Nem TDoc 004
Nightstalkers
Stealthy humanoid predators that hunt at night, tracking prey with Sang Musk.
Nem TDoc 004
Technical data sheet (source): Nem TDoc 004 - Nightstalkers
Subject: Evolutionary Lifecycle of the Species Designated “Night Stalkers”
Author: Dr. Fredrick Uhgred, Senior Xenobiologist
The Night Stalkers are a mammalian species of humanoid bat-like predators that resulted from the interaction between a native hyper-adaptive mammalian species and Xenonid genetic code. The native predators assimilated the foreign code instead of being consumed, rapidly evolving into a new species.
Night Stalkers are highly effective stealth predators that are significantly less dangerous during daylight hours. They display extreme aggression toward wounded or contaminated targets, becoming more relentless as blood loss or injury increases.
Key Environmental Hazards
Sang Musk / Slime
Night Stalkers produce a thick, oily, reddish-black musk from specialized glands. They spray or smear this potent secretion onto targets or deliberately leave it in high-traffic areas as an ambush trap. The musk has a strong, metallic, coppery odor. Once it makes contact with a person’s skin or any bodily secretions, the scent becomes significantly stronger. Any individual marked by Sang Musk becomes easily tracked by every Night Stalker in the vicinity, as the scent acts as a clear beacon.
Darkseed / Contaminant
A thick, warm, tar-like substance that Night Stalkers inject or smear into open wounds. Once inside the body, the infected individual can feel it slowly moving beneath their skin.
The contaminant makes the affected skin extremely photosensitive — even moderate artificial light causes sunburn-like reactions. Over time, the victim begins craving darkness as their body is slowly rewritten to support the growth of a Shade.
Lifecycle Stages
Stage 0 – The Abattoir / Nest
A gruesome nesting site made of multiple suspended and half-buried carcasses. Bodies are hung from ceilings or walls like slabs of meat, serving as both food storage and incubation chambers. Eggs are implanted directly into the dead or dying hosts.
Stage 1 – The Clutch / Egg
Leathery, dark-furred egg pods that are forcefully implanted inside living or recently killed hosts. These pods slowly consume the host’s biomass from the inside while the embryo develops.
Stage 2 – The Shade / Larva
The smallest stage, about the size of a large dog. These silent, agile scouts squeeze through vents, ducts, and narrow crawlspaces. Their main purpose is to find and latch onto a living host, where they graft on and begin the corruption process.
Stage 3 – The Shadowmaw / Creeper
What emerges when the Shade successfully corrupts a human host. Humanoid-sized with bat-like features, elongated limbs, powerful claws, and leathery wings folded against its back.
Stage 4 – The Stalker / Adult
The primary hunting form and main foot soldier of the pack. A much larger and heavily muscled variant, roughly the size of a large predatory cat like a tiger. Built for silent nighttime ambushes and brutal close-quarters kills.
Stage 5 – The Ravager / Breeder
The massive alpha form, roughly the size of a rhino. Significantly more aggressive, especially around blood — these become frenzied killing machines the moment they smell an open wound.
Stage 6 – The Brood Siren / Queen
The massive reproductive female of the colony. A heavy-bodied, nearly immobile queen that remains constantly pregnant. She produces and implants Clutch pods directly into living hosts while using deep, haunting ultrasonic songs to command and coordinate the entire pack.
Stage 7 – The Eclipser / King
The terrifying apex predator. A colossal gliding horror with a wingspan exceeding fifteen meters. Strong enough to tear through reinforced hull plating and collapse entire sections of a station with a single dive. Its appearance usually signals that the infestation has reached critical mass.
First-hand Account 1 – Terraforming Station Helios-9
This is Private Liao. They came during the night cycle.
They don’t attack healthy people. They wait until someone is injured. When Private Chen broke his leg in the lower levels, they dragged him into the vents in under twenty minutes. We found what was left of him the next day.
By day four the Abattoir had taken over hydroponics. Bodies were hanging from the ceiling like sides of meat, egg pods visibly pulsing inside their chests.
We lasted six days. If this log is recovered, do not send rescue. Burn the station from orbit.
First-hand Account 2 – The Longest Night, Kalvara Prime
This is Ranch Foreman Elias Crowe, Outpost 14.
The Longest Night lasted four years. For four years the sun barely rose, and the Night Stalkers owned the planet.
Entire ranches were wiped out in single nights. They were drawn to blood like sharks. A single wounded animal was enough to bring a pack of Ravagers down on an entire herd.
We burned every carcass we could, but every dead body became an Abattoir. Every dead ranch hand became a nursery for more of them.
The sun finally returned last month. The Stalkers retreated back into the deep canyons.
We survived… but I don’t know if this planet still belongs to us.
First-hand Account 3 – Umbra Deep Space Observatory
This is Archivist Kaelin LeBoarte, Umbra Station.
They’ve been out there for nine days.
Hundreds of them. Just gliding past the windows in perfect silence. Black silhouettes against the stars. Technician Park was badly injured in a loading accident nine days ago. He’s in the infirmary bleeding heavily. The triage team has been pumping blood into him nonstop.
Ever since the smell of blood hit the outer hull, the number of Night Stalkers circling the station has tripled.
They’re not trying to break in yet.
They’re just waiting.
We can hear them clawing at the hull plating. They’re getting closer to the emergency airlock. If you find this recording… do not attempt rescue.
They’re already here.