Hebikiri Swamp

The Hebi’s ancestral home, Hebikiri Swamp, lies in the east of Yamato, in the south of Kirin Steppe and the north east of Nekomata Ruins. At its western side it borders to the Yūshōkai Ocean. Hebikiri Swamp is a place as deceptive and mysterious as the Hebi themselves. Located in the southeast of Yamato, its borders bleed into the mist like ink in water. The swamp is a labyrinth of gnarled cypress trees, their roots forming twisted bridges over still, black waters. Heavy fog cloaks the region day and night, bending sound and vision; travelers report seeing phantom lights, hearing whispers from nowhere, or walking in circles for days.

Bioluminescent fungi cling to the trees and glowing reeds line the waters, creating an eerie dreamscape where shadows move like living beings. Time flows strangely in Hebikiri: a day can feel like an hour, or a night can stretch into eternity. Some say this distortion is caused by the Hebi weaving enchantments into the land itself; others whisper the swamp is a wound in the world, touched by forgotten gods.

Villages here are hidden, their structures camouflaged with moss, reeds, and woven branches, blending seamlessly with the swamp’s natural forms. Outsiders rarely find them unless the Hebi will it. Even then, the visitor is guided through a maze of waterways and illusions that test their resolve and humility.

The swamp itself is alive with yokai: spirits of drowned soldiers, amphibious tricksters, and strange water-born creatures lurk beneath the surface. Yet above all, it is the Hebi who rule, unseen and all-seeing, whispering through the reeds and coiling unseen around intruders.