Milk Bat

While still worshiped by a mad few the cult of the Milk Rat has all but decimated her places of worship and still actively seeks to destroy all traces of her existence. It has gone so far that it has become customary for Milk Rats most fanatic followers to devour written mentions of Milk Bat. Many of the remaining mentions of her are riddled with the bias and propaganda of Milk Rats devout so while she may very well be evil incarnate there is no true way to know. In order to remain as neutral as possible I have elected to compile mentions of her in order to let you draw your own conclusions.

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(Journal Entry)

[The following was recovered from a damaged journal I believe belonged to the founder of the Evergreen Mystery Society]

23/04/1972

I have been interviewing the people that refer to themselves as the “Denless” and have finally managed to uncover information on the weird altars I have seen. Apparently, they have been here since before the campus was built, although nobody has been able to tell me how far they date back. They tell me that they are built by two cults that worship rival entities, both beings of night but one darker than the other. Supposedly they get into frequent altercations and go out of their way to desecrate one another’s places of worship. One cult hides their shrines in small places were only rats could travel comfortably while the other hides them high up in the trees. Nobody can tell me who started the conflict, some believe they have been at each other’s throats since their inception. I hear things are getting worse. Supposedly, they have taken to recruiting students and with more bodies the scuffles are becoming increasingly violent. I don’t think both cults will be around much longer without the other being erased so I'll try to interview them while there is still time. Maybe they can explain some of the weird stuff I have seen here. The Denless for all their help make me nervous, while I understand the cultists being here because this is a site of worship the Denless seem to be here for no reason. I have tried asking what they do and why they refer to themselves as the Denless but the most I’ll get is a wink or a laugh. They have been nice enough in general but something is fundamentally off about them. I get a feeling that if I want real answers I'll have to find other people to interview, maybe the strange loners I keep seeing by the water. I don’t think they are students.

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(A proposal recovered)

[Members of the Green Coven and other dreamers have been known to broker deals with The Strange and this sometimes takes the shape of a letter. I found this moldy letter open and jammed into a hole in a tree, the letter signed in a sticky yellow compound that formed letters I have never before seen.]

Night Mother I come to you with another bargain. I called your name in the night yet you refuse to see me, however, my offer is one I know you await.  Your master toys with us and a battle is imminent, I will pledge my loyalty along with that of my disciples to your side as long as we may be granted safe passage to the new age that it heralds. We will wait for your call, in the dark.

May your siphoning be eternal

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(A warning from Milk Rat cultists)

[Worshipers of Milk Rat seldom call out the name of Milk Bat for they believe uttering its name is to call forth calamity. The few times its name is uttered is simply to warn others or dissuade them from seeking it.]

Dark wings, dark woods

Teeth of black and eyes of red

Scoops up children from their bed

Hide your children under the floor

Splash the milk upon your door

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(A R.A.D account)

[Rad Services is believed to hold the highest concentration of Milk Bat worshipers and indoctrinates staff whom they believe to be worthy. Their cult’s hold over RAD Services has weakened over time but it is one of the last few places where surviving lore can be found. The following is an account from a member of the cult that used to work in RAD services.] 

I still worship her, in my own way. Going in I thought it was all a gag, I mean “Milk Bat” & and “Milk Rat” aren’t names that evoke a sense of divinity or power. I heard of Milk Rat first but they were unable to indoctrinate me, it all just seemed so silly. It was shortly after that when RAD hired me, people there hung out outside of work, I thought they were going to bars or you know doing normal stuff. I remember I was heading out one day when a guy I was pretty friendly with invited me to join them. I had nothing better to do so I went along. It was awkward, they led me to A building, getting progressively more serious. Along the way out of the darkness other people joined in the march, seeming to go the same place as us. Upon seeing Lori, Kelly, William, Arlene, and David, I got confused, unsure of what was happening and why all these seemingly random and somewhat important people were going to the same dilapidated building. I believe I even saw John there. They lined into the building and my curiosity had me join them. They didn’t turn on the lights and I remember stumbling as the group started to pick up pace, it was hard to see but they seemed to be taking turns crawling in and out of a hole, each leaving with a strange grin upon exiting. I was starting to get nervous but had come too far to turn back. My heart pounded as the line became shorter. I was greeted by a robed figure when I came next to the hole and they seemed to acknowledge I was new. They handed me a small coin with a bat etched into it. At the time I didn’t think it strange that I could see it so clearly despite the darkness. My friend beckoned me to the hole and my nerves started to steady; I don't know why but I knew I was safe. Once I made it through I learned it led to a room vaguely lit by candles and filled with the stench of old milk. I saw damaged depictions of Milk Rat and strange markings that lined the room. A figure beckoned me, upon approaching they simply said “take something”. I still think back to that night, it was a long time before I learned what we were doing there, how we hurt their bloated goddess. It wasn’t the last time we desecrated one of their sites, apparently we used to have sites of worship too but the rat is diligent and made quick work of whatever we erected. Eventually, worshipers decided to put all their efforts into hurting the rat rather than rebuilding what they tore down. The Bat is not a joke, nor is the Rat but when you worship Milk Bat there is no coy dance, we know we serve a real power and to make light of her is to challenge a god. The Bat gave a great many gifts from her pits and made sure those who suckled on her and stood steady on her land rose to power so they could better combat the Rat. As I came to realize I was joining a war I ran away. I have never been a soldier; I still hear her calling to me you know? The night always needs more servants and as long as the Rat stands she will need soldiers. While she used to seek praise she found comfort in being unknown and I doubt her followers will let you out her easily. The Bat does her best work when none knows she is there.  

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(“Witness” account)

[Milk Bat lives beyond our tongues and nervous glances. The following is an account of an individual who claims to have witnessed her flesh]

I like to go on walks at night. People always joked and said the night walker would get me but I’m not afraid of the dark or make-believe specters like the pipe people or security breathers. Not to say that there are no monsters out there, just that most are human… most. I was out by the Eld Inlet at shell point, the moon wasn’t out so you couldn’t see the water but seeing is overrated. I could hear the gentle slush compliment the chorus from the mosquitoes that sniffed my sour body, a gentle rustle of leaves guided by winds filled the void and made my heart full. A space no matter how large is never empty as long as there’s sound. In a swift moment the chorus was interrupted by knives cutting the air and twisting it into foul shapes. At first I suspected a bird, maybe a common nighthawk but it quickly became apparent its dance was too large for that bird's frame. I stood still taking in its whole being with my ears. It's important to never just listen with your ears, there are too many sounds we can’t detect but if your body is still and you can get your innards to silence themselves you can feel the subtle waves that travel unheard. I felt its call on my skin and only then did I realize what flew before me was a titan of a bat. My certainty was unflinching despite my absolute lack of vision and I decided it was sensible to make some distance between us. The path was as dark as the shore, but I had long committed it to memory. Perhaps I could have followed it if its call did not tickle the back of my neck and send me into a panic. I heard it weave through the trees like an elegant needle sowing my demise. I crashed into a sturdy tree that sent me stumbling back, as I went to stand back up I heard the thing land like a comet, its weight sinking the ground as it did my heart. The crunch beneath its steps was so distinct and decisive like a guillotine singular in purpose. As it came closer sweetness filled the air as the taste of iron flooded my mouth. Its breathing was gentle, definitely not befitting of the hulking beast. I felt a warmth wrap around me, the rest is a blur. I woke up in the middle of Red Square with a thick fatty substance lining my mouth. It was sweet like candy but none that I'd ever tasted. It took me a while before I tried going on another night walk, but once I did it felt like no night was quite as dark.

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Like me you are probably left with more questions than answers but I think that is what Milk Bat wills. Where her alignment lies especially in opposition to Milk Rat is not something I think will be clear to the public anytime soon. If you are unsatisfied with the half-made conclusions and loose strings this has left you with I suggest you go digging yourself. While her agents may silence me that does not mean you cannot uncover the truth.