Lanterns

It's always darkest under the lamp

Walking around in the dark during the night, after The Curtain has fallen, is almost always a death sentence for one foolish to do so. But the lights aren't exactly safe either. There is a type of spirit born of the acts of humanity that mimics a simple streetlight and waits for someone to take a breather under its lights. Those are the Lanterns.
Before the Extinction, Lanterns were born when someone did some kind of immoral thing under streetlight that would leave negative emotions (robbery, murder, etc.). Those negative emotions, seen by the eye of the lamp, could infect it and turn it into the spirit that is hungry for more.
Now, when humans are almost completely gone, there are fewer and fewer Lanterns born every year.

Basic Information

Anatomy

From afar and when they don't move, Lanterns look like normal streetlights.
Eyes: Only someone with a really good sight could notice that this particular streetlight has two lights, that are really close to each other, instead of one.
Mouth: At least five meters of the post the streetlight would normally stand on is their mouth, which they can open and spread as wide as its high. When they do that, it looks almost like the bat wings are spreading over their prey.
Skin: Just like amphibians, they have thin, moist skin, which they use to breath when they hunt.
Movement: When they want to move somewhere else, or they want to catch the prey that runs away from them, they pull out long black tendrils out of the ground and start to move like octopuses, by lifting itself up and then pulling itself forward. While running, they can reach up to 20 km/h.

Genetics and Reproduction

As it is with most of the spirits, they can't reproduce.

Growth Rate & Stages

The more they eat, the longer their tendrils grow, making it possible for them to catch their prey with them at some point. The upper half of their body doesn't change, as it would make it harder for them to mimic streetlights.

Ecology and Habitats

They live everywhere, where there can be streetlights, so cities, villages, roads, highways, parks (almost everywhere, where humans have lived).

Dietary Needs and Habits

Their favorite preys are humans, but they can eat any living being smaller than 5x5 meters, however, most of those beings wouldn't feel the right kind of fear for them to fully feed.

Biological Cycle

They are more active during winter as the nights are longer.

Additional Information

Social Structure

They are solitary creatures that chase away any other individuals of their species from their territories.
The territory of one Lantern before the Extinction could vary in the size between a thousand square meters in cities and hundreds of hectares in the rural area.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

They have a really good hearing, which lets them know when their prey is getting closer and when to stop moving. Their glowing eyes let them see everything in the darkness in a 20-meter cone in front of them.

Origin/Ancestry

Crime

Lifespan

Indefinite

Average Height

6-7 meters

Average Weight

1 ton

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

They can change the color of their skin to reflect the color of the streetlights in the area. Their tendrils and inside of their mouth are oily-black.