Kikimoras

Overview

Kikimoras are ancient house spirits that linger in the middle crypts beneath The Citadel. They appear as frail, witch-like women, cloaked in shadow. Despite their unsettling presence, they are not demons or purely malevolent beings. Kikimoras embody the uneasy balance between life and death, creation and decay.

They are not demons or monsters, but restless spirits that have adapted to their surroundings. The Kikimoras still see the crypts as their home, tending to bones and ruins as though they were caring for a household long gone.

History

Long ago, Kikimoras followed people into their homes, watching over families and keeping order. When people began to vanish and The Citadel grew over sacred ground, many of these spirits were trapped beneath it. The death magic from the Runemark of Eternity spread through the stone and twisted everything inside, including them.

Over the years, the Kikimoras changed. Their kindness faded, replaced by a haunting need to "care" for the dead. They sweep bones into neat piles, whisper lullabies to lost spirits, and become violent only when their routines are disturbed. To them, the crypts are a home that must always be kept in order, even if no one living remains to appreciate it.

Behaviour

Kikimoras are territorial. They avoid the living unless provoked but will attack anyone who disturbs the crypts they care for. They are drawn to death magic and often gather near sealed chambers or burial sites. Their presence keeps the balance in the crypts by feeding on excess magical energy, preventing dangerous buildups that could spread upward into The Citadel.

The Arvendor see them as both a threat and a necessity. Destroying a Kikimora can cause instability in the crypts, but leaving them unchecked risks attacks on explorers and scholars. As a result, they are carefully monitored rather than hunted.

Significance

Kikimoras show how death magic changes what it touches. They were once gentle spirits of the home, but centuries in the crypts turned them into keepers of the dead. They are not evil, only shaped by the magic around them.

To meet a Kikimora is to see what happens when a spirit clings to its purpose for too long. Even in death, it continues to serve, caring for a home that no longer belongs to the living.