Nightmares

A type of Demon that specializes in stealth, not combat. These creatures feed off of victims through their dreams, replacing said dreams with just blankness, or more often, horrifying nightmares. Victims generally wake up exhausted, and feel weak for the rest of the day. What makes these creatures dangerous, is that the more powerful ones can actually kill victims. A good example of this, is the infamous Freddy Krueger, who actually does it for sport. He is currently being hunted down, and hopes are high that he will soon be purged.

These Demons, unlike the other ones that originate from Hell, do not have a demonic form in this world. It is thought that perhaps their demonic form is nothing but a figure made out of black mist, but this is all speculation. One way to expose a Nightmare, is to get their reflection in a mirror. The reflection of their body will be shadowy and dark. They often appear in the nightmares that they cause, though their appearance there is impossible to predict. Their appearance is most likely created by their own will.

Through the dreams that they invade, Nightmares feed on the souls of their victims. In this way, they can also directly attack the victim's soul, though this is much less likely to occur. It is rare for a Nightmare to kill its victim, though, with more powerful individuals, this can occur.

When not invading dreams, Nightmares also have a few tricks up their sleeves. They may not have the ability to use Hellfire like other Demons, but they can be dangerous all the same. First of all, they can create hallucinations, which can lead to some interesting results. They can cause the brains of their targets to release melatonin, causing the victim to become sleepy, and if its a powerful Nightmare, fall asleep. Also, they can make their bodies insubstantial for a time, rendering them immune to normal weaponry. However, magical, angelic, and demonic energy can still affect them.

Like normal Demons, Nightmares must possess a vessel in order to exist in this world. They must exert a portion of their power to stay in the vessel, as well as keep it from burning up due to their power.

Lifespan - Immortal

Demons do not actually die due to age. They can live forever, and a body possessed by them does not age, so long as the Demon remains within it.

Size - 4.5 to 6.5 feet

Since they possess the bodies of Humans, Demons are of course going to be the same size in this realm. Unlike other Demons, Nightmares do not possess demonic forms in this world.

Diet - Souls/Omnivorous

Demons consume souls, feeding off of them to fuel their own bodies and souls. The victim is left either weak, or completely empty and lifeless. Besides this, they do require sustenance for their vessels, and thus must eat physical food.

Strengths

Nightmares have the ability to make themselves insubstantial (in a way similar to Ghosts), can cause hallucinations, sleepiness, and cause dreams.

Weaknesses

In is generally rather easy to tell where a Nightmare has fed, as those who would be witnesses are generally left alive. Their true nature is also revealed if they look into a mirror, and they do not possess the powerful combat abilities of other Demons.

Reproduction - ???

There is actually no data on this. It is speculated that Nightmares reproduce physically, but this information is not available at this time.

Death

When a Demon dies, its soul returns to Hell, where it will remain for years, decades, even centuries, regaining power to possess another body.

Ranks

Rank E - Trickster - Weaker Nightmares, their overall impact is negligible. They may leave a victim weaker, but generally just cause an absence of dreams rather than nightmares. Otherwise, they don't really have any abilities.

Rank C - Infiltrator - Nightmares that cause minor nightmares when they feed. They can cause slight mood changes, and make a single person a bit drowsy.

Rank B - Invader - More dangerous Nightmares, these individuals can cause frightening dreams. They can make a calm person irritable, and cause grogginess among multiple people. They can also become insubstantial.

Rank A - Violator - Nightmares with powerful abilities. They can leave a victim feeling dirty and violated, even after they wake up. They can also cause tempers to flare, and fear to spread. They can make a man at a stoplight see green rather than red, causing chaos. In rare cases, they have been known to kill their victims.

Rank S - Terror - The most dangerous Nightmares. These individuals can spread hate and fear like a disease. Those who are their victims fear sleep, and sometimes die. Terror's can force weaker individuals around them to sleep, even after they've had a full pot of coffee. They have been known to toy with people, and make them go insane with hallucinations of their dreams, making them lose touch with reality.