Mr. Verity Briefing: Night Light

Thank you as always for gathering on short notice. I trust you found your travel arrangements satisfactory.

Two nights ago local police officers patrolling the city’s entertainment district found a corpse in an alleyway. Due to its condition our contacts within the force referred the case to us.

The body is that of an as yet unidentified man in his mid-twenties. Our analysts classify it an FOI [Fatality Of Interest-ed] due to two factors. One: All pigmentation has been drained from the corpse. Two: although it bears no signs of epidermal trauma, the victim’s bones, from toes to skull, have been reduced to a fine powder, as if pulverized from the inside. Assuming this victim’s demise matched others in our record bank, he died after his bones were crushed. An agonizing way to go, and naturally one we hope each of you avoids.

The loss of pigmentation and internal skeletal crushing correspond to an Outer Dark Entity known as a Night Light. It manifests as a swirling nimbus of dark energy illuminated by within by hundreds of tiny lights—usually multicolored, but sometimes monochrome.

Night Lights manifest during holiday seasons, when people hang festive lights outdoors. Here in the western world they most often come at Christmastime. The recent habit in cold weather cities of leaving lights up throughout the winter has extended their hunting season. They may also appear at Halloween, during Mardi Gras, or at secular light art festivals. Unsubstantiated reports link them to Diwali in India and, in a variant visual form, lantern festivals in China and Korea.

Manifestations link to the childhood trauma of a particular individual unwittingly serving as the creature’s psychic locus. They occur during adulthood after an incident triggering memories of the original trauma. The scourging memories always connect to the holiday in question: a fatal accident on New Year’s, a harrowing beating on Mardi Gras.

The Night Light hunts secondary victims connected to the locus, striking opportunistically at those moving about alone at night. Typically it begins with loose connections—an acquaintance met at a party, someone who sits next to the locus on public transit—then moves inward, to friends, family members, and ultimately the locus him or herself. The final killing occurs either on the actual holiday, or on the anniversary of the instigating trauma.

To destroy the Night Light, identify the locus and enable that person to come to terms with or resolve her relationship to the trauma. For example, if her mother was slain on Christmas Eve, find the killer who was never caught. Then, with an physical token related to the traumatic incident on your person, strike the Night Light with any blade, or with a stun gun.


The Esoterrorists are occult terrorists intent on tearing the fabric of the world – and you play elite investigators out to stop them. This is the game that revolutionized investigative RPGs by ensuring that players are never deprived of the crucial clues they need to move the story forward. Purchase The Esoterrorists in print and PDF at the Pelgrane Shop.

This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. By browsing this website, you agree to our use of cookies.