Hannya Sūhai (般若 崇拝)
Through Passion, Clarity. Through Clarity, Power.
Summary
A group of traditionalist Oni who diverged from those of Mount Ōe at some point in the ancient past. The Hannya Sūhai follow Hannya-bō, an ancient Oni monk who is thought to have carved the first Hannya masks by his own hand in a reflection of his own countenance. Like many religious orders, the Hannya Sūhai's purpose is to seek purpose and enlightenment. Their methods, however, are unique. In Human society, the Hannya mask is often used in theater to represent vengeful hatred; a spurned rage especially attributed to women betrayed by their lovers. To the oni, however, the ancient mask bears a different meaning. Its white, snarling face cannot be mistaken for any expression but rage. Yet the Sūhai believe that, through the practice of wearing one's rage on the face, it can be removed from the heart. They teach that the truest way to distance oneself from emotions is to express them. Then, without the burden of passion, one's inner self can achieve true clarity. The Hannya mask's furious countenance represents this process; a constant outlet of emotion to unburden the heart. Even among other oni, the Hannya Sūhai have always been difficult to deal with. Their strict adherence to a unique form of enlightenment means that the sect's members are at equal times either utterly cold and detached or caught up in bouts of passionate emotion. This unpredictability is not popular, especially among the more simple and grounded Oni of Mount Ōe. For all its strangeness, however, the Hannya Sūhai approach seems to work. The group is respected, by those who know of it, for producing masters of Oni mysticism. Their priests possess access to powerful rituals and artifacts that are unknown even to other legends of the arcane craft. No doubt in pursuit of this power, Daimyō Mōri Motonari has forged an alliance with the Hannya Sūhai. It is unknown what she offered in return, but there is no doubt that Motonari has access to at least some of the organization's arcane secrets. This has been most evident in the Mōri Tournament, where white-veiled Sūhai priestesses carry away all who are killed in battle, only to return them by the next day with body and soul intact. It was no mistake, it seems, that the arena in Shimonoseki was constructed (or magically crafted) above a hidden sanctum of the Hannya Sūhai.
Type
Secret, Religious sect
Parent Organization
Deities
Location
Controlled Territories
Related Items
Notable Members
Related Ethnicities
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