Shifter

Shifters (sometimes known as Boogeymen) are animavores that dwell within the dream worlds, and they devour human souls, gaining their form and their memories in the process. As a result, a Shifter grows more intelligent with every human soul they consume.

Overview
Shifters, as their name implies, have the ability to take the shape of any human they have consumed although they can take the form of a non-human monstrous abomination of virtually any shape. Prior to the consumption of any humans, shifters appear as gooey, black slime that blends into shadows. Often, they target humans sleeping in a totally pitch-black room, approaching from either under the bed or from the closet - they move through the shadows then proceed to engulf the human - the speed of which is often determined by how much fear the shifter wishes to generate.

Shifters, unlike most creatures, aren't driven by a hunger for sustenance. Instead, their defining base trait is curiousity and their simple desire to feel human emotions. The prey's emotions have different flavors although preferences vary based on the individual. Fear and hopelessness are considered by some to be the best tasting, while tranquility is said to be bland.

Shifters are driven away by light. As such, they always dwell in areas of perpetual darkness, and come out to strike at night. In spite of their horrific nature, most shifters generally aren't considered evil, and most don't even realize their prey actually ceases to exist upon consumption. Many will consume no more than a few humans in their entire life preferring only a few forms, but the most powerful of shifters will voraciously eat whatever they can to grow in power and intelligence including other shifters.

As such, many go into hiding, trying to live among other humans and repressing their own curious desire to consume. However, within Dark Town, many openly walk about in their abomination form engaging in an ecstatic, lively lifestyle. While mostly civilized, the Dark Town Shifters occasionally engage in cannibalism due to the general lack of humans in the area.

Relation to Shadows
Shifters are more advanced versions of Shadows which also appear black, formless slime. However, Shadows cannot take on an organic form, only arrange themselves into different shapes - and they cannot consume humans either, only able to "sip" on them by causing them terror and fear. Also, Shadows are not sentient and operate entirely on instinct.

Notable shifters

 * Bella - Bella is a shifter that consumed the soul of a girl that took her own life after being driven to a deep depression. However, Bella failed to fully absorb the girl's essence and now, both minds exist simultaneously and commune with one another.  Because this act was considered a form of heresy by the other shifters, Bella was banished from Dark Town.  She would have been eaten, but her condition made her considered inedible and poisonous.  The other shifters believe that if Bella were eaten by another shifter, they would also suffer from the same multiple-consciousness condition.
 * Lugoshin - Lugoshin, the leader of the shifters in Light World, has absorbed hundreds of souls, gaining so many forms that he chose to expand himself to possess an entire abandoned manor estate in Dark Town. All of his victims are projected to act as workers across the entire estate.  As such, Lugoshin is best described as a living haunted house.