Lore24 Mar 21: An-Kerrak

*Content warning for depression and suicide*

The an-kerrak are a group of demons that specialize in fostering regrets, and driving people to suicide. Their appearance varies greatly, but they can and will turn invisible, stalking their chosen prey, slowly poisoning their thoughts with doubts, fanning the flames of their self-hatred, and making them feel miserable.

In the more advanced stages of haunting they begin to talk telepathically to their victim, trying to convince them that even the things they did well were somehow flawed, that everyone secretly hates them, especially their close friends and family who only pretend to like them, and that they are better off dead. In the end the an-kerrak sits on the shoulder of the victim, literally weighing them down with their magic, ever egging them on to take their own life. Their preferred method is jumping off from high places, but hanging oneself of drowning in turbulent waters is also popular. They urge their victims to avoid ending their own life with blades or by jumping into fire, as those are seen as more honorable ways to go, and the demons want to deny every shred of dignity from their victims.

An-kerrak are very difficult to get rid of, mostly because they hide themselves so well, and because by the time they come out of hiding the victim has already given up on trying to get help. If a priest or sorcerer manages to catch them though, it’s usually over, as they aren’t typically the most physically imposing of demons, preferring to hide and run, rather than fight. There are also numerous preventive measures one can take against them, the most popular ones being purchasing an amulet from the local temple, carrying a piece of one’s own dried out placenta, or spilling salt on the threshold of one’s house (the An-kerrak must count every grain of salt before entering the house, which causes its invisibility to slowly fade, making it vulnerable).

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