. He was a deeply loyal Shadow creature that was created by the Shadow Lord[1]. After the Shadow Lord's death, he remained in his master's castle, killing any intruder[2] until the Main character Sunless battled the steed in one hundred Nightmares and slew it.[3]
Appearance
A Beautiful Black steed, tall and graceful, with a lustrous jet-black coat and lean muscles rolling under the skin. Its mane was Long and luscious, and its tenebrous eyes glowed with fearsome crimson flames. The courser had two long horns and a mouth full of sharp fangs that resembled a wolf. The horns, the fangs, and the hooves were forged out of a strange black metal that seemed to compete with the impenetrable Onyx of the Mantle of the underworld.[4]
The tenebrous steed seemed to be surrounded by shadows, his silhouette cloaked in their dark mantle. He was as beautiful as he was terrifying…[5]
Abilities
Attributes
[Dreamwalker]: "This shadow can travel through Dreams"[6]
[Dreadlord]: "This Shadow’s might grows the more he is feared"[6]
[Dark destrier]: "This Dark horse was meant to be a shadow warrior’s steed, and accompany its rider into battle. It is fierce, loyal, and knows no fear. Its speed, strength, and resilience grow when surrounded by darkness and shadows."[4]
[Swift]: "This Shadow is especially swift and enduring."[6]
Abilities
[Flowing Shadow]: "This steed can dive into shadows and move through them at incredible speed."[7]
[Mantle of Fear]: "This Shadow is capable of delivering a continuous mind attack around it that infects its foes with crippling fear."[7]
[Nightmare]: "This Shadow can create and subjugate nightmares. The more nightmares serve it, the more powerful it grows, both inside and outside dreams."[7]
Dormant Nightmares: 287
Awakened nightmares: 252
Ascended nightmares: 455
Transcendent nightmares: 6[8]
[Dream curse]: "This Shadow is a Master of a lesser dream domain. It is capable of lulling living beings to Sleep and imprisoning their souls in a Labyrinth of nightmares. The Souls destroyed within the nightmare maze feed the Shadow; The more powerful the Shadow grows, the faster and further the dream curse spreads."[8]
Behavior
The black steed was as resilient as he was, as stubborn, as willful, and as ruthless. It endured the endless stream of wounds and deaths, Lost from Light delivered upon him with the same unbreakable determination, his hatred and murderous fury only growing stronger.
The courser possessed an evil will and a devious mind of his own. He was ready to suffer terrible torment for eternity, too, as long as it meant destroying his enemy over and over again. Not caring about the agony, the stallion seemed darkly content to share it with his feral prey, as well.
The black steed was as mad as Lost from Light was.[9]
Ascension
Nightmare's ascension can be done by letting him consume memories, which, for a long time, was the only known method. [10]
Nightmare gained another way to rank up after unlocking [Dream curse], which allowed him to consume the souls of the people who die in his nightmare labyrinth to feed him.[11]
Sunny found another path after losing his fate, which was slow and fraught with danger. Nightmare had the ability to subjugate nightmares to make them into his minions, but he was also capable of consuming them, which allowed him to rise in rank.[12]
Nightmare was initially an Awakened Terror[6]
Nightmare later on became an ascended Terror in the river of time, while Sunny weaved memories for his consumption on his way to Fallen Grace, and in Fallen Grace, which resulted in his ascension.[13]
His transcendence happened during his years in Godgrave by consuming the dreams of powerful creatures.[12]
His supremacy happened after consuming the souls of thousands of immortals in eternal city after Sunless shattered the sorcery which made them immortal[14] , the already trapped immortals simply died after that and their soul pushed the Steed to the supreme rank.[15]
History
The Shadow was introduced in his fight against Sunless in the 2nd nightmare after the sorcerer of the East, Noctis, asked Sunny to Sleep in the Castle Surrounded by white flowers. It battled Sunny throughout 100 nightmares and was finally killed by him after Sunny shadowed him to break his spine.
He was then reborn as Sunny’s 3rd Shadow and since then, has been a loyal companion. He battled alongside the cohort in the siege of the ivory City.
Sunnless regularly went out and hunted the Dreams of powerful Masters during the 6 months when he couldn’t hunt in the Dream realm.
Nightmare was often sent alongside Saint into the Battles during Antarctica, where they appeared to help in Times where Sunless was active in different parts of Antarctica.
Nightmare battled a transcendent Beast reflection of silent stalker alongside Fiend in the black skull citadel war, and later on helped Jet and Seishan escape the Night of the Nightmare desert.
Nightmare allowed Sunless
Trivia
Nightmare changes his size depending on his rider.[16]
Sunny had a feeling Nightmare wasn’t inherently a horse but became one out of choice. [16]
Sunny remarked that the original creature which casted Nightmare must have been a singular existence with its dream powers.[17]
Sunny referenced the dreamscape as another possible lesser dream domain, like Nightmares [Dream Curse].[18]
Sunny wondered if there were greater or above dream domains and referenced the Nightmare spell and the dream realm itself as a possibility, wondering if they also consume the souls of those who died in nightmares or the dream realm itself while being a spell carrier.[18]
Nightmare’s ability to subjugate dreams allows Sunny or anyone near Nightmare to sleep without the worry of having nightmares or dreams.[19]
References(13)
- [1, 5]Chapter 642, vol. 4
- [2, 3]Chapter 644, vol. 4
- [4, 6, 7]Chapter 655, volume 4
- [8, 11, 18]Chapter 1367, vol.7 Chapter 2711, vol.11
- [9]Chapter 641, vol.4
- [10]Chapter 660, vol.4
- [12]Chapter 1661, vol.8
- [13]Chapter 1366, vol.7