The_Figments

Our world is being invaded. Nobody knows how these denizens of the realms of imagination got into the physical plane - they used to just lurk in the dreams and imaginations of children, giving them nightmares about being gobbled up by some monster that lives under the bed - but now they're here in the flesh!
They come in a variety of forms, shifting and chaotic - some take on the guise of fairy tale creatures, others of the various bogeymen and bed-monsters that lurk in the shadows, typically adapting and shifting their forms into whatever suits them - they are the stuff of dreams, and when they stalk their prey they will take on whatever form they wish, just to give them their best shot at walking away with a full belly! They might even appear perfectly normal - after all, things in dreams always seem plausible while you're dreaming - only to snatch you up when you drop your guard!

Once they have caught their prey, they often prove to be highly voracious and capable monsters - their shifting, unreal bodies are so fantastically stretchy and flexible that their meals can kick and squirm all they want, only to find that the walls of their new prison will stretch effortlessly with no chance of breaking! Their deed done, the nightmare creature may seek out new prey - after all, a squirming stomach full of squealing prey is always good to scare people! Alternatively, they may carry their meal off and lie low somewhere - sometimes even carrying them off to their own world!

Fortunately, since they're just bad dreams, they can't really hurt you! At least, not physically - However, after spending so long struggling, it's only a matter of time before their prey will doze off, and that's when the creatures truly feed - their victims dream of being eaten over and over and over as the creature feeds on their dreams! Even this is ultimately harmless, but it's still not a pleasant experience for most.
Even worse, if they carry you off to the dream world to do it, since time passes differently there you might be in there for days or weeks from your perspective, when you've only been gone an hour. Of course, they'd be happy to keep their victims for what seems like forever! Indeed, some figments have been lounging in the dreamland for years, their helpless prey resigned to their fate of being endlessly consumed.

Luckily, this rarely happens - most of their victims realise that their uncanny stretchiness isn't just confined to their stomach walls. Admittedly this is of little help when attempts to pry their throat open and climb up simply result in being swallowed again, but even figments have to sleep - and it's sometimes amazing what they can sleep through...

Their self-appointed leader is Figment, though really the only ones that pay him any attention are the ones from the more cartoonishly villainous areas of the dreamland.

Alt of MaraudingMarauder.