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The Fantasy Bat: A Great Servant of the Night
Sunfire
CONTENTS
Introduction
Creatures of all shapes and sizes dwell within the various habitants found in fantasy worlds. Some are taller than the average human whereas others are smaller than the width of a finger. Some are good and some are evil and one of the latter, the fantasy bat, brings with it fear and apprehension of its scary capabilities.
The bat is a common feature of the genre, appearing in nearly all works, and for good reason. It is a flying rodent that doesn’t have just the ability to bite, it can kill someone or turn him into a vampire, provided it carries the vampiric gene. Many people flee in fear of this aerial creature.
As a denizen of the night, the fantasy bat is notoriously fond of places steeped in darkness. As a creature capable of flight, it can be found in many places across the world. For those who are brave enough to venture into one, having a light source handy can help them penetrate the seemingly endless darkness, thereby letting them see the bat.
In the context of worldbuilding, the bat has a lot going for it. One, it is a highly versatile monster, meaning it can be used in many ways. One of such is to serve as a nuisance for the protagonist when he is exploring a place that has little to no light which makes it one of the greatest threats he’ll face as he navigates said place.
This is article number twenty-three in the various kinds of fantasy creatures series. Want to see what else we have? Head on over to our blog page where you can find many more that cover a wide variety of topics and it shouldn’t take you too long to find one you’re interested in!
The Wings of Horror of the Fantasy Bat
Appearing in countless works in the genre over many decades, the bat has remained consistent in terms of its appearance. It is so recognizable that whenever new viewers see it for the first time, they instantly know what it is. Though its name may vary from world to world, this aerial monster is not to be taken lightly.
Depicted as a rodent with wings, the fantasy bat is typically colored black to emphasize its affinity with the darkness, both the nighttime and the forces of evil though it can come in other colors. It has a small wingspan though it can fly great distances. It uses its fangs to bite its prey, whether it be for sustenance or to eliminate a threat.
What makes the bat stand out amidst the creatures of the genre is that it has exceptionally bad eyesight and to compensate for it, it uses an ability unique to it: echolocation. It emits sound waves and they bounce off objects like trees and people and the bat uses them to approximate the locations of things in their surroundings. This helps them make sense of what’s around them which proves handy when it comes to hunting.
The fantasy bat itself comes with several abilities besides echolocation that makes it a threat to people. For example, in some species, its fangs are laced with poison, meaning that whenever it bites someone or another animal, its victim has a chance of being poisoned and could very well succumb to it.
Another ability this monster has is to drain the life out of its victims, a characteristic it shares with the vampire which also takes the form of a bat. It leeches the life out of its victim as a means of survival, filling it with newfound strength that it then uses to move onto the next one.
Large versions of the fantasy bat use their wings as a weapon. They can generate small windstorms that knock their target off kilter or hit them violently as to make them lose their balance. They use them to catch their target off guard before attempting to sink their fangs into the discombobulated foe.
Places the Fantasy Bat is Fond Of
Since the bat appears in many works across the genre, there are several places where one is likely to encounter it. These areas all have one characteristic in common: they are awash in the darkness which isn’t particularly astounding, considering this creature has an affinity for it. Travelers would be well advised to carry protection whenever they venture into one of these places so that they can defend themselves in the event of a bat attacking them.
The number one place the fantasy bat calls home is the cave. Not just your run-of-the-mill cave but all its varieties which include the crystal and icy ones. They receive practically no light, making them the perfect place for the bat to settle down and take one as its home. It’s fine sharing the cave with other animals since it can stay anchored on the ceiling, making it less likely any other inhabitant can reach it.
The bat especially is fond of abandoned buildings. It could be a church, barn, or even a home. It can burrow inside and remain there all day long, waiting until the last of the light fades and darkness descends upon the land and it emerges from its hiding place to roam around flapping its wings. If it stumbles upon a vacant building it likes, it will take it as its home and live there until either it is driven away or it dies of old age.
In stories that place a strong focus on dungeons, like The Legend of Zelda for example, the fantasy bat is among their denizens. It can be found in a number of spots, from the ceilings to the walls and even within small structures. Normally it doesn’t post a threat to the protagonist by itself but in large numbers, it does. In some tales, one serves as the boss of a dungeon or possesses powers that far outstrip their brethren, greatly increasing its threat to the hero.
One last place where you can find a bat is in an area that is associated with the darkness. It could be a dark land where an evil power rules, a mountain range that offers many great spots for it to evade the light, or a jungle with oversized trees so thick it is difficult for light to reach all the way to the ground. These sites give the bat everything it needs so that it can live another day.
The Role the Fantasy Bat Plays in Worldbuilding
Since the bat is part of the many tales that span fantasy, one might be wondering what precisely is the role it plays when it comes to worldbuilding? At first glance, it is just one of the many creatures that populate the world where it does its own thing. However, if you dive deeper, you’ll soon realize that it has a multifaceted role and it plays it to great aplomb.
In the majority of the stories it has a presence in, the fantasy bat serves the role of being a minor irritant to the protagonist. The hero character encounters it many times throughout his journey and deploys a variety of means to vanquish it, from relying on his trusty sword to unleashing a salvo of magical bolt towards it. This scenario occurs in dungeons and outside areas in the nighttime when it springs forth from its hiding place.
Regarding worldbuilding, a deadlier role this winged terror plays is to serve as an emissary of evil. It can carry messages from one dark servant to the other, though only in the cover of the night where it can move about without detection. It can also guard strategically important places such as a fortress or a pass though it requires far more than one in order to do so to great success.
The fantasy bat can also serve as an active agent of evil where it seeks to spread the power of its master across various lands. It joins the ranks of his army, being dispatched to assist in conquering areas. It relies on its abilities such as biting its victims to help its master claim victory.
The bat is a plague upon the world, bringing maladies to whatever areas it calls home. It can slowly drain the vim and vigor of a thriving area such as a forest, turning it into one tinged with despair and drive away many of its original inhabitants. It multiples in number quickly and it spreads to other places that eventually suffer the same fate if left uncontrolled.
When it comes to worldbuilding, the fantasy bat is a fantastic addition since it does many things. Since it is associated with the forces of evil, it is used as a foot soldier, assisting its master in spreading gloom and darkness across the world. It is full of life when it is nighttime and wreaks havoc at a time where many people are sleeping and those who have to be out must carry protection in the event they cross paths with one. No matter how you use it, it’ll be a great asset to both your world and story!
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Thanks for reading this and until the next time,
Sunfire
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