Adversarial Eidolon

Braving the Adversary's Nightmare is a fools errand on its own, but lingering in that hell crosses the line between foolishness and insanity.

Not only do the scores of Hatelings that swarm across the blasted plains of the Nightmare pose a significant threat, but those who overstay their so-called welcome attract the attention of what is believed to be the Adversary itself, or at the very least an avatar of that fell god.

This being has been coined the Adversarial Eidolon.

Physique and appearance

The Eidolon is described by those who have seen it as a dark titan, or rather the upper torso of such a titan that drags itself along the ashen wastes of the Nightmare using overly long and gaunt arms that end in wicked, clawed fingers. Its countenance is dominated by its hateful, radiating eyes and from its jaws ooze the black ichor that covers much of the barren landscapes it roams.

Capabilities

Those who have projected into the Nightmare often recount an immediate, almost overwhelming feeling of having been noticed, that something has observed their entry. This is the Eidolon fixating upon the newly arrived individual and starting its slow, inexorable approach towards said individuals projection.

No physical barrier or magical protection can stop the Eidolon, as it simply breaks its way through or outright ignores obstacles laid in its path as it pursues its victim. It is possible to flee from it to extend the time one may spend projecting into the Nightmare, but this is simply delaying the inevitable, and the only true way of eluding its grasp is to stop projecting and return to one's physical form on Nascindor.

Should one fail to do so in time and the Eidolon manages to grasp its victim, the consequences are dire. The projecting mage is severed from their physical form, their consciousness forever unable to retreat from the Nightmare. Their body, on Nascindor, implodes unto itself and scatters in a shower of gore and viscera, much to the displeasure of anyone who might be around.

In this way, the Eidolon could be considered a sort of time limit that one has visiting the Nightmare, though most visitations are thankfully so brief that the projecting mages do not even catch a glimpse of it.

God or demon?

Whether or not the Eidolon is actually the Adversary is up in the air. Some argue that it is a mere aspect of that dread god, perhaps its bottomless malice that has taken form in its deranged dream, while others wonder whether or not it could actually be the god itself, wandering aimlessly through its nightmare in search of a way out.

The latter proponents claim that there must be a greater intelligence at play behind the Eidolon's actions, since it seems to have almost omniscient knowledge about intruders into its realm, and chases them down. The most prevalent argument from this group is that it is trying to force its way out through the mages whose projection it catches, but its overwhelming presence is too much for a mere mortal shell, which is violently torn apart as a god attempts to pass through it.

Those who disagree tend to favor a far simpler explanation, that the Eidolon simply hunts the projections of mortals to devour them, body and soul.

I heard a great murmur in the distance, and the vile earth below my feet shook as something massive was making its way towards me.

I did not stick around to find out what it was.

–A mage of the Enlightened Few, recounting his visit to the Nightmare

by Midjourney

_{The Eidolon apprehends its victim.}

by Midjourney

_{"Emergence of Evil", a painting by an anonymous artist found in the cargo of a ship docking at Wapemond Harbor}