Lexicon

Who Believes In Fairytales?

@Drag Oh wait, this is set in the 80s? I totally thought we were doing a modern-day type thing lol. I might need to tinker with some things in my CS if that's the case.

Who Believes In Fairytales?

@Crosswire@Drag I realized something while I was trying not to fall asleep at work. Do we know how long our characters have been in the New World? Since some of them, like Boogie and Red, own businesses it must've been at least a year or so since the Great Exodus. Did you two have a specific period of time in mind?

Who Believes In Fairytales?

And if anyone else wants to discuss possible past encounters or interactions with Boogie just send me a PM.

Who Believes In Fairytales?

@Utrax Most definitely.

Who Believes In Fairytales?

@Utrax Oh man...I can already tell Mothman and Boogie are going to butt heads. Not only is he mainly active at night, but he's also a magic-user. Should be fun :P

EDIT: Also, though this might be a bit of a stretch, maybe Boogie's shades were the monsters Mothman encountered in Astmona's tower? Terror has visited several different worlds, and, while she didn't go out of her way to conquer them, I know she'd try to track down and remove anyone that might interfere with her feeding. The great mother would definitely qualify. Just a thought.

Who Believes In Fairytales?

Terror

One of the few pieces of artwork that accurately depicts Terror's true form. Considering the landscape around the shapeshifter is eerily reminiscent of the Darklands, its clear the artist intentionally visited Boogie's homeworld to produce this. The painter's identity is unknown and there aren't any visible signatures on the canvas. This beautiful oil painting is currently hanging over the sofa in the Boogieman's apartment.

TERROR

Alias/Nickname: Terror is known by a variety of different names depending on who you ask. The most common ones are the Boogieman, Boogie, El Cuco and the Sack Man. In her human guise, she goes by Rebecca Sinclair or Becca.

Tale: The Boogieman has appeared in everything from urban legends to novels as a monstrous figure used to frighten children and adults alike. It's difficult, if not impossible, to determine what story brought Terror into existence, and some Tales believe the shapeshifter was born at the same time as the Homelands.

Physical Age: Appears to be in her late twenties or early thirties

Actual Age: Immortal, though she can be slain

Height/Weight: 5'7" and 125 pounds as Rebecca Sinclair, 7'0" and 250 pounds as Terror

Gender: Genderless, though she identifies as female

Physical Description

Despite having a bestial true form, Boogie's human guise is fairly inconspicuous. Rebecca Sinclair is pretty, but she isn't exceptionally attractive. She's certainly no model, her slender, athletic build and heart-shaped face notwithstanding. This shapely visage is framed by honey blonde hair that falls to her shoulders. Surprisingly for someone so obsessed with maintaining an immaculate public facade, Becca rarely styles her hair. Of course, if there's a special occasion or important event coming up, she's not above going to a salon to get her hair done.

A pair of red, horn-rimmed glasses are usually perched on Rebecca's small nose, and the pale green eyes behind them always seem to glisten with hunger. Nobody knows if Becca wears these glasses to appear less threatening or if she actually needs them. Boogie has also developed a taste for fancy clothes. She never passes up an opportunity to wear one of her expensive, beautifully-tailored dresses or pristine business suits. She typically wears a spotless black business jacket, white blouse, and black skirt with matching shoes while working at Boogie's Beans, her jazz cafe' and coffee shop located near the Homeland Apartments. Out in public, the Boogieman wears long-sleeved shirts or jackets over a well-ironed shirt and slacks. It should be noted that she does her best to cover herself during the day since sunlight doesn't agree with her. At all.

Terror's true form is as different from Rebecca Sinclair as night is from day. Unlike Becca's 5'7" frame, Terror stands at a towering seven feet tall and ripples with muscle due to spending thousands of years fighting her siblings, Woe and Mystery, in the Darklands. Colossal, bat-like wings with tattered membranes sprout from the shapeshifter's broad shoulders, the blood red of her wings contrasting sharply with her skin's reddish-purple hue. In addition, dark blue chitinous armor covers Terror's legs and right hand. This natural armor can deflect most incoming attacks, though it cannot stop spells, enchanted weapons, or military-grade projectiles. Boogie's face, a whitish purple nightmare with two pits of crackling red energy for eyes and no nostrils, is surrounded by more of this armor. Curiously, it appears to have grown into backward-curving spikes, forming an outlandish helmet of sorts. For some reason, this armor doesn't cover the Boogieman's left hand, which is several times larger than a human's hand and sports five white claws capable of ripping through steel.

Lastly, there are two consistent traits Boogie possesses no matter what form she takes. She can see in the dark and there will always be a mysterious black symbol on her right shoulder blade. This single line with two smaller lines shooting off probably wouldn't ring any bells for someone that isn't well-versed in the arcane. Tales that do possess this knowledge, however, would immediately recognize it as a greater ward. If this theoretical observer was also capable of detecting the original caster’s magical signature they would know Merlin, one of the most talented wizards in the Tales' community, was responsible for tattooing this mark into Terror's shoulder. But what is this ward protecting Boogie from? Or was it created to protect other Tales from Boogie?

A picture of Rebecca Sinclair torn from an article in the latest issue of "Local Business Owner Monthly." The write-up was little more than a fluff piece, but it took great pains to highlight all the positive things Boogie's Beans provides for the surrounding neighborhoods. No mention was made of how Rebecca Sinclair, a woman from nowhere in particular, mysteriously acquired two smaller businesses shortly after arriving in New York and demolished them to make room for her beloved jazz cafe' and coffee shop. The journalist, Thomas Thumb, went missing a few weeks after the article was published. He was last seen at Boogie's Beans. At the moment, this picture, along with several others, is inside a sealed envelope that's been placed outside Crier's office. Who left it there and what their intentions are is a mystery.

Personality

How does one describe the personality of a creature like Terror? She is old, perhaps older than any other Tale, and this has severely distorted her worldview. She believes in one simple truth: the strong must dominate and guide the weak until they stop being useful. Then they must be destroyed. This philosophy allowed her to survive the carnage of the Everwar, the eternal conflict between Terror and her siblings, Woe and Mystery. In addition, no matter how charismatic and sympathetic the Boogieman may seem, her primary concern is herself, though she's skilled at hiding her true intentions. Centuries of practice have made her cunning, arrogant, and willing to commit atrocities in the name of achieving her goals. However, she's not some cackling villain, rubbing her hands together in the dark of night as she plots the downfall of all that is good. Terror understands how tenuous the current state of the Tales' community is. For now, she plans to lay low and quietly expand her influence while keeping an eye on those in power. Inevitably, the people will demand that a leader be chosen, and who better to rule over the huddled masses then the Boogieman?

Terror honestly believes she's the best chance the Tales have at establishing a permanent home for themselves in the chaotic New World. Is anyone more qualified than someone that was embroiled in a never-ending war for centuries? So she charms and flirts with any influential Tales willing to work with her while subtly manipulating them into a position where she can claim their power for her own. Deep down, however, the Boogieman is haunted by memories of what she did in the Darklands. The Everwar scarred the shapeshifter deeply and nearly broke her, which ultimately led to her departure from the Homelands alongside the other Tales. Of course, this wasn't the only reason Boogie joined the Great Exodus. Initially, all she wanted was to get away Mother Night, the homicidal abomination that gave birth to her and her sisters. Boogie fears nothing...except Mother Night. Every now and again, Terror will stop and wonder what her family is doing since they chose to remain in the Darklands. She also wonders if she's doomed to become just as sadistic and cruel as the nightmare that spawned her.

One final and important part of who Boogie is concerns her feelings about being forced to wear a human shape. While other non-human Tales are happy to be part of normal society, Terror deeply resents not being able to remain in her true form. On those rare occasions when she's alone, the Boogieman will revert to her true form despite the damage the transformation does to her wardrobe. She'd rather buy multiple backup outfits then remain human for longer than necessary.

Background

Once upon a time, on a nameless world in an isolated corner of the Homelands, two beings came into existence. One was a magically-gifted, radiant entity called Father Day, and the other was an vicious, shadowy demoness that called herself Mother Night. These two god-like entities immediately despised each other, each one viewing the other as a blight upon the world, and it wasn't long before they came to blows. Their conflict, which came to be known as the Time of Woes, shook the planet they called home. The few races already inhabiting this world desperately prayed to their gods for deliverance. Sadly, no salvation came for nearly a hundred years, and many of the unnamed planet's denizens perished during the Time of Woes. It was on the hundredth anniversary of their first battle that both Father Day and Mother Night realized they were too evenly matched. Neither one could completely destroy the other. It was Father Day, a paragon of virtue and an inhumanly powerful mage, that stepped forward and proposed a solution to his rival. What if they both created champions to fight in their stead, mighty warriors that could determine who was worthy of ruling this lonely world?

Mother Night, a beast that reveled in slaughter and chaos, was hesitant to accept this offer. She wanted to continue fighting regardless of whether or not she could defeat her opponent. As long as the blood kept flowing she was happy. On the other hand, killing Father Day would be a marvelous thing, and perhaps she could find a way to ensure these newborn warriors obeyed her commands and her commands alone. Of course, there was still one problem. Neither Father Day nor Mother Night had the ability to create living creatures from nothing. To make matters worse, most of the planet's inhabitants had gone into hiding, fearful of what this unexpected calm might mean. Even Father Day and Mother Night, two powerful beings with impressive abilities, would be hard-pressed to convince these tribes to leave their hidden lairs. In any event, the constant fighting between the twosome hadn't endeared them to the natives. Nobody would willingly agree to become their champions.

It was Mother Night that came up with a possible solution. What if she coupled with Father Day, and, when children sprang from her womb, they each picked one child to raise as their own? Once they came of age, these two trained killers would fight each other to determine the fate of the unnamed planet. Although Father Day wasn't thrilled by the prospect of bedding Mother Night, and he suspected she was planning something sinister, he reluctantly agreed. The deal was made, and the two battle-scarred godlings went into a cavern to consummate their pact.

Unfortunately, there's a reason this cave is now called Harathra, which means "place of betrayal" in the tongue of a race that went extinct not long after the Time of Woes.

A month after Mother Night and Father Day entered the cave, a loud, horrified shriek shattered the silence that had settled over the nameless planet. Some races, like the giants that once lived in tunnels far below the world's surface, believed this scream was actually a curse. They swear they heard Father Day's voice saying, "Cursed be you, Mother Night, and all your children! No matter how powerful you or the monstrous spawn of your womb become none of you will ever walk in the light of day, and the arcane arts shall torment you all! Betrayer! Traitor! Demoness!" Regardless of what may or may not have been said, Mother Night emerged from the cavern a few days later, her grotesque body swollen with child. Father Day was never seen or heard from again.

Inevitably, the time came for Mother Night to give birth. The disparate races of the isolated planet, terrified of what might happen if they didn't try to end this madness, used this opportunity to muster the largest army they'd ever assembled. By the time their forces reached Mother Night, however, it was too late. Three bestial, malformed shapeshifters stood before their mother, each one holding a different weapon in their clawed hands. The first and oldest was Woe, a pale monster doomed to forever feast on the misery of others. She wielded a silver whip made from one of Mother Night's writhing tentacles. This was the Scourge, and it dripped with an endless stream of reddish-brown sludge. The second aberration was Mystery, a faceless horror swathed in black and clutching the Question, a staff carved from one of Mother Night's horns. The final monstrosity was Terror, an entity that drank the fear of others with all the gusto of an alcoholic guzzling fine wine. Terror held one of Mother Night's teeth, which had been fashioned into a black sword called Dread. With a lazy gesture, Mother Night ordered her offspring to exterminate the fools that had dared to rise up against her. Due to their lack of familiarity with their weapons and abilities, it took seven days and seven nights for Mother Night's children to soak the battlefield with rebel blood. In the end, less than a dozen enemy warriors escaped with their lives. Mother Night was triumphant.

For the next several years, Mother Night trained her newborns in the arts of war, sending them out every few days to hunt down the survivors of the massacre, their descendants, and any magic-users born amongst the populace. Mother Night hadn't forgotten Father Day's dying words. It was only a matter of time, however, before the other races on the unnamed world faced total annihilation. Beyond simply murdering them, each of Mother Night's children had a way to transform their victims into loyal servants. The toxic slime dripping from Woe's whip infected people with the crimson tears, a plague that gradually transformed them into mindless berserkers called weepers. Mystery dragged innocent men and women into the darkest depths of the planet, their shrieks haunting the dreams of their grieving kinsmen. A few days later, they would emerge as faceless, half-crazed aberrations able to catch rare glimpses of the future. Terror consumed the fears of mortals, and, if given enough time, could cause their hearts to stop beating. Instead of dying, the monster's prey would rise again as shades, creatures able to walk through shadows as easily as a mortal might walk through a door.

And then, after decades of violence, there were suddenly no more enemies to fight.

Mother Night's children stood before their creator and said, "Dearest mother, cherished mother, glorious mother, we have slain all your foes. What shall we do now?" The demoness, who'd spent the last century building a fortress for herself atop the world's tallest mountain, was stunned. She hadn't expected this. It had amused her to watch her offspring grow into bloodthirsty, merciless butchers, but what would they do now? War was all they knew and all she cared about. Mother Night sent her children away and spent seven days and seven nights contemplating what to do. On the eighth day, she descended from her citadel and said to her eager children, "My bold ones, my beautiful ones, my bloody ones, there is only one thing left to do. The three of you must fight to see who among you will have the honor of facing me. Perhaps, if you manage to slay me, one of you will rule this world as I do now." And with that proclamation the Everwar began.

Desperate to please their mother, Woe, Mystery, and Terror gathered their battalions of weepers, faceless, and shades. With these colossal armies and their various abilities at their disposal, Mother Night's children wreaked havoc across the nameless world. At the end of their first battle, Woe struck such a terrible blow against Mystery that it shattered the sky, causing a massive crimson tear to form. This tear would forever be known as the Fissure, and terrible storms of otherworldly energy constantly poured out of it like blood from an open wound. These tempests shrouded the unnamed planet in shadow, and it was finally christened the Darklands. On rare occasions, these unnatural storms would bring individuals from other worlds to the Darklands, though malfunctioning magical portals were also a major contributor to this problem. Over the centuries, multiple Tales have found themselves in a vast, empty wasteland of gray sand and cruel obsidian spires. Massive skeletons and decrepit ruins are the only landmarks of note besides the titanic mountains to the north. And no matter where you go the sounds of monsters slaughtering each other never stop. This is what the Everwar did to this once peaceful world, and it seemed like it would, indeed, last forever.

Time marched on as it always does, and it quickly became clear that none of Mother Night's children were capable of killing the others. This was all part of Mother Night's plan. Whenever one of her offspring appeared to be gaining the upper-hand, she would find some way to convince her other children to work together to bring them down. It was an endless cycle of slaughter and death. Roughly a thousand years into this meaningless conflict, however, something changed. Terror, the youngest of Mother Night's spawn, had a bizarre idea. Terror fed off the fear of others, and this fear empowered her various supernatural abilities. One of these abilities was shadow-walking, which allowed her to jump from one shadow to another as long as she had a clear picture of her destination. What if she could use her shadow-walking to leave the Darklands? While Woe, Mystery, and Terror still had sizable armies, they were starting to run low on fresh soldiers. This grim reality notwithstanding, Terror could just barely make out the bulk of two other worlds through the Fissure's unceasing storms. What if she could visit these planets and use their inhabitants as a new source of power and warriors?

After a great deal of trial and error, Terror managed to reach one of these unfamiliar worlds. At first, she was so surprised by her success that she immediately fled back to the Darklands. She regained her composure quickly, however, and began feeding on the natives of these other planets. Some of her victims were brutally killed while others became shades to bolster her flagging armies back home. Terror also learned that, while all fear was intoxicating and delicious, the raw, primal fears of children were especially potent. It was around this time that legends of a horrific monster that knew the deepest fears of its victims and could change its shape began to spread. The first stories about the Boogieman began to spread.

And yet, as Terror visited more and more planets, the abomination started to realize something. Many of these worlds were engulfed in bloody conflict from time to time, but it always stopped eventually. It seemed preposterous to Boogie, but it also made her think. Would the Everwar ever end? For the first time in her life, she actually started to hope it would. Terror and her siblings had committed unspeakable atrocities against each other and the races that survived the massacre after their birth. It all had to stop at some point or...or what? This question scared Terror so much that she left the world she was currently on, a world called Earth, and swore to never use her shadow-walking to travel between worlds again. She returned to the Darklands and continued fighting, but there was something missing. Terror felt conflicted and broken, the mere thought of planning another attack against her sisters making her sick to her stomach. It all seemed so meaningless and hollow. Still, Boogie was nothing if not a warrior born and bred so she went through the motions of leading her army until the burden grew too heavy. She needed to talk to someone. And who better to consult in this time of crisis then her mother?

Terror traveled to the top of the highest mountain in the Darklands, Mount Azgalor, and entered Mother Night's fortress. At first, the abomination believed Terror had somehow defeated Mystery and Woe, though her concern faded quickly when the young shapeshifter began describing what she'd seen and felt during her travels through the Homelands. After talking almost non-stop for seven days and seven nights, Terror stood there, winded and nervous, and waited for her mother's response. It came in the form of a blow so powerful it nearly broke every bone in Terror's body. For the first time in her life, Terror felt fear, sudden and cold and unrelenting. Her mother was stronger than both her sisters combined! Wailing in pain and horror, Terror barely managed to drag her battered body out of the citadel, her mother's mocking laughter echoing in her bleeding ears. As long as blood continued to flow, Mother Night couldn't care less about her offspring. That much was clear.

Terror withdrew to her most well-fortified stronghold and commanded her remaining shades to defend her while she recuperated. It took nearly five years for her to recover from Mother Night's cruel lesson. During this time, word began to filter in from all over the Homelands that numerous Tales had decided to seek out new homes for themselves. This event would come to be known as the Great Exodus. Initially, Terror was uncertain about leaving the Darklands. She'd lived here for thousands of years and bled for every square foot of territory she owned. But what was the point of it if the fighting never ended? War had no meaning without peace. And the thought of seeing her mother again filled the Tale with so much dread it finally convinced her to gather her sword, several shades, and a few personal effects before fleeing the Darklands.

Sadly, as the saying goes, nothing in life is ever easy.

Many Tales believed a creature like Terror shouldn't be allowed to join them on their journey. She fed on fear, and many of them remembered the stories of what happened to her victims when she lost control while gorging. Nobody wanted to become a shade, a mindless servant following a bloodthirsty abomination. It didn't matter how many times Terror promised to control her eating habits, few Tales were willing to give this nightmarish creature a chance. Then Merlin stepped forward. A native of a world called Camelot, the accomplished wizard offered to place a greater ward on Terror. A ward known as the Ward of Fear. This arcane symbol would alert any powerful mages, or anyone Merlin thought might be able to help, if Boogie seemed like she might be on the verge of losing control while feeding. Terror begrudgingly agreed to this and the ward was burned into her right shoulder blade. The Great Exodus continued, and the Tales eventually reached New York. The New World.

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your prospective, old habits die hard. It didn't take long for Terror to realize this new world was a chaotic and dangerous place. Many Tales were struggling to make the transition, especially those without the ability to assume a human form. Potions of seeming and illusionary spells quickly became exorbitantly expensive, creating a rift between the wealthier Tales and their poorer counterparts. Crime, corruption, and poverty spread like wildfire through the fledgling community. Terror knew what needed to be done. In a strange way, it was just like being back in the Darklands. She needed to bring this New World to heel, to master it if it was going to replace the Homelands. Much to her chagrin, she also missed the power and influence of being part of a ruling triumvirate. But, first things first, she needed a seat of power, a fortress. While keeping the Ward of Fear in mind, Terror used her abilities to drive two mortal business owners away, their minds nearly broken by the horrifying sights she'd shown them. This took several years, and Boogie lived in squalor during this time, but she knew it was necessary. She didn't want to vindicate all those Tales that believed she was a menace.

Once the two shop owners were gone, Terror built Boogie's Beans, a combination jazz cafe' and upscale coffee shop that catered to both Tales and mortals alike. It also happened to have a massive basement where she stored her sword as well as a regiment of shades. She'd need to create more servants if she was going to become the leader of this community. For the time being, however, she volunteered to feed information to Tales like Crier in exchange for cash. After all, people said all sorts of interesting things in coffee shops. This arrangement also helped her become more familiar with the powerful men and women in the Tales community. And the money she was making eventually landed her a plush room in the Homeland Apartments. She even had enough cash leftover to pursue several personal projects, like learning how to sing and play the piano. There are whispers that, at some point during this period, she also paid discrete visits to numerous magically gifted Tales.

With a new reputation as a legitimate, if somewhat intimidating, businesswoman and respectable member of society, Terror can move onto the next stage of her plans. Expanding her reach and sphere of influence. Whether it's using her powers to transform homeless mortals into shades or meeting with unsavory characters in the middle of the night, Boogie has no intention of stopping until she's the undisputed leader of the Tales' community. Only time will tell how her story will end.

Skills and Abilities

-Fear Sense: The most important ability in Boogie's repertoire is her fear sense. To put it simply, she is a fear vampire. She feeds on the fears of others to fuel her supernatural talents. In order to extract this fear, she needs to draw it to the surface like blood from a vein. Instead of sinking her teeth into someone's neck, however, Terror uses her fear sense. First, Boogie must lock eyes with her intended victim for thirty seconds. If she's able to do this then a quiet voice will whisper in the back of her head, revealing the person's greatest fears to her. At this point, Terror's quarry will feel a sensation similar to having a cold hand pressed against the back of their neck. Most Tales would immediately recognize this feeling and strong-willed individuals might even be able to prevent Terror from extracting this valuable information. Certain protective spells can also shield someone from Boogie's fear sense. Mortals and weaker Tales, on the other hand, would have their deepest fears exposed for Terror to use as she sees fit. She can also maintain eye contact for another thirty seconds to acquire a mental image of exactly what her quarry fears the most. This would help her determine what form to take when she ultimately visited her target to consume their fear.

-Battle-Hardened: One of the few positive side-effects of the Everwar was it transformed a young, uncertain shapeshifter into a peerless warrior. Terror's swordplay, ability to plan ahead, and intense focus all come from the time she spent fighting her sisters. Furthermore, several lifetimes worth of conflict have imbued the Boogieman with a love of both mental and physical exertion. Sparring, playing the piano, and even the occasional newspaper crossword puzzle are all activities the shapeshifter indulges in when she has the time. Regrettably, Boogie suffers from vivid flashbacks of her life prior to arriving in the New World. These visions only last a few moments, but they're distracting and could be indicators of severe PTSD.

-Shadow-Walking: Shadow-walking is Terror's most versatile power. It allows her to step into a shadow, visualize a destination, and instantly emerge from another shadow at her desired location. As with anything, however, it's rarely as simple as that. If the shadow Boogie initially stepped through is burned away by a light source of some kind then she can't leave the same way she entered. It would follow that if someone manages to track Terror and can figure out what shadow she's planning to emerge from then they could trap her in darkness. Obviously, it's impossible for even the most skilled witch or wizard to destroy every shadow everywhere so Boogie would eventually get out. Lastly, this ability barely drains any of the fear Boogie has saved up so she uses it as her primary mode of transportation.

-Shades: What is a shade? A shade is someone that died while Boogie gorged herself on their fears. Instead of passing into the next life, these unfortunate souls are twisted and reborn as shadowy servants dedicated to serving the entity that killed them. Most people see shades as nothing more than two glowing yellow eyes floating in the darkness, though perceptive Tales and mortals might catch a glimpse of their true forms. Shades are short, have pale green skin, pointed ears, spindly arms and long nasty-looking claws at the tips of their bony fingers. More often than not, their gangly, malnourished bodies are in an advanced state of decay, and shades are often accompanied by the unpleasant stench of rotting flesh.

Apart from their gift for blending into the darkness, shades can also shadow-walk, allowing them to move effortlessly from shadow to shadow, and they can mimic certain sounds with the same perfection as their mistress. Beyond this, they are physically weak and vulnerable to both spells and light. A shade caught in the full light of day will burst into flames just like Boogie. It's unknown how many of these foul creatures Terror currently has at her dispoal, but there seem to be enough to run her errands. Last but not least, as long as Boogie is at least halfway full of fear she can maintain a telepathic link with her shades. Since halfway full is all the Ward of Fear will allow, this is how Terror normally communicates with her servants.

Shades

This image, which is the artist's rendition of a shade's true form, was copied from a book known as the Demonomicon. The image was digitally enhanced due to the tome's advanced age. Nobody knows who penned the Demonomicon, but there are entries on several monstrous Tales found within its pages. Even El Chupacabra is mentioned a few times. However, most of the information is nonsensical rambling, and it's clear the author was more than a little insane. At the moment, this picture, along with several others, is inside a sealed envelope that's been placed outside Crier's office. Who placed it there and what their intentions are is a mystery.

-Shapeshifter: Since she was born, Terror has possessed the innate ability to shift between her true form and any other shape she can imagine. Unlike shadow-walking, this is not an instantaneous process. The aberration must first concentrate then pass through her true form before taking on her desired shape. On the other hand, if she's only interested in changing part of her body then Terror doesn't need to go through her true form. At any rate, the complexity of Boogie's intended form dictates how long she needs to focus before altering her shape. For instance, Terror spends most of her time wearing the body of Rebecca Sinclair so it doesn't take long for her to transform into the blonde-haired businesswoman. On the other hand, if she wanted to become an elephant or a whale it would probably take her several hours if not an entire day. Furthermore, the form she plans to assume dictates how much stored fear she'll need to expend.

As a shapeshifter, Terror doesn't need to sleep, drink, use the bathroom or breathe. While she may look like an anatomically correct version of whatever she's chosen to become, she isn't bound by the same biological needs. She does, however, possess the same physical capabilities as whatever creature she looks like. While her true form is quite powerful, she can't punch through walls or do anything like that as Rebecca Sinclair. She has the strength of a normal humanoid Tale while wearing Becca's shape. Apart from fighting and shadow-walking, this skill, the ability to change her shape, is one of the talents Terror honed to near perfection during the Everwar. It would take a mage of Merlin's caliber to see through her disguises. Certain enchanted items might also be able to achieve this effect, but there's no guarantee. Of course, if Boogie doesn't have someone's speaking patterns or idiosyncrasies down then others can easily figure out they're talking to an impostor.

-Mimicry: Whether it's the sound of rusty chains rattling or the faint creak of a door opening in the darkness, if Boogie has heard a sound before then she can imitate it. She can also mimic the voice of another person after hearing it a few times. Interestingly, whenever she sings, Terror doesn't mimic anyone's voice, though she could easily listen to some popular vocalist and use their voice instead of her own. Perhaps it's a point of personal pride? At any rate, this ability barely drains any of Boogie's accumulated fear.

Starting Items and Trinkets

-Dread, also known as the Shadow-That-Cuts and the Umbral Blade: Dread is a weapon that perfectly suits its wielder. Terror received this blade, which was shaped from one of Mother Night's fangs, not long after she was born. And it has claimed more than its fair share of innocent lives over the years. The sword's other names, the Umbral Blade and the Shadow-That-Cuts, were given by some of its many victims. Boogie's mastery over this unholy blade is beyond compare, allowing her to perform inhuman feats of swordplay in both her mortal and true forms. While she can't do anything ridiculous like deflect bullets, Terror can block and cut through almost anything with Dread. However, enchanted weapons or armor will stop the Shadow-That-Cuts cold. The Umbral Blade can also be used to store the fear of Terror's prey. If the Boogieman feels like she might need a snack later, she can focus all her concentration on drawing the fear of her current quarry into her sword. This causes the blade to separate into segments, allowing the fear to seep into its core, though it reforms once the deed is done. The Umbral Blade cannot hold a great deal of fear, but it's usually enough to get Boogie back to half strength.

Perhaps the most formidable attribute of the Shadow-That-Cuts is the pervasive aura of fear emanating from it. Just unsheathing this weapon is usually enough to cause weak-willed mortals to piss themselves in terror. Certain Tales might be affected as well, though anyone with even a rudimentary understanding of magic wouldn't feel a thing. Of course, Boogie is more than happy to ensure spellcasters get acquainted with Dread on a much more lethal and personal level. At the moment, the Shadow-That-Cuts is hidden in a secret compartment in the large basement beneath Boogie's Beans.

Dread

An image of Dread pulled from the Liber Ivonis, a tome originally penned in the year 1452 by an unknown Spanish monk. The author claimed he'd been visited by a malevolent entity known as El Cuco on nearly a dozen separate occasions, which prompted him to write the Liber Ivonis. He wanted to warn others of the horrors that lurked in the unmapped corners of the world. Inevitably, the monk was accused of consorting with demons and burned at the stake. Most of his writings were destroyed, but the Liber Ivonis survived and has been edited numerous times over the centuries. Curiously, the most recent edition of the book, which was published in 2015, doesn't contain any mention of El Cuco or her sword. The image shown above was copied from the 2013 edition. At the moment, this picture, along with several others, is inside a sealed envelope that's been placed outside Crier's office. Who left it there and what their intentions are is a mystery.

-Darklands Portal Gem: Not long after she built Boogie's Beans and started selling information to the authorities, Terror visited several prominent magic-users throughout the community. She never visited the same mage more than twice, and the project she was working on cost a great deal of money. Luckily, her business was thriving so she could afford to spend whatever was necessary. The final result of these discrete interactions was a gorgeous silver ring with a large black diamond set into it. The Boogieman wears it on her right pinkie finger at all times. While the ring is certainly nice to look at, it also happens to be the most dangerous artifact she owns. The ring's black diamond is actually a portal gem, and, by uttering the word "Thyrsi," it can be used to open a gateway to the Darklands. Most Tales wouldn't be able to discern the ring's purpose, but any magically talented individuals could do so with ease. Furthermore, a spellcaster could probably dispel the portal once it's opened, though the enchantment placed on the diamond itself is too potent to be removed. Terror treats this ring as an emergency exit, a last resort if things in the New World don't go as planned. However, she also knows this portal is a one-way trip. It can only send people or items into the Darklands. It cannot bring them back out.

Boogie's Ring

While it's difficult to tell, this picture was actually taken from the write-up about Boogie's Beans in "Local Business Owner Monthly." Someone took the time to zoom in on Rebecca Sinclair's right pinkie finger and then blew up the image. At the moment, this picture, along with several others, is inside a sealed envelope that's been placed outside Crier's office. Who left it there and what their intentions are is a mystery.

Weaknesses and Flaws

-Magic Vulnerability: The curse Father Day uttered with his dying breath was no mere cantrip. Boogie, her siblings, and Mother Night might as well be mortals when it comes to dealing with the arcane arts. None of their impressive talents protect them from magic. There's a reason why Terror goes out of her way to avoid pissing off any powerful mages. While she can easily dodge a fireball or a lightning bolt, more insidious spells have a stronger effect on the Boogieman than on other Tales. She is strong-willed, but sometimes that's not enough to avoid falling under the sway of an especially gifted spellcaster.

-The Ward of Fear: Initially, most Tales were unwilling to allow Terror to join the Great Exodus. Considering who she was and what she ate, this didn't come as too much of a surprise to the Boogieman. It was Merlin, one of the most accomplished wizards in the Homelands, that offered to sear the Ward of Fear into the monstrosity's right shoulder. This would allow Merlin, and anyone he believed could help, to monitor how much fear Boogie was consuming at any given time. If she ever ate more than half of what she needed to reach full power then a sorcerous alarm would go off, alerting the designated Tales to what was happening. At the time, Terror was more afraid of being forced to go back to the Darklands and Mother Night then she was of being leashed. She agreed to Merlin's proposal. Now, it's no secret that she's trying to find a way to remove this ward. Merlin's spellcasting is immaculate and complex, however, so she hasn't had much luck. Besides, who would willingly make an enemy of someone like Merlin by undoing his spellcraft?

The Ward of Fear

Another image pulled from the Liber Ivonis. This is a picture of an ancient rune of some kind, though a Tale with arcane knowledge would know it's actually a greater ward. The exact purpose of this ward wouldn't be apparent to most, but certain mages might be able to figure out its purpose. At the moment, this picture, along with several others, is inside a sealed envelope that's been placed outside Crier's office. Who left it there and what their intentions are is a mystery.

-Weakness to Light: Terror's greatest weakness, another gift from her deceased father, is her vulnerability to light. She can withstand moonlight as well as the light coming off most electronics, lighters, and phones. Spotlights, high-powered flashlights, and bonfires, however, are enough to send pins and needles skittering across her skin. These concentrated sources of light are even capable of stunning Boogie for a minute or two depending on their intensity. Sunlight, on the other hand, is total anathema to the Boogieman. Whenever she's forced to be outside during the day, Terror covers herself as much as possible and usually has an umbrella handy. If sunlight were to touch Terror's skin, several things would happen. First, if she was shape-shifted, the Boogieman would have to completely drain her fear reserves to maintain her form. The moment she ran out of fear, she'd revert back to her true form and immediately burst into flames. She'd be dead within minutes. Needless to say, there's a reason Terror prefers to conduct business at night.

-Feeds on Fear: The Boogieman needs one thing to survive: the fear of others. Much like the vampires of legend, Terror brings the fears of her quarry to the surface then absorbs them for later use. This does present something of a problem, however, because she can starve just like anyone else. To make matters worse, all her abilities require at least a little fear to function properly. With the Ward of Fear capable of bringing powerful Tales down on her head, Boogie is constantly forced to toe the line when it comes to her dietary needs. The ward won't activate unless she consumes over half the total amount of fear she needs to become fully empowered. This allows her to do most things, but it also inhibits her. And she is always hungry.

Moreover, the act of feeding off someone's fears is a delicate and lengthy process. Once Boogie has brought the fear to the forefront using her fear sense and other gifts, she has to maintain eye contact with her prey for a full minute. This gives outsiders plenty of time to interfere, which is why Terror tries to isolate her victims. Distractions of any kind will immediately break the connection between Boogie and her potential meal. After a minute has passed, a thin, red beam of pulsating light passes from the victim's heart into Terror's chest. Gradually, as more and more fear is drawn out, this beam will start to darken, going from red to maroon to black. If it becomes black then the victim will likely suffer a heart attack and die...only to be resurrected as a shade. Luckily for Boogie, since arriving in the New World, she's come up with a way around alerting Merlin and his supporters whenever she kills someone while feeding. By draining the same person multiple times, and not killing them, she can eventually cause their hearts to give out. This doesn't always work, and it certainly takes longer, but it's the only way she can create more shades. In the end, Boogie needs fear to maintain her human guise so the authorities let her feed to a certain extent. Fear is intoxicating, after all, and many worry about what might happen if Terror decided to ignore the Ward of Fear and glutted herself on those around her.

-Power-Hungry: There's no denying that Terror is power-hungry. After spending thousands of years as one of three beings that ruled the Darklands, she is far from satisfied with her current lot in life. Sure, she has Boogie's Beans, and the revenue stream it provides is impressive. But it's not enough. Terror was raised to be a warrior and a conqueror by Mother Night, her bloodthirsty creator. Hundreds of years of indoctrination don't go away overnight, unfortunately. The Boogieman will do anything in the name of achieving her goals, and some of the more well-informed Tales are fully aware of this. Boogie has worked hard to maintain a squeaky clean public image, but the truth has an annoying habit of getting out. Whether it's a cherished friend or a hated adversary, Terror would throw anyone under the bus if it meant she'd ultimately get what she wants.

Other: Although she isn't talented enough to support herself with it, Terror has a lovely soprano singing voice and can play the piano. It's not uncommon to see her on the small stage at the back of Boogie's Beans, her distinctive English accent cutting through the hubbub of chattering customers while her fingers fly across the keys of her jet-black jazz piano. She also has a modern, tastefully furnished penthouse in the Homeland Apartments. While Boogie's Beans is a highly lucrative business, many Tales wonder how the embodiment of terror can afford to live in such an opulent place. Or why any sane person would allow her to. Perhaps she's worked out some kind of deal with the Tales responsible for maintaining law and order within the community?

#11 Boogie’s Beans: Boogie's Beans is a large red brick building with a roof covered in distinctive dark green tiles. The interior has a high ceiling and is divided into several sections. The first and largest is the dining area, which has enough booths and whitewood tables to accommodate one hundred patrons. While the booths are bolted down, the circular tables can be moved aside to create an open space that’s perfect for dancing or large gatherings. The kitchen and bathrooms can be found to the left of the dining area, though they’re separated by thick walls. Rebecca Sinclair’s office is next to the kitchen, and there’s a concealed trapdoor behind her desk that leads down to the basement. On the opposite side of the building, patrons can find a bar made of polished oak that serves coffee, alcohol, and a variety of snacks and sweets. Last but not least, there’s a small wooden stage set against the cafe's far wall. Unless she’s hired other entertainment for the night, Rebecca Sinclair will usually play a few songs on the black jazz piano permanently occupying the stage. It’s also worth noting that the lights within the café are always dimmed, creating a strangely intimate and refined atmosphere. Heavy cloth curtains dyed a striking shade of maroon cover all the windows, and the employees of Boogie’s Beans know better than to touch the drapes without approval from their supervisors or Rebecca Sinclair herself.

<>Indicates the conversation is happening mentally between Boogie and her shades

Who Believes In Fairytales?

@Drag@Crosswire You both are awesome, and please understand I'm not at all interested in meta-gaming or trying to make my character overpowered. Every accepted character, from Bambi to Hansel, has a way to deal with the Boogieman. Whether it's light or magic, Boogie is far from invincible. And if she uses her fear sense on a player character I would certainly ask the other player if they want the ability to succeed or fail. I'm not going to automatically assume it works unless there's some kind of extenuating circumstance. I appreciate both of you being willing to compromise, and if you can think of anything in particular you'd like me to change then I'm open to it. The word of the GMs is law, and, as you said, what's important is telling an interesting story. I'll keep tinkering with Boogie's sheet, but I'll move her over to the 'Characters' tab in the meantime.

Who Believes In Fairytales?

@Drag Roger that. Honestly, I figured between the light thing and her total inability to resist magic she's not exactly a one Tale army. I'm going to keep tinkering with verbiage and phrasing over the next few days. Also, I did mention a sealed envelope with some of the pictures from the sheet being placed outside Crier's office. Feel free to do with them what you will since I didn't really have any concrete plans for them. Totally up to you and @Crosswire.

Who Believes In Fairytales?

@Crosswire @Drag And lo, she is done. No rush on getting back to me about this. I know it's long, and I'm willing to cut whatever you think is too much.

Terror

One of the few pieces of artwork that accurately depicts Terror's true form. Considering the landscape surrounding the shapeshifter is eerily reminiscent of the Darklands, it’s clear the artist somehow visited Boogie's homeworld in order to paint this. Disturbingly, the painter's identity is unknown and there aren't any visible signatures on the canvas. This beautiful oil painting is currently hanging over the sofa in the Boogieman's apartment.

TERROR

Alias/Nickname: Terror is known by a variety of different names depending on who you're talking to. The most common ones are the Boogieman, Boogie, El Cuco and the Sack Man. In her human guise, however, she goes by Rebecca Sinclair or Becca.

Tale: The Boogieman has appeared in everything from urban legends to novels as a monstrous figure used to frighten children into obeying their parents. It's difficult, if not outright impossible, to determine what story brought Terror into existence, and some Tales believe the shapeshifter came into being when the Homelands did.

Physical Age: Appears to be in her late twenties

Actual Age: Immortal, though she can be slain

Height/Weight: 5'7" and 125 pounds as Rebecca Sinclair, 7'0" and 250 pounds as Terror

Gender: Genderless, though she identifies as female

Physical Appearance

Despite having a terrifying true form, Boogie's human guise is fairly inconspicuous. Rebecca Sinclair is pretty, but she isn't exceptionally attractive. She's no model, her slender, athletic build and heart-shaped face notwithstanding. This shapely visage is framed by honey blonde hair that falls to her shoulders. Surprisingly for someone so obsessed with maintaining an immaculate public facade, Becca rarely styles her hair beyond combing it. Of course, if there's a special occasion or important event coming up, she's not above going to a salon to get her hair done.

A pair of red, horn-rimmed glasses is usually perched on Rebecca's small nose, and the pale green eyes behind them always seem to glisten with barely contained hunger. Nobody knows if Becca wears these glasses to appear less threatening or if she actually needs them. In any event, Boogie also has a taste for fancy clothes. She never passes up an opportunity to wear one of her expensive, beautifully-tailored dresses or pristine business suits. Typically, she wears a spotless black business jacket, white blouse, and black skirt with matching shoes while working at Boogie's Beans, her jazz cafe' and coffee shop located near the Homeland Apartments. Out in public, the Boogieman wears long-sleeved shirts or jackets over a well-ironed shirt and slacks. It should be noted that she does her best to cover herself during the day since sunlight doesn't agree with her. At all.

Her true form, on the other hand, is as different from Rebecca Sinclair as night is from day. Unlike Becca's 5'7" frame, Terror stands at a towering seven feet tall and is rippling with muscle due to spending over a thousand years fighting against her siblings, Woe and Mystery, in the Darklands. Colossal, bat-like wings with tattered membranes sprout from the shapeshifter's broad shoulders, the blood red of her wings contrasting sharply with her skin's reddish-purple hue. In addition, dark blue chitinous armor covers Terror's legs and right hand. This natural armor can deflect most incoming attacks, though it cannot stop spells, enchanted weapons, or military-grade projectiles. Terror's face, a whitish purple nightmare with two pits of crackling red energy for eyes and no nostrils, is surrounded by more of this armor. Curiously, it appears to have grown into two backward-curving spikes, forming an outlandish helmet of sorts. For some reason, this armor doesn't cover Terror's left hand, which is several times larger than a human's hand and sports five white claws capable of ripping through steel.

Lastly, there is one consistent trait Boogie possesses no matter what form she takes. A mysterious black symbol can always be found on her right shoulder blade. This single line with two smaller lines shooting off it probably wouldn't ring any bells for someone that isn't well-versed in the arcane. Any Tales that do possess this knowledge, however, would immediately recognize the symbol as a greater ward. If this theoretical observer was also capable of detecting the caster’s magical signature they would know Merlin, one of the most talented wizards in the Homelands, was responsible for burning this mark into Terror's shoulder. But what is this ward protecting Boogie from? Or was it created to protect other Tales from Boogie? It's impossible to tell, though someone must know the ward's purpose.

A picture of Rebecca Sinclair torn from an article in the latest issue of "Local Business Owner Monthly." The write-up was little more than a fluff piece, but it took great pains to highlight all the positive things Boogie's Beans provides for the surrounding neighborhoods. No mention was made of how Rebecca Sinclair mysteriously acquired two smaller businesses shortly after arriving in New York and demolished them to make room for her beloved jazz cafe' and coffee shop. The journalist, Thomas Thumb, went missing a few weeks after the article was published. He was last seen at Boogie's Beans. At the moment, this picture, along with several others, is inside a sealed envelope that's been placed outside Crier's office. Who placed it there and what their intentions are is a mystery.

Personality

How does one describe the personality of someone like Terror? She is old, perhaps older than any other Tale, and this has significantly warped her worldview. At the end of the day, Terror believes in one simple truth: the strong must dominate and guide the weak until they stop being useful. Then they must be destroyed. This philosophy allowed her to endure the carnage of the Everwar, the eternal conflict between Terror and her siblings, Woe and Mystery. In addition, no matter how charismatic and sympathetic the Boogieman may seem, her primary concern is always herself, though she's skilled at hiding her true intentions. Centuries of practice have made her cunning, arrogant, and willing to commit atrocities in the name of achieving her goals. However, she's not some cackling villain, rubbing her hands together in the dark of night as she plots the downfall of all that is good. Terror fully understands how tenuous the current state of the Tales' community is. For now, she plans to lay low and quietly expand her influence while keeping an eye on those in power. Inevitably, the people will demand that a leader be chosen, and who better to rule over the huddled masses then the Boogieman?

Terror honestly believes she's the best chance the Tales have at establishing a permanent home for themselves in the chaotic New World. Is anyone more qualified than someone that was embroiled in a never-ending war for thousands of years? So she charms and flirts with any influential Tales willing to work with her while subtly manipulating them into a position where she can claim their power for herself. Deep down, however, the Boogieman is haunted by memories of what she did in the Darklands. The Everwar scarred the shapeshifter deeply and nearly broke her, which ultimately led to her departure from the Homelands alongside the other Tales. Of course, this wasn't the only reason Boogie joined the Great Exodus. Initially, all she wanted was to get away Mother Night, the homicidal abomination that gave birth to Woe, Mystery, and Terror. Boogie isn't afraid of anything...except Mother Night. Every now and again, Terror will stop and wonder what her family is doing since they chose to remain in the Darklands. She also wonders if she's doomed to become just as sadistic and cruel as the nightmare that spawned her. One final and important part of who Boogie is concerns her feelings about being forced to adopt a human form. While other non-human Tales are happy to have a chance to be part of normal society, Terror deeply resents not being able to remain in her true form. On those rare occasions when she's alone, the Boogieman will revert to her true form despite the damage the transformation does to her wardrobe. She'd rather pay for multiple backup outfits then remain in her human guise a moment longer than necessary.

Background

Once upon a time, on a nameless and isolated world, two beings came into existence without much fanfare. One was a magically-gifted, radiant entity called Father Day, and the other was a vicious, shadowy demoness named Mother Night. These two god-like entities despised each other, each one viewing the other as a blight upon the world, and it wasn't long before they came to blows. Their conflict, which would come to be known as the Time of Woes, shook the world they called home. The few races already inhabiting the planet desperately prayed to their gods for deliverance. Sadly, no salvation came for nearly a hundred years, and many of the unnamed planet's denizens perished during the Time of Woes. It was on the hundredth anniversary of their first battle that both Father Day and Mother Night realized they were too evenly matched. Neither one could completely destroy the other. It was Father Day, a paragon of virtue and an inhumanly powerful mage, that stepped forward and proposed a solution to his rival. What if they both created champions to fight in their stead, mighty warriors that could determine who was worthy of ruling this lonely world?

Mother Night, a beast that reveled in slaughter and chaos, was hesitant to accept this offer. She wanted to continue fighting regardless of whether she could defeat her adversary or not. As long as the blood kept flowing she was happy. On the other hand, killing Father Day would be a marvelous thing, and perhaps she could find a way to ensure these newborn warriors obeyed her commands and her commands alone. Of course, there was still one problem. Neither Father Day nor Mother Night had the ability to create living creatures from nothing. To make matters worse, most of the planet's inhabitants had gone into hiding, fearful of what this unexpected calm might portend. Even Father Day and Mother Night, two god-like beings with incredible powers, would be hard-pressed to convince these tribes to leave their hidden lairs. In any event, the constant fighting between the two entities hadn't endeared them to the natives. None of them would willingly agree to become their champions.

Shockingly, it was Mother Night that came up with a possible solution. What if she coupled with Father Day, and, when children sprang forth from her womb, they each picked one child to raise as their own? Once they came of age, these two trained killers would fight each other to determine the fate of this unnamed world. Although Father Day wasn't thrilled by the thought of sleeping with Mother Night, and he suspected she was planning something sinister, he reluctantly agreed. The deal was made, and the two battle-scarred entities went into a cavern to consummate their pact.

Unfortunately, there's a reason this cave is now called Harathra, which means "place of betrayal" in the tongue of one of the races driven to extinction after the Time of Woes.

A month after Mother Night and Father Day entered the cave, a loud, horrified shriek shattered the silence that had descended over the nameless planet. Some races, like the giants that once lived beneath the planet's surface, believed this scream was actually a curse. They claim to have heard Father Day's voice saying, "Cursed be you, Mother Night, and all your children! No matter how powerful you or the foul spawn of your womb become you shall never walk in the light of day, and the arcane arts shall torment you forevermore! Betrayer! Traitor! Demoness!" Regardless of what may or may not have been said, Mother Night emerged from the cavern a few days later, her grotesque body heavy with child. Father Day was never seen or heard from again.

Inevitably, the time came for Mother Night to give birth. The disparate races of the isolated planet, terrified of what might happen if they didn't try to end this madness once and for all, used this opportunity to form the largest army ever assembled. By the time their forces reached the place where Mother Night was resting, however, they saw it was too late. Three twisted, malformed shapeshifters stood in front of their mother, each one holding a different weapon in their clawed hands. The first and oldest was Woe, a pale monster doomed to forever feast on the misery of others. She wielded a silver whip made from one of Mother Night's writhing tentacles. This was the Scourge, and it dripped with an endless supply of reddish-brown sludge. The second was Mystery, a faceless horror swathed in black and clutching the Question, a staff carved from one of Mother Night's horns. The final monstrosity was Terror, an entity that drank the fear of others with all the eagerness of an alcoholic guzzling booze. Terror held one of Mother Night's teeth, which had been fashioned into a black sword called Dread. With a lazy gesture, Mother Night ordered her three newborns to exterminate the fools that had dared to rise up against her. Due to their lack of familiarity with their abilities, it took seven days and seven nights for Mother Night's children to soak the battlefield with rebel blood. In the end, however, less than a dozen warriors were able to escape with their lives. Mother Night was triumphant.

For the next several years, Mother Night trained her offspring in the art of war, sending them out every few days to hunt down the survivors of the massacre, their descendants, and any magic-users born amongst the natives. Mother Night hadn't forgotten Father Day's dying words. It was only a matter of time, however, before the other races of the unnamed world were on the verge of total annihilation. Beyond simply murdering them, each of Mother Night's children had a way to transform others into their loyal servants. The toxic slime dripping from Woe's whip infected people with the crimson tears, a plague that would eventually transform them into mindless berserkers called weepers. Mystery dragged innocent men and women into the darkest depths of the planet, their shrieks haunting the dreams of their grieving kinsmen. A few days later, they would emerge as faceless, half-crazed aberrations capable of catching rare glimpses of the future. Terror consumed the fears of mortals, and, if given enough time, could actually cause their hearts to stop beating. Instead of dying, the monster's prey would rise again as shades, creatures able to walk through shadows with as easily as a mortal might walk through a door.

And then, after decades of violence, there were no more enemies to fight.

Mother Night's children stood before their creator and said, "Dearest mother, cherished mother, glorious mother, we have slain all your foes. What shall we do now?" The demoness, who'd spent most of the last century building a fortress for herself atop the world's highest mountain, was stunned. She hadn't expected this to happen. It had amused her to watch her offspring grow into bloodthirsty, merciless killers, but what would they do now? War was all they knew and all she cared about. Mother Night sent her children away and spent seven days and seven nights contemplating what to do next. On the eighth day, she descended from her gargantuan citadel and said to her eager children, "My bold ones, my beautiful ones, my bloody ones, there is only one thing left to do. The three of you must fight to see who among you will have the honor of facing me in battle. Perhaps, if you manage to slay me, one of you will rule this world as I do now." And with that proclamation the Everwar began.

Desperate to please their mother, Woe, Mystery, and Terror mustered their armies of weepers, faceless, and shades. With these colossal armies and their formidable abilities at their disposal, Mother Night's children wreaked havoc across the nameless world. At the end of their first battle, Woe struck such a terrible blow against Mystery that it shattered the sky, causing a massive red tear to form. This tear would forever be known as the Fissure, and terrible storms of otherworldly energy constantly poured out of it like blood from a wound. These tempests shrouded the unnamed planet in shadow, and it was finally christened the Darklands. On rare occasions, these unnatural storms would bring individuals from other worlds to the Darklands, though malfunctioning magical portals were also a major contributor to this problem. Over the centuries, multiple Tales have found themselves in a vast, empty wasteland of gray sand and cruel obsidian spires. Massive skeletons and crumbling ruins are the only landmarks of note besides the titanic granite mountains to the north. And no matter where you go the sounds of monsters butchering each other and the wind moaning dog your every step. This is what the Everwar did to this once peaceful world, and it seemed like it would, indeed, last forever.

Time marched on as it always does, and it quickly became clear that none of Mother Night's children were capable of killing the others. Of course, this was all part of Mother Night's plan. Whenever one of her offspring seemed like they were gaining the upper-hand, she would find some way to convince her other two children to work together to bring them down. It was an endless cycle of slaughter and death. Exactly what Mother Night wanted. Roughly a thousand years into this meaningless conflict, however, something changed. Terror, the youngest of Mother Night's spawn, had a bizarre idea. Terror fed off the fear of others, and this fear allowed her to use her various supernatural abilities. One of these abilities was shadow-walking, which allowed her to jump from one shadow to another as long as she had a clear picture of her destination. What if she could use her shadow-walking to leave the Darklands? While Woe, Mystery, and Terror still had sizable armies, they were starting run low on soldiers. The occasional lost Tale wasn't enough to ensure the Everwar continued unabated. This grim reality notwithstanding, Terror could also barely make out the bulk of two other worlds through the Fissure's unceasing storms. What if she could visit these planets and use their inhabitants as sources of power and soldiers?

After a great deal of trial and error, Terror managed to visit one of these unfamiliar worlds. At first, she was so surprised by her success that she immediately fled back to the Darklands. She adjusted quickly, however, and began feeding on the fear of the native races. Some of her victims were brutally killed while others became shades to bolster her flagging armies back home. Terror also learned that, while all fear was intoxicating and empowering to her, the raw, the primal fears of children were especially delicious. It was around this time that legends of a horrific monster that knew the deepest fears of its victims and could change its shape began to spread. The first stories about the Boogieman.

And yet, as Terror visited more and more planets, the abomination began to realize something. Many of these worlds were engulfed in bloody conflict from time to time, but it always ended. It seemed preposterous to Boogie, but it also made her think. Would the Everwar end at some point? For the first time in her life, she actually started to hope it would. Terror and her siblings had committed unspeakable atrocities against each other and the races that survived the initial massacre after their birth. It all had to stop at some point or...or what? This question scared Terror to the point that she left the world she was currently on, a world called Earth, and swore to never use her shadow-walking abilities to travel again. She returned to the Darklands and continued fighting, but there was something missing. Terror felt conflicted and strangely broken, the mere thought of planning another attack against her sisters making her sick to her stomach. It all seemed so useless and hollow. Still, Boogie was nothing if not a warrior born and bred so she went through the motions of leading her army until the burden grew too heavy. She needed to talk to someone. And who better to consult in a time of crisis then her mother?

Terror traveled to the top of the highest mountain in the Darklands, Mount Azgalor, and entered Mother Night's towering citadel. At first, the abomination believed Terror had somehow defeated Mystery and Woe, though this concern faded quickly when the young shapeshifter began describing what she'd seen and felt during her travels throughout the Homelands. After talking almost non-stop for seven days and seven nights, Terror stood there, winded and fearful, and waited for her mother's response. It came in the form of a blow so incredibly powerful it nearly broke every bone in Terror's body. For the first time in her life, Terror felt fear, sudden and cold and unrelenting. Her mother was stronger than both of her sisters combined! Wailing in pain and horror, Terror barely managed to drag her battered body out of the citadel, her mother's mocking laughter echoing in her bleeding ears. As long as blood continued to flow, Mother Night couldn't care less about her offspring. That much was painfully clear.

Terror withdrew to her most secure stronghold and commanded her army of shades to defend her as she recuperated. It took nearly five years for her to recover from Mother Night's cruel lesson. During this time, word began to filter in from the other Homelands that numerous Tales had chosen to leave their own worlds to find new homes. This event would come to known as the Great Exodus. Initially, Terror was uncertain about leaving the Darklands. She'd lived here for thousands of years and bled for every square foot of territory she'd claimed. But what was the point of it if the fighting never stopped? And the thought of seeing her mother again filled the Tale with so much dread it finally convinced her to gather her sword, several shades, and a few other mementos before leaving the Darklands for good.

However, as the saying goes, nothing in life is ever easy.

Many Tales believed a creature like Terror shouldn't be allowed to join them in their journey. She fed on fear, and many of them recalled the stories of what happened to her victims if she lost control while gorging herself. Nobody wanted to become a shade, a mindless servant following a terrifying abomination. It didn't matter how many times Terror promised to control her eating habits, few Tales were willing to give this nightmarish creature a chance. Then Merlin stepped forward. A native of a world called Camelot, the accomplished wizard offered to place a greater ward on Terror. A ward known as the Ward of Fear. This arcane symbol would alert any powerful mages, or anyone Merlin thought might be able to help, if Boogie seemed like she might be on the verge of losing control while feeding. Reluctantly, Terror agreed to this and the ward was emblazoned on her right shoulder blade. The Great Exodus continued, and the Tales eventually reached New York. The New World.

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your prospective, old habits die hard. It didn't take long for Terror to realize this new world was a chaotic and dangerous place. Many Tales were struggling to make the transition, especially those without the ability to assume a human guise. Potions of Seeming and illusionary spells quickly became incredibly expensive, creating a rift between the wealthier Tales and their poorer contemporaries. Crime, corruption, and poverty spread like wildfire through the fledgling community. Terror knew what needed to be done. In a strange way, it was just like being back home in the Darklands. She needed to bring this New World to heel, to control it if this place was going to replace the Homelands. Much to her chagrin, she also missed the power and influence of being one of three rulers of an entire planet. But, first things first, she needed a stronghold, a fortress. While keeping the Ward of Fear in mind, Terror used her abilities to drive two local business owners away, their minds nearly broken by the terrible sights she'd shown them. This took several years, and Boogie lived in relative squalor during this period, but she knew it was necessary. She needed to ensure nobody viewed her as a threat. Not yet.

Once the two shop owners were gone, Terror built Boogie's Beans, a combination jazz cafe' and upscale coffee shop that catered to both Tales and mortals alike. It also happened to have a massive basement where she stored her sword as well as a small force of shades. She'd need to create more if she was going to become the leader of this community. For the time being, however, she volunteered to feed information to Tales like Crier in exchange for cash. After all, people said all kinds of interesting things in coffee shops. This arrangement allowed her to become familiar with the powerful men and women in the Tales community. And the money she was making eventually landed her a plush room in the Homeland Apartments. She even had enough cash leftover to pursue some personal projects, like learning how to sing and play the piano. There are whispers that, at some point during this period, she also paid several discrete visits to half a dozen magically gifted Tales.

With a well-established front as a legitimate businesswoman and respectable member of society, Terror can move onto the next stage of her plans. Expanding her reach and sphere of influence. Whether it's using her powers to transform homeless mortals into shades or meeting with unsavory characters in the middle of the night, Boogie has no intention of stopping until she's the undisputed leader of the Tales' community. Only time will tell how Terror's story will end.

Skills and Abilities

-Fear Sense: One of the most intimidating abilities in Boogie's arsenal is her fear sense. To put it simply, she is essentially a fear vampire. She feeds off the fears of others to fuel her supernatural gifts. In order to extract this fear, however, she needs to draw it to the surface like blood from a vein. Instead of sinking her teeth into someone's neck, Terror uses her fear sense. First, Boogie must lock eyes with her intended victim for roughly thirty seconds. If she's able to do this then a quiet voice will whisper in the back of her head, revealing the person's greatest fears to her. At this point, Terror's quarry will feel a sensation similar to having a cold hand pressed against the back of their neck. Most Tales would immediately recognize this feeling and strong-willed individuals might even be able to shrug it off. Certain protection spells can also be used to defend someone from Boogie's fear sense. Mortals and weaker Tales, on the other hand, would have their deepest fears exposed for Terror to use as she sees fit. She can also maintain eye contact for another thirty seconds to acquire a mental image of exactly what her victims fear the most. This would help her determine what form to take when she ultimately visited her target to consume their fear.

-Battle-Hardened: One of the few positive side-effects of the Everwar was it transformed a young, uncertain shapeshifter into an adept warrior. Terror's swordplay, ability to plan ahead, and intense focus all come from the time she spent fighting her sisters. Furthermore, a lifetime of war has also imbued the Boogieman with a love of both mental and physical exertion. Chess, playing the piano, and even the occasional newspaper crossword puzzle are all activities the shapeshifter will indulge in when she has the time. Regrettably, Boogie suffers from vivid flashbacks of her life prior to arriving in the New World. These visions only last a few moments, but they're distracting and might be indicators of PTSD.

-Shadow-Walking: Shadow-walking is Terror's most versatile powers. It allows her to step into a shadow, visualize a destination, and instantly emerge from another shadow at her desired location. As with anything, however, it's rarely as simple as that. If the shadow Boogie initially stepped through is burned away by a light source of some kind then she can't leave the same way she entered. It would follow that if someone manages to track Terror and can figure out what shadow she's planning to emerge from then it's entirely possible to trap her in darkness. Needless to say, it's impossible for even the most skilled witch or wizard to destroy every shadow everywhere so Boogie would eventually get out. Finally, this ability barely drains any of the fear Boogie has saved up so she uses it as her primary mode of transportation.

-Shades: What is a shade? A shade is someone that died while Boogie feasted on their fears. Instead of passing into the next life, these unfortunate souls are twisted and reborn as shadowy servants devoted to serving the entity that killed them. Most people see shades as nothing more than two glowing eyes floating in the darkness, though especially perceptive Tales and mortals might catch a glimpse of their true forms. Shades are short, have pale green skin, pointed ears, wiry muscles, spindly arms and long nasty-looking claws at the tips of their bony fingers. More often than not, their gangly, malnourished bodies are rotting, and shades are often accompanied by the unpleasant stench of decaying flesh.

Apart from their gift for blending into the darkness, shades can also shadow-walk, allowing them to move effortlessly from shadow to shadow, and they can mimic certain sounds with the same perfection as their mistress. Beyond this, however, they are physically weak and vulnerable to both spells and light. A shade caught in the full light of day will burst into flames just like Boogie. It's unknown how many of these foul creatures Terror currently has at her dispoal, but there seem to be enough to run her errands. Last but not least, as long as Boogie is at least halfway full with fear she can maintain a telepathic link with her shades. Since halfway full is all the Ward of Fear will allow, this is how Terror normally communicates with her servants.

Shades

This image, which is supposed to be an accurate representation of a shade's true form, was copied from a book known as Demonomicon. The image was digitally enhanced due to the tome's advanced age. Nobody knows who penned the Demonomicon, but there are entries on several monstrous Tales found within its pages. Even El Chupacabra is mentioned a few times. However, most of the information is nonsensical rambling, and it's clear the author was more than a little insane. At the moment, this picture, along with several others, is inside a sealed envelope that's been placed outside Crier's office. Who placed it there and what their intentions are is a mystery.

-Shapeshifter: Since she was born, Terror has possessed the innate ability to shift between her true form and any other shape she can imagine. Unlike shadow-walking, however, this is not an instantaneous process. The aberration must first concentrate then pass through her true form before acquiring her desired shape. How long she has to concentrate depends on the complexity of the form she'll be taking on. For instance, Terror spends most of her time wearing the body of Rebecca Sinclair so it doesn't take her long to transform into the blonde-haired businesswoman. On the other hand, if she wanted to turn into an elephant or a whale then it would take her several hours if not an entire day. Furthermore, the form she plans to assume dictates how much stored fear she'll need to use.

As a shapeshifter, Terror doesn't need to sleep, drink, use the bathroom or breathe. While she may look like an anatomically correct version of whatever she's chosen to transform into, she isn't bound by the same biological needs. She does, however, possess the same physical capabilities as whatever creature she turns into. While her true form is quite powerful, she can't punch through walls or do anything like that as Rebecca Sinclair. She has the normal strength of a human woman while wearing Becca's form. Apart from fighting and shadow-walking, this skill, the ability to change her shape, is one of the abilities Terror honed to near perfection during the Everwar. It would take a mage of Merlin's caliber to see through her disguises. Certain enchanted items might also be able to achieve this effect, but there's no guarantee. Of course, if Boogie doesn't have the correct speaking patterns or idiosyncrasies down then others could easily figure out what's going on.

-Mimicry: Whether it's the sound of rusty chains rattling or the faint creak of a door opening in the darkness, if Boogie has heard a sound before then she can imitate it. She can also mimic the voice of another person after hearing it a few times. Curiously, whenever she sings, Terror doesn't mimic anyone's voice, though she could easily listen to some popular vocalist and use their voice instead of her own. Perhaps it's a point of personal pride for the Boogieman? At any rate, this ability barely drains any of Boogie's accumulated fear.

Starting Items and Trinkets

-Dread, also known as the Shadow-That-Cuts and the Umbral Blade: Dread is a weapon that perfectly fits its wielder. Terror received this blade, which was shaped from one of Mother Night's massive fangs, shortly after she was born. And it has claimed more than its fair share of innocent lives over the years. The sword's other names, the Umbral Blade and the Shadow-That-Cuts, were given by some its many victims. Boogie's mastery over this unholy blade is beyond compare, allowing her to perform inhuman feats of swordplay in both her mortal and true forms. While she can't do anything ridiculous like deflect bullets with Dread, Terror can block and cut through almost anything with this impressive blade. However, enchanted weapons or armor will stop the Shadow-That-Cuts cold. The sword can also be used to store the fear of Terror's victims. If the Boogieman feels she might need a little snack later, she can focus all her concentration on drawing the fear of her current victim into her sword. This will cause the blade to separate into segments, allowing the fear to seep into its core, only to reform when the deed is done. The Umbral Blade cannot hold a great deal of fear, but it's usually enough to get Boogie back to half strength.

Perhaps the most formidable attribute of the Umbral Blade is the pervasive aura of fear clinging to it. Just unsheathing this weapon is usually enough to cause weak-willed mortals to piss themselves in terror. Certain Tales might be affected as well, though anyone with a rudimentary understanding of magic wouldn't feel a thing. Of course, Boogie is more than happy to ensure witches and wizards get acquainted with Dread on a much more lethal and personal level. At the moment, the Shadow-That-Cuts is hidden in a secret compartment in the large basement beneath Boogie's Beans.

Dread

An image of Dread pulled from the Liber Ivonis, a tome that was originally penned in the year 1452 by an unknown Spanish monk. The author claimed he'd been visited by a malevolent entity known as El Cuco on nearly a dozen separate occasions, which prompted him to write the Liber Ivonis. He wanted to warn others of the nightmarish horrors that lurked in the world's darkest corners. Inevitably, the monk was accused of consorting with demons and burned at the stake. Most of his writings were destroyed, but the Liber Ivonis survived and has been edited numerous times over the centuries. Curiously, the most recent edition of the book, which was published in 2015, doesn't contain any mention of El Cuco or her sword. The image shown above was copied from the 2013 edition of the text. At the moment, this picture, along with several others, is inside a sealed envelope that's been placed outside Crier's office. Who placed it there and what their intentions are is a mystery.

-Darklands Portal Gem: Not long after she built Boogie's Beans and started selling information to the Tales authorities, Terror visited several of the community's prominent magic-wielders. She never visited the same wizard or witch more than twice, and the project she was working on cost a great deal of money. Luckily, her business was thriving at this point so she could afford to spend whatever was necessary. The final result of all these discrete exchanges was a gorgeous silver ring with a large black diamond set into it. The Boogieman wears it on her right pinkie finger at all times. While the ring is certainly nice to look at, it also happens to be the most dangerous artifact Terror owns. The ring's black diamond is actually a portal gem, and, by uttering the word "Thyrsi," it can be used to open a gateway to the Darklands. Most Tales wouldn't be able to discern the ring's purpose, but any magically talented individuals could easily do so. Furthermore, a spellcaster could probably dispel the portal once it's opened, though the enchantment placed on the diamond itself is too potent to be removed. Terror treats this ring as an emergency exit, a last resort if things in the New World don't go as planned. However, she also knows this portal is a one-way trip. It can only send people or items into the Darklands. It cannot bring them back out.

Boogie's Ring

While it's difficult to tell, this picture was actually taken from the write-up about Boogie's Beans in "Local Business Owner Monthly." Someone took the time to zoom in on Rebecca Sinclair's right pinkie finger and then blew up the image. At the moment, this picture, along with several others, is inside a sealed envelope that's been placed outside Crier's office. Who placed it there and what their intentions are is a mystery.

Weaknesses and Flaws

-Magic Vulnerability: The curse Father Day uttered with his dying breath was no mere cantrip. Boogie, her siblings, and Mother Night might as well be mortals when it comes to dealing with the arcane arts. None of their impressive talents protect them from magic. There's a reason why Terror goes out of her way to avoid pissing off any powerful witches and wizards. While she can easily dodge a fireball or a lightning bolt, more insidious spells have a stronger effect on the Boogieman than on other Tales. She is strong-willed, but sometimes that's not enough to avoid falling under the sway of an especially gifted spellcaster.

-The Ward of Fear: Initially, most Tales were unwilling to allow Terror to join the Great Exodus. Considering who she was and what she ate, this didn't come as too much of a surprise to the Boogieman. It was Merlin, one of the most accomplished wizards in the Homelands, that offered to tattoo the Ward of Fear onto the monstrosity's right shoulder. This would allow Merlin, and anyone else he believed could help, to monitor how much fear Boogie was consuming at any given point. If she ever ate more than half of what she needed to reach full power then a sorcerous alarm would go off, alerting the designated Tales to what was happening. At the time, Terror was more afraid of being forced to go back to the Darklands and Mother Night then she was of being leashed. She agreed to Merlin's proposal. Now, it's no secret that she's trying to find a way to remove this ward. Merlin's spellcasting is immaculate and complex, however, so she hasn't had much luck. Besides, who would willingly make an enemy of someone like Merlin by undoing his spellcraft?

The Ward of Fear

Another image pulled from the Liber Ivonis. This is a picture of an ancient rune of some kind, though a Tale with arcane knowledge would know it's actually a greater ward. The exact purpose of this ward probably wouldn't be apparent to most, but certain wizards and witches might comprehend what it's designed for. Merlin certainly would. At the moment, this picture, along with several others, is inside a sealed envelope that's been placed outside Crier's office. Who placed it there and what their intentions are is a mystery.

-Weakness to Light: Perhaps Terror's greatest weakness, another gift from her deceased father, is her vulnerability to light. She can easily endure the light coming off computer screens, lighters, or phones. Spotlights, flashlights, and bonfires, however, are enough to send her pins and needles skittering across her skin. These concentrated sources of light are also capable of stunning Boogie for a minute or two depending on their intensity. Sunlight, on the other hand, is total anathema to what Boogie is. Whenever she's forced to be outside during the day, Boogie covers herself as much as possible and usually has an umbrella handy. If sunlight were to touch Terror's skin, several things would happen. First, if she was shape-shifted, the Boogieman would have to completely drain her fear reserves to keep from losing her assumed form. The moment she ran out of fear, she'd immediately revert back to her true form and then burst into flames. She'd be dead within minutes. Needless to say, there's a reason Terror prefers to conduct most of her business at night.

-Feeds on Fear: The Boogieman needs one thing to survive: the fear of others. Much like the vampires of legend, Terror brings the fears of her quarry to the surface then absorbs them for later use. This does present something of a problem, however, because she can easily starve just like anyone else. To make matters worse, all her abilities require at least a little fear to function properly. With the Ward of Fear capable of bringing numerous powerful Tales down on her head, Boogie is constantly forced to toe the line when it comes to her dietary needs. The ward won't activate unless she consumes over half the total amount of fear she needs to become fully empowered. This allows her to do most things, but it also inhibits her. And she is always hungry.

Moreover, the act of feeding off someone's fears is a delicate and lengthy one. Once Boogie has brought the fear to the forefront using her fear sense and other gifts, she has to maintain eye contact with her prey for a full minute. This gives outsiders plenty of time to interfere, which is why she does her best to isolate her victims. Distractions of any kind will immediately break the connection between Terror and her potential meal. After a minute has passed, a thin, red beam of pulsating light passes from the victim's heart into Terror's chest. Gradually, as more and more fear is drawn out, this beam will start to darken, going from red to maroon to black. If it becomes black then the victim will likely suffer a heart attack and die...only to be resurrected as a shade. Luckily for Boogie, ever since arriving in the New World she's come up with a way around alerting Merlin and his supporters whenever she kills someone while feeding. By draining the same person multiple times, and not killing them, she can eventually cause their hearts to give out anyway. This doesn't always work, and it certainly takes longer, but it's the only way she can create more shades. In the end, Boogie needs fear to maintain her human guise so the authorities let her feed to a certain extent. Fear is intoxicating, after all, and many worry about what might happen if Terror decided to ignore the Ward of Fear and glut herself on those around her.

-Power-Hungry: There's no denying that Terror is power-hungry. After spending thousands of years as one of three beings that ruled the Darklands, she is far from satisfied with her current lot in life. Bound by Merlin's magic and forced to assume a human form more often than not. Sure, she has Boogie's Beans, and the revenue stream it brings in is impressive. But it's not enough. Terror was raised to be a warrior and a conqueror by Mother Night, her bloodthirsty creator. Hundreds of years of indoctrination don't go away overnight, unfortunately. The Boogieman will do anything in the name of achieving her goals, and some of the more well-informed Tales are fully aware of this. Boogie has worked hard to maintain a squeaky clean public image, but the truth has any annoying habit of getting out. Whether it's a cherished friend or a hated adversary, Terror would happily throw anyone under the bus if it meant she'd ultimately get what she wants.

Other: Although she isn't skilled enough to support herself with it, Terror has a lovely soprano singing voice and can play the piano. It's not uncommon to see her on the small stage at the back of Boogie's Beans, her distinctive English accent cutting through the hubbub of chattering customers while her fingers fly across the keys of her jet-black jazz piano. She also has a modern, tastefully furnished apartment in the Homeland Apartments. While Boogie's Beans is a highly lucrative business, many Tales wonder how the living embodiment of terror can afford to live in such an opulent place. Or why any sane person would allow her to. Perhaps she's worked out some kind of deal with the Tales responsible for maintaining law and order within the community?

Testing out Terror

Terror

One of the few pieces of artwork that accurately depicts Terror's true form. Considering the landscape surrounding the shapeshifter is eerily reminiscent of the Darklands, its clear the artist somehow visited Boogie's homeworld in order to paint this. Disturbingly, the painter's identity is unknown and there doesn't appear to be a signature anywhere on the canvas. This beautiful oil painting is currently hanging over the couch in the Boogieman's apartment.

TERROR

Alias/Nickname: Terror is known by a variety of different names depending on who you're talking to. The most common ones are the Boogieman, Boogie, and the Sack Man. In her human guise, however, she goes by Rebecca Sinclair or Becca.

Tale: The Boogieman has appeared in everything from urban legends to novels as a monstrous figure used to frighten children into obeying their parents. It's difficult, if not outright impossible, to determine what story brought Terror into existence, and there are some that believe the shapeshifter came into being when the Homelands did.

Physical Age: Appears to be in her late twenties

Actual Age: Immortal, though she can be slain

Height/Weight: 5'7" and 125 pounds as Rebecca Sinclair, 7'0" and 250 pounds as Terror

Gender: Genderless, though she identifies as female

Physical Appearance

Despite having a frightening true form, Boogie's human guise is remarkably inconspicuous. Rebecca Sinclair is pretty, but she isn't so attractive that people stop what they're doing to gawk at her. She's no model, her slender, athletic build and heart-shaped face notwithstanding. This shapely visage is framed by a curtain of honey blonde hair that falls to her shoulders. Surprisingly for someone so obsessed with maintaining an immaculate public facade, Becca rarely styles her hair beyond combing it. Of course, if there's a special occasion or important event coming up, she's not above going to a salon to get her hair done. A pair of red, horn-rimmed glasses is usually perched on Rebecca's small nose, and the pale green eyes behind them always seem to glisten with barely contained hunger. Nobody knows if Becca wears these glasses to appear less threatening or if she actually needs them. In any event, Boogie loves fancy clothes. She never passes up an opportunity to wear one of her expensive, beautifully-tailored dresses or pristine business suits. Typically, she wears a spotless black business jacket, white blouse, and black skirt with matching shoes while working at Boogie's Beans, her jazz cafe' and coffee shop located near the Homeland Apartments. Out in public, the Boogieman wears long-sleeved shirts or jackets over a well-ironed shirt and slacks. It should be noted that she does her best to cover herself during the day since sunlight doesn't exactly agree with her.

Her true form, on the other hand, is as different from Rebecca Sinclair as night is from day. Unlike Becca's 5'7" frame, Terror stands at a towering seven feet tall and is rippling with muscle due to spending over a thousand years fighting an endless war against her siblings, Woe and Mystery, in the Darklands. Colossal, bat-like wings with tattered membranes sprout from the shapeshifter's broad shoulders, the blood red of her wings contrasting sharply with her skin's reddish-purple hue. In addition, dark blue chitinous armor covers Terror's legs and right hand. This natural armor can deflect most incoming attacks, though it cannot stop spells, enchanted weapons, or military-grade projectiles. Terror's face, a whitish purple nightmare with two pits of crackling red energy for eyes and no nostrils, is surrounded by more of this armor. Curiously, it appears to have grown into two backward-curving spikes, forming an outlandish helmet of sorts. For some reason, the armor doesn't cover Terror's left hand, which is several times larger than a human's hand and sports five white claws capable of ripping through steel.

Lastly, there is one consistent trait Boogie possesses no matter what form she takes. A mysterious black symbol can always be found on her right shoulder blade. This single line with two smaller lines shooting off it probably wouldn't ring any bells for someone that isn't well-versed in the arcane. Any Tales that do possess this knowledge, however, would immediately recognize the symbol as a ward. What's more, if they were capable of detecting the caster’s magical signature, a learned observer would know Merlin, one of the most talented wizards in the Homelands, was the one that burned this mark into Terror's shoulder. But what is this ward protecting Boogie from? Or was it created to protect other Tales from Boogie? It's impossible to tell, though someone must know the ward's purpose.

A picture of Rebecca Sinclair torn from an article in the latest issue of "Local Business Owner Monthly." The write-up was little more than a fluff piece, but it took great pains to highlight all the positive things Boogie's Beans provides for the surrounding neighborhoods. No mention was made of how Rebecca Sinclair mysteriously acquired two smaller businesses shortly after arriving in New York and demolished them to make room for her beloved jazz cafe' and coffee shop. The journalist, Thomas Thumb, went missing a few weeks after the article was published. He was last seen at Boogie's Beans. At the moment, this picture, along with several others, is inside a sealed envelope that's been placed outside Crier's office. Who placed it there and what their intentions are is a mystery.

Personality

How does one describe the personality of someone like Terror? She is old, perhaps older than any other Tale, and this has significantly warped her worldview. At the end of the day, Terror believes in one simple truth: the strong must dominate and guide the weak until they stop being useful. Then they must be destroyed. This philosophy allowed her to endure the carnage of the Everwar, the eternal conflict between Terror and her siblings, Woe and Mystery. In addition, no matter how charismatic and sympathetic the Boogieman may seem, her primary concern is always herself, though she's skilled at hiding her true intentions. Centuries of practice have made her cunning, arrogant, and willing to commit atrocities in the name of achieving her goals. However, she's not some cackling villain, rubbing her hands together in the dark of night as she plots the downfall of all that is good. Terror understands how tenuous the current state of the Tales' community is. For now, she plans to lay low and quietly expand her influence while keeping an eye on those in power. Inevitably, the people will demand that a leader be chosen, and who better to rule over the masses then the Boogieman?

Terror honestly believes she's the best chance the Tales have at establishing a permanent home for themselves in the chaotic New World. Is anyone more qualified than someone that was embroiled in a never-ending war for thousands of years? So she charms and flirts with any influential Tales willing to work with her while subtly manipulating them into a position where she can take their power for herself. Deep down, however, the Boogieman is haunted by memories of what she did in the Darklands. The Everwar scarred the shapeshifter deeply and nearly broke her, which ultimately led to her departure from the Homelands alongside the other Tales. Of course, this wasn't the only reason Boogie joined the Great Exodus. Initially, all she wanted was to get away Mother Night, the homicidal abomination that gave birth to Woe, Mystery, and Terror. Boogie isn't afraid of anything...except Mother Night. Every now and then, Terror will stop and wonder what her family is doing since they chose to remain in the Darklands. She also wonders if she's doomed to become just as sadistic and cruel as the nightmare that spawned her. One final and important part of who Boogie is concerns her feelings about being forced to adopt a human form. While other non-human Tales are happy to have a chance to be a part of normal society, Terror deeply resents not being able to remain in her true form. On those rare occasions when she's alone, the Boogieman will revert to her true form despite the damage the transformation does to her wardrobe. She'd rather pay for multiple backup outfits then remain in her human guise a moment longer than necessary.

Background

Once upon a time, on a nameless and isolated world, two beings came into existence without much fanfare. One was a magically-gifted, radiant entity called Father Day, and the other was an unfathomable, shadowy demoness named Mother Night. These two god-like entities despised each other, each one viewing the other as a blight upon the world, and it wasn't long before they came to blows. Their conflict, which would come to be known as the Time of Woes, shook the world they called home. The few races already inhabiting the planet desperately prayed to their gods for deliverance. Sadly, no salvation came for nearly a hundred years, and many of the unnamed planet's denizens perished during the Time of Woes. It was on the hundredth anniversary of their first battle that both Father Day and Mother Night realized they were too evenly matched. Neither one could completely destroy the other. It was Father Day, a paragon of virtue and an inhumanly powerful mage, that stepped forward and proposed a solution to his rival. What if they both created champions to fight in their stead, mighty warriors that could determine who was worthy of ruling this lonely world?

Mother Night, a beast that reveled in slaughter and chaos, was hesitant to accept this offer. She wanted to continue fighting regardless of whether she could defeat her adversary or not. As long as the blood kept flowing she was happy. On the other hand, killing Father Day would be a marvelous thing, and perhaps she could find a way to ensure these newborn warriors obeyed her commands and her commands alone. Of course, there was still one problem. Neither Father Day nor Mother Night had the ability to create living creatures from nothing. To make matters worse, most of the planet's inhabitants had gone into hiding, fearful of what this unexpected calm might portend. Even Father Day and Mother Night, two god-like beings with incredible powers, would be hard-pressed to convince these tribes to leave their hidden lairs. In any event, the constant fighting between the two entities hadn't endeared them to the natives. None of them would willingly agree to become their champions.

Shockingly, it was Mother Night that came up with a possible solution. What if she coupled with Father Day, and, when children sprang forth from her womb, they each picked one child to raise as their own? Once they came of age, these two trained killers would fight each other to determine the fate of this unnamed world. Although Father Day wasn't thrilled by the thought of sleeping with Mother Night, and he suspected she was planning something sinister, he reluctantly agreed. The deal was made, and the two battle-scarred entities went into a cavern to consummate their pact.

Unfortunately, there's a reason this cave is now called Harathra, which means "place of betrayal" in the tongue of one of the races driven to extinction after the Time of Woes.

A month after Mother Night and Father Day entered the cave, a loud, horrified shriek shattered the silence that had descended over the nameless planet. Some races, like the giants that once lived beneath the planet's surface, believed this scream was actually a curse. They claim to have heard Father Day's voice saying, "Cursed be you, Mother Night, and all your children! No matter how powerful you or the foul spawn of your womb become you shall never walk in the light of day, and the arcane arts shall torment you forevermore! Betrayer! Traitor! Demoness!" Regardless of what may or may not have been said, Mother Night emerged from the cavern a few days later, her grotesque body heavy with child. Father Day was never seen or heard from again.

Inevitably, the time came for Mother Night to give birth. The disparate races of the isolated planet, terrified of what might happen if they didn't try to end this madness once and for all, used this opportunity to form the largest army ever assembled. By the time their forces reached the place where Mother Night was resting, however, they saw it was too late. Three twisted, malformed shapeshifters stood in front of their mother, each one holding a different weapon in their clawed hands. The first and oldest was Woe, a pale monster doomed to forever feast on the misery of others. She wielded a silver whip made from one of Mother Night's writhing tentacles. This was the Scourge, and it dripped with an endless supply of reddish-brown sludge. The second was Mystery, a faceless horror swathed in black and clutching the Question, a staff carved from one of Mother Night's horns. The final monstrosity was Terror, an entity that drank the fear of others with all the eagerness of an alcoholic guzzling booze. Terror held one of Mother Night's teeth, which had been fashioned into a black sword called Dread. With a lazy gesture, Mother Night ordered her three newborns to exterminate the fools that had dared to rise up against her. Due to their lack of familiarity with their abilities, it took seven days and seven nights for Mother Night's children to soak the battlefield with rebel blood. In the end, however, less than a dozen warriors were able to escape with their lives. Mother Night was triumphant.

For the next several years, Mother Night trained her offspring in the art of war, sending them out every few days to hunt down the survivors of the massacre, their descendants, and any magic-users born amongst the natives. Mother Night hadn't forgotten Father Day's dying words. It was only a matter of time, however, before the other races of the unnamed world were on the verge of total annihilation. Beyond simply murdering them, each of Mother Night's children had a way to transform others into their loyal servants. The toxic slime dripping from Woe's whip infected people with the crimson tears, a plague that would eventually transform them into mindless berserkers called weepers. Mystery dragged innocent men and women into the darkest depths of the planet, their shrieks haunting the dreams of their grieving kinsmen. A few days later, they would emerge as faceless, half-crazed aberrations capable of catching rare glimpses of the future. Terror consumed the fears of mortals, and, if given enough time, could actually cause their hearts to stop beating. Instead of dying, the monster's prey would rise again as shades, creatures able to walk through shadows with as easily as a mortal might walk through a door.

And then, after decades of violence, there were no more enemies to fight.

Mother Night's children stood before their creator and said, "Dearest mother, cherished mother, glorious mother, we have slain all your foes. What shall we do now?" The demoness, who'd spent most of the last century building a fortress for herself atop the world's highest mountain, was stunned. She hadn't expected this to happen. It had amused her to watch her offspring grow into bloodthirsty, merciless killers, but what would they do now? War was all they knew and all she cared about. Mother Night sent her children away and spent seven days and seven nights contemplating what to do next. On the eighth day, she descended from her gargantuan citadel and said to her eager children, "My bold ones, my beautiful ones, my bloody ones, there is only one thing left to do. The three of you must fight to see who among you will have the honor of facing me in battle. Perhaps, if you manage to slay me, one of you will rule this world as I do now." And with that proclamation the Everwar began.

Desperate to please their mother, Woe, Mystery, and Terror mustered their armies of weepers, faceless, and shades. With these colossal armies and their formidable abilities at their disposal, Mother Night's children wreaked havoc across the nameless world. At the end of their first battle, Woe struck such a terrible blow against Mystery that it shattered the sky, causing a massive red tear to form. This tear would forever be known as the Fissure, and terrible storms of otherworldly energy constantly poured out of it like blood from a wound. These tempests shrouded the unnamed planet in shadow, and it was finally christened the Darklands. On rare occasions, these unnatural storms would bring individuals from other worlds to the Darklands, though malfunctioning magical portals were also a major contributor to this problem. Over the centuries, multiple Tales have found themselves in a vast, empty wasteland of gray sand and cruel obsidian spires. Massive skeletons and crumbling ruins are the only landmarks of note besides the titanic granite mountains to the north. And no matter where you go the sounds of monsters butchering each other and the wind moaning dog your every step. This is what the Everwar did to this once peaceful world, and it seemed like it would, indeed, last forever.

Time marched on as it always does, and it quickly became clear that none of Mother Night's children were capable of killing the others. Of course, this was all part of Mother Night's plan. Whenever one of her offspring seemed like they were gaining the upper-hand, she would find some way to convince her other two children to work together to bring them down. It was an endless cycle of slaughter and death. Exactly what Mother Night wanted. Roughly a thousand years into this meaningless conflict, however, something changed. Terror, the youngest of Mother Night's spawn, had a bizarre idea. Terror fed off the fear of others, and this fear allowed her to use her various supernatural abilities. One of these abilities was shadow-walking, which allowed her to jump from one shadow to another as long as she had a clear picture of her destination. What if she could use her shadow-walking to leave the Darklands? While Woe, Mystery, and Terror still had sizable armies, they were starting run low on soldiers. The occasional lost Tale wasn't enough to ensure the Everwar continued unabated. This grim reality notwithstanding, Terror could also barely make out the bulk of two other worlds through the Fissure's unceasing storms. What if she could visit these planets and use their inhabitants as sources of power and soldiers?

After a great deal of trial and error, Terror managed to visit one of these unfamiliar worlds. At first, she was so surprised by her success that she immediately fled back to the Darklands. She adjusted quickly, however, and began feeding on the fear of the native races. Some of her victims were brutally killed while others became shades to bolster her flagging armies back home. Terror also learned that, while all fear was intoxicating and empowering to her, the raw, the primal fears of children were especially delicious. It was around this time that legends of a horrific monster that knew the deepest fears of its victims and could change its shape began to spread. The first stories about the Boogieman.

And yet, as Terror visited more and more planets, the abomination began to realize something. Many of these worlds were engulfed in bloody conflict from time to time, but it always ended. It seemed preposterous to Boogie, but it also made her think. Would the Everwar end at some point? For the first time in her life, she actually started to hope it would. Terror and her siblings had committed unspeakable atrocities against each other and the races that survived the initial massacre after their birth. It all had to stop at some point or...or what? This question scared Terror to the point that she left the world she was currently on, a world called Earth, and swore to never use her shadow-walking abilities to travel again. She returned to the Darklands and continued fighting, but there was something missing. Terror felt conflicted and strangely broken, the mere thought of planning another attack against her sisters making her sick to her stomach. It all seemed so useless and hollow. Still, Boogie was nothing if not a warrior born and bred so she went through the motions of leading her army until the burden grew too heavy. She needed to talk to someone. And who better to consult in a time of crisis then her mother?

Terror traveled to the top of the highest mountain in the Darklands, Mount Azgalor, and entered Mother Night's towering citadel. At first, the abomination believed Terror had somehow defeated Mystery and Woe, though this concern faded quickly when the young shapeshifter began describing what she'd seen and felt during her travels throughout the Homelands. After talking almost non-stop for seven days and seven nights, Terror stood there, winded and fearful, and waited for her mother's response. It came in the form of a blow so incredibly powerful it nearly broke every bone in Terror's body. For the first time in her life, Terror felt fear, sudden and cold and unrelenting. Her mother was stronger than both of her sisters combined! Wailing in pain and horror, Terror barely managed to drag her battered body out of the citadel, her mother's mocking laughter echoing in her bleeding ears. As long as blood continued to flow, Mother Night couldn't care less about her offspring. That much was painfully clear.

Terror withdrew to her most secure stronghold and commanded her army of shades to defend her as she recuperated. It took nearly five years for her to recover from Mother Night's cruel lesson. During this time, word began to filter in from the other Homelands that numerous Tales had chosen to leave their own worlds to find new homes. This event would come to known as the Great Exodus. Initially, Terror was uncertain about leaving the Darklands. She'd lived here for thousands of years and bled for every square foot of territory she'd claimed. But what was the point of it if the fighting never stopped? And the thought of seeing her mother again filled the Tale with so much dread it finally convinced her to gather her sword, several shades, and a few other mementos before leaving the Darklands for good.

However, as the saying goes, nothing in life is ever easy.

Many Tales believed a creature like Terror shouldn't be allowed to join them in their journey. She fed on fear, and many of them recalled the stories of what happened to her victims if she lost control while gorging herself. Nobody wanted to become a shade, a mindless servant following a terrifying abomination. It didn't matter how many times Terror promised to control her eating habits, few Tales were willing to give this nightmarish creature a chance. Then Merlin stepped forward. A native of a world called Camelot, the accomplished wizard offered to place a greater ward on Terror. A ward known as the Ward of Fear. This arcane symbol would alert any powerful mages, or anyone Merlin thought might be able to help, if Boogie seemed like she might be on the verge of losing control while feeding. Reluctantly, Terror agreed to this and the ward was emblazoned on her right shoulder blade. The Great Exodus continued, and the Tales eventually reached New York. The New World.

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your prospective, old habits die hard. It didn't take long for Terror to realize this new world was a chaotic and dangerous place. Many Tales were struggling to make the transition, especially those without the ability to assume a human guise. Potions of Seeming and illusionary spells quickly became incredibly expensive, creating a rift between the wealthier Tales and their poorer contemporaries. Crime, corruption, and poverty spread like wildfire through the fledgling community. Terror knew what needed to be done. In a strange way, it was just like being back home in the Darklands. She needed to bring this New World to heel, to control it if this place was going to replace the Homelands. Much to her chagrin, she also missed the power and influence of being one of three rulers of an entire planet. But, first things first, she needed a stronghold, a fortress. While keeping the Ward of Fear in mind, Terror used her abilities to drive two local business owners away, their minds nearly broken by the terrible sights she'd shown them. This took several years, and Boogie lived in relative squalor during this period, but she knew it was necessary. She needed to ensure nobody viewed her as a threat. Not yet.

Once the two shop owners were gone, Terror built Boogie's Beans, a combination jazz cafe' and upscale coffee shop that catered to both Tales and mortals alike. It also happened to have a massive basement where she stored her sword as well as a small force of shades. She'd need to create more if she was going to become the leader of this community. For the time being, however, she volunteered to feed information to Tales like Crier in exchange for cash. After all, people said all kinds of interesting things in coffee shops. This arrangement allowed her to become familiar with the powerful men and women in the Tales community. And the money she was making eventually landed her a plush room in the Homeland Apartments. She even had enough cash leftover to pursue some personal projects, like learning how to sing and play the piano. There are whispers that, at some point during this period, she also paid several discrete visits to half a dozen magically gifted Tales.

With a well-established front as a legitimate businesswoman and respectable member of society, Terror can move onto the next stage of her plans. Expanding her reach and sphere of influence. Whether it's using her powers to transform homeless mortals into shades or meeting with unsavory characters in the middle of the night, Boogie has no intention of stopping until she's the undisputed leader of the Tales' community. Only time will tell how Terror's story will end.

Skills and Abilities

-Fear Sense: One of the most important abilities in Boogie's formidable arsenal is her fear sense. To put it simply, she is essentially a fear vampire. She feeds off the fears of others to fuel her various supernatural gifts. In order to extract this fear, however, she needs to draw it to the surface like blood from a vein. Instead of sinking her teeth into someone's neck, Terror uses her fear sense. First, Boogie must lock eyes with her intended victim for roughly thirty seconds. If she's able to do this then a quiet voice will whisper in the back of her head, revealing the person's greatest fears to her. At this point, Terror's quarry will feel a sensation similar to having a cold hand pressed against the back of their necks. Most Tales would immediately recognize this feeling and strong-willed individuals might even be able to shrug it off. Certain protection spells can also be used to defend someone from Boogie's fear sense. Mortals and weaker Tales, on the other hand, would have their deepest fears exposed for Terror to use as she sees fit. She can also maintain eye contact for another thirty seconds to acquire a mental image of exactly what her victims fear the most. This would help her determine what form to take when she ultimately visited her target to consume their fear.

-Battle-Hardened: One of the few positive side-effects of the Everwar was it transformed a young, uncertain shapeshifter into an adept warrior. Terror's swordplay, ability to plan ahead, and intense focus all come from the time she spent fighting her sisters. Furthermore, a lifetime of war has also imbued the Boogieman with a love of both mental and physical exertion. Chess, playing the piano, and even the occasional newspaper crossword puzzle are all activities the shapeshifter will indulge in when she has the time. Regrettably, Boogie regularly suffers from vivid flashbacks of her life prior to arriving in the New World. These visions only last a few moments, but they're distracting and resemble something almost like PTSD.

-Shadow-Walking: Shadow-walking is one of Terror's most versatile powers. It allows her to step into a shadow, visualize a destination, and instantly emerge from another shadow at her desired location. As with anything, however, it's rarely as simple as that. If the shadow Boogie initially stepped through is burned away by a light source of some kind then she can't leave the same way she came in. It would follow that if someone manages to track Terror and can figure out what shadow she's planning to emerge from then it's entirely possible to trap her in the darkness. Needless to say, it's impossible for even the most skilled witch or wizard to destroy every shadow everywhere so Boogie would eventually get out. Finally, this ability barely drains any of the fear Boogie has accumulated so she uses it as her primary mode of transportation.

-Shades: What is a shade? A shade is someone that died while Boogie fed on their fear. Instead of passing into the next life, these unfortunate souls are twisted and reborn as shadowy servants devoted to serving the entity that killed them. Most people see shades as nothing more than two glowing eyes floating in the darkness, though especially perceptive Tales and mortals might catch a glimpse of their true forms. Shades are short, have pale green skin, pointed ears, wiry muscles, spindly arms and long nasty-looking claws at the tips of their bony fingers. More often than not, their bodies are rotting, and shades are often accompanied by the unpleasant stench of decaying flesh.

Apart from their gift for blending into the darkness, shades can also shadow-walk, allowing them to move effortlessly from shadow to shadow, and they can mimic certain sounds with the same perfection as their mistress. Beyond this, however, they are physically weak and vulnerable to both spells and light. A shade caught in the full light of day will burst into flames just like Boogie. Truth be told, it's unknown how many of these foul creatures Terror has at her disposal at the moment, but there seems to be enough to run her errands. Last but not least, as long as Boogie is at least halfway full with fear she can maintain a telepathic link with her shades. Since halfway full is all the Ward of Fear will allow, this is how Terror normally communicates with her servants.

Shades

This image was copied from a book known as Demonomicon and digitally enhanced due to the tome's advanced age. Nobody knows who penned the Demonomicon, but there are entries on several monstrous Tales found within its pages. Even El Chupacabra is mentioned a few times. However, most of the information is nonsensical ramblings, and it's clear the author was more than a little insane. At the moment, this picture, along with several others, is inside a sealed envelope that's been placed outside Crier's office. Who placed it there and what their intentions are is a mystery.

-Shapeshifter: Since she was born, Terror has possessed the innate ability to shift between her true form and any other shape she can imagine. Unlike shadow-walking, however, this is not an instantaneous process. Essentially, the aberration must first concentrate then pass through her true form before reaching her desired shape. How long she has to concentrate depends on the complexity of the form she'll be taking on. For instance, Terror spends most of her time wearing the body of Rebecca Sinclair so it doesn't take her long to turn into the blonde-haired businesswoman. On the other hand, if she wanted to turn into an elephant or a whale then it would take her several hours if not an entire day. Furthermore, how much stored fear she needs to expend is also determined by the form she plans to assume.

As a shapeshifter, Terror doesn't need to sleep, drink, use the bathroom or breathe. While she may look like an anatomically correct version of whatever she's chosen to transform into, she isn't bound by the same biological needs. She also possesses the same physical strength levels as whatever creature she turns into. While her true form is quite powerful, she can't punch through walls or do anything like that as Rebecca Sinclair. She has the normal strength of a human woman while wearing Becca's form. Apart from fighting and shadow-walking, this skill, the ability to change her shape, is one of the abilities Terror honed to near perfection during the Everwar. It would take a mage of Merlin's caliber to see through her disguises. Certain enchanted items might also be able to achieve this effect, but there's no guarantee. Of course, if Boogie doesn't have the correct speaking patterns or idiosyncrasies down then someone might also be able to figure out what's going on.

-Mimicry: Whether it's the sound of rusty chains rattling or the faint creak of a door opening in the darkness, if Boogie has heard a sound before then she can perfectly mimic it. She can also mimic the voice of another person after hearing it two or three times. Amusingly, whenever she sings, Terror doesn't mimic anyone's voice, though she could easily listen to some popular vocalist and use their voice instead of her own. Perhaps it's a point of personal pride for the Boogieman? At any rate, this ability barely drains any of the fear Boogie has gathered.

Starting Items and Trinkets

-Dread, also known as the Shadow-That-Cuts and the Umbral Blade: Dread is a weapon that perfectly fits its wielder. Terror received this blade, which was shaped from one of Mother Night's massive fangs, shortly after she was born. It has seen more than its fair share of blood and destruction ever since. The sword's other names, the Umbral Blade and the Shadow-That-Cuts, were given by its many innocent victims. Boogie's mastery over this unholy blade is beyond compare, allowing her to perform inhuman feats of swordplay in both her mortal and true forms. While she can't do anything ridiculous like deflect bullets with Dread, Terror can block and cut through almost anything with this formidable blade. However, enchanted weapons or armor will stop the Shadow-That-Cuts cold. The sword can also be used to store the fear of Terror's victims. If the Boogieman feels she might need a little snack later, she can focus all her concentration on drawing the fear of her current victim into her sword. This will cause the blade to separate into segments, allowing the fear to seep into its core, and it will reform when the deed is done. The Umbral Blade cannot hold a great deal of fear, but it's usually enough to get Boogie back to half strength.

Perhaps the most formidable attribute of the Umbral Blade is the pervasive aura of fear that clings to it. Just unsheathing this weapon is usually enough to cause weak-willed mortals to piss themselves in terror. Certain Tales might be affected by this as well, though anyone with a rudimentary understanding of magic wouldn't feel a thing. Of course, Boogie is more than happy to ensure witches and wizards get acquainted with Dread on a much more lethal and personal level. At the moment, the Shadow-That-Cuts is hidden in a secret compartment in the large basement beneath Boogie's Beans.

Dread

An image pulled from the Liber Ivonis, a tome that was originally penned in the year 1452 by an unknown Spanish monk. The author claimed he'd been visited by a malevolent entity known as El Cuco on several occasions, which prompted him to write the Liber Ivonis. He wanted to warn others of the nightmarish horrors that lurked in the darkest corners of the world. Inevitably, the monk was accused of heresy and burned at the stake. Most of his writings were destroyed, though the Liber Ivonis survived and has been edited numerous times over the centuries. Curiously, the most recent edition of the book, which was published in 2015, doesn't contain any mention of El Cuco or her sword. The image shown above was copied from the 2013 edition of the text. At the moment, this picture, along with several others, is inside a sealed envelope that's been placed outside Crier's office. Who placed it there and what their intentions are is a mystery.

-Darklands Portal Gem: Not long after she built Boogie's Beans and started selling information to the Tales' authorities, Terror visited several of the prominent magic-wielders in the community. She never visited the same wizard or witch more than twice, and the project she was working on cost a great deal of money. Luckily, her business was thriving at this point so she could afford to spend whatever was necessary. The final result of all these discrete exchanges was a gorgeous silver ring with a large black diamond set into it. The Boogieman wears it on her right pinkie finger at all times. While the ring is certainly nice to look at, it also happens to be the most dangerous artifact Terror owns. The ring's black diamond is actually a portal gem, and, by uttering the word "Thrysa," it can be used to open a gateway to the Darklands. Most Tales wouldn't be able to discern the ring's purpose, but any magically gifted individuals could easily do so. Furthermore, a witch or wizard could probably dispel the portal once it's opened, though the enchantment placed on the diamond itself is too potent to be removed. Terror treats this ring as an emergency exit, a last resort if things in the New World don't go as she plans. However, she also knows this portal is a one-way trip. It can only send people or items into the Darklands. It cannot bring them back out.

Boogie's Ring

While it's difficult to tell, this picture was actually taken from the write-up about Boogie's Bean in "Local Business Owner Monthly." Someone went through the trouble of zooming in on Rebecca Sinclair's right pinkie finger and then blew up this image. At the moment, this picture, along with several others, is inside a sealed envelope that's been placed outside Crier's office. Who placed it there and what their intentions are is a mystery..

Weaknesses and Flaws

-Magic Vulnerability: The curse Father Day uttered with his dying breath was no mere cantrip. Boogie, her siblings, and Mother Night might as well be mortals when it comes to dealing with the arcane arts. None of their impressive talents protect them from magic. There's a reason why Terror treads very carefully around powerful witches and wizards. While she can easily dodge a fireball or a lightning bolt, more insidious spells are more effective against the Boogieman than most other Tales. She is strong-willed, but sometimes that's simply not enough to avoid falling under the sway of an especially gifted spellcaster.

-The Ward of Fear: Initially, most Tales were unwilling to allow Terror to join the Great Exodus. Considering who she was and what she ate, this didn't come as too much of a surprise to the Boogieman. It was Merlin, one of the most accomplished wizards in the Homelands, that offered to tattoo the Ward of Fear onto the monstrosity's right shoulder. This would allow Merlin, and anyone else he believed could help, to monitor how much fear Boogie was consuming at any given point. If she ever ate more than half of what she needed to reach full power then a sorcerous alarm would go off, alerting the designated Tales to what was happening. At the time, Terror was more afraid of being forced to go back to the Darklands and Mother Night then she was of being leashed. She agreed to Merlin's proposal. Now, it's no secret that she's trying to find a way to remove this ward. Merlin's spellcasting is immaculate and complex, however, so she hasn't had much luck. Besides, who would willingly make an enemy of someone like Merlin by removing his handiwork?

The Ward of Fear

Another image pulled from the Liber Ivonis. This is a picture of an ancient rune of some kind, though a Tale with arcane knowledge would know it's a greater ward. The exact purpose of this ward probably wouldn't be apparent to most, but certain wizards and witches might comprehend what it's designed to do. Merlin certainly would. At the moment, this picture, along with several others, is inside a sealed envelope that's been placed outside Crier's office. Who placed it there and what their intentions are is a mystery.

-Weakness to Light: Perhaps Terror's greatest weakness, another gift from her deceased father, is her vulnerability to light. She can easily endure the light coming off computer screens, lighters, or phones. Spotlights, flashlights, and bonfires, however, are enough to give her pins and needles. These concentrated sources of light are capable of stunning Boogie for a minute or two depending on their intensity. Sunlight is total anathema to what Boogie is. Whenever she's forced to be outside during the day, Boogie covers herself as much as possible and usually has an umbrella handy. If sunlight were to touch Terror's skin, several things would happen. First, if she was shape-shifted, the Boogieman would have to completely drain her fear reserves to keep from losing her assumed form. The moment she ran out of fear, she'd immediately revert to her true form and then burst into flames. She'd be dead within a few minutes. Needless to say, there's a reason Terror prefers to conduct most of her business at night.

-Feeds on Fear: The Boogieman needs one thing to survive: the fear of others. Much like the vampires of legend, Terror brings the fears of her quarry to the surface then absorbs them for later use. This does present something of a problem, however, because she can easily starve just like anyone else. To make matters worse, her abilities require at least a little fear to function properly. With the Ward of Fear capable of bringing numerous powerful Tales down on her head, Boogie is constantly forced to toe the line when it comes to her dietary needs. The ward won't activate unless she consumes over half the total amount of fear she needs to become fully empowered. This allows her to do most things, but it also inhibits her. And she is constantly hungry.

Moreover, the act of feeding off someone's fears is a delicate and lengthy one. Once Boogie has pulled the fear to the surface using her fear sense and other abilities, she has to maintain eye contact with her prey for an entire minute. This gives outsiders plenty of time to interfere, which is why the abomination typically isolates her victims. Distractions of any kind will break the connection between Terror and her latest meal. After a minute has passed, a thin, red beam of pulsating light passes from the victim's heart into Terror's chest. Gradually, as more and more fear is drawn out, this beam will start to darken, going from red to maroon to black. If it becomes black then the victim will likely suffer a heart attack and die...only to be resurrected as a shade. Luckily for Boogie, ever since arriving in the New World she's come up with away around alerting Merlin and his supporters whenever she kills someone while feeding. By draining the same person multiple times, and not killing them, she can eventually cause their hearts to give out. This doesn't always work, and it certainly takes longer, but it's the only way she can create more shades at this point. In the end, Boogie needs fear to maintain her human guise so the authorities let her feed to a certain extent. Fear is intoxicating, after all, and many worry about what might happen if Terror decides to ignore the Ward of Fear and feed to her heart's content.

-Power-Hungry: There's no denying that Terror is power-hungry. After spending thousands of years as one of three beings that essentially ruled over the Darklands, she just isn't satisfied with her current lot in life. Bound by Merlin's magic and forced to assume a human form more often than not. Sure, she has Boogie's Beans, and the revenue stream it brings in is quite impressive. But it's not enough. Terror was raised to be a warrior and a conqueror by Mother Night, her bloodthirsty creator. Hundreds of years of constant indoctrination don't go away over night, unfortunately. The Boogieman will do anything in the name of achieving her goals, and some of the more well-informed Tales are fully aware of this. Boogie has worked hard to maintain a squeaky clean public image, but the truth has an annoying tendency of getting out. Whether it's a cherished friend or a hated adversary, Terror would happily throw anyone under the bus if it meant she'd get what she wants.

Other: Although she isn't skilled enough to support herself with it, Terror has a lovely soprano singing voice and can play the piano. It's not uncommon to see her on the small stage at the back of Boogie's Beans, her distinctive English accent cutting through the hubbub of chattering customers while her fingers fly across the keys of her jet-black jazz piano. She also has a modern, tastefully furnished apartment in the Homeland Apartments. While Boogie's Beans is a highly lucrative business, many Tales wonder how the living embodiment of terror can afford to live in such an opulent place. Or why any sane person would allow her to. Perhaps she's worked out some kind of deal with the Tales responsible for maintaining law and order within the community?