#wil's library

[forgottenwaters]

Mod Kit: Could we hear a little bit about amefuri kozo?

"hmm, yes, these childlike yokai are commonly known for causing rainfall. you'll recognize them by the umbrellas or straw hats they wear on their heads, and of course, they are always accompanied by rain. they typically avoid interacting with mortals, but there are some who enjoy causing mischief like stealing umbrellas and then causing rain to pour down on their victims."

"it is believed that they serve a god of rain, though you can offer prayers to any amefuri kozo for rain and they may be able to answer you. they're quite the opposite of teru teru bozu, so i wonder how well they get along..."

(ft. @ask-nayden's sterling from this post!)

[forgottenwaters]

Mod Kit: Can you tell us more about the kitsune village?

"oh? you'd like to know more? well... how about their society?"

"from what i've gathered, most if not all the kitsune living there are in service to their god in some way. for example, the mailman kitsune often seen running around is ninetails' personal mail carrier. the rest of the attendants are divided into ranks based on how long they've been serving ninetails."

"however, it seems that servitude is not entirely voluntary. there are records of certain kitsune families who bear a mark that symbolizes their devotion to their god, meaning they are born into ninetails' service. i'm sure you can tell not all of them would agree with this arrangement. i wouldn't be surprised if there are some who even resent ninetails for this reason."

"one more thing i think would be useful to know: i would be careful around the lake where ninetails' shrine is. i hear there is a dangerous spirit that inhabits the waters there. well, perhaps more like an amalgamation of the spirits of those who drowned there. unlucky spirits, or more likely those who were sacrificed to ninetails from a bygone era. in any case, like i said before, it's better to have an appointment first if you want to ensure a safe meeting with ninetails."

[forgottenwaters]

Mod Kit: Might I ask about you, yourself? What sort of spirit are you, Wil?

"me? oh, i'm not a spirit. not quite, at least. like you, i am not from this realm. i'm... a traveler, of sorts. i wish to learn all about other worlds, and i'm happy to share my knowledge! whatever you need, i will do my best to provide."

[forgottenwaters]

Munday ask: Might I hear about komainu?

"why, of course!"

"koma inu are lion or dog-like yokai, and are most commonly found guarding shrines, temples, or castles. traditionally, they come in pairs - one male, and one female. it's said that the female guards those living within the building while the male guards the building itself."

"most koma inu here are sentient, though in the living realm, you'd most likely find koma inu statues where one has it's mouth open and the other has a closed mouth. this symbolizes yin and yang, or life and death. very fitting, wouldn't you say?"

[forgottenwaters]

I’d love to know more about the Kitsune village and forest!

"of course! the kitsune society is located in the northwest area of the region, and as you might have guessed, it is a heavily-forested area with the village hidden deep within. the forest itself is enchanted so that it would be impossible to simply come across the village by chance, not to mention the nogitsune and other malicious spirits roaming the forest who trick their prey into getting lost on purpose. authorization to enter the village is given by the fox god, 'ninetails' themself, or by any of the villagers if they deem you trustworthy enough - which depends on who you talk to, i suppose."

"i have also heard that it's possible to trick a nogitsune into guiding you to the village. maybe if they're even threatened enough, they might surrender, so there is more than one way to get there. many spirits are afraid of dogs, you know."

"let's see... i think there's one more thing to mention about the village itself. ninetails' shrine... it's said to be at the heart of the forest, in the middle of a spirit-infested lake. it's even more guarded than the village itself. of course, you'd need an appointment to guarantee a meeting with ninetails, otherwise it would be quite rare to see them by chance. i hear many of ninetails' attendants even go years without seeing their god in person."

"anyways, i hope i haven't been boring you. the kitsune are one of many different societies i have been studying from this realm. i would be happy to answer any more questions if you have any!"

[forgottenwaters]

“hm? i’m sorry, but the library is closed right now. please come back during business hours.”

“still here, huh. there’s something following you? well, you’re safe here, don’t worry. tell you what, i’ll give you some tips on what to do if you’re being followed by a yokai.”

“take a look at this yokai. it’s an ‘okuri inu,’ and it’s known for following lone travelers at night on mountain paths. it won’t attack you as long as you keep walking, but if you trip or fall, it will devour you immediately. some variants are also said to feed on fear, so if you can keep your footing as well as a calm mind, this yokai won’t harm you. if you do stumble, you might be able to fool it by making it seem like you’re just taking a rest, but i wouldn’t wait too long before moving on.”

“one last thing to remember is that you should always thank an okuri inu for seeing you off once you’ve made it past their territory. if you’re being followed by one, you can be certain that no other yokai would try to cross its path to get to you. quite an interesting yokai that can be considered either a friend or a foe, hm?”

[forgottenwaters]

Hey Wil, what can you tell us about lord Omukade? :0

"lord omukade? i believe i have some books detailing their prominence in history. let's see... ah, yes, here we are."

"for a long, long, time, lord omukade has been worshipped as the guardian of umibe town. it's said that they even protected the town from storms and tsunamis caused by gods of the ocean. apparently, lord omukade is so large, they can wrap themselves around an entire mountain, yet there have been very little eyewitness reports of the beast itself. this painting here is an approximation of how big lord omukade is according to one of their previous shrine attendants."

"the characters that make lord omukade's name are also an indication of what exactly it is. the first one, 'o' (大), means large, the second one, 'mu' (百), means hundred, and the third, 'kade' (足), means leg or foot. if they truly are as fearsome as they seem, then perhaps it's a good thing that they don't appear very often."

[forgottenwaters]

how very odd. not just anyone can find this library.

[the absol studies you closely.]

hm... i see. you’ve met with a terrible fate, haven’t you?

[they chuckle, resting their paws on the counter.]

i’m kidding. you may call me wil. like me, you aren’t from this dimension, are you? that’s why you might look a little different than you remember. but that’s neither here nor there. are you here for a particular book? i’m afraid you can’t take any out of this library, but you are free to read them here. i might also add that you must know exactly what you are looking for, otherwise i’m afraid i won’t be able to help you. if you have any questions for me, just ring the bell.

oh, and by the way, this library is only open on mondays.

[wil is available for asks on mondays!]

[wil and deckard have been added to the ref page / ask hints have been updated!]

[2 types of yokai have been encountered. you can now ask about yurei and amefuri kozo!]