| Night Stalker | |
|---|---|
| About | |
| Associated With | |
| Heroes | Keeper of the Light Dawnbreaker Void Spirit |
| Races | Creatures of Darkness |
| Factions | Order of Ra'hul |
| “ | ▶️ Devil by day, demon by night.
— Night Stalker being two sides of the same coin
|
” |
Balanar, the Night Stalker, is an ancient night creature who survived the decimation of his kin on the First Day. As ancient as the primordial darkness that predated daylight itself, his true history is lost to the ages. Only apocryphal stories woven into the lore of every race and culture exist to tell the tale of a boogeyman who stalks in the hours of darkness, invoked by the old stories of the elders to scare younglings into good behavior.
Those who dare to defy these warnings or stand against their fears are only met with their demise, a testimony to the fact that Balanar is not an abstract personification fabricated by the elders to warn their younglings, but a real being in the flesh—and that Balanar himself created that role just for the sake of it.
Biography[]
Balanar, the Night StalkerIt is said that on the dawn of the First Day, all the night creatures perished. All, that is, save one. Evil's embodiment, Night Stalker delights in his malevolence. He created the primal role of the Night Terror, the Boogeyman, and as long as there have been younglings, his is the specter summoned to terrify them. This is a role he relishes; nor are these empty theatrics. He does indeed stalk the unwary, the defenseless, those who have strayed beyond the lighted paths or denied the warnings of their communities. Night Stalker serves as living proof that every child's worst nightmare....is true.
When the world was barely brightened by the rider of Light, it existed during a period when morning never came to pass and days were known as nights. In this perpetual state of umbra, creatures of darkness reigned unchallenged over the world. Soon after, the first among the prey of these beasts grew to worship their masters, forging armor and regalia to honor their magnificence. Balanar was one of the few among these masters who were gifted regalia by his prey, signifying that he was a very powerful figure among the creatures of darkness.[1]
But soon these great creatures did not reign unmatched, nor did they have any impunity. They found themselves in conflict with the armies of the Children of Light, who took up the Keeper's mantle in bringing light to every corner of the universe, while having their own goal to purge the cosmos of all creatures of primordial night. One of their heralds, Valora the Dawnbreaker, came into conflict with these creatures as well.[2][3]
On the dawn of the First Day, all the night creatures perished. Balanar survived this onslaught due to the sheer amount of darkness residing in his heart that allowed him to sustain himself through daylight (but in a weakened state)[4][5] leaving him the sole survivor of the event. He now plays the role of the Night Terror, the Boogeyman, punishing those who ignore the tales and warnings of their communities with death, stalking the unwitting and unwary, and striking fear into generations of families and societies with his mere existence.
Fetters of Ra'hul[]
At some point in time, definitely after the eradication of his kin, Balanar was captured and bound by the Order of Ra'hul with cursed chains that were said to bring his ancient power to heel. Although the Order was initially successful, their prisoner escaped when nighttime fell, restoring the Night Stalker back to full power and allowing him to break free, possibly slaughtering the Order in the process.[6]
Artifact[]
Balanar is not involved in any of the events in Artifact, but card art depicts him attacking Enchantress in a dark forest.[7]
Personality and Mannerisms[]
- Balanar is a malevolent creature. He seems to relish the role of the Night Terror or Boogeyman that was bestowed upon him by many fearful populaces, even though the Night Stalker simply slays others for their sustenance.
- Fitting for someone with immense power, Balanar is a lordly being. Before the First Day extinguished his kin, the creatures that he preyed on grew to worship him and fashioned regalia that symbolized his magnificence. He also dislikes others who claim to have more authority or favor over the night or the moon.[8][9][10]
Relationships[]
Enemies[]
As a night creature, Balanar should be hostile towards the Children of Light and their creations, including Dawnbreaker. These star progeny dispatched many armies to purge the cosmos of all creatures of primordial night, likely resulting in the catastrophic event known as the First Day which killed all the night creatures.
Powers and Abilities[]
Physiology[]
Balanar is a Strength hero, a powerful embodiment of overwhelming force and great durability. A beast of the night, he relies on his claws and teeth to tear at his enemies. He has a pair of membranous wings that he usually unfolds during nighttime to fly untethered from the ground, allowing him to catch up to his prey should they choose to escape from him.
Powers[]
Although he is physically powerful, Balanar is no ordinary beast who merely relies on bodily weapons. He possesses a myriad of ancient powers revolving around fear and shadow to cripple his opponents and bring them to heel. This ancient power makes him an eldritch creature, although not as eldritch as the likes of a faerie dragon.
Lore-wise, Balanar's Void is a surprisingly powerful skill, if not an actual magic spell. The skill involves Balanar creating a vortex that pulls his enemies into the time period when the primordial darkness was still unlit by the First Day. Its description implies that Void is a time travel ability with offensive capabilities or a form of temporal banishment.
Crippling Fear allows Balanar to transmit a vision of his unhinged mouth into the minds of his victims, horrifying those he deigns to use this ability on. It is so horrifying that nearby spellcasters are silenced.[11] The mental image obstructs their vision, hence the Blind debuff that it used have.
Hunter in the Night is not an actual ability that Balanar has in the lore. It is more of a translation of Balanar being at his strongest during nighttime into a gameplay mechanic.
His ultimate, Dark Ascension, allows him to summon darkness to turn day into night or extend the duration of nighttime, at least according to its effects in gameplay.
Besides his gameplay abilities (that somewhat have a connection to the lore) and passive skills, Balanar has some other powers found in his lore. He has the ability to call upon the souls of his perished brethren from the void by using himself as their spiritual focus into the material plane, allowing them to haunt the living.[12]
Friendships and rivalries[]
Allies meeting Night Stalker
- ▶️
r We're going to own the night. - ▶️ r We'll hunt them all down.
- ▶️ r I'm surprised you haven't slithered away to whatever hole you hide in when day breaks.
- ▶️ r Well, Night Stalker, the daytime's not as bad as all that, is it?
- ▶️ r I've followed some of your work, Night Stalker. I'm expecting big things!
- ▶️ ▶️ r I guess you're not useless half the time, Night Stalker. That's pretty good.
- ▶️ ▶️ r Do we really have to wait til night to start fighting?
- ▶️ r Cruelty for the sake of it... I do not approve.
- ▶️ r I did not want to say anything in front of the others, but your breath could use a bit of peppermint... Or something.
- ▶️ r You don't have a kind bone in your body. But that don't mean we can't put something sweet in there.
- ▶️ r Your tastes are timeless, Night Stalker... I expect you'll never change.
Enemies killing Night Stalker
- ▶️ I said good night stalker!
- ▶️ I've forgotten more nightmares than you'll ever inspire.
- ▶️ In your dreams, Night Stalker!
- ▶️ Night Stalker, I remember when you were scared of the dark. Ha aha ha!
- ▶️ Night Stalker, why have wings if you're not gonna fly.
- ▶️ Night Stalker, that's a face even a mother couldn't love.
- ▶️ r The night is my dominion.
- ▶️ r No one hunts me.
- ▶️ r You lasted longer than most, vermin. But daylight comes.
- ▶️ Night fades before dawn.
- ▶️ r I take little pleasure in killing such a beautiful creature.
- ▶️ r My uncle used to tell me bedtime stories about you. Those were some great adventures. Real happy to have killed you.
- ▶️ Night Stalker, welcome to daylight.
- ▶️ Night Stalker, I bring you into the light.
- ▶️ You were as old as the first day, but I am as old as the first light.
- ▶️ Here's light in your eye. Eh heh heh heh.
- ▶️ The moon does play favorites, Night Stalker.
- ▶️ The moon turns against the Night Stalker.
- ▶️ Having a bad night, Stalker?
- ▶️ The day has eyes. Night, ears. The wolf, teeth.
- ▶️ Even you should fear the full moon.
- ▶️ The night needs nobility, not a beastly fairy tale.
- ▶️ Behold the night's new ruler!
- ▶️ r Aren't you beautiful? I'll mount your head above the mantle!
- ▶️ r Fly-by-night, indeed!
- ▶️ Your nights are at an end.
- ▶️ ▶️ r I've heard a lot of stories about you. Oh, I guess this is the last one.
- ▶️ ▶️ r Mistake me for easy prey, Night Stalker? You're a fairy tale. And I'm a legend.
- ▶️ r Some days I love my job more than others. This is one of those days.
- ▶️ r Day or night. It makes no difference to me!
- ▶️ Night Stalker, you aren't the only thing that goes bump in the night.
- ▶️ Night Stalker, you're only a little pain.
- ▶️ r Rooster's crowin!
- ▶️ r Guess it's high noon after all.
- ▶️ ▶️ ▶️ I stalk all hours, not just the night.
- ▶️ Cubs! Rest in tranquility: the Night Stalker is no more.
- ▶️ r You must learn to respect your elders.
- ▶️ You only wear your wings when none can see them!
Others
- ▶️ r Beware the dark that spreads its wings and falls at any hour.
References[]
- ↑ Black Nihility description.
- ↑ Dawnbreaker response: ▶️ You lasted longer than most, vermin. But daylight comes.
- ↑ Dawnbreaker response: ▶️ I'm surprised you haven't slithered away to whatever hole you hide in when day breaks.
- ↑ Night Stalker response: ▶️ I feed the darkness and the darkness feeds me.
- ↑ Night Stalker response: ▶️ The darkness in my heart sustains me through daylight.
- ↑ Unfettered Malevolence description.
- ↑ Artifact Card: The Cover of Night
- ↑ Night Stalker response: ▶️ Lycan, I am the true beast of the night.
- ↑ Night Stalker response: ▶️ Mirana, I am most favored of the moon.
- ↑ Night Stalker response: ▶️ Luna, the moon favors me.
- ↑ Night Stalker response: ▶️ Fear quiets magic.
- ↑ Shadow of the Dark Age description.