every naturalist worth their salt has that one specific creature they are incredibly passionate for, despite the public opinion of said animal. likewise, i have a certain fondness for the Phantom. phantoms are large, winged creatures, a bit like a giant bat, though upon closer inspection their physiology is much more reptile-like, with some converging traits of arthropods, such as a dark blue exoskeleton 'shell' covering most of their frame, along with bony protrusions that both act as extra back and belly protection as well as a frame for the thin but powerful wings to attach to. they have no visible legs, and a trail of gray smoke follows each wing-tip for reasons still unknown.
phantoms, as far as we can tell, are a species of sky-drifters, flying far too high to be seen even by those who have built to the very top of the world when not actively hunting. if they detect someone weakened by lack of sleep, however, they will descend to an observable height. this.. may be a reason i am so familiar with their kind. i have spent many a night sleepless, recording the creatures of this world, and have attracted many a phantom on account of it.
the phantom has a strange sense, an ability to detect when someone has not slept for three or more days. they use this detection system to hunt, preying on those already weakened by insomnia by swooping down and biting. hard. they have incredible jaw strength, and paired with the fact that they are excellent trackers and tend to hunt in packs of two to four, have gained a reputation as somewhat of a bother for your casual insomniac. obviously, having to deal with phantoms can be avoided by just… sleeping, but let's be honest. most anyone complaining about phantoms will view rest itself as a tedious chore. fortunately for some, and quite unfortunately for me, phantoms burn in the daylight, withering away into nothing if in contact with the sun.
now, i have a bit more understanding of phantom anatomy than most, partly due to my own adversarial relationship with sleep, and partly due to a close friend of mine keeping one as a pet in her base. it is a very wild thing, as most people-hunters are, but it has led to some very fascinating discoveries of the species as a whole. for example, the more bug-like physiology. to most encountering a phantom, they would look like nothing more than great, gray-blue bats, but upon closer inspection, they seem to have some convergent traits of creatures such as the silverfish or spider. throwing invisibility onto one, for example, doesn't extinguish their eyes. and of course, the exoskeleton mentioned earlier. they do not seem to be a member of the arthropod family themselves, as Bane of Arthropods has no effect on them, and they are mildly fuzzy underneath their hard plating and along those wings. it was more akin to a warm-blooded reptile than anything. they have little ear nubs, too, which was a surprise, and this particular one seemed almost fond of my friend despite the perpetually wild nature of the creature. i also discovered their ability to 'fly' through water just as well as air, most likely due to the similarity their wings have to flippers.
phantoms drop a sort of membrane upon their death, some foamy silver gel that comes from the rib-like structure along its tail. the phantom itself most likely uses this gland for mating rituals, as it has a very odd smell and is probably a pheromone of some kind, but it has the added utility of repairing broken elytra. something about this gland reacts to the mysterious metal of these gliders, and when placed on it, will fuse any cracks in the wing like a scab, effectively 'healing' the elytra. as for farming… well, it's quite difficult to do, given their nature as hunters of the sleepless. they fly far too high to catch, typically, so… the best bet for getting this valuable resource is staying up late and hoping for the best in a battle with these winged wonders. keeping one as a pet is similarly difficult, possibly even more so given their sensitivities to sunlight. you would have to lure one into a pre-built enclosure, tag it with a name, and make sure it cannot be hit by any wayward rays of sun. it has of course, been done before, but it is tricky, and building an enclosure that would be suitable for them is in and of itself a task that would eventually attract phantoms with how long it would take. and of course, their naturally wild nature and diet of respawning beings does pose some issues. as much as i adore phantoms, they do not make very good pets.
[deals 2 hearts on Easy and Normal mode and 2 ½ hearts on Hard on java.]
[deals 2 hearts on Easy, 3 on Normal, and 4 ½ hearts on Hard on bedrock.]
