Sixth Codex [Written]

[msblackandblue]

[Her brief stint as an amateur psychologist wasn't a complete waste, Bellis was able to learn a few things. She knows she has to ask questions if she expects to find a way out of Luceti, but it's difficult to know which questions to ask. A clue to come from anywhere. She doesn't particularly enjoy addressing the entire town, but she sees the

Comments

[1week_wizard]

Youkai (妖怪) is a term mostly associated with Japanese folk creatures and ghosts. The term can also apply broadly to anything that is a supernatural being or legend, from any culture. Because there are thousands of stories of magical beings around the world, the different types of youkai are endless. Fairies, vampires, oni, and nekomata can all be found in Gensokyo. Alternatively, it is a common Japanese belief that after a certain amount of time, ordinary objects and animals gain life and personality, becoming a kind of youkai as well. In some cases even a normal human can become a youkai under the right conditions.

Gensokyo youkai tend to live within the wilderness, far away from human settlements. Normal youkai seem to behave like wild animals, attacking humans within their territory on sight. Exceptional youkai are less common, but they often enjoy speaking to humans, and are much stronger than an ordinary Gensokyo human, one on one. These youkai are almost always humanoid in appearance, and can be quite unpredictable; friendly one moment, hostile the next.

Many, though not all, youkai are known to eat humans on occasion, if not on a regular basis. Many youkai are also stronger and live longer than an average human, with lifespans often reaching into hundreds of years (or possibly more in some cases). One common trait often seen among youkai is a weakness to various faith based and spiritual attacks, charms, wards, etc. In Gensokyo it's therefore natural for the resident shrine maiden to become involved whenever there's trouble being caused by a youkai.

However, despite the danger certain youkai present, humans and youkai can and do live together. Some are even helpful to humans. Deciding if a youkai is harmful to humans or not must be done on a case by case basis.

[msblackandblue]

Fascinating. Youkai may be similar to a few things in my world, like the vampir, but I have never heard of faith being used as an attack. At least, not literally.

[1week_wizard]

It is the power of a shinto shrine maiden.

[msblackandblue]

Some religious groups in my world claim to have unique powers, but they are so secretive that I usually assume it is just a way to keep their followers in line.

Although, there is a force that can bring life to inanimate objects and cause humans and animals to transform. An energy named Torque which seems to cause things to change almost randomly.

[1week_wizard]

Hmm... could you explain more on that, if there is anything to be explained?

[msblackandblue]

I don't know too much about it, but it is a dangerous and uncontrollable type of energy. It was once used as a weapon to destroy a city, and the land where that city sat is still corrupted by Torque. Anyone who enters it ends up dead or changed. There are a number of Torque-created horrors still lying in those ruins, like cockroach trees.

[1week_wizard]

... Cockroach trees?

It sounds like some form of radiation...

[msblackandblue]

Perhaps. My knowledge of the technical aspects of it is limited.

[1week_wizard]

I wonder if there are books on the matter...

[msblackandblue]

Years ago, it was a popular area of study in New Crobuzon. It was theorized that if we could find a way to control Torque we could do almost anything. There are a number of books on the subject in my world, so maybe some of them have appeared here.

[1week_wizard]

I will have to investigate on my own.

[msblackandblue]

If you find a way to produce Torque, be careful. I'd rather not wake up with tentacles.

[1week_wizard]

As someone who has experimented often with otherwordly supernatural powers, I assure you I will be doubly careful.

[msblackandblue]

[Bellis wonders if it was a mistake to tell this person about Torque, but scientists had studied it for years with few incidents.]

If you think you can learn anything useful, I wish you the best of luck.