17: Civilian World & Secrecy Protocols
Introduction
While jujutsu society wages constant war against curses, the vast majority of civilians live in ignorance. Most people cannot see curses or comprehend cursed energy, so they explain tragedies through coincidence, accidents, or natural disasters. This ignorance is not accidental — it is deliberately maintained. The survival of jujutsu society depends on secrecy. If civilians fully grasped that humanity itself spawns curses through fear and negativity, panic would spiral, feeding an endless surge of cursed energy. Thus, sorcerers work in the shadows, erasing evidence, covering up battles, and ensuring that the war against curses remains unseen.
Civilian Perception and Blindness
Civilians lack the ability to sense or control cursed energy, leaving them blind to curses. They may feel dread, nausea, or unease in cursed zones but rarely understand why. When attacked directly, they interpret curses as hallucinations, accidents, or sudden sickness. To them, a person crushed by a curse’s claws may appear as if they tripped, were struck by falling debris, or suffered a stroke. This blindness shields humanity from terror but also makes them easy prey.
Certain civilians, however, stand closer to awareness. Those with high sensitivity — often artists, psychics, or traumatized individuals — may glimpse vague shapes or shadows. These cases are rare but dangerous, as they attract curses and destabilize secrecy. Sorcerers sometimes monitor or recruit such individuals, but more often, they become casualties.
The Veil and Barriers
One of the most critical tools for maintaining secrecy is the use of veils and barriers. Sorcerers deploy these invisible curtains of cursed energy to separate combat zones from the ordinary world. Civilians within the area may feel compelled to leave, their perception warped so they avoid the battlefield. Those outside see nothing unusual, even if the veil hides catastrophic destruction.
Veils are double-edged tools. While they protect secrecy, they can trap civilians inside with curses. Sorcerers must then fight quickly to save them before the cover-up becomes a massacre. In your game, veils can serve as tactical mechanics — barriers that restrict movement, limit reinforcements, or change how much of the fight the world perceives.
Cover-Up Operations
When battles spill into the public eye, sorcerers enact strict cover-up protocols. These operations include:
Memory Manipulation: Techniques like those used by Utahime or assistants at Jujutsu High can erase or alter memories of civilians who witness curses. This ensures survivors of attacks believe they saw mundane accidents.
Official Reports: The higher-ups coordinate with certain government channels, reclassifying curse-related disasters as gas leaks, fires, or structural failures.
Scene Erasure: Sorcerers repair or destroy battle sites to hide evidence. Collapsed buildings may be demolished entirely under “safety orders.”
Body Disposal: Victims mutilated by curses are rearranged or altered so deaths appear explainable — a car crash, an industrial accident, or even suicide.
Cover-ups are brutal and pragmatic. Sorcerers must accept the erasure of truth as part of their duty. For civilians, the truth remains forever hidden.
Rules of Secrecy
Secrecy is not just custom — it is law. The higher-ups enforce strict regulations:
Never Reveal Sorcery: Civilians cannot be told of curses, even if attacked.
Mission Silence: Sorcerers are forbidden from discussing curse battles outside jujutsu circles.
Civilian Interaction Limits: Sorcerers minimize bonds with civilians, as attachments lead to vulnerabilities and complications when secrecy must be preserved.
Punishment for Exposure: Sorcerers who recklessly reveal cursed energy face censure, demotion, or execution if the breach is severe.
These rules emphasize that sorcerers fight for humanity while remaining apart from it — guardians unseen and unthanked.
Civilian Roles in Narrative
Though civilians cannot fight curses, they play vital roles in the story. Their ignorance makes them both victims and narrative anchors. NPC civilians can:
Serve as Victims: A school plagued by curses, a hospital overflowing with malevolent energy, or a bystander caught in crossfire.
Act as Witnesses: Sensitive civilians may see glimpses of curses, creating tension as sorcerers debate whether to erase memories or recruit them.
Trigger Missions: Civilians may accidentally unseal cursed objects, awaken dormant spirits, or spread rumors that attract curses.
Challenge Morality: Sorcerers must sometimes decide whether to save civilians at great cost, cover up deaths, or erase memories of loved ones.
For players, civilians remind them of the hidden stakes of their war. Every rescue, failure, or memory erasure reinforces the isolation sorcerers endure.
Expanded Lore for Your Game
Civilian secrecy creates opportunities for missions and dilemmas:
A veil malfunctions, and hundreds of civilians witness a curse battle. Do sorcerers erase all memories or risk exposure?
A journalist investigates a string of unexplained deaths, getting closer to the truth. Do players silence them, recruit them, or protect them?
A sensitive civilian begins manifesting cursed energy. Are they a future sorcerer — or a ticking bomb for curse birth?
A disaster (earthquake, fire) masks a curse attack. Sorcerers must manage both rescue operations and battle while staying invisible.
By weaving secrecy into missions, battles gain tension beyond survival — they become about preserving a fragile balance between the seen and unseen worlds.
Closing Thought
The civilian world is the silent backdrop of jujutsu sorcery. Blind to curses yet constantly birthing them, civilians live ordinary lives shadowed by unseen horror. Sorcerers fight not only to exorcise curses but to maintain the illusion of normalcy, a veil of lies that keeps humanity from spiraling into fear. Every mission is therefore twofold: defeat the curse and protect secrecy. In your game, NPCs must reflect this dual burden, reminding players that sorcerers are guardians of both life and ignorance.