There are three rules you are taught the day you enter the Institute Of Accoutermentia.
Generally regarded as one of the most difficult manifestations of rubian crystals, the animation of a nightstand is a taboo that dates back to the very first days of High Elemenstation. Some believe that the difficulty in creating a nightstand is because the beings are inherently slightly infurnal and thus require a minimal knowledge of Blood elemenstation.
High Elemenstation is partially based on the concept of the ineffable Allsoul that lives within all items. Even before an item is transchanted to life, it is somewhat aware of its surroundings. For reasons as yet unknown, the nightstand becomes very bitter about its station over the course of its Non-Life. It is theorized that it grows bitter, being pushed to the side of the bed, little more than a shelf for night-time reading or false teeth.
Nightstands, when animated, become remorseless killing machines. They prefer to enter the home while the victim sleeps, then perch by the end of the bed and watch the victim sleep, possibly for hours, before silently murdering them and slipping away into the night. It is rumored that a Nightstand was responsible for some of the most brutal massacres of the age of The Savage Brutality Of The War Men.
There it stood, outlined against the sterling silver moon. It was the Nightstand. Felthar struck with his Elemanifestation of Penetrating Tentacles, but the savage stool managed to break free, being stronger than he could imagine. "Cubby!", cried Felthar, "Cubby, where are you?". It was the moment of dread, Felthar later would say. He could hear the fulminations shouted at him by a savage beasts.
And then, the first false jaw sprang at him from the darkness. ~Book 6, chapter 5
One of the best documented cases of Nightstand related chaos is chronicled in Book 6: Nightstand's Peril. This abomination of magic was brought about by Gorg Stinkrot.
It is believed that the Elemenstor who transchants a Nightstand has nothing to lose, or is a total nutfob idiot. Probably both - see Gorg Stinkrot.
Their natural enemy is the Mightstand.