Dream Eater

Dream Eaters are psychic monsters found world-wide, generally in areas of the Earth where particularly traumatic events have unfolded.

Nature
Dream Eaters have no natural shape of their own, it seems; their form reflects the viewers expectations. For example, in areas where bandits have caused extensive damage, a Dream Eater will take the form of a large thug. The mechanism behind the species shapeshifting is not yet understood, but it is suspected that it is simply using mental powers of persuasion to mask its as-yet unmasked true form.

Contrary to their name, Dream Eaters do not literally eat dreams. Instead, they use a form of telepathy to draw out the thoughts of their victims, and then consume the mental energy produced. The victim is left as a hollow shell, a mere body unpopulated by a mind of any kind. The process makes the Dream Eater stronger, and even more dangerous than before.

It seems that Dream Eaters prefer the mental energy of the severely troubled and insane, hence their frequenting areas prone to traumatic events. Dream Eaters have been sighted many times during history; especially during the collapse of the Roman Empire, during the Black Death in Europe, and more recently, in New Orleans during and after Hurricane Katrina.

Control
The nature of Dream Eaters makes them difficult to keep under control. However, Monstrologists have discovered that these eerie specters can be destroyed by powerful bursts of electricitiy. As Dream Eaters have no known reproductive system, their numbers have been drasticly reduced, and they are now much rarer than before.