Makai

**Makai**, or the **Demon Realm**, is the chaotic dimension known to be the original home of the dangerous Yōkai race. It's noted to be one of the dimensions in closest relation to the Human Realm - and therefore has been a consistent source of conflict over the last few centuries.

## **Overview**

### **Environment**

This universe proves to be quite spacious, as it possesses more than enough space to contain thousands of different demonic species - never mind the millions of each specific type that may exist in their own habitat. The realm possesses it's own moon, which serves as the only means of natural light. In addition, an unchanging night remains tethered to the skies of the Yōkai domain, providing a distinctive, foreboding presence.

Despite difficulties of growth, Makai is far from a desolate wasteland. Like the Human Realm, it possesses a wealth of different climates and environments - the bulk of which have some sort of supernatural charm to it. Due to the versatile nature, the demon world is known to contain vast forests, albeit with dead or poisonous looking vegetations. A sizable chunk of the land is also covered in a series of dark, volcanic caverns, and rocky mountain sides. The large majority, however, are filled with open plains - of which there are odd occurrences, like the production of blood ponds or rivers.

### **Atmosphere**

As this is the world of demons, this atmosphere is inherently corrupt and saturated with negative and dark energy. As a result, lesser Yōkai often find it a bit easier to develop themselves as they don't have to go out and devour others or experience a long period of aging to advance - they can just feed of the atmosphere! However, given the effects, natural growth is more difficult, and many objects inanimate or not, find themselves suffering with some form of decay or corruption. This effect is in-discriminant, and thus if a person lacking the means to protect themselves of the atmosphere's stumbles upon the demon realm, their soul will slowly be afflicted with the phenom known as temptaint.

Given the unholy state, those who lack corruption will find there mere existence within the demon world an uncomfortable situation, as the hellish atmosphere slowing but surely cracks away at their soul. Only persons with indomitable will, the ability to craft constructions and/or shields for protection, or those with an inherent or genetic capacity for the dark arts may be able to resist the effects. If unable to protect against the corruption, the victim will find themselves afflicted with temptaint.

Makai, like Human Realm, possesses it's own constellation, and it's own moon. However, unlike it's neighbor, Makai's Moon is a deep, red crimson. Occasionally, on full moons, the demonic satellite will cover the realm in an unholy haze of red energy - which magnifies the a particular demon's overall power ten-fold, as it forces their spirit to go into a state of overdrive, and thus draw out more potential. Appropriately, in these cosmological occurrences, the thick, fiendish aura is also amplified, making it's effect on the unprepared even more grave.

## **Government**

Politics among the Yokai is a very tricky subject to discuss.

Above all else, **Tenma Ogami** - the demon king, or demon god. This central figure rules all of Makai, and appropriately possesses the most power out of all Yokai in existence. However, the gargantuan powerhouse rarely puts his politic importance to use, often encouraging the cut-throat and violent nature of his brethren. As a result of his inactivity, the Yokai - those intelligent enough to even care about social status - tend to fight among themselves in effort to gain territory to further their own goals.

The Tenma Ogami, however, opts to linger at the heart of the Demon Realm, where his observers or intelligence gatherers report to him any relevant news.

### **Territories**

Naturally, with no one about to keep the power balance in check, certain tribes or species of demons began to excel. With enough time, several dominant demonic nations had been spawned, each with their own godly or kingly figure. Many of these rulers have proven to be powerful fiends in their own-right, with their power and destructive tendencies even escaping the realm and becoming a standard or point of obsession for various occultist religions in the Human Realm.