Nightbear

 

The so-called “nightbear” is a species of sapient stuffed animal which hides in plain sight alongside the non-living playthings of Edenian children. They are fiercely loyal creatures, who will protect the homes which adopt them until their dying breaths, but they only come to life once darkness falls.

 

Each nightbear is given life by a child who believes with all their heart that their precious plushie is alive in some way, which makes the nightbear a subspecies of amicus imaginarium. And the child’s love of and devotion to the bear is reciprocated in full. There is nothing a nightbear will not do to protect the person who brought them to life.

 

In urban environments, nightbears often prowl in packs. Realizing that there is safety and strength in numbers, individuals from neighboring homes gather in a common area and stick together for the evening—ready to dole out justice to any and all ne’er-do-wells they come across. And though the nightbears’ form of vigilante justice is officially discouraged in most corners of Eden, law enforcement officials have been known to cooperate with the bears and look the other way as needed.

 

Sadly, similar to their parent species, the end of a nightbear’s life comes when the kid who gave them life grows up and no longer believes. The only difference between a nightbear and most other amici imaginarium is that they have a body to leave behind—a soft squishy body which might one day be loved by a new child and brought back to life once again.

Genetic Ancestor(s)
Scientific Name
Ursus somnus
Lifespan
20-40 years
Conservation Status
Least Concern
Average Height
24"
Average Weight
3-5 lbs
Bestiary February 2023
Generic article | Feb 25, 2023

During the month of February 2023, yours truly will be leading y’all on an investigation of the fauna in that there Land of Eden I’m always going on about.


Comments

Author's Notes

Special thanks to Author Goddess for giving me a name for the species way back in May 2022.


Please Login in order to comment!
Feb 18, 2023 17:08 by Chris L

These are so lovely. Toy Story and Velveteen Rabbit vibes for sure. Reminds me of the baku from my world.


Take a look at my Institutions of Learning challenge article.

Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak and check out my award winning article about the Ghost Boy of Kirinal!

Feb 19, 2023 14:48 by E. Christopher Clark

Ooh, I'll have to check out the baku. Yeah, I'm glad those vibes are coming off here. :-)

Enroll in Yesterland Academy today!
Feb 18, 2023 20:53 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

I went from slightly terrified to sad by the end of this article. Poor nightbears.

Emy x
Explore Etrea
Feb 19, 2023 14:49 by E. Christopher Clark

Yeah, I think they would be very misunderstood in some corners of the world. I think there's a great story in here somewhere about a nightbear who wins over its doubters.

Enroll in Yesterland Academy today!
Powered by World Anvil