Oni

The Devil Fighters

The Oni are towering, red or grey skinned muscular beings of horn and fury, yet also of passion and loyalty. They thrive in tight-knit clans, building their society around food, family, and the joy of combat. To outsiders, Oni ways may seem barbaric: their laughter is loud, their celebrations chaotic, their fights sudden and explosive. Yet at the heart of it lies devotion—to kin, to community, and to the strength found in struggle.

Oni believe that life is meant to be lived fiercely. They wield massive hammers, clubs, or axes, and in battle they are forces of nature—unstoppable, proud, and fearless. Dying in a glorious battle against a worthy foe is their greatest honor, for such deaths carry their spirits to join the ancestors in eternal revels. Their tempers may be short, but their forgiveness is swift, and their loyalty once earned is unshakable.

They reside in Akumatani Village, a settlement hidden in the enchanted woods bordering the steppe. The air there smells of smoked meats, sake, and wildflowers. Bright banners flutter above painted huts, drums echo in the central plaza, and the evenings glow with lantern-light as Oni dance, feast, and test their might in contests of strength. To live among Oni is to be embraced by noise, fire, and laughter—a celebration of life itself.

Oni & Okami: A Rivalry of Kinship

Though different as night and day, Oni and Okami share a bond woven of rivalry and mutual respect. Festivals often see the two peoples competing in contests of strength, endurance, and wit, their quarrels dissolving into shared feasts beneath the open sky. While skirmishes are not uncommon—particularly when pride flares—their enmity never festers into war. Each knows that the other is essential to the balance of the steppe, and both recognize their joint duty to protect the sacred Kirin that roam it.

Thus the Kirin Steppe is more than a land of beauty—it is a living testament to the coexistence of passion and patience, chaos and order. Oni and Okami alike see themselves not merely as its inhabitants, but as its guardians, bound together by the blessings of the gods and the hoofbeats of the eternal Kirin.

Oni embody strength, passion, and festivity. From their village of Akumatani, nestled in enchanted hills and fjords of the Kirin Steppe, they host contests, feasts, and celebrations that foster unity. Oni warriors defend the Steppe’s sacred Kirin herds, while their smiths and builders raise enduring monuments of strength. Though hot-blooded, Oni channel their ferocity into protection and cultural vitality, ensuring Yamato never forgets the power of joy, courage, and family.

The Oni of Yamato are towering figures—both literally and figuratively—in the landscape of the land’s societies. Their ancestry is ancient, rooted in the raw powers of the natural world: earth, mountains, fire, and the primal untamed wild spirit of life itself. Legends claim that the first Oni were born from the blood of fallen giants mixed with the fires of Mount Akumakase, where the earth roared and the sky wept lightning. From these origins, Oni carry an aura of awe and dread, walking the line between divine punishment and mortal protector.

Physicality and Appearance: Oni are imposing beings, often standing a head or two taller than humans, with thick musculature and skin tones ranging from deep crimson and indigo to pale bone-white. Their horns—sometimes a single proud spike, sometimes a twisted pair like ram’s horns—are both marks of heritage and symbols of personal status. Many Oni adorn their horns with rings, lacquer, or protective wrappings, a practice tied to both vanity and tradition. Their tusk-like teeth and glowing eyes give them a fearsome appearance, though not all Oni cultivate intimidation—some deliberately soften their looks to blend into human communities.

Way of Living: Oni prefer to live in clans, often in semi-isolated mountain strongholds, volcanic valleys, or hidden gorges where their sheer resilience allows them to thrive in harsh environments. These enclaves are built from massive stones, often painted with protective symbols and adorned with bone, iron, or flame motifs. While many humans imagine Oni dwell only in violence and decadence, Oni society is surprisingly structured, valuing strength not just in combat but also in endurance, artistry, and craftsmanship. Oni blacksmiths and stonemasons are famed across Yamato for forging weapons that are not merely tools of war, but extensions of the wielder’s spirit.

Societal Values and Behavior: Strength and honor form the backbone of Oni values, but strength is defined in many ways—physical power, wisdom in council, or mastery of spiritual discipline. Oni bow to those who prove themselves, regardless of lineage. Publicly, Oni are formal and deliberate, careful not to display weakness before outsiders. Among kin or trusted allies, however, they are boisterous, hearty, and deeply affectionate, with laughter and sake often flowing in abundance. In private, Oni reveal their gentler side: doting parents, loyal friends, and romantic partners who prize fidelity and passion above all.

Spirituality and the Kami: Oni have a complicated relationship with the kami. Once feared as the “demons of Yamato,” Oni were often cast as villains in myth, yet many Oni revere the kami as ancestral kin or cosmic forces they are bound to respect. Oni were once the sacred guardians of mountains. But it seems like people forgot this over time. Their spirituality leans heavily into rituals of purification and balance—Oni know better than most how easily power corrupts. Shamanic Oni priests, called Kishin, act as mediators between their people and the kami, often leading dances or drumming rituals to honor thunder, fire, and mountain deities. Oni view the fallen star with suspicion: some see it as a cursed omen, others as a potential test from the heavens. Though many fear that the fallen star is a symbol that the heaven might fall down onto their heads someday.

Family and Comradeship: Oni clans are large and tightly knit. Kinship is sacred, and betrayal of family is one of the greatest disgraces. They emphasize collective unity over individualism, though personal honor still plays a role. Children are raised communally, and every member of the clan is expected to contribute to the group’s survival and reputation. Marriage rituals are elaborate, often involving feats of strength, exchanges of hand-forged gifts, and blood-oath ceremonies under moonlight.

Fashion and Aesthetics: Oni dress boldly, blending practicality with flamboyance. Heavy layered garments in crimson, black, and indigo dominate, often embroidered with symbols of rock, flames, or beasts. Armor is lacquered, imposing, and often decorated with horned masks or menacing visages meant to unnerve opponents. Jewelry and adornments are popular, especially earrings, beads woven into hair, and elaborate horn rings. Oni hair is worn long, often tied back in battle but allowed to flow freely in formal settings.

Traditions and Rituals: Oni festivals are raucous affairs, with drumming, fire-dancing, and competitions of strength or endurance. One of the most important traditions is the Night of Iron Flames, when Oni forge new weapons and burn old, broken ones as offerings to the spirits of war and peace. Another is the Bonding of Horns, a ritual in which lovers, friends, or sworn brothers exchange horn-rings as a pledge of eternal loyalty. Oni also maintain funerary customs involving cremation, with ashes scattered in rivers or mountains believed to carry the soul to the ancestors.

Public vs. Private Conduct: In public, Oni cultivate gravitas and control—gruff but disciplined, mindful of how easily others fear them. They keep their tempers in check, speak with weight, and display confidence. In private, however, their passions run free: Oni are known for drinking contests, bellowing songs, affectionate roughhousing, and emotional honesty. This duality has often led humans to misunderstand them—seeing them as brutish in one moment, surprisingly tender in the next.

Relations with Others: Oni hold a complicated place in Yamato’s harmony. To humans, they are both protectors and nightmares; to yokai, they are kin but often rivals; to kami, they are both descendants and challengers. Oni themselves see their role as guardians of balance—too fearsome to be ignored, too vital to be cast aside. While not all Oni honor this vision (many do fall into banditry or ruthless war), their ancestry remains a pillar of Yamato’s supernatural landscape.