Kirinoroi

Kirinoroi is a small Japanese village known for high levels of paranormal activity. It is known for its remote location, constant rolling fog, mysterious forest and 'haunted' mountain caves. The mountain range to its north and forest surrounding it are also referred to as 'Kirinoroi', but it's generally assumed that when you ask about 'Kirinoroi' you mean the village.
== Architecture and Geography ==
The architecture is mostly a drab, neutrally-coloured traditional Japanese design: large, curved rooves and eaves supported by wooden posts and lintels, with thin walls. It is very common to see exteriors decorated with superstition items to ward off spirits, such as purple lanterns, certain incense, some scrolls, gemstones, dolls, talismans, et cetera. The village is made largely of these kinds of houses, as well as some local stores and services (which normally double as their owners' homes), with one larger hall at its northernmost edge, serving as the 'town hall'.
It is a fairly small village and quite hard to come by due to its remote location; it is isolated in the middle of a dense and supposedly haunted forest, on the southern side of a broad mountain range, and constantly shrouded in fog that often leads to travellers getting lost. Most people who find Kirinoroi find it by accident. Despite this, there are marked passageways through the forest and secret tunnels through the mountain caves that lead to main roads and nearby, larger towns, but these are known mostly by the older and/or nerdier of the village's population.
== History and Culture ==
Kirinoroi has a long past of being haunted. There is a rich history of ghost stories, and each generation has its own stories, from the older folks' tales of the village's curse and the parents' cautionary tales to the younger generation's urban legends. The paranormal activity is not limited to folklore, however - Kirinoroi truly seems to be cursed with eternal fog, and inhabited by otherworldly presences, from the town after dark to the labyrinthine woods and winding mountain caves.
As such, the people of Kirinoroi have build a culture on superstition, with many rituals and talismans held by different families in order to keep otherworldly beings at bay. Despite this, many of Kirinoroi's residents are not particularly religious. They have also, miraculously, avoided becoming a complete tourist trap, despite many thrillseekers visiting the town for its rich paranormal history.
== Known Residents ==
=== Kaden Keye (Former) ===
Although he's moved out now, Kaden Keye of Loch & Keye Containment and Storage Facilities largely grew up in Kirinoroi, his father's hometown. He was a thrillseeker, ran a small antiques shop, then became a tour guide in the caverns. He left after meeting Fergus Loch and embarking on a spooky adventure, but still considers Kirinoroi the source of his fascination with the unnatural.
== Trivia ==
* 'Kiri' is Japanese for fog, while 'Noroi' translates to curse, referring to the permanent fog that shrouds the village.
Category:Locations
Category:Villages
Category:Japan