📖 Origin Story
In the ancient age when the Moonrise Empire was still called "Ashihara no Nakatsukuni," humans lived on this land alongside gods and the dead. In those days a family of shrine maidens known as the "Saigū" guarded the Tokoyo Forest in the northeast for generations — said to be the boundary between the living world and Yomi, where the remains of the ancient evil god "Yamata no Orochi" lay sealed.
Three hundred years later, human faith gradually waned, the power of the gods declined, and the Saigū family split apart through infighting. One branch withdrew into the deepest part of the Tokoyo Forest, cut off from the world, and devoted itself to studying the ancient arts of "kidō" and "kotodama," gradually becoming the Mystic Village of today.
They believe that everything in this world is made of "kotodama" — words are power, and names are bindings. They guard the seal on Yamata no Orochi, and they also guard a far older secret: gods are not born, but created by human faith and fear. When humans no longer hold the gods in awe, new gods will be born from human desire.
The current Grand Shrine Maiden, Kagura Chizuru, is the nineteenth head of the Mystic Village. Her true age is unknown; it is said her mother was the previous Grand Shrine Maiden, and her father a mountain god who had taken human form. The power of the divine flows in her blood, but because of it she bears a curse she cannot escape — every time she uses the power of kotodama, she loses a piece of her memory.
🏔️ Geography and Key Locations
Tokoyo Forest: A primeval forest in the northeast of the Moonrise Empire, shrouded in thick fog all year round, where sunlight cannot pierce the canopy. Ancient trees tower into the sky, their roots tangled like snakes, and everywhere lie fallen torii and moss-covered stone statues. It is said that travelers who stray into the forest are lured by the dead and lose their way forever. Only Saigū who have undergone the "purification rite" can come and go freely.
Mystic Village: A hidden village in the deepest part of the Tokoyo Forest. Its entrance is a giant red torii, and beyond it stone steps lead down into a gorge whose bottom cannot be seen. The village's buildings are mostly of timber and thatch, ancient in style, as if frozen in time centuries ago.
Grand Shrine: The shrine at the center of the village, enshrining the memorial tablets of every past Grand Shrine Maiden of the Mystic Village, along with a replica of the legendary divine sword "Ame-no-Murakumo" (the original is said to have been used to reinforce the seal).
Netherworld Abyss: A chasm behind the village whose bottom connects to Yomi. The Saigū coming-of-age rite must be held here — guided by a shrine maiden, the initiate descends into the abyss and forms a contract with their guardian spirit. It is said countless whispers of the dead echo at the abyss's bottom.
Shrine of the Seal: A stone shrine deeper still within the Tokoyo Forest, shaped like a giant overturned bell. Sealed within it is the eighth head of Yamata no Orochi — the most dangerous of all, said to hold the power of "destroying kotodama," able to reduce any word to nothing.
Bell Chime Falls: A waterfall in the Tokoyo Forest whose water rings against the rocks as clearly as bells. This is the sacred ground for training with the kagura bells; in a cave behind the falls stand stone tablets inscribed in "jindai moji," the script of the Age of the Gods, left by past Grand Shrine Maidens and recording ancient curse arts long since lost.
⚔️ Skill System of the Mystic Village
The Mystic Village's skill system centers on curse arts and kotodama. Its practitioners do not cultivate true qi in the dantian, but build on "cursed power" — a force from the depths of the soul, closely bound to the practitioner's bloodline, faith, and will.
Growth in skill is cultivation — in the Mystic Village, skills advance not through physical toughness, but through the depth of one's understanding of life and death, yin and yang, and kotodama.
📖 Inner Method
Return to the Abyss
The Mystic Village's foundational inner method, rooted in an understanding of the power of Yomi. Practitioners must go into seclusion in the Netherworld Abyss for seven days, using their own "true name" as the catalyst to commune with the power of the dead. This method does not cultivate true qi in the dantian, but stores cursed power in the blood and bones; when used, cursed power seeps from the body like black mist.
This method has three stages:
First Stage, "Sensing the Dark": Able to sense the dead and demonic auras, and to strengthen the body briefly with cursed power. Those at this stage can walk freely in the Tokoyo Forest without being bewitched by the dead.
Second Stage, "Commanding Spirits": Able to summon a contracted guardian spirit to fight, or to attack an enemy's mind directly with cursed power. Those at this stage are called "Spirit Commanders," the backbone of the Mystic Village.
Third Stage, "Returning to the Void": A legendary stage in which one can briefly become a spectral body, immune to physical attacks. The price is losing a piece of memory permanently after each use. Those at this stage are called "Void Returners"; in the Mystic Village, only Grand Shrine Maiden Kagura Chizuru has reached it.
The method's training mantra: "See the dark without fear, command spirits without confusion, return to the void without forgetting."
🗣️ The Art of Kotodama
The art of kotodama is the Mystic Village's core curse art, founded on the belief that "words" themselves have power — every word spoken changes the world.
Kotodama · Bind
Binding an enemy's movements with words. The practitioner must infuse cursed power into their words, so that the moment the enemy hears the voice, their body goes rigid.
This art has three stages:
First Stage, "Halting the Feet": Able to briefly stall an enemy's steps. Those at this stage must chant the incantation aloud; wherever the voice reaches is the range of the binding.
Second Stage, "Binding the Body": Able to freeze an enemy's whole body for several breaths. Those at this stage need only chant softly, and the binding is stronger when the target is clearly identified.
Third Stage, "Fixing the Soul": Able to briefly separate an enemy's soul from their body, leaving them completely unable to act. Those at this stage must know the enemy's "true name," which greatly strengthens the binding.
Kotodama · Break
Destroying an enemy's curse arts, barriers, or magical artifacts with words. The practitioner must use the power of kotodama to "deny" the existence of what they face.
This art has three stages:
First Stage, "Breaking Barriers": Able to break simple barriers or illusions.
Second Stage, "Breaking Spells": Able to break an opponent's curse-art attacks, reducing their cursed power to nothing. Those at this stage are called "Spellbreakers," the main force against evil curse practitioners.
Third Stage, "Breaking Names": Able to break the contract bond between an enemy and their artifacts or guardian spirit. Those at this stage must know the opponent's "true name," and can render the enemy's artifacts useless in an instant.
Kotodama · Forbid
"Forbidding" something from happening with words — the most powerful art of kotodama, and the most dangerous. The practitioner pays with their own lifespan or memories to issue a "prohibition" to heaven and earth.
This art has three stages:
First Stage, "Forbidding Movement": Can forbid an enemy from moving or attacking for a period of time.
Second Stage, "Forbidding Arts": Can forbid an enemy from using a specific curse art or martial art.
Third Stage, "Forbidding Names": Can forbid others from calling a certain name — the key art for sealing Yamata no Orochi. Those who perform it must offer up their most precious memory as the price.
Ultimate Secret of Kotodama | True Name Release
The highest realm of the art of kotodama — not binding or breaking, but "calling." The practitioner calls forth the "true name" from the depths of their own soul or another's, releasing all their potential for a short time. The price is forgetting one's own true name after use, and never being able to use the art of kotodama again. This art would only be considered if the Mystic Village faced utter annihilation.
🔔 Dance of the Kagura Bells
A system of curse-art combat using the "kagura bells" as its medium, joining the sound of the bells with cursed power to create many forms of attack. The chime of the bells is not only a means of attack, but a bridge for communicating with guardian spirits.
Bell Chime · Soul Calm
Ringing the bells in a specific rhythm to soothe the dead and break illusions. This is the most basic skill of Mystic Village disciples, and the heart of the purification rite.
This art has three stages:
First Stage, "Laying Souls to Rest": Can soothe ordinary dead spirits so they cause no more trouble.
Second Stage, "Breaking Illusion": Can break low-level illusions, bringing the bewitched back to their senses.
Third Stage, "Suppressing Malice": Can suppress fierce, malevolent spirits, leaving them temporarily unable to act.
Bell Chime · Mind Bewilder
The sound of the bells rings directly inside the enemy's mind, causing hallucinations and confused memories. This is the Mystic Village's most commonly used combat curse art.
This art has three stages:
First Stage, "Lost Way": Leaves the enemy briefly disoriented, unable to tell north from south.
Second Stage, "Confused Heart": Throws the enemy into confusion, so their attacks may strike their own allies.
Third Stage, "Self-Forgetting": Makes the enemy temporarily forget who they are and what they are doing, losing all will to fight. Those at this stage must know the enemy's "true name" for the effect to be stronger.
Bell Chime · Demon Break
A high-frequency, vibrating chime that deals direct damage to demonic beings and curse practitioners. This is the Mystic Village's strongest weapon against the evil path.
This art has three stages:
First Stage, "Repelling Demons": Can drive back low-level demonic beings and damage them.
Second Stage, "Breaking Evil": Can shatter the protective cursed power of evil curse practitioners, collapsing their defenses.
Third Stage, "Slaying Demons": Can deal fatal damage to high-level demonic beings or powerful followers of the evil path. Those at this stage must pour all their cursed power into the chime, and temporarily lose their cursed power after using it.
Bell Chime · Yomi Call
A forbidden art that uses the sound of the bells to open a rift into Yomi and drag enemies inside. Whoever uses this art is also eaten away by the power of Yomi; the price is terrible.
This art has three stages:
First Stage, "Opening the Rift": Opens a brief rift into Yomi, pulling in nearby enemies.
Second Stage, "Ferrying Across": Can drag a chosen target into Yomi, but requires some connection to the target (such as knowing their true name or holding a lock of their hair).
Third Stage, "Road to Yomi": Opens a road into Yomi, dragging in every living thing within several zhang. Whoever performs this art permanently loses half their lifespan.
Ultimate Secret of the Kagura Bells | Heavenly Rock Cave
The legendary ultimate form, said to silence every sound within ten li, plunging the enemy into absolute silence and helplessness. Whoever performs this art must offer themselves as the sacrifice, sealing their soul within the chime of the bells. This art has never been used — because once it is performed, the caster can never come back.
👻 Guardian Spirit Contract
In their coming-of-age rite, disciples of the Mystic Village must enter the Netherworld Abyss and form a contract with their guardian spirit. A guardian spirit may be the soul of an ancestor, a spirit of nature, or some ancient being.
Contract · Possession
Letting the guardian spirit briefly possess one's own body, gaining strength and speed beyond human limits. This art has three stages:
First Stage, "Partial Possession": Lets the guardian spirit attach to one part of the body (such as the arms or legs), enhancing that part's abilities.
Second Stage, "Full Possession": Lets the guardian spirit attach to the whole body, gaining several times the strength and speed of an ordinary person for a short time. The price is extreme exhaustion afterward.
Third Stage, "Unity of Human and Spirit": Complete fusion with the guardian spirit, no longer separate. Those at this stage can switch in and out of possession at will during battle, with greatly reduced side effects.
Contract · Summon
Summoning the guardian spirit into the living world to fight in physical form. This art has three stages:
First Stage, "Manifesting": Lets the guardian spirit appear briefly, for a very short time.
Second Stage, "Taking Form": Lets the guardian spirit become solid and fight for a period of time.
Third Stage, "Descent": Lets the guardian spirit descend in its strongest form, able to fight independently. Those at this stage must share an extremely deep bond with their guardian spirit.
Contract · Resonance
Joining minds with the guardian spirit, sharing senses and thoughts. This art has three stages:
First Stage, "Sensing": Can perceive the surroundings wherever the guardian spirit is.
Second Stage, "Sight and Hearing": Can see and hear distant scenes through the guardian spirit's eyes and ears.
Third Stage, "Shared Senses": Can fully share all five senses with the guardian spirit, and even cast curse arts through it.
Ultimate Secret of the Contract | Spirit Domain
Fully releasing the guardian spirit's power, unfolding a "domain" belonging to the guardian spirit in the living world. Everything within the domain is under the caster's control — strengthening allies, weakening enemies, even changing the laws of physics. This art requires the bond between caster and guardian spirit to reach its absolute peak, and every use greatly shortens the caster's lifespan.
Mist-Hiding Steps
Footwork inspired by the thick fog of the Tokoyo Forest; when used, a faint mist rises around the body, and one's form flickers in and out of view within it. This lightness skill does not seek speed, but "the disappearance of presence."
This lightness skill has three stages:
First Stage, "Hiding the Form": Can hide one's form in the fog, hard to discover.
Second Stage, "Silencing Sound": Footsteps without sound, breath without trace, completely merged into the surroundings.
Third Stage, "Selflessness": The practitioner becomes one with the surrounding mist — not only does the body vanish, but even breath and fluctuations of cursed power are completely hidden. Those at this stage are called "the Mist-Hidden," able to make enemies completely unaware of their existence even in broad daylight.
Grand Shrine Maiden | Kagura Chizuru
The nineteenth head of the Mystic Village, who looks to be in her thirties, though her true age is unknown. She has waist-length black hair and deep violet eyes, a face cold as frost, and always speaks without expression.
No one in the Mystic Village can match Kagura Chizuru's cursed power: her "Return to the Abyss" has reached "Returning to the Void," and her "Art of Kotodama" has reached "Forbidding Names." But the price she has paid is also the most terrible — she has forgotten almost everything before she turned twenty, and cannot even remember what her own mother looked like. Her study is covered in notes that read "Chizuru, do you still remember?", each followed by something she must not forget.
She never leaves the Tokoyo Forest, yet knows everything that happens in the outside world. It is said she has a paper crane driven by cursed power that can fly a thousand li and bring back news. When the wars of the Moonrise Empire began to intensify, she showed a look of worry for the first time — she had sensed the seal loosening, and something ancient beginning to awaken.
Heir | Kagura Shizuku
Kagura Chizuru's adopted daughter, only sixteen. She is not Chizuru's own child, but an orphan found at the edge of the Tokoyo Forest eight years ago. At the time she was covered in blood and unconscious, with no family beside her — only a white shed snakeskin wound around her wrist.
Shizuku is cheerful by nature, completely at odds with the Mystic Village's gloomy atmosphere. Her gift for curse arts is extraordinary; at fourteen she completed the coming-of-age rite in the Netherworld Abyss and formed a contract with a white serpent guardian spirit. But Chizuru has always kept a secret from her — the cursed blood of Yamata no Orochi flows in Shizuku's body.
During a recent inspection of the seal, Chizuru found that when Shizuku's blood touched the seal, the jindai moji on it began to peel away. The mystery of Shizuku's origins may bear on the survival of the entire Moonrise Empire.
Guardian | Tatenashi
Captain of the Mystic Village's guard, born into a samurai family that has served the Saigū for generations. He is tall and silent, always wears a white fox mask, and never shows his true face. Some say his face was ruined by a demonic being many years ago; others say he isn't human at all.
Tatenashi uses no curse arts whatsoever, guarding the Mystic Village purely through martial skill. His weapon is a giant nodachi called "Zan'yōmaru," its blade five feet long and engraved all over with demon-breaking runes. His "Mist-Hiding Steps" has reached "Selflessness," letting him sense the exact position of any intruder in the fog; he is called "the Demon of the Tokoyo Forest."
His protection of Kagura Shizuku borders on obsession — wherever Shizuku goes, he silently follows. When someone asked him why, he answered with only one sentence: "Her blood should not be spilled in the world of men."
Guardian of the Seal | The Old Man of the Shrine
Guardian of the Shrine of the Seal, an old man who looks as frail as a candle guttering in the wind and dozes all day in front of the shrine. No one knows his true age; Kagura Chizuru says he already looked like this when she was a child.
The Old Man of the Shrine never speaks, expressing himself only with nods and shakes of the head. But his eyes have never truly closed — when anyone approaches the seal, he opens pupils as black as an abyss, and the visitor falls to their knees without meaning to. It is said his true form is the first head of Yamata no Orochi, severed by a Grand Shrine Maiden of the Age of the Gods, sealed with cursed power, and given the duty of guarding the remaining seals. The staff in his hand is in truth a divine artifact, "Ame-no-Sakahoko," the only weapon that can truly kill Yamata no Orochi.
The Imperial Court: The Mystic Village nominally reveres the emperor as an "arahitogami," a living god, but in practice it is completely independent. The court has sent envoys bearing imperial edicts into the Tokoyo Forest many times, hoping to use the Saigū's power to end the wars or reinforce the seal on Yamata no Orochi, but Grand Shrine Maiden Kagura Chizuru has never answered. The court's attitude toward the Mystic Village is "respect from a distance" — it dares not offend them, and cannot command them either. Chizuru's explanation: "What we guard is not the emperor, nor the Shogunate, but the line between this world and Yomi."
Kaga Clan: A complicated relationship of mutual use without mutual trust. The Kaga Clan needs the Mystic Village's curse arts to carry out certain "impossible" missions (such as making a target "die naturally" in their sleep, leaving no trace); the Mystic Village needs the Kaga Clan's intelligence to know what is happening in the outside world. The two occasionally cooperate but never trust each other — the Mystic Village sees the Kaga Clan as "willing to do anything to reach its goals," while the Kaga Clan sees the Mystic Village's curse arts as "a weapon more terrifying than any blade." The Kaga Clan once tried to steal the Mystic Village's sealing arts to use against the Kagemoon Sect; Tatenashi discovered them and cut down several, and the two sides have kept their distance ever since.
Reform Blade Alliance (Reformation Blade Alliance): Almost no direct dealings. The Reform Blade Alliance is focused on political revolution and has no interest in a reclusive power like the Mystic Village that "keeps out of worldly affairs"; the Mystic Village, for its part, has no wish to interfere with the Alliance's political ideals. The only indirect link between them: the Kaga Clan has planted spies in the Reform Blade Alliance, and the Mystic Village's Kaga intelligence network occasionally picks up on those movements. Chizuru's attitude: "They want to change the order of the human world — that's their business. We only concern ourselves with the order of Yomi."
Gessho Sect: Mutual respect, different paths. The Gessho Sect and the Mystic Village both pursue "power of the spirit," but by completely opposite paths — the Gessho Sect is grounded in the Dharma, holding that one may "break the precepts without losing the Buddha-heart, and spread the Dharma through the palm"; the Mystic Village is grounded in curse arts, holding that one should "subdue demons with kotodama and commune between yin and yang." The two have held several debates between eminent monks and shrine maidens, and neither could convince the other, but each respects the other's cultivation. Gessho Sect Master Tsukigoshi Genshin once sighed: "We don't understand the road they walk, and they don't understand ours. But perhaps both roads end in the same place." In facing the threat of Yamata no Orochi, the Gessho Sect has offered support, but the Mystic Village politely declined — "This is the Saigū's duty; outsiders should not have to pay its price."
Kagemoon Sect (Kagemoon School): Almost no dealings, but a shared enemy. The Kagemoon Sect and the Mystic Village have neither direct conflict nor any cooperation. The Kagemoon Sect focuses on iaijutsu and military strategy, the Mystic Village on curse arts and sealing, and their paths of cultivation never meet. The only link: both are enemies of the Kaga Clan — the Kagemoon Sect sees the Kaga Clan as "traitors" and "craftsmen beneath the flame," while the Mystic Village sees it as "an untrustworthy user." Kagemoon Sect leader Temba Jiro once said privately: "If the Kaga Clan ever threatens the seal of the Tokoyo Forest, the blades of the Kagemoon will move for the Saigū." Whether he meant it, no one knows.