jigokumods | PREMISE

HELL & JIGOKU-CHO

The spiritual realm is not as orderly a place as one might imagine, particularly within the Land of the Dead. Over time immemorial, the authority of the Enma has faded. His work to keep order within his realm has overextended him and this has allowed the hellbound Youkai to form their own factions and stake out their own claims.

Nowhere is this more evident than within the central hub: Jigoku-cho.

Originally created as a sort of trading ground between the various clans and tribes within the spiritual realm, it grew and grew into a marvelous city of grand pleasures. Here, while the presence of the Enma and of his sense of order is not entirely absent, one is able to find any number of vices to indulge themselves in. Jigoku-cho became the playground of the underworld and, of course, that created a tempting prospect for the powers within.

But more than the ‘spice of life’ that the city brings, there is also something else that this city can offer. The city built off the tributary of the Sanzu River offers a seemingly limitless supply of souls. From any time, from any universe, dead or alive: souls may find themselves drawn to this realm. Before his influence became too strained, the Enma dealt with all these lost souls directly, assigning them their labors and giving them a clear path to returning to their homes or to resurrection.

That's not the case any longer. The most powerful Youkai factions within Jigoku-cho now contract these Lost Souls to serve their interests, while promising their grandest desires in return. Once this was initially a peace keeping measure and an offer to help share the Enma’s burden, but now it is a coveted resource. More valuable than all the gold in the spiritual realm, it is something that would give any given faction complete control over Jigoku-cho if the balance were to tip in their favor.

And if one controls Jigoku-cho, they control all of the spiritual realm.

THE FACTIONS

The Shuten Clan

Led by Toraguma, a disciple of the original Shuten Douji, these Oni value might above all else. They feel that strength and will determine one's destiny, far beyond the simplicity of "right" and "wrong". Out of the factions, they are the most like traditional yakuza and fashion themselves as such. Money, might, and appetite are the hallmarks of their clan. Oni will do as Oni do. The Shuten Clan are known to hold up the Oni traditions of hard drinking, hard partying, and a distinct and known hatred of liars. Lying in the process of deal making is considered a high crime within the clan, punishable by yubitsume (or worse). This isn't to say lying doesn't happen, more that you'll be extremely hard pressed to catch any Shuten operative in a lie.

They control most of the sports and gambling aspects of the town. Their specialty is the arenas and they tend to recruit among fighters.

The core philosophy of the Shuten Clan is one part Might Makes Right and another part Death Before Dishonor. While the Shuten Clan upholds their founder's belief in strength being the ultimate deciding factor of power and value, they also follow a strict code of honor that goes beyond just not lying. They resemble old-school yakuza through and through, and while their power allows them domination, they also understand that power caries with it responsibility to their community.

The Tamamo Clan

While the Oni may have the longest tenured presence in the spiritual realm, one could argue the realm itself would not exist as it is now if not for the Kyuubi (multi-tailed fox youkai). Their faction is led by Tenko-hime, a mysterious woman who claims to have been a child of the original Tamamo no Mae. No one dares challenge her claim. Her mastery over magic is exceptional and she's been known to demonstrate it on those who doubt her claims to her birthright.

The Tamamo Clan value cunning and insight, the ability to see ahead of things and they feel the greatest thing they can offer visitors within Jigoku-cho is pleasure; usually in the form of blissful delusions and indulgences of the imagination. Kyuubi clan punishment is more likely to be “disappearance” rather than maiming.

Restaurants and sex work operations are their specialty, as well as most of the inns in town (but not player housing).

The core philosophy of the Tamamo Clan is that libertarian bliss. If one has power, then they have freedom, and freedom should be spent seeking relief from a stressful world. That is part of why Tamamo's punishment of those that cross them has so much to do with denying them freedom instead of physical damage. Tenko-hime specifically feels that her mother, more than anything, sought the love of the people so that she could be her true and most beautiful self, instead of constantly hiding her tails among the humans. That is what matters to the Tamamo Clan the most.

The Sutoku Alliance

Not a clan in the traditional sense, they claim no lineage to a great youkai. Rather, they are an alliance of tribes that formed their own power structure to challenge the influence of the others. Chief among them are the Tengu (though other youkai tribes, such as the Kappa, are part of the Alliance). The Alliance is led by the Daitengu. A mystery of an individual who is never seen without their mask. Their true name, their origin, and even their gender are an unknown quantity. If anyone knows these truths, they are sworn to a sacred pact of secrecy and would sooner perish than reveal anything about their leader.

This is unsurprising, as the Tengu are information brokers who value intelligence as well as What and Who You Know above all else. They feel that knowledge grants tremendous power. They also have influence over utilities within town, thanks to the Kappa. The Kappa's allegiance to the Sutoku Alliance doesn't seem air tight though and they have their disagreements. Crossing the Sutoku Alliance is a surefire way to have your reputation ruined, since they know everything about you, including all those skeletons you keep tucked away.

They dabble a lot in the financial realm: theaters, gaming (non-gambling), real estate, and more. With the Kappa in their alliance, they have some control over the city utilities, too.

Fitting of their assembly of weaker tribes, the Sutoku Alliance are strong believers in egalitarian systems, but not those absent of hierarchy. They are less "power to the people" and more "the people need power, and power requires those with the wisdom to manage it". They feel keeping up their tribe's identities instead of letting them be consumed by those who are "stronger" holds the most value, and most of their fight seems to be that of an underdog. They also believe in piety, and the value of asceticism (though not to the point of denying all indulgences).

The Department of the Enma

The cops of Jigoku-cho. The Enma is considered the judge-arbiter and de facto leader of the city, although his influence over his own city is maintained entirely by the other factions. The Enma himself is a deeply imposing figure, towering over anyone, a mountain unto himself, and the Shinigami that serve him are just as fearsome.

Make no mistake, the Enma is not concerned with "justice" nor making Jigoku-cho a paradise of the righteous. Above all else, the Enma values order, and his Shinigami see that this is fulfilled by any means necessary. They are not above using underhanded tactics, even acts considered abhorrent, to maintain the city’s order.

Those contracted with the Enma used to be given general labors for their time within the spiritual realm, but these days they are largely contracted as city officials: patrol officers, administrators, lawyers, peacekeepers. It is in the Enma's interests to keep the other factions from growing imbalanced and tipping the city into chaos. The Enma is aware that not everyone on his payroll is on the up and up. The factions have money and power to influence from within. It is in your best interest to keep anything like that as deep under the table as you can. The Enma is unkind to traitors of any contract.

City administration is all within the Enma's world. This isn't just cops or lawyers, but even ferrymen and taxi drivers, librarians, and even many city-run retailers such as drug stores.

The core value of those working beneath the Enma is justice and order. What matters, above all, is the Enma's law, and the orderly function of the order of lost souls, and that power rests with those willing to keep the law. The system, above everything, will be maintained, and reward those that maintain it. The system cannot be corrupt, because it is the system, and the system IS justice. That is what the Enma's Order takes shape as.

DEFYING A CONTRACT

While each faction will doubtless offer a worthy payment for a Lost Soul's service, it is possible to defy one's contract and break from one faction to join another. This is considered extremely rare. It is also possible to break from one's contract and "become neutral" but… that's not recommended.

Those who defy contracts are exiled from the city to the outer wilds of the spiritual realm. They are not allowed to return within the city. Life outside the city is beyond simply uncomfortable. It is a true definition of Hell. As a point within the game, no one will be allowed to start factionless, and to become factionless will be something treated very seriously. It will make it difficult, if not impossible, to continue on in the setting.

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