Nightgaunt

Maigre bete de la nuit

They never spoke or laughed, and never smiled because they had no faces at all to smile with, but only a suggestive blankness where a face ought to be. All they ever did was clutch and fly and tickle; that was the way of nightgaunts.

— H. P. Lovecraft

It is a faceless humanoid being with bat-like wings, horns, barbed tails, and oily, whale-like skin. A Nightgaunt is social, and almost always is encountered in large flocks. Unintelligent, it usually is the pet or servant of some powerful otherworld deity. A Nightgaunt is voiceless and flies silently. This nocturnal being rarely emerges in daylight, though light does not appear to actively harm it.

Habitat : a Nightgaunt prefers to nest in a mountain cave, though it patrols almost any type of terrain.

Distribution : throughout the Dreamlands. A Nightgaunt nests near an object or place that its master wishes to protect. Usually the master wants to keep the location inviolate, or to obtain a steady supply of victims.

Life and Habits : a Nightgaunt defends a location by flying out of the dark, seizing an intruder, and carrying him off. If the victim struggles, the Nightgaunt attempts to “tickle” or grapple him into submission. A recalcitrant victim is simply dropped, usually from a great height, those who take the full ride are simply abandoned in extremely dangerous places: underworld cavern-worlds, deadly alien jungles, predator-infested deserts, etc. The Nightgaunt takes nourishment only from its master. One such entity is known to nurse its Nightgaunts on black pendulous breasts. Other modes doubtless exist.

But the way in which a Nightgaunt absorbs food and liquid is unknown; it has no obvious mouth or other stomata, nor any cloaca or other organ of excretion. Further, the Nightgaunt exhibits no visible sense organs, yet is able to navigate and perform fine manipulation.

Similarly, nothing is known of the Nightgaunt reproductive cycle, or of its life span.

Obviously much research is needed on the nature and abilities of the Nightgaunt. Interested parties are urged to contact Dr. Gillman Jnr. at the Center for Nightgaunt Studies, Miskatonic University.

Distinguishing Nightgaunts :

• Byakhee can be very noisy, and they also possess distinct faces and jaws.

• Fungi From Yuggoth are pinkish, with glowing heads.

Comparative height chart

Nightgaunts and Prey The creature uses all four limbs to grasp its victim. The tail also may help to subdue the victim.