I — The Icon Found

In the year 271 AF, a young Ashtani happened across a small statuette of a veiled woman, carved in jade. She was immediately overcome by frightening visions. Rationally enough, she sought out the contemporary experts in nightmares: the Sons of All Night's Dreaming.

This clan began to study the icon, but was quickly stymied by its willful capacity to disappear from one's grasp, only to be found again later. Meanwhile, the visions it induced in all who touched it began to grow more extreme — suicides, murders, and madness trailed in its wake.

As they scrutinised the Jade Icon, the dreamers discovered that it was cracked, with a chip missing; from this break flowed an ineffable cold. Casting about for help, they succeeded in attracting the attention of the Obeah Ecstasia, a reclusive order of clerics who had served Valnurana since the days of Seleucar.

II — The Icon Restored

Improbably enough, the Sons were successful in locating the missing shard. They brought this to the Obeah cleric Emese, who stood ready to restore the icon and put an end to the waking disturbances.

This did not go smoothly. Three nightmare spirits manifested and sought to persuade those present to slay the cleric and maintain their freedom. In the end, though, Emese was able to restore the Icon and bring calm back to the minds of mortals.

When Seleucar fell, Lady Dream withdrew from the realm of mortals. As She went, She instructed Her foremost nightmare spirits to remain in the Dreamrealm, and to communicate with mortals only through dreams — and through the Jade Icon, guarded by Her reclusive clergy.

III — The Spirits Named

The spirits abided by their restriction for centuries. In time, though, they grew restless, and worked to crack the Icon from within. As Emese taught of the four spirits sealed within, none seemed to notice that only three had been witnessed struggling against their re-imprisonment.

Dibbuk — of madness

Cur — of fear

Erinyes — of guilt

Alp — of truth

Soon enough, this oversight would become apparent.

IV — The Icon Shattered

Four years later, fatigue and nightmares were rampant among Sapients. Emese, when summoned, was able to discern that it was Erinyes who had escaped capture.

The spirit of guilt tested and discarded mortals, until she found an adventurer fit for her aims. Guiding him to the Icon and infusing him with her power, she urged him to shatter it completely. This he did, amid the dunes of the great desert.

With the Icon destroyed, all four nightmare spirits ran rampant on Achaea — but only for a brief while. For then Valnurana awoke anew to this realm, and gathered the spirits home into the Dreaming.

They reside there even now — though on occasion, they do slip through into Waking again, delighting for a while in the pleasures of physical form.

✦ ✦ ✦

His story — and its warning — now complete, Miuryn settles into stillness.