FEAR
Adaru, or Fear, is the ultimate main villain of the entirety of the canon of Halloween Horror Nights, and was the icon of Halloween Horror Nights: Twenty Years of Fear in 2010 where he had been revealed to be the mastermind of the past 19 years of horror. Fear was utilized as a main connective tissue for all of the previous HHN original icons and the event itself.
He hosted Horror Nights in 2010 and has appeared in 2021.
FULL STORY
DEMONS AMONG US: UNCOVERING EVIL
We know fear as a response to a perceived threat: To be frightened or terrified. It allows us to be cautious when presented with a situation which might cause us harm. But before the Middle Ages, fear was not used to illustrate an emotional response but instead defined an event or phenomenon, a physical thing, an entity. This is not a new idea. Greek mythology calls by name not one, but two gods of fear.
The possibility that fear has a physical presence is mentioned in several ancient scrolls believed to be written by Babylonian priests. The scrolls describe that the demons of chaos, death, sacrifices, mythos and vengeance heralded the way for a greater evil; an evil trapped inside an object. The priests call out that every five thousand years these five demons take form and claim souls in preparation for the arrival of Adaru or, translated from Sumerian, fear. For when the demons have claimed enough souls, Adaru will reveal himself and bring hell with him.
However, in order for the five to even begin to prepare for the coming evil, they must first physically exist... they must be created. Egyptian wall paintings depict five men standing around a lantern and dressed to represent the demons of Adaru. The soul of Chaos is always depicted laughing wildly and revealing himself from, or holding an object like, a Pandora's box. Death is always calm and calculated, seen all in black holding an hourglass. Sacrifice is shown always creating something no matter the cost. If it’s a painting, it is his own blood that soaks the canvas and a sculpture is created using the bones of the ones he knows. Mythos is always represented by someone holding a blood stained scroll or book. Vengeance is depicted showing one individual bludgeoning another with an object. This object is always seen with light emanating from it.
Another wall painting reveals the five men bowing to what is believed to be Adaru the Demon of Fear. Shown standing in flames that lead back to the lantern, Adaru has a hand outstretched from which thorny brambles wrap the five men completely. Blood surrounds them.
EMERGENCE
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort was used as an outlet for Fears Herlads to usher in the demons release from the lantern. Beginning in 2000 with Jack The Clown and continuing every year since up until 2010 when Fear would be ready to be revealed. Soon after his release from the lantern, Fear began to manifest himself over various electronic media in the month leading up to Halloween Horror Nights 2010. The first evidence of this was in a soundbite from a security camera in the Universal Art & Design building during a blackout. At first, the noise sounded like a voice speaking gibberish, but when played backward, an ethereal, gravely voice could be heard speaking a message: "Nineteen years... Nineteen cycles... What has been decades for some has been Eons for me... On the Twentieth cycle... I shall be revealed!"
Not long after, Fear began to appear in video clips, revealing that nearly all of the previous Icons were merely pawns to help draw him into this world, and that soon he would change Halloween Horror Nights forever.
PREPARATION
On September 16, during the filming of one of (but eventually was the only) the Production Die-ries in the haunted house, Horror Nights: The Hallow'd Past, Art & Design team member Heather Summers was possessed by Fear, demanding that all those watching come to the event so that he could feed on their terror. Fear claimed that he is inside everyone, and that soon they would all bear his "Mark", holding up a red-hot branding iron with a XX brand as he said this.
Soon after, videos began appearing on the Halloween Horror Nights website, where Fear began speaking through the previous Icons, his Five Heralds: Jack the Clown, representing Chaos; The Caretaker, Death; The Director, Sacrifice; The Storyteller, Legend; and The Usher, Vengeance. They claimed that the previous 19 years were only the beginning, and that a new era of darkness would soon arrive.
ARRIVAL
The heralds fulfilled their tasks. Their malice provided him bone, their rage gave him blood, and their terror fulfilled his soul. What has been 19 cycles for some have been eons for him. He's waited patiently for the final piece, and now on the 20th cycle... HE IS REVEALED!
On September the 24th, Halloween Horror Nights: Twenty Years of Fear began, and Fear revealed himself in all his terrifying glory. He harvested all the fear provided from the event attendees and enjoyed his time outside of the lantern. After the event, the lantern's light went out and Fear was forced to retreat to his prison, where he waits patiently to be released again. It is rumored that Fear, despite being trapped, is still manipulating Universal Studios' staff members by making them design more creatures and haunted houses and scarezones for future events.
RETURNS
In recent years, it seems that Fear's influence has caused corruption amongst the Legendary Truth's senior staff's inner circle.
In 2015, some of his lantern-faced minions appeared alongside the Icons as one of Jack's maniacs, suggesting that Fear is still influencing the park staff.
In 2021, Fear could be seen ushering guests into his Lantern realm along with the other icons as they all battled each other for supremacy inside the realm.
It is believed Fear is gearing up for yet another return on the 40th cycle of Halloween Horror Nights in 2031.
