Armies of Hokori

The Armies of Hokori was a group of Crab bushi spirits trapped in a go board by Hokori no Oni.

Hokori no Oni
A Crab unit in the Shadowlands was met by Hokori no Oni. The samurai commander knew that they were doomed and was surprised when the Oni challenged him to a game of go, offering its own life if he lost a single game. In exchange the Oni would claim one of the commander's men for every game it won. Game by game the Crab commander was defeated, and each time one of his men dissolved into one of the pieces on the board. The commander was the last to become trapped in the go set.

Haunting
The spirits of the Crab and his men remain trapped in the pieces, their spirits writhing in eternal torment. Each successive owner succumbed to the raving words of the fallen Crab bushi. The only way to release the spirits was to track down Hokori no Oni and destroy it.

Karada district
In the 12th century the Armies of Hokori haunted Hida Ryokai, Karada district's governor at the time, who eventually committed seppuku and was buried with the board. In 1120 a tree sprouted from the site of Ryokai's grave, growing at an abnormal rate. The tree's bark had grown old and brittle, cracking into the shape of a go board. The Armies of Hokori began to haunt the new governor and Ryokai's son, Hida Reitaan.