Excerpted from Zubayaad's "Atlas of the Night":

The eldritch creature commonly referred to as Cricket (also as Thorn or Old Bonehead - it itself has no concept of titles) has haunted the resting places of men since time forgotten. In a bygone era when it was more common to heed than dismiss the dire admonitions of ghost stories, fireside tales of the Creeping Cricket, as it was frequently called, induced sleepless nights for countless children and no few adults. These tales of dread rang especially true in the Far North where the twilight runs long, and where disappearances into the snow-swept darkness were a far too common occurrence...

So named for the sound produced by the rasping together of the thorns on its claws, Cricket utilizes its characteristic "chirps" to detect the topography of its surroundings, forming a sonic image of a given space, much like echolocation. Although lacking any eyes whatsoever, it is able to sense living things through a form of extra-sensory perception, permitting it to hunt and track its prey with nearly infallible accuracy. Moving in its deeply hunched posture with an almost preternatural grace born of its tenuous relationship with gravity, it can travel along even inverted surfaces with supreme ease. Cricket’s slight form and languid ambulation is deceptive - though it prefers stealth, it can move with astounding speed when necessary, and wields incredible strength. Cricket is not sentient in any familiar sense, and is bereft of any form of self-awareness beyond an innate drive for self-preservation. It is, however, surprisingly intelligent and capable of learning and adapting in whatever manner may apparently facilitate its own survival and subsistence.

Cricket is a darkform entity, a living construct of matter non-native to the multiverse, having spawned from a consolidated remnant of the protean void that begat all of creation. The substance of its body is non-reflective to light and uniformly cold to the touch, with the texture of petrified wood - quasi-organic in structure and appearance, but of mineral consistency. Singular and genderless, Cricket’s extra-dimensional nature allows it to "shadow-step" in and out of our reality with relative ease. Moving through the stygian realm in-between all things, it can enter and emerge from deep shadows wherever they form. Like all darkform entities, Cricket itself casts neither shadow nor reflection. Mortals typically cannot see it even when looking directly at it, though it may sometimes be detected in one’s peripheral vision (this is because mortal minds cannot normally comprehend the fundamental "wrongness" of darkforms, not because they are truly invisible). There are some exceptions - "the innocent," usually young children or animals, for some reason have no difficulty seeing darkforms. However, all mortals respond to its presence with the sensation of intense unease, or even dread. Unlike indigenous matter, Cricket’s darkform body is in a constant state of dissolution and evaporation while exposed to normal space, and the act of remaining corporeal requires a tremendous amount of energy - which it derives from one of the most abundant energy sources in the universe.

Cricket's feeding habits, coupled with its unearthly mode of transit, lends some credence to the oft-dismissed fear of the "monster hiding under the bed." It drinks the souls of mortals while they sleep - when their lifespark is most loosely tethered to the body. Rarely overtly aggressive, it favors stalking its prey unseen until they bed down on their own; however it is fully capable of forcibly inducing sleep by stabbing its victims with the envenomated barb at the tip of its tail. Drawing their faces close in a grotesque parody of a lover’s kiss, it imbibes deeply of their essence, absorbing their thoughts, hopes, fears - the core elements of their being. Since even a single soul is a quantum of enormous energy, it typically doesn’t consume a soul in its entirety in one sitting, but will visit its victim multiple times over the span of several days. Although it has been known to drag its prey into its home dimension, it generally prefers not to since a mortal's lifespan in that realm is measured in mere seconds - far too brief for a substantial feeding. Should Cricket not find sufficient nourishment, its body will begin to degrade into a viscous black ichor. At this time it is at its most dangerous, as it will stop at very little to procure its next meal.

Once Cricket tastes of a soul it forms an intimate link with its victim, creating a connection between the two beings that can persist even over vast distances. Once established, Cricket will share certain elements of that person’s experiences, particularly those of very powerful emotions. Interestingly, on occasion certain primal impulses such as fear, anger, or even affection may even transfer to Cricket, who may act on them as if they were its own, leading to some quite unexpected behaviors. Once linked, it fixates on its victim until it has consumed the last iota of their soul. The victim, in turn, will be able to see and sense Cricket whenever it is near, and may be constantly haunted by visions of strange shadowy bodies seemingly lurking in every darkened corner. Accompanying the nightly consumption of their spirit, the maddening effect of being stalked by an otherworldy thing that no one else can see often drives its prey to insanity in short order.

The victim is typically unaware of the nightly feedings, and upon waking often complains of troubled dreams and body aches. While awake, victims may also experience the complete abatement of appetite and an intense desire to return to sleep. As the feedings continue, the victim's physical pains become more prevalent, and their constitution declines rapidly. They may exhibit altered, despondent personalities and severe memory loss - perhaps even the erosion of mastered skills, or the abandonment of longstanding ambitions. Towards the end, the victim is a mere wisp of the person they once were - a pale, emaciated shell, haggard and haunted. Organ failure is usually widespread by this time, as core physiological processes begin to shut down. Perhaps most horrifying of all is the victim's complete loss of all hope and faith whatsoever - by the end, they are often simply waiting to die.

In the modern era, very few living beings are aware of Cricket’s existence. Through the ages there have been certain rare individuals who, upon learning of darkforms, have sought to eradicate them entirely. These warrior-mages - known within their circles as Illumini, or light-bearers - gathered various arcane data to assist them in their vocation, some of which will be shared here. Firstly, all darkforms are harmed through direct exposure to intense ultraviolet light, particularly sunlight. Sunlight not only renders a darkform visible while exposed, it triggers the rapid degradation of their physical forms, which can result in complete dissolution if they cannot immediately feed, or otherwise return to their shadowy realm. They also share an aversion to fire, though it seems that this is by preference rather than imperative. Finally, all darkforms are extremely vulnerable to silver, which can produce the same effect on contact as direct exposure to sunlight. Silver is also especially useful due to its tendency to vibrate at high frequency when in proximity to a darkform. In fact, it has been theorized that the Far Northern tradition of carrying silver bells on one’s person and hanging them near one’s bed is a vestige of ancient practices originally developed in defense against Cricket and its ilk, who would often stalk villagers through the frigid arctic night.

Those who would take up the calling of the Illuminor should be forewarned: once cornered, Cricket becomes a ferocious adversary. Though normally an opportunistic ambush predator, its visciously long claws and razor-sharp stinger can be readily deployed to deadly purpose - striking with lightning-speed and cleaving as easily through steel as through flesh and bone. While incapable of physical vocalizations, when in danger it has been observed to emit a powerful psychic "screech" that can induce extreme pain and disorientation in its assailants, as well as cause localized psychokinetic effects. Cricket has been known to use this ability in order to attempt escape - or to gain the initiative. Though lacking true sapience, Cricket is a wily combatant, showing an uncanny ability to size up its opponents and utilize its environment to its advantage. But perhaps the greatest weapon against this foe is its own consistency - once it has begun a meal it will always eventually return to finish it. Still, even equipped with the finest silver armaments and wards, the career of an Illuminor is often a woefully short one. To thee of stout heart who would nonetheless meet this fate with zeal and vigor, may your silver be sharp, and may the sun's radiance ever light your path...

A custom design skillfully sketched for me by TwistedTeeth (http://www.furaffinity.net/user/twistedteeth/ ). Thanks a bunch!