Itsumade

Kanji: 以津真天
Kana: いつまで
Pronunciation: Ee-tsoo-mah-deh

TRANSLATION: Until When?
ALTERNATE NAMES: None
ORIGIN: 14th Century; Taiheiki

HABITAT: Skies over disaster zones or war-torn cities
DIET: Suffering, Corpses

ABILITIES:

• Haunting cry ('Itsumade? Itsumade?')
• Disease spreading
• Flight

WEAKNESSES:

• Master Archery
• Addressing the suffering (burying the dead)

OVERVIEW: Itsumade is an eerie bird monster that appears during times of plague, war, or famine. It flies over the Imperial Palace or mass graves crying out 'Itsumade? Itsumade?' which means 'Until when?'—asking how long the suffering and neglect will continue.

APPEARANCE: It has the face of a human, the beak of a bird, the body of a snake, wings of a hawk, and claws of a beast. Its wingspan is roughly 5 meters. Matches the description of a chimera.

BEHAVIOR: It is more of an omen or a manifestation of collective grief than a predator. It circles over unburied bodies or neglected victims, demanding action from the authorities. If the bodies are buried or the suffering alleviated, it vanishes.

INTERACTIONS: In the Taiheiki, it plagued the Emperor's palace until the archer Oki no Jirozaemon shot it down. The bird is a grim reminder of leadership's responsibility to the people.

OTHER FORMS: None.