Hoshikusa

Sanctuary of the Half-Blooded

Hidden where the southern edge of Kitsune no Mori meets the fertile plains of Kome no Kuni, lies Hoshikusa, a secret haven for the Hanyou — children of human and yokai heritage. Protected by powerful Kitsune illusions and divine wards, this village is veiled from mortal eyes. Outsiders stumble across it only if the Kitsune or Hanyou wish it so.

Though many in Yamato treat Hanyou with suspicion or disdain, in Hoshikusa they find freedom to live as they truly are. Here, they celebrate their duality with pride, weaving human and yokai traditions into new festivals, songs, and ways of life. Their homes are built of timber and spirit-woven reeds, surrounded by gardens that bloom with herbs sacred to both mortals and spirits.

Few remember that this land was once called Onogoro, the first island formed when Izanagi and Izanami descended from the heavens. The air still hums with their lingering celestial energy, a power that repels corruption and renders necrotic forces powerless. It is said this blessing is why Byakko, the Celestial White Tiger, chose to make its lair upon nearby Byakko’s Peak, guarding both Hoshikusa and the forest beyond.

To the west of Hoshikusa stretches the great Yūshōkai — the Sea of Mystical Skies. Its glittering waters lap against a wide pier where Hanyou fishers and voyagers set out beneath the blessing of shrine-bells. The sea is alive with legends: Ryujin clans dwelling in coral palaces beneath the waves, sunken temples humming with old songs, and wandering island-shrines where priests honor the gods of the deep. The Ryujin guard these waters fiercely, though those of Hoshikusa are tolerated, believed to carry the same harmony that once guided Izanagi and Izanami.

Hoshikusa is more than a refuge — it is a bridge between worlds, a sanctuary where the broken can become whole, and where the blessing of creation still lingers strongest.