ＩＳＬＡＮＤ　ＯＦ　ＯＵＴＣＡＳＴＳ．

Welcome to the village.

It happens swiftly and without warning.

Perhaps you’re stepping into the threshold of your home after a weary day of travel when it happens. Perhaps you’re walking into a heavily crowded street or by yourself on a splintered sidewalk, mindfully avoiding the cracks. Maybe you’ve stepped into another room, a hall, or past a swaying curtain. Perhaps you’re merely walking over a line drawn in sand.

Wherever you are hardly matters, because you’ve crossed a boundary.

Gathering your bearings and following the signs of life will lead you to this quaint village entrance which is currently being guarded by a human and youkai. They only need to take one glance at you to know you’re one of the newcomers and easily step aside to allow you through. They won’t answer your questions and won’t ask why you’ve come – what matters is that you’re here. After all, there is meaning in everything.

女心と秋の空
You arrive on the thirteenth day of the eighth month, plunged in a mist like mountain clouds, snaking across forest paths and village roads. The air is crisp and smells of pine trees and moss and freshly dug earth.

Travel to the rice fields to find the farmhands reaping stalks of swaying gold, shimmering warm in the sun’s stead. The maple trees and ginkgo set the landscape of the island aflame in crimson and saffron yellow. The sun peaks and dips between drizzle-dark clouds; autumn is upon Kishima, harvests abound and skies fickle.

The Harvest Moon arrives in two nights and you’ll find the residents, youkai and human alike, reverent and preparing to enjoy the season’s bounty.

Scattered in pockets on the island are the young apprentices on their farms, coached by mentors to carry on generational traditions of the harvests: taro, soy beans, chestnuts, pumpkins, rice. Some of these farms, you learn, are endangered, carried on only by the old dignity of one especially mortal human or two. On such a sparsely and uniquely populated island, it’s a miracle that such a wide variety of crops are cultivated to begin with–some of the cynical villagers like to say.

But it is awful sad. Good thing fresh blood like you is here now.

a. THE GRAPE VINE

The withered shack at the corner of the village is home to the old Fudou couple, whose humble home attracts all manner of minor ghosts and youkai. One-eyed haunts blink in the shadowed corners of the couple’s room as they diligently rise before the sun. While they inspect the vines with tender fingers, malicious spirits make bets on how long until they croak. A crude lantern lolls its tongue at their backs as they check the soil, either obliviousness or a bodhisattva-like patience keeping their expressions focused.

Although they never ask, their kind smiles and gentle bows compel you to help them, even past their first polite refusals. Eventually, they show you how it’s done. How to assess the flavor, how to feed the soil to adjust it, how to keep pests away, what to look for before harvesting, how to prepare the seeds for planting, and of course, how to plant them and begin the cycle anew.

“Grape stems represent the connection between people and the moon,” they tell you as they hand you your keep. “Please enjoy these tonight.” And perhaps, you can help them with their pest problem.

b. THE TARO FIELDS

If you’re not motivated by pity, Imokawa, a man who produces taro, yam, and radishes with the help of his brother and young niece, has a rather gracious reward for any help provided in the back-breaking work of pulling tubers from the ground.

“We still have some leftover chrysanthemum wine from last month! It’ll knock your sandals right off,” both brothers insist.

It’s true, to their credit. Chrysanthemum wine is a blessed wine from one of the Three Great festivals, potent enough to intoxicate a god.

It’s a sweet, silky wine that makes the body feel vibrant and powerful. And you’ll find that sharing in a cup with another will make its effects stronger.

c. THE RICE STALKS

If neither bounty nor generosity moves you, perhaps a right threat will.

In the golden ocean of rice stalks is a hurricane, sweeping over the cascading hills with winding, fast-moving gusts. It’s a surreal and terrifying sight as stalks of rice are severed to the tune of singing steel. Clusters fall to the ground in shockingly neat bundles.

“That’s Kenyuu,” one solemn neighbor explains. Kenyuu the kamaitachi, who’s weaseled his way into the domain of one of the largest rice farms on the island. He’s an angry, disgruntled thing, and has not only scared off any new hands for the fields with violent threats, but has also pushed out all the others one by one, until only he was left to harvest, dry, thresh, mill, and polish the rice.

But the proud Heike does not last long, they say, and Kenyuu has been struggling in recent years to keep up with the workload of the seasons, but if you dare approach him during one of his many breaks, he snaps to the offensive. Sickle-claws disappear into a blur of wind before he charges right for you. Taller than an ox and faster than a falcon, these are no mere paper cuts he leaves behind; if you slip up, you could lose a limb.

The island magic makes it so newcomers cannot kill the current residents, but you can still knock him down a peg and get the rice farms back on track, even if just for a season.

Autumn’s bounty is best enjoyed with company, and nothing warms the heart and body like preparing a nourishing meal for another. Do what you will with what you’ve earned–enjoy it as is, bring it to your temporary lodging if you’re eager to whip up a particular dish, or take it to a better cook than yourself, such as a fellow newcomer, or a trustworthy resident.

It’s a wonderful opportunity to bring your own harvest season traditions. This is a community of outsiders, after all, it’s important to keep an open mind.

But remember, the village is small and sparse enough that there is no central gathering area, which means that sharing means distributing on foot. Take the time to take in the gentle autumn wind, the red of the bush clover, the blush of the nadeshiko, the cries of the orange-crowned warbler–and to meet a neighbor.

Make your way to the garden gates of the mansion, for there is an event going on in its courtyard. Atop a small platform sits someone dressed in fine, colorful robes, their long sleeves adorned with curling sea waves and sparrows. If one looks closely one might notice their face is rather flat… and not only that, but made of wood and string– a tsukumogami biwa. They walk proudly along the edge of the platform, fan in hand, plucking a single string every now and then as they speak from a time of long past:

“Never let it be said that soul-moving poetry cannot be uttered among commoners such as ourselves.”

It goes on to explain that a poetry reading is currently taking place, and everyone who’s set foot in the garden is now taking part.

The rules are quite simple. Beside the platform sits a table with strips of paper, ink brushes and ink stones upon it. One writes their own poem and exchanges with another; they then read aloud their partner’s poem and will judge it.

Anyone is welcome to come and write their own poems, and in fact, it appears as though the garden gates are closing for this part of the event.

All who have managed to find themselves here are now trapped by the tsukumogami’s ceremony, and must complete at least one poetry reading before the gate will open.

Do your best!

The last yellow and pink streaks of sunlight smear away into the foggy distance of the cliffs far off and night creeps in closer and closer. The temple monk Tsuda burns incense in the first hour of evening and lights their stone lanterns. A wizened Nurarihyon sits on a dusty veranda, sake cup in hand, eagerly awaiting for the familiar haunting glow of the full moon.

But the moon is nowhere to be found.

There are a few stray clouds– long interlocking grey stripes which menacingly hover overhead, but nothing that the moon’s face would not be able to pierce. As the darkness falls completely over the island the youkai begin to stir with anxiety and distress. The moon should be up in the sky, hanging like the brightest pearl in the sea. Were their calendars off? Was there a mistake, somehow?

The villagers are alerted– all at once– by the sounds of panicked cries at the entrance of the village. A group of children dash forward through the gates and before they can be reprimanded for leaving the village at night with such dangers out and about one child blurts:

“The moon! It's in the forest!

A-And it tried to eat us!”

Each child tells their own tale of the moon— it tried to eat them, it chased them through the trees, it giggled as they tripped on roots and fell on their faces. The stories are rather unconvincing, but as the villagers descend towards the entrance one of the adults points out:

“What is that glow… does anyone else see it?”

If one were to peek out through the gate they would see it— a single glowing moon drifting between the trees, about the size of a single lantern. And there are more in the distance: silent floating orbs of haunting yellow and white, appearing one second and vanishing the next behind a tree. The villagers begin to panic amongst themselves— why are there several moons? Why are they in the forest?


It isn’t long until the village chief steps outside the village to see for herself. She has a pensive look on her face as the darkness of the night seems to settle around her like a stage. After a moment of silent observation she turns to the villagers, a resigned look on her face.

“It seems we may need to ask another favor of our newcomers…”

You are being asked to trek into the forest and investigate the mysterious moon sightings, as well as find out what happened to the real moon.

Newcomers are deeply encouraged to trek the forest in groups— and for good reason. Touching upon the ebbing wave of energies released from the false moons allowed the village chief to learn how to approach and resolve the situation, and one by one she shares this knowledge with the newcomers.

---

Paper lanterns illuminate the streets and walkways, keeping the darkness alongside the village walls at bay. Youkai glance knowingly past the village’s walls, sensing the presence of other spirits through the trees. The forest is being inhabited, and it needs investigating.

Distant sounds of laughter fill the pitch-black night. Tall evergreens loom overhead, the silhouettes of their gnarled branches and roots only visible by the light of a lantern. A cacophony of sounds rises around you, some organic and some not. Traveling in pairs or bigger groups is encouraged—and be sure not to trust every wayward light you see.

Eventually, deep in the forest where a profound sense of apprehension eats away at even the bravest of warriors, you’ll find it. There, floating between the trees– a moon surrounded in its own halo drifts towards you, and if one listens closely, one might hear that same giggling from before. The moon will become more responsive the more you stare at it, until it's practically bouncing with energy.

“That’s right! Look at me! Look only at me!”

The voice that cuts through the silence is young and full of elation. One might notice the faint shadow of a mouth cutting through the moon’s image, with white teeth and a pink tongue.

“Beautiful, am I not? Look at me. Worship me!”

They feed off your attention like plants in dire need of sunlight and soak up as much as it can get. They’ll follow you, laugh at you, and will do whatever it takes for you to keep your eyes on them forever. Each is after only one thing: your praise and attention and they will keep the true moon away for as long as it takes for that to happen.

Attacking the moons outright will result in the ethereal orbs simply vanishing from your sight and reappearing a moment later. The same outcome will happen if you try to grab one and trap it, if you can even manage to catch it so high above the forest canopy. For better or for worse, you must listen, and be clever. The goal is to have the moons surrender willingly, once their conditions have been met.

a. WAXING CRESCENT

The Waxing Crescent Moon cuts through the night like the edge of a scythe and laughs just as sharply. Its body rotates and bounds effortlessly from tree to tree, cackling as it goes. Speaking with this moon will reveal that it is lively, impatient, and loves following the current trends. “There’s a new game going around,” it begins, “where you have to answer one of the following questions, or you’ll be cursed forever!”

• “What is the name of the person you most want to see now?”
• “Who is the sexiest person on this island?”
• “If your crush told you they liked your best friend, what would you do?!”
• “How many people have you kissed?”
• “Who's hotter: you or your companion?”
• “What’s your favorite body part on someone else?”

And unless you’re blessed with excellent luck, it’s best to answer with truth, for curses, like all the otherworldly spirits and monsters, are very real on this island.

b. FIRST QUARTER

The First Quarter Moon is equal parts light and dark, and it seems the personality seems to match the face just as well. Basking in the attention of this moon will reveal that it seems reasonable and reliable at first, giving the Newcomers advice and complimenting them on their bravery for entering the woods at night. However, that attitude will swiftly shift to a sudden barrage of self-loathing, towards you and itself. There seems to be something of a sensitive personality here, with the moon’s mood switching from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. The best way to get this moon to surrender to you is to offer it positive and negative traits about yourself in solidarity.

Do your best to keep your answers balanced, despite any temptation to pile on one side. For one negative trait, you must also offer a positive trait in order to match the moon’s perfectly equal faces. Lean too positively or too negatively and the moon will not only be unsatisfied, it will match your energy and spiral the conversation.

c. WAXING GIBBOUS

The Waxing Gibbous is mostly alight as it hovers in your periphery, and the first thing you may hear from it is a challenge or a taunt. This moon is all energy and self-confidence personified, claiming it could leave these woods easily and just chooses not to. The moon is easily bated into a challenge and this is where you and your party must get creative. Will you challenge the moon to a race, perhaps a singing contest? Will it fall for your offer to see who can reach the top of that tree in the shortest amount of time?

If you can’t think of anything, fear not– the moon has a box of kikatsugan that you can test your courage on. Kikatsugan on its own has an infamously bitter and medicinal taste–but the moon presents a few flavor variations, all in the extremes: salty, sour, and spicy.

Regardless of what threat you pose, the moon will be far easier to convince when it's absorbed in its goal to crush you in competition.

d. WANING GIBBOUS

The Waning Gibbous, compared to the other moons, seems rather tame. It’s a humble, soft-spoken moon which thanks the Newcomers generously for showing it some attention and considers itself beneath their shining presences.

Be wary, however, for this moon has a strange secret. It loves to indulge in scenes of affection. It wants to see passion, romance, and courting. In order for this moon to surrender, it demands to see a kiss! Anywhere is fine, so long as contact is made.

e. THIRD QUARTER

The Third Quarter moon’s personality becomes pretty apparent when it addresses you politely yet firmly. This moon is analytical in every sense of the word, scrutinizing your every movement and … your choice of clothing? It claims objectivity, but it really thinks you need to get changed. Now.

In fact, it thinks the outfit of the person you’re with suits you far better. Best get changed.

f. WANING CRESCENT

The Waning Crescent Moon might be a bit hard to spot at first, considering it keeps hiding behind trees. Its tone is soft and uncertain, filled with doubt even as it hovers close to you to take in your attention. You’ll begin to feel deep pity for it, and for yourself.

Your best chance at convincing it may be to show empathy toward your fellow Newcomers. You want to know all about their problems, and how they’re feeling, don’t you? Go on, then, ask your companion about their most recent hardship.

g. NEW MOON

The New Moon is the most unsettling of them all, hovering close to you in a perpetual state of barely silhouetted darkness. When approached it remains relatively quiet until addressed, but when it speaks its tone is empty, almost like the remnants of an echo. You may begin to feel heavy dread, as though something is fast approaching– something foreboding or dangerous. The New Moon isn’t particularly helpful about this either and will even list off scenarios of how you could be killed at any moment. The New Moon speaks calm and openly, never once allowing any kind of deceit into its tone. One might describe it as morbid honesty in its purest form, and you’ll get that impression for sure if you stick around it for very long. You’ll want to capture this moon soon, lest you turn on your friends or yourself, anything to rid your mind of this fear. The best way to do that?

The New Moon, above all else, embodies honesty.

Revealing a deep secret or allowing yourself to express a vulnerability will cause the moon to grow still, intently listening, repeating your deepest fears. It will surrender once you’re feeling your most exposed…

Once the conditions are fulfilled and the spirit surrenders it will float into your waiting arms. It'll burst into a cloud of fog soon after— and in its place will be…

… a white rabbit.

You’ve successfully caught a false moon, but what remains once the fog dissipates isn’t a moon at all. Instead in its place is a soft white rabbit with one curiously twitching nose. If you’re lucky the rabbit will remain still, but eventually it will wriggle out of your arms and bound away onto the ground.

The rabbits will glance back, their beady eyes bearing into you. It’ll thump its little white foot before taking off into the forest. Does it mean for you to follow it? The rabbit will pause on occasion, looking back at you to make sure you’re close behind.

It feels like a small eternity before you finally spot a clearing through the woods that the rabbit dashes towards. You struggle to keep up as the snow-white creature suddenly leaps into a strange luminous field and as you break free of the foliage you realize you’ve walked into a valley of tall pampas grass.

The pale reeds stand nearly as tall as you. A breeze rustles through the field, emitting a soft hush like the very whispering breath of the night itself. The feathery plumes move in tune and the field sways with a hypnotic sort of motion. Stepping into the pampas grass will fill you with a strange sense of calm that had not been present before. The soft bristles brush across your clothes, your skin. It is as if it is inviting you in, a stranger from another world.

Ahead of you the white rabbit appears between the stalks, and between its teeth are a few reeds of grass.

It leaves it by your feet and darts into the field once more.

You’re welcome to collect more of the pampas grass, and in fact something about being inside the field compels you to get more. If you’ve found this place with others you suddenly feel compelled to show your gratitude towards them, be it a few kind words or perhaps a caring touch. It’s a strange sensation that settles comfortably in your chest. For the first time in a long while you feel at peace, as though the grass with its constant swaying was casting your troubles aside.

Returning to the village with pampas grass in tow brings relieved smiles all around. The village chief kindly collects the grass from you and together the villagers wrap the pampas grass together with twine. The grass is then distributed amongst everyone. They line every street and sit in modest weathered vases. They seem to glow as their plumes rise slightly in unison once they’ve all been placed—

– and then, a cold yet beatific light from above.

The moon, the true moon in all its lonely glory, appears in the night sky. While others are content to sit on their verandas and watch the moon with a plate of mochi and cup of sake. They raise a cup for you, who helped bring the moon back. Now is the time to relax and have a drink, sit with your companions or perhaps find a tree branch to watch the moon from. It hangs heavily and shines brightly upon the outcasts of the village.

It seems to be glowing brighter than ever before.

LUCK CHANCE

Every holiday, players have a chance to roll for a ✨ rare youkai sighting ✨. Comment below to see how your luck is looking, and if you happen to encounter it, you may claim a bounty of luck for the duration of the holiday. Feel free to use this however you like! We're not your boss.

This month's youkai is AZUKIARAI, with a 1 out of 5 chance of appearing.

This youkai is a common phenomenon to hear, especially in the autumn months of the island’s lonely mountains – seeing, however, is a different story. The slosh and rattle of red beans being washed in a bamboo tub echoes through the forest, and if one follows its trail, take care not to slip in the river, as by his design. What awaits beyond the stream?

WELCOME TO KISHIMA

Welcome to our little community! Here are some quick and easy things to remember:

• This is a sandbox community. There are no applications, and relatively few limits on what you can play.


• Feel free to make your own separate posts on the community — we only ask that you keep dialogue-only based memes to kishimeme and refrain from spamming the community.


• More world information can be found on the Setting & Locations page as well as the FAQ.


• Please use the FAQ for any general questions you may have, and the Mod Contact page for concerns.


• There is a network system you may use, but there will be no separate network community. Please see our information posts for more.


• Character powers are free game except, of course, for world-breaking ones. There is a mysterious protective magic that prevents PCs from killing or severely maiming NPCs and causing widespread destruction.

PREMISE RULES FAQ SETTING & LOCATIONS NPCS MOD CONTACT MAIN COMMUNITY MEME COMMUNITY

Welcome to the village.

It happens swiftly and without warning.

Perhaps you’re stepping into the threshold of your home after a weary day of travel when it happens. Perhaps you’re walking into a heavily crowded street or by yourself on a splintered sidewalk, mindfully avoiding the cracks. Maybe you’ve stepped into another room, a hall, or past a swaying curtain. Perhaps you’re merely walking over a line drawn in sand.

Wherever you are hardly matters, because you’ve crossed a boundary.

Gathering your bearings and following the signs of life will lead you to this quaint village entrance which is currently being guarded by a human and youkai. They only need to take one glance at you to know you’re one of the newcomers and easily step aside to allow you through. They won’t answer your questions and won’t ask why you’ve come – what matters is that you’re here. After all, there is meaning in everything.

Setsubun is a holiday harkening back to the days of the old calendar, and is celebrated in a variety of ways throughout the country. On the cusp of dark winter and early spring months, it is believed the supernatural world is closer, and demons, which represent misfortune and disease, need to be driven away.

Here in the village, youkai and human alike have found their own ways to enjoy the holiday, and you've landed yourself right on the tide of new beginnings.

"You’re just in time," one of the guards quips as you pass by. Just time for the beginning of what will be the kick off of a three-day festivity, the first of the year and one of many. You’re just in time to celebrate in the festival of Setsubun.

It’s a busy day in the village, what with the suddenly dour and quiet neighborhood suddenly bustling with life.

A zashiki-warashi appears before you, wrapped in a red kimono standing at the beginning of a footpath that leads deep into the forest, outside of the village. She beckons you closer and grins nearly ear to ear as she points at the sign she’s messily put together with her small hands.

FIND YOUR OWN LUCK!
She explains the rules with barely concealed excitement. You, brave soul, must venture into the woods and look for three children. One represents fortune, one represents hope, and the last represents spring, as the little wooden blocks around their necks will read.

The children are somewhere in the depths of the woods, patiently waiting for you to rescue them and bring them back to the village. If you bring them all back you’ll be sure to receive a marvelous sort of prize.

Sounds easy enough, right? It may very well seem that way but don’t forget that the forest is an entity all on its own, and there may be youkai who live outside the village that might want to play a nasty trick or two. One would hope they don’t have a hankering for the flesh of children – or yours, for that matter.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry.” One elderly tanuki waves at you. “The ‘children’ are just dolls. No one is in any real harm here.”

Zashiki-warashi interjects. “Huh? Of course they’re real. You told me to use real children.”

“What?” A nearby woman with a bandana responds. “No, Fumi. We all said that wasn’t a good idea. Don’t you remember? You didn’t actually put three real kids in the woods, did you?”

“Umm.” A disconcerting pause sits between the three of them. Zashiki-warashi shakes herself loose of the gravity of her error and points at you. “It’s fine! You’ll handle this, right?”

Perhaps you ought to take this matter into your own hands.

The good news is you’ll find that the three children really are just dolls, their limbs knobbed and wooden.

The bad news — they can become animated like real children, and they’ve scurried off much farther than anyone had anticipated. They are karakuri and they can giggle, run and simply disobey your requests, which may make rescuing them a little more difficult. You may be able to get them to comply with sweets or promises of games later on — really, you should come up with anything to get them and yourself out of danger.

a. ON THE BEAUTIFUL SEA

One may be found on a small boat anchored out at sea. The boat itself is still visible from the shore and you can either decide to swim or find another means to reach it. The doll will wait patiently for you to reach it, as will something else. An ominous black lump will slowly rise from the waves and a pair of lantern-like eyes will flash out at you, bright and blinding.

Umibozo's territory is not easily intruded on, as you soon discover once he begins kicking up the waves. Umibozo cannot be killed but he can be pushed away or even knocked unconscious where he’ll submerge himself once more into the sea. Test your mettle against him and rescue the wooden child.

b. IN HER CLUTCHES

One doll can be held captive by yama-uba. Yama-uba, also known as mountain hags are demons with the visage of old women. The old stories say that they will often kidnap young children from their beds and devour them, and unfortunately the wooden ones are also no exception. You’ll need to climb the mountain and find the yama-uba’s lair in order to save the doll and return it to the village safely.

The Yama-uba can be driven away by show of strength or by merely taking the child away from them and leaving them to their despair. They warrant some pity for their tortured existence, maybe even listening to one’s woes might convince them to give you the child back? Take extra care when you’re leaving the mountain, for something has been watching your interactions this entire time…

You are free to determine where the three dolls are on the island, search high and low! Just treat them well and bring them back safely for a worthy prize.

II. SHADOW OF THE PAST

New outsiders of the village will gradually feel something lingering at their backs, something like a gaze but not quite.

When they turn to look they will find nothing but their own shadow. Nothing too strange about that, but should you be seeing it even with the sky so overcast? And not just that but it seems to be moving independently, as though suddenly un-tethered to your form.

It truly is your own shadow, but now it’s got a mind of its own. In addition to that, you also notice your shadow has grown two new horns on its head and a mouth with a row of teeth. Those privy in the knowledge of familiars and spells have probably guessed correctly – you’ve been given a shadow demon. The reason?

You must take care of it for the duration of the three days of Setsubun.

The shadow demon represents your misfortunes and regrets from the past year and you either have the choice to nurture into something better or abandon it completely. The demon doesn’t mind one way or another but it will follow you wherever you go, like a bad memory made tangible. You have three options in handling your shadow:

a. HAVE A GOOD MEAL

The shadow’s mouth isn’t just there for show. Like most demons and spirits of this world it is inflicted with a perpetual hunger and will happily eat whatever you decide to feed it, though it seems to have a preference for sake & meat.

The shadow’s demeanor will remain mild and good-matured as long as you continue to feed it, but it won’t disappear or leave you alone for some privacy no matter how often you do. It’ll stick to you for as long as it can and upon the sun setting over the mountains on the third day of festivities it will finally disperse and leave you with a gift: a small bag of money.

b. AIR YOUR DIRTY LAUNDRY

You could actually do the shadow a favor and help it along to the other world by means of purification. The theme of entering the new year with luck and good faith will determine how quickly you can assist the shadow and acknowledging your past mistakes is the first step.

Any of the villagers will gladly explain the process: you first must admit one of your past sins to three people.

It matters not who the people are, only that there are three of them to hear your terrible secret. For each secret you speak, one paper talisman will appear in your hand.

Once you've collected three of them, head to the temple where Tsuda and his assistants will provide you one peach wood arrow to affix the talismans to in order to create a purification arrow to shoot your shadow with. It will not feel pain and will not react, other than shifting into something light and glinting. What shape do your regrets take? The flight of a bird, the scurrying of a rabbit? This time, the shadow only leaves you alone with your thoughts, the shape of your past made manifest.

c. BE CONSUMED

Too afraid to admit what you've done? Well, that shadow will continue to follow you even if you decide to ignore it entirely. Gradually, it becomes an entity of starvation, a distended void that will begin to feed.

The first thing it's going to try and eat? Yes, you. You gradually lose energy, and by the end of the third day, if you've continued to ignore the shadow, you will be utterly consumed in darkness. Better luck when you're next summoned.

III. FESTIVAL & FUKU-MAME

Of course with any kind of festival there’s sure to be rows of food stalls waiting to take on their next customer and this village is no exception. You’ll find that many of the homely occupants that will become your neighbors have already set up their own booths for the outsiders to explore. You can find snacks and other filling meals as well as games that both humans and youkai alike have come up with to make your visit more enjoyable. Keep in mind that most of the stalls will be open during the day and once the sun sets the vendors will leave their stations to join everyone else in the main event for the night. A certain ritual has become a hot topic as the evening transits into night and soon you may see both youkai and humans gathering in the central area of the village.

In the familiar spirit of celebrating Setsbun the village has come up with a peculiar way to incorporate soybeans into these rituals. An open space lit aglow with torches sits surrounded by the villagers and in the middle stands a raised platform with the resident monk Tsuda standing upon it. In his hands is a box of soybeans and for a few moments he stands silently before lowering his head. He mumbles something or another about how even the smallest hope may bring a blessed change upon this place… or maybe it won’t… maybe we’ll all fall into a sinkhole and that’ll be the end of us…and no one will find the corpses of this cursed island…

Someone in the crowd clears their throat. Tsuda pulls himself from his gloomy reverie and proceeds to toss the soybeans in the center of the empty area.

What happens next is a strange sort of pandemonium. Humans and youkai alike rush forward to snatch as many beans as they can, but this isn’t some simple kind of good-natured grabbing. People are pushing, shoving— some are even biting to get to these beans! Why is this?

The beans are known as fuku-mame, literally lucky beans, and in this place you need to take all the luck you can get. If your eyes are sharp enough you might find red soybeans in the mix — those are particularly lucky and it's advised to hold onto them if you’re able to.

IV. NIGHT PARADE OF ONE HUNDRED DEMONS

With various game's afoot and shadows to keep occupied, beans to catch and food to try– it's no wonder that the youkai of the village are appearing in full force and ready for fun. They’re all, quite literally, in good spirits and ready to indulge in any kind of event or even to have a lengthy conversation with you. Amongst the lively chatter is a particularly exciting anticipation from humans and youkai alike. On the final day, food and game stalls pop up once more and the residents begin to clear what appears to be a parade route. You have to stay until the very end, they say, we end Setsubun with a bang here.

As the night continues, the youkai become a little more animated than usual, louder and perhaps even a bit rambunctious. This seems to be what everyone was anticipating. They become rowdy and pushy, and even the calm and collected Matsu seems to be afflicted by this sudden rush of energy. Her antlers begin sprouting blossoms and shedding leaves with every step she takes, and it's only when she nearly swings her claws in the direction of a human does she realize something is wrong.

“Oh, dear.” Is all she says before turning to you.

The culminating energy in the air, the mingling of vitality which naturally exists in both humans and youkai is reaching an unknown critical level. The youkai are accelerating to a state of almost hysteria and in their blind glee they are dangerously close to tipping over the edge – the one that encourages them to consume or kill humans. The village chief is now turning to you, the outsiders, for help.

You must calm the youkai down before they break free of the barrier and wreak havoc on the island. The village chief, in her expertise, offers a few ways on how to accomplish this — for remember, you cannot maim or kill the residents on the island:

a. BE GENTLE

You can start off by offering the youkai soybeans to snack on — the ones you had gathered from Tsuda earlier in the day should be more than sufficient. And remember those red beans we mentioned? Those will be guaranteed to calm the youkai down significantly.

Make sure you have plenty on hand, for there are enough youkai that one box of beans could mean more than a handful of youkai assisted.

Don’t fret if the youkai are so far gone that they won’t even listen to you– just try and throw some beans in their mouth!

b. WELL, THAT DIDN’T WORK …

Another trick the chief offers is the hanging of lucky charms on a twine. She encourages you to cooperate with your fellow newly-arrived outsiders to find the ingredients for sardine head talismans.

Sardine-heads attached to a holly branch are a sure fire way to bring the youkai back to their senses. Hang them on an overhand (doorway, arch, etc.) and coax or taunt the affected youkai to step, or charge, under it.

Should any outsiders be familiar with the mystical arts of spirit/youkai placation, they are encouraged to use their own personal charms to bring the youkai back to their senses. Charms, spells, etc. Even a little knock on the back of the head should suffice for now, so long as the youkai can stay down…

As the night stretches on, so do the efforts of the outsiders to try and calm the youkai. Gradually, the youkai return to their senses. For many of them it's like coming down from a particularly pleasant high, and to show their appreciation they all gather at the center of the village, willing the residual energy in their bodies for one more dance.

Outsiders and humans alike will then bear witness to the Hundred Demon Parade – an apt celebration for the conclusion of Setsubun. Beasts and ghosts fall together in a practiced march that some might say will send a delightful yet eerie chill down your spine. The youkai clap together, each voicing their own jubilation in the forms of gleeful cackling or deep-throated growling. By the end of the night the village is once more at peace, with the ever present moon hanging high above it, the only outside witness to the night’s events.

LUCK CHANCE

Every holiday, players have a chance to roll for a ✨ rare youkai sighting ✨. Comment below to see how your luck is looking, and if you happen to encounter it, you may claim a bounty of luck for the duration of the holiday. Feel free to use this however you like! We're not your boss.

This month's youkai is a tsuchinoko, with a 1 out of 9 chance of appearing.

This youkai dwells somewhere outside the village. Its home is a mystery, but every once in a great while, it can be spotted slithering through the grass, or taking a drink from the rice fields ... Does an auspicious meeting await you on this year of the snake?

WELCOME TO KISHIMA

Welcome to our little community! Here are some quick and easy things to remember:

• This is a sandbox community. There are no applications, and relatively few limits on what you can play.


• Feel free to make your own separate posts on the community — we only ask that you keep dialogue-only based memes to kishimeme and refrain from spamming the community.


• More world information can be found on the Setting & Locations page as well as the FAQ.


• Please use the FAQ for any general questions you may have, and the Mod Contact page for concerns.


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• Character powers are free game except, of course, for world-breaking ones. There is a mysterious protective magic that prevents PCs from killing or severely maiming NPCs and causing widespread destruction.

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