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NIGHTMARE TOWN
A stranger is sent to a small town to rid it of its pest problem. Monsters spawned from negativity — named Nightmares — infest the town, and the surrounding areas worry that this problem might spread. Many have tried to save the people from the town, none have succeeded, in no small part due to resistance from the residents themselves. They work differently, resist treatment and in a few cases have reacted violently to attempts by outsiders to rid the town of the monsters. Between you and me, most people don't see them as worth saving anymore, and haven't for a long time.
But you are different, right?
You can fix this, and them.
Watch out for infection, though.
THE RESIDENTS
"The sources... The broken and the rotten, just like your crowd says. But we don’t see it as a bad thing, necessarily. You do. That's why we don't get along."
— Hiroshi Nakamura
Either the town attracts strange people, or the town's own strange people attract more strange people. Research on this matter has been proven a little futile.
No matter the case, it is no mere legend that the residents of the Nightmare Town are quite nightmarish themselves. Some self-isolate, forsaking the outside and the people there, some are murderers, and some are artists or inventors (or... inventors with artistic tendencies) that are either mad or genius, though entirely unrecognized for their work.
They are all eccentric, hard to deal with, and either incapable of or unwilling to live anywhere outside this town. That is why they are considered in need of curing. Notably, few of them are actually from the town — in fact, established families there are very rare — and most came from outside areas instead. Though most of them seem unhappy with their situation, and all but few despise the Nightmares that plague them, their hostility to agents there to fix the problem outweighs all of that.
It is theorized, though unconfirmed, that the residents are able to somehow influence visitors into becoming sources of Nightmares just like them. That process is known as infection, and meant to be avoided at all costs. Those sent to the town are warned of this extensively.
THE NIGHTMARES
"Kinda cute, right! Just like me!"
— "Tiny Nightmare"
Strange creatures still not widely understood. They are material, but seemingly able to both disappear and float at will. Rarely aggressive, but also very rarely amicable. They seem to cause psychological pain rather than physical, being a strong source of anxiety and panic. Those who have been in contact describe their presence not unlike that of a sleep paralysis demon: the danger is more in what they make you feel, than what they can (...or choose?) to actually do.
They are spawned from the hearts of those that are sources of Nightmares, those who have been fully infected. What exactly makes one a source is unknown, but it is widely agreed that it is the result of a mix of repression, self-loathing and self-isolation, among other things. The presence of the Nightmares only makes those problems worse, leading to a vicious cycle.
Generally, one person is able to create one Nightmare, and its appearance is entirely unique. They all resemble various kinds of sea creatures, with a tendency to look like animals from the deep sea specifically.
To eliminate a Nightmare, one must cure the person, though it is theorized that instead of truly dying, they simply retreat to whatever world they came from.
Nightmares are not exclusive to the town, but in the modern day it is extremely rare to see them anywhere else.
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