Ikuras

Note: This being is not a Daemon, but a greater spirit. None of the book is yet known to the people of Anthos.

Ikuras, Daemon of Fear and Insanity

“And so it was that (Ikuras) was imprisoned, entombed by his brothers in fire and earth.”

- Diary of Grigory Adeveci

There are few things in Ancient History more mysterious, more dark, than the tale of Ikuras, the Daemon of Fear. What little we know is written in the Diary of Grigory Adeveci, a monk who was by all accounts insane. However, it is the belief of some that Ikuras is very real, and that his story is true. The following is an analysis of Grigory's writing.

The journal begins fairly ordinary.

"Greetings, my name is Grigory Adeveci. I am writing this in my little room in the abbey. All is quiet now here at night and I believe it is safe to bring the artifact out. Allow me to describe this artifact to you, it is a small key, appearing as a dagger. It appears to be forged of a crystal material, and shimmers darkly when I turn it towards the light. Tomorrow I will study it more."

Records suggest that Grigory was a part of the abbey's archaeological studies, and collected this artifact, this key, on a dig. The next passage is where Grigory begins experiencing odd dreams.

"Last night I had a vision. The world was drenched in a shadow. It looked like a damp, heavy shadow. I could not see through it, only hear the mad laughter from underneath. I do not think the artifact is safe to show anyone else. I will have to see what happens upon my sleep tonight."

The next day the journal goes on.

"My nightmares last night were nothing short of disturbing. I was the land, and I could not see. But I felt things, crawling on my back, hairy, gaunt, rotting. I must destroy the artifact or I will be unable to sleep."

There are varying arguments addressing why Grigory did not simply remove the artifact from his presence. The most prevalent belief is that he was already turning mad. This is Grigory's last sane entry.

"My dreams were good, heavenly last night. I dreamed that a thousand lights came down from the heavens and sucked away the darkness. I do not know where they imprisoned it, but the darkness was locked away somewhere, the fear was locked away."

Here Grigory appears to have gone completely mad. This is several weeks after the sane entry. His writings get longer and longer periods of time between them.

"I don't know why I tried to break myself. He told me it was bad but I did it anyway. I had to try and escape from myself. I should have known I should have known I should have known I would shatter. The fear is eating me now. I see my blood on its teeth teeth teeth."

The repeating of phrases is very prevalent in the insanity writings. Always he repeats something three times. The second line in this next entry is so oddly out of place, it is assumed that this obscure prophecy came to him in a bout of sanity.

"The fear fear fear is eating me I don't know why the lights made it gone the light made HIM gone gone gone. And so it was that he was imprisoned, entombed by his brothers in fire and earth. Ikuras. From the same divine spark as Iblees and Aeriel. Creator preserve me it said the name it said the name name name it must never say the name.”

At this point Grigory constantly refers to himself as “it.” This next entry is the final one, written one month after the last.

“They crawl all over it. The wolf, the spider, the corpse. It is the First Continent, and it feels them on its back back back. Now it is the Second Land, and it is free free free of the fear fear fear. But now it is the Third Place, and it is back back back. It is feeling the wolf the spider the corpse again again again. The key is the prison. The key is the prison. The key is the prison.”

Disturbingly, the last three sentences, the repeating of “The key is the prison” is written in Grigory’s own blood. Records show that he committed suicide after this last entry.