Naram-Sin

*Long is the way and hard, that out of Hell leads up to light...**This article is about The Dark Pictures Anthology's third installment,* ***House of Ashes***
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**Sub-Pages**

* **Naram-Sin**
* Gallery

## Biographical Information

### Alias(es)

King (by Balathu and guards)
Fool (by Kurum)

## Technical Information

### Model

Michael Addo

King **Naram-Sin of Akkad** is a supporting character in *The Dark Pictures Anthology*'s third installment, *House of Ashes*. He is the self-proclaimed "God King" of Akkad, and is engaged in a war with the Gutians. He was voiced and motion captured by Sami Karim and was modelled on Michael Addo.

## Appearance

Since Naram-Sin is almost completely covered by clothing, his physical features remain a mystery. The only thing known about his appearance is that he has dark skin and brown eyes.

As a king, Naram-Sin is dressed in accordance with his status - he wears a very ornate, red robe with gold sleeves and a green bottom, adorned with many patterns. Naram-Sin's most prominent feature is a large, gold mask with a beard that covers his entire face and head. He also appears to have on sandals.

## Personality

As revealed by Aline Journeau in her document, *Curse of Akkad*, Naram-Sin was initially a pious and penitent man, believing in the help of the Gods. However, when he prayed for answers for seven years and never received anything, Naram-Sin showed his vindictiveness by gathering an army and vandalizing the temple of Enlil. Having brought down the wrath of the Gods, he built a temple to appease them and get rid of the curse.

When this didn't help and the Gutian Army prepared to march to Akkad, Naram-Sin fell into complete madness. He ordered the sacrifice of the captured Gutians, desperately hoping that this would save his kingdom. He became so erratic that even his own generals and guards feared him, and some debated abandoning him altogether.

## Biography

The self-appointed "God King", Naram-Sin was the grandson of Sargon the Great and ruler of the Akkadian Empire. According to legend, the God Enlil turned against the king. After years of praying for an answer as to why, Naram-Sin took up arms against the God, leading his army to sack Enlil's temple in the city of Nippur.

As punishment for this act of blasphemy, the Gods supposedly cursed Naram-Sin and the Akkadian Empire with a war against a mountain tribe called the Gutians, leading to famine and plague. Seeking a way to end the curse, Naram-Sin constructed an elaborate temple as a way to earn the Gods' forgiveness, but unknowingly built it atop the remains of an ancient alien spacecraft.

By the year 2231 BC, Naram-Sin became so desperate to end the curse that he began having captured Gutians (as well as several of his own acolytes) killed as sacrifices. However, the curse was too late to be stopped, as during an eclipse in the heat of battle, Naram-Sin was killed by a monstrous force.

## *House of Ashes*

### Prologue

As the Gutian Army prepares to march on Akkad, Naram-Sin meets with his general Balathu about the upcoming battle. Having begun killing captured Gutians as sacrifices, Naram-Sin expresses frustration that the curse still continues. One such Gutian woman is brought before Naram-Sin, who orders Balathu to execute her. After a brief struggle, either Balathu or another guard (depending on the player's choices) kills the woman by impaling her with a spear. Later, as the Gutian Army begins their assault on the temple, Naram-Sin watches from his throne as an eclipse shrouds the temple in darkness, with his arms outstretched in prayer.

After escaping from his prison cell, the Gutian captive Kurum makes his way to the main hall to try and kill Naram-Sin. Upon arriving however, he found Naram-Sin and his guards already dead, having been drained of their blood by the vampires that were awoken by the fighting going on above them.

## Relationships

### Balathu

Balathu served as the general of Naram-Sin's army. Despite being weary of Naram-Sin's growing instability, Balathu remains in the temple to avoid the famine and plague outside of it. Although Naram-Sin trusts Balathu, if the general disobeys his order to kill the Gutian woman, Naram-Sin will criticize Balathu and angrily ask if he wants to sacrifice his own blood instead.

By the time the vampires attack the temple, Balathu has fully turned against the late king, referring to him as "mad" and responsible for the curse placed upon Akkad.

### Kurum

Although the two never interacted, Naram-Sin saw Kurum as a "demon" for being a Gutian and planned to execute him along with the other prisoners. Once Kurum escapes from his cell, instead of escaping from the temple, he went to the throne room armed with a sword, seemingly with the intent to kill Naram-Sin.

## Trivia

### *Secrets*

* Naram-Sin and the curse associated with him are the direct subjects of the *Curse of Akkad* document.
* Part of the Finds Catalog is dedicated to Naram-Sin's life.

### *Facts*

* The actual Naram-Sin ruled the Akkadian Empire from 2254-2218 BC. Along with his grandfather Sargon the Great, he became a near-mythical figure in Mesopotamian legend and story.
* The *Curse of Akkad* epic poem was first ascribed to the Third Ur Dynasty sometime between 2047-1750 BC. According to the poem, Naram-Sin attacked the city of Nippur and sacked the temple of the wind god Enlil. This led to the Gods sending an army of Gutians to Akkad, who destroyed the kingdom.

### *Deaths*

* Naram-Sin is one of many characters in the anthology who always dies.
	+ Moreover, Naram-Sin is one of many characters in the anthology who dies off-screen.
* Naram-Sin is one of many characters in the game who can be mauled. In Naram-Sin's case, he can be mauled by a vampire.

### *Other*

* It is never made explicitly clear in the game whether or not Naram-Sin was actually the victim of a genuine supernatural curse, or just falsely attributed natural events (drought, famine, etc.) to be actions of the Gods. The Finds Ledger seems to imply the latter however.

## Quotes

* Spoken by Naram-Sin
* Spoken about Naram-Sin