Oni

The Oni known first came to being centuries ago when the miracle curse took hold of Kashin Koji, though remain to this day little more than a folktale to most, a bedtime story to scare disobedient children. Though the Oni are always active, they are drawn out en mass in times of chaos and strife, when the spilling of blood and souls calls to their hunger. The Sengoku period, and the chaotic warfare that has ensued has increased their numbers and activity like never before, where they gorge themselves on human flesh to the point of ecstasy in the battlefields of Japan and prey on lost and wandering unfortunate souls.

While their existence is not of widespread knowledge to the greater population and they exist only in tales, there are those few who are aware of their presence, and who in turn call upon the only ones who can vanquish the demonic threat; the Toukiden. A human may cause a scratch or a wound to an unaware Oni for example, but it would heal almost instantly, whereas if harmed by the blade of a Toukiden, the same wound would become much harder to recover from. Higher levels of Oni can recover at quicker rates however, with upper levels of Oni being able to regenerate almost instantly as well as restore lost limbs. However, should an Oni be defeated and slain, it will slowly disintegrate and turn to ash. The only known ways to dispose of an Oni are to behead them, which even then the highest ranking Oni can heal from if not done quickly enough, or to subject them to sunlight, which is fatal to all but the most robust Oni, and will cause them to burst into flame.

## The Oni

Many Oni were once human, and have been unfortunate enough to have been attacked by another Oni and/or exposed (purposely or not) to their blood, turning them in tow into that which they fear. While once turned a human will retain a largely humanoid appearance, they will soon display notable demonic traits such as fangs, red eyes and depending on how much blood they have been exposed to, engorged and inhuman limbs. Once changed, they seem to live and survive only off the most base instinct to feed on other humans, able to live without traditional food, sleep and even without fatigue, though they still retain coherent speech and some semblence of strategy. Already at an advantage to any human in terms of physical attributes, an Oni will gain more power with each human it devours, with each life increasing its strength, speed and regenerative abilities. Regardless of their stature or temperament, any Oni should never be dismissed lightly. When severely injured or enraged, any Oni will become more aggressive and unpredictable, akin to a wild animal, and therefore taken with more caution.

However, Otakemaru's demonic curse spreads to more than humans, with even animals being affected by his evil. Like a human, if an animal is exposed to Oni blood or in a rare case if an Oni feeds off one or vice versa, they too will transform, often with monstrous looking results. They too will then become enamored to the taste of flesh and blood, and will attack anything in sight, be it human or fellow animal, spreading the Oni infection. Unlike humans turned to Oni however, these animals will not improve in sentience, and will remain both speechless and only driven by instinct, though becoming all the more dangerous due to it.

### **Enki**

An Enki is a monkey transformed by an Oni's blood. Often twisted to sizes well beyond their normal physique and even that of humans, they retain the agility and mobility of their original form, along with the brutal primality.

Whereas even a normal monkey can display strength not matching its build, an Enki can easily rip apart a human being and other large animals, along with the dangers of its elongated fangs and claws. As with their animal counterparts, they can handle objects with ease, with many wielding makeshift spears to add to their offensive capabilities.

Extremely territorial, an Enki will not only drive all from its habitat, but likely slaughter and devour them as well.

### **Gunso**

Having bathed in water infected with the blood of an Oni, a toad will grow into a nightmarish being known as a Gunso. Like others once affected by the foul blood, the toad will grow to gigantic proportions, towering above even the tallest human. With a hungering for human flesh that is near neverending, they will search for sources of food in any environment, endangering all life within the vicinity of their hunting ground.

Their gargantuan figure is their main weapon, using their size and weight along with their amphibian agility to pounce and crush a foe beneath them. As an amphibian, they pose a double threat both on land and in the water, being able to navigate both with ease. They will also however, use their strong and slimy tongues, whether to purely attack or to entangle and capture their prey, bringing them towards their open mouths before swallowing them whole.

Some Gunso have even displayed the ability to wield tools and weapons, making these giant amphibians a truly horrifying foe.

### **Gyuki**

An Ox is fearsome enough, but when it is introduced to demonic blood, a Gyuki is born, a terrifying creature of a bovine appearance with its legs twisted and claws sprouting from its hooves.

Like an ox, a Gyuki will mount a fearsome charge against aggressors, but now being of a completely different makeup, its bloodlust will cause its aggression to increase tenfold, making it a critical danger to those around it, especially those tending farmland.

A Gyuki's favoured tactic is to crush a target by charging at them, whether against a surface or by trampling them, before goring them with its horns and claws, and then devouring their bloody carcass.

### **Itsumade**

An Itsumade is the demonic evolution of any large bird infected with the Oni curse. Growing to huge proportions as with other animalistic Oni, its wingspan alone can seem to blot out the sun on a bright day.

Easily identifiable even before it is seen by its cry, a blood curdling cawing, the Itsumade can strike at any time, being able to glide through the air swiftly, despite its massive frame. Its limbs are expanded with growth, producing even in some cases a pair of humanoid arms, while retaining the sharpness of its talons, able to easily cut through solid wood and rock now. Easily able to batter a foe with the strength of its wings, its main wepaon is still its break, razor sharp and able to easily behead a man.

An Itsumade encountered alone is a harrowing situation, but one should beware of areas such as woodland forests, where several of the creatures can group up in a truly nightmarish scenario.

### **Kamaitachi**

The result of the Oni curse taking over a mountain lion. The lion nearly doubles in size, with its fur taking on a dark green or blue hue with silvery marking appearing on it, while its tail forms into a curved blade, along with two more forming from its front paws.

Speed is the game of the Kamaitachi, able to traverse at breakneck records that even the fastest human could never match. A favoured tactic of theirs is to find an area flourishing in trees, and leap between them in such a fashion that they are unseen to the trained eye, before leaping towards their prey and using the blades to finish them.

While the three blades are the most dangerous weapons of the kamaitachi, as with a normal lion, its fangs and claws should not be neglected, with it retaining powerful strength in its paws and jaws.

### **Tatarimokke**

An owl that has been exposed to Oni blood. A transformation of epic magnitude, the owl grows to the size of a small house. A predator by natural means becomes a violent bloodhunter, seeking out near anything that moves.

Although vast in size, a tatarimokke is hard to detect, as like their normal counterparts, they soar through the air in silence, only making themselves known the moment they strike.

With its newly created eye adding on to its already superior vision, it can pick out the slightest of movements in even the dead of night, making this Oni an incredibly stealthy and deadly hunter.

### **Tesso**

The scrolls stored away in the many temples of Japan contain writings on many things, from religious practices and sacred rites to instructions on how to carry out tasks. These writings are for human eyes. But the paper however, becomes food for the many rats that plunder the storerooms, looking for grain and other food sources.

An infamous tale throughout Japan tells of how a monk came across a horde of rats infesting his temple's storeroom one evening, and was eaten alive, with no trace left of him save his prayer beads. The reality is this was no horde, but one: a Tesso. As with all animals, when subjected to Oni blood, the rat will transform, into a humanoid vermin the size of a man, and it will hunt.

Not only are a Tesso's claws and teeth a danger, but they, like other rats, are coated in germs, and are easily able to leave not simply slashes and gouges on a Tesso's victim, but also infections and diseases. A Tesso's tail is also a weapon to watch out for, as while not thick and heavy, they can wield them like whips, and often as a distraction blow before landing the true one.

### **Yatsu**

A Yatsu is a transformed snake, typically increasing in size from their animalistic counterpart to the size of a man, but sometimes even twice that.

Snakes have terrified mankind since the dawn of time, but a Yatsu is truly a terror to behold. With all the speed and ferocity of a normal snake, a Yatsu can strike at blinding speeds, and move deceptively quickly, even outrunning a sprinter as they slither across the ground. Not only does their target face a human sized snake, but the Yatsu can even sprout other snakes from its main body.

No matter whether from the main body or the 'arms', all the heads of the snake are highly venomous, excreting an acidic poison that melts through most materials with ease. While the fangs and poison are worry enough, the Yatsu can whip around its main body with major force, while a horn grows from its forehead, able to impale its target before it finishes it off.

## The Thirteen Tsuguri

There have been several variations of the Thirteen Tsuguri throughout history, with as many of their predecessors having fallen to members of the Toukiden as the lives of the demon hunters that they have taken, though the current iteration have been active and unreplaced for at least over a century now, with some being far older. These unique Oni serve as the generals of the Oni King, having been humans who were personally selected by him and given his blood in order to serve him and his mission of reclaiming and reforging the Sanmyoken, being able to still take on their previous human appearances and blend into human society to fulfill their goals. These Oni are merciless in the name of their lord, displaying advanced sentience levels beyond their human lives, only with cruelty being the foremost. Extremely dangerous and powerful, they should only ever be even approached by the very strongest of demon slayers.

### **Biwa**

Seemingly the least threatening of the Tsuguri on first observation, Biwa is in fact the oldest of his Lord Otakemaru's chosen, having been one of the very first the Oni King turned.

While his original name is lost to memory, the flashes of his past life suggest to him that he was a Taoist monk. Now the only power he serves is the will of Otakemaru. Utterly devoted to his lord, he serves as his right hand. While not a frontline fighter, Biwa's power lies in illusion and distortion, able to pluck his shamisen and place those around him under a spell, whether to obey his command or live out a fantasy. Once he has a target lulled into a dream, he can twist the vision into a nightmare of the most horrific designs, breaking his victim's psyche and throwing them into madness. In the event that this method is passed by however, Biwa will play his shamisen and summon dark elemental spirits to attack his foes.

Aside from his offensive capabilities, he is the only Tsuguri to be able to administer his lord's blood into other Oni and create new Tsuguri members, as well as gather the thirteen, bringing them all into a pocket dimension where they are addressed by the Oni King's conciousness. Through similar methods he is also, like his lord, able to contact each member of the Tsuguri, and direct their master's will to them.

### **Datara**

Wielding a gigantic hammer and unique with his one leg, Datara remembers in his past life to have lived and worked before his turning as a blacksmith.

Even more than a century after his rebirth, he is still drawn to forges and armouries across the country, with a compulsion to fix broken weapons and armour, though twisting them into demonic versions of what their creators intended, something beyond the iron and steel of man, but blades of flesh and blood.

In battle, Datara uses the momentum of his powerful leg. The muscles in the limb far exceed that of even two human legs, giving Datara the ability to make supernatural leaps and bounds at quicker speed than the heft appendage would suggest. The strength in his leg spurs on the weight of his hammer, which is able to crush even the hardiest of men with little effort. Not only that, but the hammer itself can produce demonic fire, leaving waves of flame every time it is swung.

### **Eboshi**

Eboshi, the oni that haunts waylaid travellers, was once a bandit according to legend. She was born to an unmarried mother, who eventually died in an epidemic. Orphaned and scorned by the other villagers, she fled into into the wild and became a common thief. It was in this state that Otakemaru found her. He used his power to transform her into an oni, becoming her only friend. Eboshi is wildly devoted to her master Otakemaru, and she will not hesitate to use any means necessary- no matter how cruel they may be- to eradicate his enemies.

Eboshi is arguably the most 'bestial' of the Tsuguri, with little in the way of thought process shown in her aggression as she wildly attacks and screams in a bloodcurdling fashion with her flaming giant scythe, swinging it manically in hopes of severing her victims in half. This animalistic behaviour should not denote a weakness however, for she is not only hugely powerful but also blindingly fast, moreso than even Fuki, and can flash around a battlefield and between surfaces before delivering a killing blow that her target will have never seen coming.

### **Enenra**

An oni composed of smoke and darkness as much as flesh and bone, Enenra was born into a life of hardship, with his parents holding a grudge towards him from before he was even born, as just another mouth to feed. At a young age, he was thrown by his mother into an open fireplace and abandoned to die in the burning building. But before he breathed his last, he heard the sound of a shamisen being played.

Enenra has no one true form, ever-changing as he drifts through the air. He is said to draw close to its victims by disguising himself amongst the steam and smoke of a bath or hearth in the home.

In spite of his hulking appearance, Enenra is quick and agile due to his baptism by fire, being able to switch between corporeal and non-corporeal forms at will, instantly taking on the form of a tornado and pursuing his prey with frightening speed. this form is best avoided, for he advances relentlessly while damaging all in his path.

### **Fuki**

Speculated to have at one time belonged to a Shinobi clan, Fuki wields the power of wind, able to create massive windstorms at will that are capable of tearing apart organic life and structures alike. On top of this fearsome ability, he is also masterful with a katana and carries a large hand cannon, though it looks more akin to a normal rifle given his large and bulky size.

Like his ninja cousins, he is much quicker and flexible than appearances suggest, able to flip, dodge and dart around, striking at his opponents before they can fathom, or picking them off at a distance with eerie accuracy.

To engage Fuki one on one would be a mistake for most, as the oni general has not only speed on his size, but due to his oni nature and bulk, he is far stronger and more durable than any human, able to overpower even the strongest hunters with little effort.

### **Jorogumo**

Once noted as the most beautiful Oiran in all Edo, since becoming a Oni, Jorogumo's true demonic form is that of a horrific fusion of a woman's torso with the lower body of a spider. She ensnares humans in her sticky threads, before storing them away in hidden locations for later and then devouring them alive.

In spite of her giant size, can freely climb walls and ceilings. Her arachnid legs are covered in a thick shell, making them highly resistant to damage. The armoured shell covering her legs can be destroyed, but it is highly unadvised. She will use the shell to circle herself into a ball, protecting her from damage until she is ready to strike. On top of this, the hairs and barbs covering her legs contain a deadly neurotoxin, which she uses as her key to imoblising her prey.

Vicious, fast and deadly, she will make short work of the ill-prepared, luring unassuming and naïve young men in with her guise as a courtesan.

### **Kasha**

With the upper body of a sultry and pale temptress, and the lower section a fiery chariot, Kasha is a sadistic Oni who true to her feline-like appearance, delights in chasing down her prey in a bloody and drawn-out game of cat and mouse. Wielding a fiery multi-strand whip, torture and suffering of her victims brings her absolute joy, suggesting her past was one of either delivering punishment upon others, or receiving it in such volume that she wished to return it tenfold onto those who wronged her.

It is no easy task to predict her next movements when she begins wildly careening. The flames she leaves in her wake makes her a difficult oni to chase, not to mention the fact that she can can trap a hunter in a precarious position with nowhere to run. Vigilance is key against any Oni, but Kasha in particular.

### **Kinki**

Kinki is a hulking behemoth with an adamantine body that deflects everything from blades to arrows and even cannon balls. By far the strongest and durable of all the Oni Generals, he can tear through and smash most opponents with utter ease, reducing even the staunchest demon hunter into a messy puddle of guts and blood in his wake. Though rarely demonstrated, he also holds power over the element of Earth, being able to fling giant boulders and use formations of rock to crush his foes.

While his strength cannot be matched, his speed and intelligence however are not his strongest suit, relying on his sheer power to overcome any obstacles in his path. While he may also seem invincible with his impenetrable body, he does however have a glaring weakness; his single eye. Though should it be damaged, it will send Kinki into a wild rage unlike anything seen before, but will also increase his brutality sevenfold.

### **Koroka**

Koroka's flame strikes fear into the hearts of all who see it, for it is believed that these unlucky few will die within days. Like Enera, Koroka also had his life nearly taken by fire, the result of trying to save his dying family from a house fire caused by invading soldiers. Given the offer to become a demon and slaughter the men responsible, the man ceased to exist, becoming reborn as an Oni, and following on his goal to see the men who ruined his life dead.

While a Koroka has no face, a soft flame flickers where his head would be. However, witnesses have seen Koroka lift the pipe he wields to his flame the way a man might smoke his tobacco. One theory is that Koroka's pipe is somehow an instrument itself of fire and brimstone, and he smokes it to inhale otherworldly fumes that fuel an incoming deadly attack.

His control over fire is near absolute, able to easily create walls and waves of flame, though a favourite of his is to surround him with orbs of flame, both protecting him from harm from melee range, but also using them as missiles to vaporize his foes.

### **Magatsu**

Magatsu was once a famed Samurai who fell in battle . Dread and death incarnate, he seeks to purge the world of humanity, slaughtering any living things he sees, rather than turn select victims to join the demonic ranks.

'Magatsu' means disaster or calamity, but can also refer to a warped or twisted existence. Using the demonic magic within him, he can grow greatly in size, even transforming his armor and weapons to match his new size, and grow a pair of phantom arms. All who are unfortunate to come across this formidable Oni lose their will to fight, with many running away at the mere sight of him.

Magatsu attacks with all of his conjured arms. each swinging a giant blade. His massive body lend immense power to each of his blows and failing to defend oneself from just one of the attacks is enough to slice clean through even a sturdy warhorse. Countering his attacks while dodging the whirlwind of slashes is no easy feat, although his phantom arms are unstable and easy to shatter, making them ideal targets should any come to battle him.

### **Ongyoki**

Ongyoki is feared even among the Toukiden for his command over both fire and illusion. Able to float and levitate with ease, his favourite battle tactic to zip around the field, creating multiple copies of himself and striking with balls of fire and his flaming sword, scorching his targets into little more than dry husks.

In his past life he was a associate of Japan's greatest onmyo wielder of all time, Abe no Semei, named Dosan, who grew jealous of Semei's ability and tried on numerous occasions to surpass and even murder his rival. In his final attempt he was defeated and left to perish, before being given the chance at a new lease of life and immortality by Otakemaru.

Ongyoki is one of the more seemingly intelligent Oni Generals, displaying complex though processes and able to plan strategically. While not having the utter bloodlust of a Tsuguri such as Suiki, he displays elements of cruelty in his love for playing cat and mouse with his victims, drawing out their fear of their demise at his hands.

### **Suiki**

Suiki is a particularly malicious oni, renowned even among her own kind for her cruelty and the sadistic pleasure she takes from murdering humans. Having complete control over the elements of ice, her preferred method of toying with her prey is to slowly freeze them whole, before shattering their frozen statues with her double-sided scythe, also encased with a near unbreakable perma-frost.

Infamous for her lust of violence, she is not above turning on her own underlings and striking them down at any point, whether they directly disobey her or she seems merely in a particularly foul mood. She is also skilled in a number of dark magics, with curses in particular, casting them on unfortunate victims and sentencing them to a fate worse than death.

While magic may be her domain, she is no less deadly with her weapon, wielding it in masterful fashion. Those caught by her blade will experience not only the pain of the metal rendering their flesh, but the frost that coats the blades will also cause any wound to burn with extreme cold. Atop that, she can attack with her mastery over ice, conjuring immense displays of icy waves and glacial missiles to annihilate those in her path.

### **Ubume**

Ubume is rumoured to have once be a grieving mother unable to bear the death of her newborn child. She is always seen clinging onto large stones and objects, thinking them to be her lost baby, and recognised from even a distance by her sorrowful crying and never-ending tears of remorse. Flying into a fury if these stones are taken, she takes flight with hair that, suffused with dark magic, transforms into otherwordly wings and violently attacking anyone who comes near. As well as her wing and talons, Ubume can also emit an ear-piercing scream that can debilitate, and in some cases, permanently deafen any who threaten her or her object of affection.

Extremely wary on any who approach her, Ubume will stubbornly continue to attack these brave individuals in an attempt to intimidate them into running from her. If they stand their ground however, is when the real danger begins, as she becomes a merciless killing machine.

## Unique Oni

### **Shuten Doji**

The power to crush mountains. The heart of a human.

The firstborn child and son of Kashin and Suzuka Koji. After the death of his mother and the following massacre of the village inhabitants by his father, Doji ran far away, not thinking or stopping. The shock of the dual event fractured his sanity, and he spent many years having all but vanished from the world after he disappeared into the forest.

When he later emerged, he had become little more than a drunken wanderer and a vagrant, selling his skills as a mercenary in return for money which would all go on sake. For like his father, he could not die, and all that was left to him was emptiness and sorrow.

While able to switch between his human and Oni forms, his Oni guise is by far his most recognisable. Growing at least twice in size, his black hair become a glowing amber, joined by similar couloured horns, as his skin darkens into a colour similiar to Otakemaru's own. His already formidable strength increases vastly, being able to crush even the largest of Oni with ease. Shuten Doji, as he is now fully known, is most recognised by two items he has always carried with him, a large gourd of divine sake, and a huge spiked club that is whispered to be strong enough to shatter mountains.

### **Tamamo-No-Mae**

The daughter who defied her father. The girl who defied a God.

When Otakemaru struck her, all present assumed that her time had come, Mae especially. To think that the father she loved so dearly had not only cast her aside so easily, but so casually attempted to end her life. She had moments ago watched her mother, the person she loved most in the world be cut down in cold blood, and now she had lost her father, and both beloved brothers had also deserted her. She would die, alone and unloved. Or so she thought. Waking later in a pool of her blood, the demon in her had awakened. Her father must be stopped, and she would see it through until the bitter end.

Instrumental in the founding of the Toukiden, and a rare enemy of her own kind, she has served as a protector of humanity for centuries now. As with her brothers, she carries her own Oni form, that of a Nine-tailed Fox. Not only does the transformation enhance her strength and speed, but each tail represents a different power, enabling her to wield every element as well as an assortment of other abilities.

### **Yamata-No-Orochi**

The one to yet be tested. The one who could destroy the world.

The third child of the Koji family. Yamato rarely ever showed the warmth that his siblings did towards the family. Though he was loved, he always considered himself somewhat of the black sheep, feeling that he did not fit into the quaint country life, and that the blood of greatness flowed in his veins. When their father revealed his true nature, Yamato felt a surge of ecstasy run through him, his fantasy having become reality.

When Otakemaru offered his children the choice, Yamato was only too happy to accept his father's proposal. After all, it was time immoreal that the strong should cull the weak. Joining his father in his campaign, he fought against the humans as well as his sister, and unleashed his Oni form during the battle. While each sibling had their own individual form, Yamato's was revealed to be a gigantic multi-headed snake, with each head being able to breathe blasts of fire, lightning, ice and wind. Confined and sealed with Byodo-In with his father, if Otakemaru is ever unleashed, then it is certain that his son will take his place once more at his side, and crush anything that stands in his way.

## Friendly Oni

While the majority of Oni are enemies of humans, there exist those who are not, creatures created of Otakemaru's otherworldly essence that are happy to be left alone, or even co-exist among humans.

### **Kodama**

A Kodama is thought to be a tree spirit that transformed upon coming into contact with human tools that have been lovingly used for great periods of time. While the tree spirits are deeply connected to the gods who govern this earth, they are largely emotionless beings. A Kodama, on the other hand, brims with curiosity, much like an innocent child. It tends to grow attached to the human tool that gave it new life, and will not part with it willingly. Some even say that the oni is not the tree spirit, but the tool itself.

Driven by its curiosity, the Kodama finds its way into many unusual places. However, perhaps due to its arboreal origins, it has a poor sense of both direction and distance, and often loses its bearings. If you ever chance upon a disoriented Kodama in your travels, direct it to the nearest shrine - a Kodama never forgets its debts, and its deep connections to the gods will surely pay off eventually, often in the form of a divine blessing. While often found spread amongst the wild, a number of them have found their way to and settled in Utakata Village.

### **Okami**

Oni spirits in the form of a fox. Created by Tamamo to help guide members of the Toukiden when they have lost their paths. Fast and nimble, the foxes can command the elements of fire and lightning for offensive purposes, while also being able to make themselves intangible, as fitting with a spirit.

They are shown to perfectly understand commands given to them, although only Tamamo can apparently hear their 'voices'.

Though they only appear at night, they are a welcome sight to most, having an essence that will ward off nearby demons, if only shortly. They can slo provide aid during a conflict, helping to provide an advantage or even the odds.

### **Scampuss**

A Scampuss is a oni in the form of a particularly corpulent cat. While it is known to entangle itself in the legs of passerby, making walking a little more difficult, it is hard to say it poses any real threat. In fact, some people claim an encounter with this fleshy feline soothes their weary bodies, among other pleasant effects.

It is said that these oni were once babies or young children who suffered untimely deaths, and thus rub themselves against strangers in search of their mother's warmth.

A Scampuss who is treated with cruelty is quite the sight, as its anger causes it to swell up like a puffer fish. As it remains harmless even in this angered state, there are those who go out of their way to torment the poor oni, thinking its appearance amusing. One can only hope that these unkind souls will eventually reap what they sow.

### **Sudama**

A Kodama corrupted by Oni blood is transformed into a unquiet spirit. Fortunately, the Sudama does not show a predilection for violence, as its original form never bore ill will towards man. Instead, it displays an unusual attachment to all manner of material belongings. If you don't mind relinquishing something you own, toss it to a Sudama and see what happens.

While the Sudama show great interest in human possessions, each one can favor vastly different things. A sudama that receives an item to its liking will demonstrate immense happiness, and has been known to gift its benefactor with a precious item in return. The converse is also true - one who presents a Sudama with something it despises will incur its monumental wrath and invite punishment for their transgression. To lose one's life in this way would sadly and surely be some cosmic joke. As with all other things in life, pranks on a Sudama should be carried out in moderation.

### **Tengu**

The Tengu of Mount Takao are are an anomaly among their Oni brethren. A race of birdlike warrior monks, they have existed in isolation before official records began, never interfering with the world of men, nor joining the Oni in their ravaging of the land.

There are rumours among the Toukiden that it was the Tengu who originally taught them the art of slaying demons, and provided them with the knowledge on how to form steel and blades capable of vanquishing the otherwordly threat.

It is said that the Tengu are a rank above the finest warriors of humanity, according to the few existing records of those who have traversed Mt Takao and seen the birdmen's sanctuary with their own eyes.