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Her birth name, a whisper lost to time, is a secret she guards closely. Known to the world as Nightmare, she was born and raised in the gritty, industrial city of King's Row. Despite the city's bleakness, her childhood was relatively idyllic. Her parents, though working-class, provided a loving and stable home. She was a bright, curious child, often lost in daydreams.
However, a strange transformation began to occur. Her dreams grew vivid, her perceptions skewed. What started as occasional nightmares turned into a constant, waking nightmare. Her left eye, a mirror to the real world; her right eye, a singular, luminescent orb, saw the nightmares that lurked beneath the surface.
This newfound ability, a curse of magic whispered in the shadowed places of childhood nightmares, forced her to confront the darkness within herself and others. She realized that she could not simply ignore the nightmares; she had to use them to become something better. She began to use her powers to punish the wicked, inducing sleep paralysis and conjuring terrifying dreamscapes.
To protect her true identity and safeguard those she loved, Nightmare adopted a mysterious persona. She cloaked herself in darkness, her face hidden beneath the shadow of a hood. Her true form, a far cry from the imposing figure she presents to the world, is a secret known only to a select few. With each passing night, Nightmare continues to walk the fine line between dream and reality, a guardian of the waking world and a harbinger of justice.
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- NIGHTMARE GENERATION
- She can project her nightmares into the physical world, manifesting them as tangible, terrifying entities.
- SLEEP PARALYSIS
- With a mere touch, Nightmare can induce sleep paralysis, leaving her victims trapped in a state of terror, unable to move or cry out.
- DREAM MANIPULATION
- Nightmare can enter and manipulate the dreams of others, shaping their nightmares and influencing their subconscious. She can induce vivid, terrifying dreams, or conversely, peaceful, restorative ones.
- SHADOW WALKING
- Nightmare can phase through shadows, allowing her to move silently and undetected.
- EMPATHIC PERCEPTION
- She can sense the emotions and fears of others, allowing her to anticipate their actions and exploit their vulnerabilities.
- ENHANCED STRENGTH & DURABILITY
- Her connection to the dream realm grants her enhanced physical abilities, making her a formidable combatant.
- SIREN'S SONG
- She can sing in such a way that it is both beautiful and deadly and has had to work very hard to find the balance between inducing sleep and inducing sleeping forever in her victims.
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- THE DREAMWEAVERS
- A group powerful beings who can manipulate the fabric of reality, often working behind the scenes to shape the course of history. They have a complex relationship with Nightmare, sometimes as an ally, sometimes as a rival. They keep a tight watch on Nightmare, making sure that, should she slip, they have a grasp on the situation and are available to deal with what chaos she might create.
- THE NIGHT OWL
- A vigilante with the ability to see through illusions and perceive hidden truths. They often team up with Nightmare to expose corruption and bring justice to those who deserve it.
- TWILIGHT
- A tentative heroine who chooses when and where she fights, Twilight works with Nightmare on ocassion as they're set opposite each other in the contacts of the Dreamweavers rolodex. A complementary pair, regardless of how Nightmare often feels as if Twilight is just phoning it in.
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- CIVILIAN IDENTITY
- She does have one, but will try to never mix the two regardless of where she's at. If she's in a casual setting in casual clothes (with the eyepatch, generally) it means that she's her civilian identity and that one has zero ties to heroing or anything else. It is fully possible to have one relationship with the Nightmare and one with her civilian cover without ever knowing it.
- SLEEPLESS
- Nightmare has not slept since her curse began. She sometimes stares out at nothing or sits VERY still in one space for a long time, but she is always awake and always aware. Unmoving doesn't mean unknowing. Something broke with her circadian rhythm when she was cursed and now she can't sleep no matter how much she might like to and it shows in the bags under her eyes and the thousand yard stare. She is known to try to cover up the circles in her civilian identity.
- MONOTONE
- Her civilian identity includes the deadpan monotone of a woman without much to do. While she does sometimes speak as the Nightmare, she tries to keep it sweet and to the point so as to not draw too much attention. She's found that the monotone is the only safe way to use her voice and not intone the same notes as her singing voice.
