Lanternborn

ENTITY FILE: LANTERNBORN

Overview
Lanternborn are luminous, mothlike entities linked to Velveth Wing, drifting through dream-glades and veils of memory fog. They appear delicate and docile—but serve as watchers, memory-thieves, and messengers for deeper intelligences within the Briar Reaches. To see one while awake is rare and considered an omen that something long-buried is coming to light.

Lanternborn do not chase. They wait until you sleep—and then rewrite what you wake with.

Appearance

• Wingspan: 6–10 inches.
• Wings: Translucent, veined with shimmering filaments like silver threads in water.
• Light: Glow from within. Flickers softly, pulsing in rhythm with nearby heartbeats or dreams.
• Eyes: Multifaceted. Appear as tiny constellations.
• Aura: A scent like old perfume and forgotten paper. Dust from wings induces drowsiness.

Behaviour and Abilities

• Dream Infiltration: Pass through into sleeping minds to observe or manipulate.
• Memory Tethering: Can remove or replace specific memories. Often implant symbolic dreams.
• Emotion Seeding: Leave behind impressions—hope, longing, dread—unlinked to clear cause.

Signs of Presence

• Pale, floating lights mistaken for lanterns or fireflies.
• Dreams involving gates, winding staircases, or veiled figures.
• Waking up with tears, laughter, or clarity without knowing why.

Folklore and Signs

• “The Moth That Watches”: Some say if a Lanternborn lands on your chest in sleep, you will remember a truth not your own.
• Wishkeeper Dust: Found in small pouches in folk shrines—allegedly made of Lanternborn scales, though collection methods remain unclear.

Effect on Earth and Human Minds

• Mild Exposure: Peaceful dreams, sudden déjà vu, temporary emotional euphoria.
• Prolonged Exposure: Misattributed memories, identity drift, attachment to unrealised futures.
• Long-Term Contact: Sleepwalking, emotional instability, visionary states bordering on prophecy.

Summary for Field Operatives

Trait	Detail
Threat Level	Low physical. Medium psychological. High under prolonged exposure.
Signs of Presence	Dim flickers, veiled dream imagery, sudden emotional clarity.
Containment Risk	Low. Can pass through non-warded dream barriers.
Engagement Advice	Maintain lucid dreaming routines. Anchor identity before sleep.
	Use memory charms or written tokens upon waking.

Quote from Field Report #228:

“I dreamed of my mother singing to me. Except the lullaby wasn’t hers. I’ve never heard it before. The moth was sitting on the window when I woke, watching me like it knew I’d forgotten something.”
—FDG Dreamlog, Operative T., Palehouse Drift