The Jukai

To the north of the Ō-Mizu is a massive sea of trees shrouded lightly in pale mist. Like the Numa, the Jukai is another natural gathering place for the native Yokai. Most people avoid the forest and the few that do venture in are often never seen or heard from again. Ghosts, spirits, and vengeful Onryo haunt these woods, driving mad those adventurers foolish enough to push too far into the woods. The Jukai is also notable for being one of Sutoku Tenno's haunting grounds.

Geography

The Jukai is divided into two distinct areas: the maddeningly quiet outer wood, and the unnervingly noisy deep wood. The forest itself is made up of towering redwood-sized coniferous trees that completely blot out the sky, keeping the forest dim.

The Outer Wood

Stepping into the forest is like stepping into a different world. The few colors that are still visible to the eye in the dim light are unnervingly vibrant. But most noticeably, the outer wood is deathly silent. There is no sound. Not even the chirring of insects or the crying of wild animals. It it almost as if there's an invisible barrier around the trees that is soaking up all extraneous noise.

The ground in the outer wood is muddy and bogs down those who travel by foot, and tangled weeds and vines seem to move of their own accord, snaking quietly towards the ankles of an unwary adventurer.

The Deep Wood

After nearly a month of travel through the outer wood, an adventurer might be lucky enough to stumble upon an entrance to the deep wood. The paths in this part of the Jukai are narrow, overgrown, and vertigo inducing. The trees seem to sway back and forth even when there is no wind and shadows are cast at odd angles and seem to shimmer. Time might even seem dilated here; sometimes the day seems to pass in only a few hours and other times it drags on for over 36 hours. Most notably, unlike the outer wood, the deep wood is filled with natural forest ambiance. But if one listens hard enough, they might hear ghostly whispers in the air.
The Heart of the Jukai Another week of travel through the deep wood will lead to a cloistered grove of trees in a grassy clearing. Fog clings heavily to this area, obscuring the ground and smaller trees. A pale blue, electric light pulses at even intervals through the fog. The temperature is several times colder than in the outer wood and deep wood. This is the center of the Jukai, the clearing where Sutoku Tenno is known to rest from time to time.

Fauna & Flora

The trees, flowering plants, and even the dangling vines of the Jukai. Seem to be alive. The degree to which they appear to be sentient sees to depend on how deep into the forest one is. In the outer wood, they might whisper inaudible phrases ranging from declaration's of love to pleas for help, while in the deep wood, the trees actively uproot themselves and pursue intruders. Rarer encounters report trees oozing human blood or sprouting faces in their bark. These occurrences have been attributed to the large numbers of vengeful spirits haunting the forest.
The Yokai in the forest aren’t as hostile as those in the Numa, and tend to remain hidden and out of sight. However, the closer to the Heart of the forest one approaches, the more hostile the spirits and other creatures become. Onryo and other apparitions make up the majority of creatures in the Jukai but more corporeal creatures also call the haunted forest home. Such creatures include:

• Skinwalkers/Nopperabo
• Okuri Inu
• Reiki
• Chi-kiri
• Otoroshi
• The Lost
• The Lonely

Alternative Name(s)

The Sea of Trees, Onryo Forest

Type

Forest, Boreal (Coniferous)