The haledroni /ˈheɪlədroʊni/ is a sinewy, red-and-grey stranger characterized by its jagged, yellow teeth, exaggeratedly large head, hands, and feet, and comparatively short tail. Its inner mouth is a striking crimson shade, and its tongue is thick and pointed. When touched, this stranger's feverish skin leaves behind an oily residue, and its flesh is black, with a body cavity filled with bright red intestines that float in near-boiling blood. The strain reeks of blood and metallic alloys, as does its territory.

Though flammable, the haledroni's body resists burning, and can even survive the heat of a furnace. It heals from small cuts within minutes, with even deep wounds closing up within several days. Scarring, however, remains evident in the form of light-colored patches.

The haledroni speaks through a voice that is medium-to-deep in tone, and rasping and rapid in pace – its speech a nonstop ramble of incantations, expletives, and desperate growls. Its language is characterized by its large number of trills and retroflex consonants, along with limited, non-sensical fragments of human language.

The haledroni appears in a wide range of environments,^Ⴟ but always on roadways or large, concrete-walled passageways of some kind, such as underpasses, maintenance tunnels, and abandoned garages. It never appears in any environment which receives direct sunlight, and prefers dim, yellow-tinted lighting. When the haledroni first appears, it rises from the ground as a black, oily mass, which it then sheds to reveal its body.

The haledroni's demeanor is marked by its constant, seething agitation. It stands with a hunched-over posture, and unlike many strangers, is capable of limited bipedal locomotion. The highly territorial haledroni restricts itself to a small area, inside of which it paces in circles, scratches at the walls, and hisses at any light that shines into its lair. Even during periods of rest, the haledroni bites at the tips of its fingers or pants and gasps through tightly clenched teeth, as though out of breath. When it speaks, it clutches its head between its massive hands, shaking slightly as it does so. The haledroni also appears to suffer from a "nausea" whose side effects may help balance its stability, and at irregular intervals, it sways from side to side before it vomits up a stream of blood that sizzles and dissolves upon hitting the ground.

Although interactions between individuals are rare due to this strain's self-isolating, territorial nature, confrontations between haledroni are not unheard of, and these fights are short and savage, always ending in death for the weaker individual.

The haledroni displays uneasiness towards animals, and sputters at the intermittent passing of stray creatures. Despite its size and aggression, it appears fundamentally fearful of new stimulus, and as such, tends to shrink away if these animals approach, attacking only as a last resort.

It does not consume organic matter.

The haledroni is drawn to the human form. In this attraction, haledroni can be categorized into two personality types – overt and inert. An overt haledroni (approximately 87% of individuals) covets objects and images which resembles human bodies – both three-dimensional (dolls, action figures, mannequins, and full-body articles of clothing) and two-dimensional (photographs, posters). A further fifteen percent of overt haledroni display attraction to objects and images which resemble the human form only incidentally, as well; i.e. some stains on the wall, misshapen mattresses wrapped up with medical-grade barbed wire, or luggage bags stuffed with plastic wrappers.

Meanwhile, an inert haledroni (approximately 13% of individuals) does not take interest in the entire human body. Instead, it is only interested in the human head and face. As such, it may seek out objects which a overt haledroni ignores – masks, styrofoam wig-holders, and some electrical outlets. Even when an inert haledroni covets full-body objects, such as dolls, its focus is limited to the head.

Once the haledroni has found an item which catches its interest, it fawns over it with singular focus, ignoring all outside stimuli. At first, the haledroni shows a great deal of compassion towards a coveted object. It holds it in its palm or strokes it as though comforting it, the haledroni's fervent temper briefly soothed. Even in this subdued state, however, the stranger's destructive foundation remains evident, as with increasing frequency it yanks, twists, bites, or scratches at the object of its affection. Eventually, it wears the object down to a point where it no longer resembles a human form – at this point, the stranger's state returns to aggressive agitation. It slams its head against hard surfaces around it, scratches its eyes, cracks its teeth by biting concrete, gnaws off its fingertips, and drives sharp objects into its side.

The wary haledroni seethes when a sensitive is nearby, before it approaches with riveted attention. At first, it is passive, and strokes the sensitive's cheek, shoulders, or wrists.

Within several minutes, however, the haledroni grows violent, and snaps the sensitive's hand, or drives its fingertips between their ribs. It attacks with frenzied vehemence – twisting, yanking, biting, and slamming them against the ground.

The haledroni only stops attacking once the body or face (depending on type) cannot be recognized as "human" in shape. Though not impossible for a sensitive to survive an attack, prognosis is typically grim due to the severity of the injuries caused by this stranger.

Once its victim's form has been similarly degraded, the haledroni becomes expectedly sorrowful and despondent.

As the haledroni ages, its internal organs liquify, and it expels a thick, bloody substance from its mouth. Splash by splash, its internal structure is expulsed through its throat. Once exsanguinated, the stranger collapses with a hacking, livid scream, and the joints of the body pop as its frame hits the ground. The corpse remains for several weeks before it deludes itself into a dark, oily substance. Others of the strain display fear towards any haledroni corpses they find, and give them a wide berth.