Phantom Hunters Chart for Contest

This is for CagedSpirit's contest seen here:
(Contest) Design-A-Keronian Species

The first two images (fig. 1/2) are examples of the species in their natural form. The three at the bottom use a keronjin body to show in example what happens when phantom hunters take possession of another being body. (fig. 3/4/5)

This is a basic summery of phantom hunters:

Thought to be fictional creatures to most beings in the galaxy, the Phantom Hunters are far from it. Little is actually known about the shadowy beings, sometimes also called space ghosts/ or space (or star) wraiths. What is known is that they hunt down small-crew space ships, killing the crew and stealing the bodies as their own. Few survive meeting phantom hunters, and fewer still live more than a few months afterwards. Any meeting with these creatures is incredibly traumatizing.

Phantom hunters are parasitic creatures of energy, a matter similar to ectoplasm. They feed off the emotions and energies of other living beings, and can store energies within their bodies for long periods of time, going years without having to seek out more sustenance. They do not in fact kill the hosts they take over, but leave them close to death until they have gotten what they need, then allowing the discarded host to die when they’re done.

The appearance of the phantom hunter in their natural form is similar to a living shadow (fig. 1). They can manipulate their bodies to take on any form they need, from the silhouettes of the beings they are hunter, to monstrous forms meant to instil fear (fig. 2). The two major ways one can tell between a real shadow and these creatures is a darker gaping open maw where the mouth would be located, and a dark mist that surrounds them. When a being is possessed by a phantom hunter any wounds inflicted on the body will be filled in with black matter that expels the same dark mist. This included any injury or missing limb on the being that may have been inflicted during an attack or even long before phantom hunters attack. A possessed being will also have lifeless eyes where the pupil and iris will be consumed by black. In rare occurrences the leaders of the phantom hunters will form a symbiotic relationship with a being, be it a random being or one especially compatible (Fig. 4, Fig. 5). Those in a symbiotic relationship appear as they did before joining with the hunter, except their eyes will be completely blackened and can no longer reflect light.

When phantom hunters attack a ship they will almost always begin their attack by taking over the ships computers, killing off lights, shields, weapons, communications and engines. Once the ship is helplessly floating in space they will begin they assault. They begin with creating an atmosphere of danger and tension, using auditory, visual and even olfactory manipulation to separate the crew from each other. Once the crew is more or less separated they will use a combination of speed and shadows to slowly weaken the strongest members, striking with claw or hook like appendages. They will first tear away at any forms of identification before going vital or defending parts of the bodies. Each strike leaves long, thick gashes that quickly fill with the mist, which prevents the body from bleeding out but also has an affect that causes pain receptors to overload (Fig. 3). Once the attacked being is sufficiently weakened they take possession, offer relief in exchange for full control. Once each attacking hunter has a body they will pursue and torment any remain crew member until they have enough stored energy to return to their monarch, leaving most, if not all being dead.

Each time a scout party of phantom hunters attacks a space ship they use tactics unique to that crew, using a combination of personal information they gather observing that particular crew, and prior knowledge they have of the particular race.

Any being left alive will have at least one scar left by the phantom hunters. This scar will be filled with the black body matter, and even it this matter is removed they also leave being a genetic tag. This tag will be passed down generations recessively until it shows in a seemingly random descendant of the survivor. This descendant will be especially compatible with leaders of the phantom hunters, monarchs. The symbiotic relationship between a compatible being and a monarch is one of power and full control of all phantom hunters. This is a rare occurrence as many compatible being are shunned by their societies, and many do not live into adult hood; and if they do they don’t meet a monarch phantom hunter. Compatible beings will often be born with any markings normal to their race being black, or their flesh being completely black. They will also have reversed whites, if their species have eye whites. Any bright or colourful plumage/ hair will be dulled. If their species irises have colour this is the only thing which will be brightened and intensified, leaving the compatible being to stand out among its people (fig. 5).

The phantom hunter society consists of roughly a hundred beings split into three factions. Each faction is rule over by a monarch hunter; a powerful version capable of psychic abilities, controlling other hunters and symbiosis with other beings. Those hunters under the monarch are known as a court, and the court is further broken down into scout parties. Each scout party consists of about two to five phantom hunters. Scout parties will spend weeks spying on a single spaceship’s crew until they have opportunity to attack.

Few know how to actually deter these creatures, beyond their sensitivity to light. Though they are indeed sensitive to light, basic lights, like that of a torch, are more of an irritation than harmful. Intense light that can be harmful to most other beings are harmful to them. But the best tool against phantom hunters is sound. Though the intensity of a scream seems to pleasure hunters, the higher the pitch the more dangerous it is to their bodies. Something like a dog whistle, for example, can jostle their nervous system and leave them disoriented. Once reaching past a certain level of pitch and frequency their bodies will break down and they will melt away and die.

Phantom Hunters created and designed by me: chibimonk
Please do not use without my written permission