Chikabori

**Chikabori (地下堀)** , also known as the Youkai City of Eternal Night, and The Undercity, is a settlement primarily populated by Youkai, such as Oni, Tengu, Kappa, and other entities from Japanese myths and folklore. It is located in a pocket plane in the Border Realm and accessed directly through an "artificial" gate in Yakumo Shrine, located in Dōtonbori district of Osaka, Japan. It is a sanctuary and place of leisure for both Youkai and other entities from the world of magi, who are welcome to visit as tourists. It is currently governed by a coalition of Youkai Clans, who oversee different districts in the city. Chikabori was founded, according to the Youkai Clans, around the late 1800s as a Sanctuary for Youkai escaping the ever modernizing Physical Realm, and was aided by sympathetic priests and shrine maidens. In the present, access to the city is highly monitored by the Japanese government, as it is in their best interests to keep most of the rowdy Youkai inside Chikabori, while the rare youkai is allowed to live in Osaka itself as long as they adhere to strict rules, forbidding them from harming any humans. The keepers of Yakumo Shrine are members of the Shinpika no Shugosha, who are adamant in maintaining the city as a place for youkai to thrive in the modern times.

## Environment

Chikabori (Underground Moat) got it's name from the underground cavern surrounding the entire pocket plane, and a long canal spanning across the entire city. Many refer to it as the Undercity since accessing it from the surface of Osaka makes it feel like they are going underground due to the general environment of the settlement. Because no form of sunlight reaches the city, it's primarily lit by magical lanterns that draw power from the mana-rich air in the realm. Since the Youkai residing in the city are sustained by the mana in the Border Realm, they do not need to eat or drink, but they still insist on importing food and alcohol from the Physical Realm, or trading them with the Border Realm Caravans.

The inhabitants combine old Japanese architecture with modern fixtures, such as karaoke, bars, and even arcades, all electronics altered by the resident Kappa to run on magical energy instead of regular electricity. This results in a blend of ancient and new.

The city spans around 12 kilometers in length, rather spacious despite the underground nature of the pocket plane.

Access to the city requires one to gain an "Entry Ema", an enchanted wooden plaque created by the keepers of Yakumo Shrine, and visitors are secretly recorded by the Yakumo Shrine to ensure they either safely return from the city, or do not cause trouble to its inhabitants. Most of the visitors they approve of are those who come for leisure in the world of Youkai.

## Culture and Inhabitants

Similar to their blend of old and new architecture and amenities, the resident Youkai of Chikabori have maintained their old traditions but also integrated modern aspects of life, such singing at karaoke bars, watching shows from Japanese TV illegally tapped into by the resident Kappa and distributed to different TVs in Chikabori, and even adopting modern slang. They residents are also surprisingly welcoming to outsiders, who they primarily consider as tourists, as long as they do not cause any trouble. The Youkai are suspicious of members of the Japanese authorities, however, especially those associated with the government enforcers of magic, and many Youkai steer clear of them at best or challenge them to fights at worst, (especially the resident Oni).

The population primarily consists of Oni of different varieties, followed by the Tengu, Kappa, Kitsune, and then a variety of Youkai who call the city home. The clans that govern the city are divided into four main clans. While each clan does have a distinct type of Youkai filling its ranks, they are open to any type of Youkai. As a rule, humans are not allowed to become members as they are primarily seen as guests, or troublemakers. "Clanfriend" is an honorary title given to a human who gains the trust of a clan and are allowed to stay in Chikabori for an indefinite amount of time, as long as they maintain the respect of the clan that gave them the title.

### Hoshiguma Clan

The "Clan of Strength and Warriors", the Hoshiguma Clan are primarily made up of Oni, but welcome any Youkai who adhere to the virtues of strength. The Hoshiguma Clan is in charge of maintaining the bar district of the city as well as its fighting arena, where many come to test their mettle, or solve disputes through duels of weapons or fists. The Hoshiguma are also the primary muscle of the city, becoming its military in case of outside hostilities.

### Kawashiro Clan

The Clan of Intellect and Innovation, the Kawashiro are primarily made up of Kappa, but welcome any Youkai who have the passion for invention and craftsmanship. Not only are they the go to clan for anything related to artifacts or converting modern electronics to "Chikabori-Compatible", they are also the ones in charge of keeping the water and mana utilities runing in the city. They also are in charge of the Electronics Entertainment district, which holds arcades, karaoke bars, disco and dance clubs, etc.

### Shameimaru Clan

The Clan of Intrigue, The Shameimaru are composed of many Tengu and other shadowy Youkai. The Shameimaru pride themselves as the intelligence-gathering clan and keeping tabs on the city from the shadows, and many Shameimaru are also sent to hide in Osaka city as spies in case of any potential trouble coming from the human side. This also resulted in the Shameimaru becoming in charge of the city's newspaper and the source for most information from the human realm since their spies also double as journalists. The Shameimaru also handle the Prostitution district of the city and pride themselves in "keeping up to date" with the modern world's tastes.

### Hijiri Clan

The Clan of Mercantilism and Commerce, the Hijiri do not have a distinct type of Youkai making up its majority, and is filled with all sorts of Youkai who are interested in the realm of trading and other businesses. The Hijiri maintain the market and gambling district in the city and are the ones in charge of getting the resources and goods coveted by the populace into the city, as well as making sure tourists pay, and keeping the city's public (in the mage world) image positive. Their members, like the Shameimaru, are commonly seen blending in with humans in the Physical Realm as they are also the diplomats and negotiators of the city, especially with the dealings with the Japanese government.