Nerezza

There are many opposing theories surrounding the lore of 'Santa Clause'. Some believe him to be a benevolent and joyous man who prides himself on his ability to deliver millions of presents in a single night with nothing but an old wooden sleigh and a herd of mystical reindeer to guide him. Some believe he is a God, a being whose powers are far beyond the human capacity to comprehend; so much so, we create tall tales of elves and reindeer, workshops and lists, good and bad. All to appease the minds of curious little imaginations, inquisitive little eyes and innocent wonderous questions.

And yet, with these tall tales, little minds are filled with awe and hope, little eyes burn with a new sense of wonder and innocent questions evolve something much more dangerous, something much more unpredictable, yet delicate all the while. Belief. Exhilarated by a new and powerful belief, the little minds of children being to further these tall tales, adding small details that build and build with every light giggle and exaggerated playground game. With a quality belief, there is a quantity in power.

Or at least, that's how it should be.

For beings like 'Santa', belief is his driving force. For every playground game, his spirit sores; for every bedtime story, his blood races; and for every new believer, his lifeforce flares. Without believers there is no power, there is no existing.

....

So how did the famous kind-hearted 'Santa' keep his holiday alive for centuries? A simple 'Ho Ho Ho' could only get a man so far...

How did a single being manage to keep a swarm of elves and a herd of reindeer under his command without a single surge of opposition through the decades?

Was it the magic of Christmas? Of the love, his believers shared throughout the festivities? Was that all it took to ensure a 'Merry Christmas'?

Was Time herself powerless against this boisterous man?

....

....

No.

There had to be more to the stories.

There go your bones

That couldn't be the whole truth.

Buried with stones

Nothing was immune to Time, nothing could hold so much power for so long. Everything fades. ..But why hasn't he?

Come the new year

And the whole truth it was not. For there was something far more sinister behind the pretty lights and magical displays, something far worse than false belief.

For this creature wasn't powered by belief.

It was powered by fear

You're fed to peers


The man in red must stay joyous and pure. That is an absolute.

But there was nothing in that job description that said he couldn't hire a different Enforcer, someone to carry out the lowest of his commands without ever stepping into the festive light. A creature to clean up his silent mess before it even had a chance to make a sound.

There is a creature - known mostly as an Arracht - a fearsome beast above all else. #

A beast that lurked in the shadows of his royal jolliness, reflecting mockingly at the children who happened to glimpse at the sleigh that danced silently across the night sky once a year.

Ever wonder how Santa keeps the same set of reindeer? Despite the lack of immortality within the sturdy species? And no, even Santa cannot grant someone immortality.

Parents may say, "It's the children of the generation of reindeer! They just pass the names through the family!"

But that wasn't true at all. Genetics had nothing to do with their ability to fly. Hell, any creature at all could pull the wooden sleigh through the sky. It's just reindeer are cemented into his image, being seen without them could damage his reputability and by extension his devout believers.

To remedy this, he enlisted another, forever shadowed creature, the Arracht to keep his herd in check. Much list horses who fall in a high-stakes race, the Arracht watch silently for any flicker of weakness or defiance, slinking dangerously through their master's shadow, simply waiting for the smallest falter. And when he sees it?

Lights out~

Nighty night~

Tip toe, Tip toe

All through the snow

THEY CAN'T BE SAVED

So did up their graves

But don't shed a tear~!

Christmas is here!