Yomi

The Land of Silent Shadows

Yomi is the shadowed realm of the dead, where the souls of mortals drift after life’s end. The land is swathed in eternal fog, its air thick with sorrow and unspoken laments. The ground is paved with pale, glimmering stones, said to be remnants of starlight lost to the mortal world. Ghostly lights bob in the mist like will-o’-the-wisps, guiding some travelers to safety, and luring others into endless wandering. Ancient, twisted trees rise like phantoms, their branches clawing at the sky, bearing no leaves yet whispering with voices of the past. To step into Yomi is to feel the weight of eternity pressing on one’s soul, where the boundary between memory and oblivion begins to fade.

The Lament of Yomi

Yomi is not a place of torment, nor of reward — it is a realm of stillness, where the dead linger in half-existence. Spirits wander through the fog, some at peace, others bound by longing, vengeance, or regret. Those who enter risk becoming lost themselves, for the mist dulls memory and drains vitality until even the living forget who they are. It is said that Izanami, goddess of creation turned sovereign of death, resides in the deepest reaches of Yomi, watching over its sorrowful denizens with eyes that weep flame. Few mortals dare the path into Yomi, for once one partakes of its food or lingers too long, they can never return. Yet shamans, Onmyoji, and daring heroes still brave its roads — seeking lost souls, hidden truths, or bargains with the restless dead, knowing that every step in Yomi brings them closer to the silence of eternity.

The Wheel of Rebirth

The Wheel of Rebirth, or Rinne no Kuruma, is the eternal cycle through which all souls pass, binding Yamato’s mortals, yokai, and even spirits to the rhythm of existence. It stands at the center of Yomi. Spun by the unseen hands of fate, the wheel turns endlessly, carrying the soul from death to new life, from mortal form to spirit, and sometimes even across realms. Its spokes gleam with six paths, said to represent the many states of being: divinity, humanity, yokai, beast, hungry ghost, and shadow. To walk the wheel is inevitable; to escape it is a miracle.

Kami whisper that those touched by the fallen star may have their threads torn from the wheel, risking eternal wandering or unnatural rebirth. Shamans and monks seek glimpses of the wheel in visions, describing it as a great celestial mandala woven from starlight and shadow, forever turning above the Sea of Mystical Skies. Some claim the wheel is guided by Byakko, the White Tiger Guardian, whose roar keeps the cycle in motion. Others believe Izanami herself twists it from Yomi’s depths, reshaping destiny with each turn.

For the people of Yamato, the Wheel of Rebirth is both a comfort and a terror: proof that nothing is ever truly lost, and a reminder that one’s deeds echo beyond a single lifetime. Heroes may be reborn, but so too may grudges, curses, and spirits unwilling to fade.