Keikoku

Keikoku was a reclusive kami old like the world.

Creation of the Shadow
Keikoku witnessed the creation of the Living Shadow as it avoided Amaterasu and Onnotangu at the beginning of time.

Otosan Uchi
During the Dawn of the Empire the spirit took permanent residence within a grotto in the Imperial City. The place would became the gardens of the Crane embassy at Otosan Uchi.

Story of the Shadow
The spirit was compelled to uncover the existence of the Shadow to the humankind, but it did not make the contact through shugenja or prophetic vissions. The kami instead used its will to impulse to a human to follow the patterns of the story of the Shadow, through the Ikebana art, placing plants and statues to obscure the sunlight.

Finding the Way
The Ikebana Master Doji Hayashi was not strong enough to interpret all of the impulses that the grotto demanded of him, but when in 1123 Doji Shizue was appointed at the embassy the spirit found the way to create the story. Hayashi had realized the spirit's presence behind the supernatural force that moved the Ikebana displays and encouraged Shizue to follow these impulses.