The Fiend

The Fiend is a funhouse caricature of the menacing druggie. His appearance is constantly shifting to represent what those around him picture "druggies" looking like - His skin tone can go from deep black to clammy white, pits and scars open and close on his flesh, his hair grows out into dreadlocks and falls away in bleached clumps. Shades perpetually cover his eyes, but their make and design shifts as much as anything else about him. In a crowd, the Fiend's look can vary wildly as dozens of different subjective viewpoints scan him at any given moment - This appears to cause him discomfort, and he prefers to appear to individuals or small groups, allowing him to maintain a relatively stable appearance

The Fiend can step out of shadows and fade back into them more or less at will. A dark alley, an unlit corner of a club, or the inside of a shipping crate allow him to appear or vanish. Where he goes when he disappears is uncertain, apparently even to the spirit himself - If asked, he simply says he's "been around". The Fiend never materializes in the presence of any law enforcement official, and if any approach him he will immediately break for the nearest patch of darkness to vanish.

The Fiend never actually does drugs himself. Rather, he draws essence from other people getting high around him. Thus, he lurks around nightclubs and crack houses, feeding on the brief bursts of pleasure and enhanced consciousness of humanity. In the process of feeding, he leeches the enjoyment of the experience away, leaving his victims in the depths of a bad trip, or looking for the asshole who sold them baking powder. Among those who have seen him before and can recognize him, the Fiend is entirely unwelcome, and places where users gather have lately made a policy of making their patrons take off their sunglasses before they can enter (which the Fiend, of course, can't do). Despite being able to elude any mundane bouncer or lock, the Fiend never returns after being told to leave. Whether this is part of his nature or simply a desire not to antagonize humans is unknown.

Lately, the word has spread so far that the Fiend actually has to buy street drugs and give them to some hapless dope so he can feed. The need to get money to fund these operations has made the Fiend an information broker of necessity. The Fiend has an almost preternatural understanding of the current drug situation in the city, knowing every rumour and trick, and knows a great deal about peripheral areas of knowledge, such as violent crime. This would make him extremely useful to the police, if he weren't so antagonistic towards them. Attempts to bridge the gap with police informants have been unsuccessful - The Fiend knows if anyone is planning to give his information to the cops, and has no qualms about fingering such "narcs" at the worst possible times.

Aside from such cruel tricks, the Fiend has never behaved in a violent manner, preferring to flee from any direct confrontation. This may be an actual ban on his behaviour, or a personality quirk. The Fiend speaks in a extremely stilted manner, and frequently uses outdated slang.