The Breathstealers

Hush, child, or the Breathstealers will take you tonight!

— Anonymous Aggrivated Parent

The Breathstealers are a myth told to young children to get them to behave, but the truth is often much stranger. The references to these creatures are usually found over the generations in the Sanguine province, inside the Rhyliss Empire. Asking about them elsewhere tends to draw blank stares or a rolling of the eyes; it's not recommended, however, to inquire with the elves about this. The stories told to children sometimes have resulted in mistaken conclusions which strain relations between elves and humans, due to the exceedingly vague descriptions used to define a Breathstealer.

Summary

The Breathstealers are a thing parents threaten young and unruly children with, and thus are nebulously defined outside of being notoriously evil. The core of the myths around Breathstealers are their appearance as punishment. Some stories have them appear after a child lies about doing their chores or where they were that day. Some stories, in contrast, say lazy children who make up excuses for why they can't do what they're instructed are taken. And even further, there are stories where the Breathstealers come for those who throw tantrums or are overall too loud for crowded cities. What matters more to children is not why they come, but what they do once they arrive.

Breathstealers are described as beings which can become living shadow to avoid being seen while stalking a target, always active at night or in dark places. When solid, they resemble long and gangly humanoid figures with long claws instead of fingernails, and mouths full of needle-like fangs. The stories all tell of them sneaking in through the window when clouds cover the moon, to stand over the unfortunate sleeping child and literally steal their breath. Then they leave, taken the stolen breath with them. No parents are ever truly clear on what this means, whether it means death or anything else, but it's usually considered terrifying enough to bring younger children into line. Those who ask questions are usually given an invitation to "keep asking and find out".

Historical Basis

There is, indeed, a type of creature which the stories are based from. Several may fit the parameters given, but one type of being in particular is closer than all others. A creature of faerie which has been known to sneak into houses and prey on the extremely young, sick, or otherwise infirm. There are a few ways to ensure this does not happen, most of which begin with securing the windows and doors of rooms before nightfall. Similarly, these beings will not consider prey which is not alone, as they are not well-known for their combat prowess.

Table of Contents

1. Summary
2. Historical Basis

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