Haint (Haint)

Once entrapped in the malevolent clutches of the Midnight Specter's game, the unfortunate souls who meet their doom become cursed Haints, bound to the location and the twisted game for all eternity. These spectral remnants exist in a wretched state of torment, their pain and horror perpetually drawn out, never finding rest or release. Trapped between the realms of the living and the dead, Haints are doomed to relive the nightmarish ordeals they endured during their time in Midnight over and over again. Their anguish and suffering are imprinted into the very fabric of the town, making it a haunting ground for the damned. These vengeful spirits now hold an insatiable desire for retribution against the living, the ones who still have a chance to escape the grasp of the malevolent game. 
With twisted motivations and a hunger for revenge, Haints relentlessly stalk and torment the living participants in the new game, eager to inflict pain and suffering upon the innocent. They appear as eerie, ethereal apparitions, bearing the scars of their traumatic past and emanating a chilling aura of despair. Driven by an unending agony, Haints are driven to feast on the bones of the living, craving the essence of those who still possess life. They materialize from the shadows, striking terror into the hearts of their targets, and seeking to drag them down into the same nightmarish abyss they now inhabit.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Manifesting as translucent apparitions, Haints appear as hazy figures, their outlines wavering like ghostly mirages. Their spectral bodies exude an eerie, pale glow, casting an unsettling light upon their surroundings. They lack a tangible physical presence, allowing them to pass through solid objects effortlessly. Despite their insubstantial nature, Haints retain some semblance of their former appearance in life. They may bear the marks of the traumatic events that led to their demise, with phantom wounds and scars etched into their spectral forms. The anguish and torment they endured are eternally etched upon their countenance, emanating an aura of sorrow and malevolence.
Though they lack physical flesh, their eyes shine with an intense, haunting light, and they move with an unsettling grace, floating eerily above the ground, propelled by an unseen force. Their movements are often swift and erratic, making them difficult to predict or evade. 
In the presence of the living, Haints can conjure an oppressive and ominous atmosphere, causing temperatures to plummet and creating an overwhelming sense of dread and despair.

Behaviour

Haints are fixated on retribution, targeting living individuals who dare to engage in the Midnight Specter's game. Driven by their own agony and anger, they relentlessly pursue their victims, seeking to exact revenge for their own untimely demise. They hold an unyielding grudge against the living, considering them responsible for their suffering. While bound to the spectral plane, Haints have the ability to manifest in the living world under certain conditions. They might appear as eerie apparitions, wisps of darkness, or distorted shadows. Their manifestations often coincide with moments of fear or vulnerability in their victims, intensifying the terror they inflict. Trapped in a state of perpetual suffering, Haints' unending torment fuels their malevolence. They project their agony onto the living, seeking to make others experience the same anguish they endure. Their sense of time is warped, and they may persistently pursue their victims, seemingly without end.
Haints are tethered to the location where their lives were tragically cut short. As a result, they exhibit a territorial nature, defending their haunted domains from intruders and interlopers. They will go to great lengths to protect their boundaries and maintain their dominion over their haunted realm. Despite their malevolent nature, Haints are trapped in an existence they did not choose. They are cursed with an unending desire for vengeance and suffer an eternal loop of torment. This cursed state of being drives their relentless pursuit and relentless desire to inflict suffering on others.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Haints can see the living and the physical world, but their vision is hazy and obscured, akin to looking through a thick fog. They can discern shapes, outlines, and movement, but finer details are often lost. Their spectral eyes allow them to see in low-light conditions, making them particularly formidable in the dark of night. Haints also have a heightened sense of hearing, capable of detecting even the faintest sounds. They can pick up on whispers, rustling leaves, or the softest footfalls, making it difficult for the living to approach undetected. However, their perception of sounds is skewed, and they might misinterpret or exaggerate certain noises due to their spectral nature.

HP: 4

Stats:

• Body: 2
• Strength: 3
• Agility: 3
• Mind: 3
• Luck Points: 0

Skills:

• Initiative: 3
• Stealth: 3
• Grappling: 3
• Melee: 3
• Ranged: 1
• Soak: 6
• Dodge: 3

Abilities:

• Eternal Torment: When players encounter a Haint, they must make a Mind + Sanity + 1d6 check to resist the (11 to 12) Very Hard Difficulty of the overwhelming psychological pressure and fear the Haint exudes. If they fail the check, the Haint inflicts temporary madness or nightmares upon the player, causing them to lose their focus and become more vulnerable to further attacks, suffering a -1 penalty to all rolls for the duration of the encounter and fall under the effects of a Intense Fear (Level 3) effect. This abilities triggers at the beginning of every round the character interacts with the Haint, and given their propensity to pursue a target ceaselessly, this can very quickly become debilitating if the character is unable to defeat or escape the creature.
• Intangible: The Haint is intangible and can only be harmed with Eldritch or Blessed weapons, however they must become semi tangible to attack physically, leaving an opening for a character to inflict damage on them immediately following a successful physical attack. If defeated in this way, the Haint will disperse for remainder of the game session, only to reform the next night. 

Combat:

• Claws: 5' reach, damage: 3+Strength