The Land of the Dead

The First Oni is a short fiction.

Annotated Story
The path to Jigoku is a spiritual journey which everyone in Rokugan makes, be they Emperors or lowly eta. Each path is different, a road for one is a raging river for another. The destination is always the same, a great arch quarded by a spirit who never knew life.

Rokugan is filled with stories of spirits returned from the lands of the dead. There are few who manage to cut their way out. Some drift among the living looking for their way while others return to achieve something important. These ancestors are revered by Rokugani, and a conduit to learn about the past.

There are many stories of ancestors who remain to aid their descendants, appearing in times of trouble or hardship. Through sheer force of will they remain to finish work they believe undone. However, no matter how strong they are, an ancestor who is forgotten or neglected will slowly dwindle and finally be drawn into the afterlife forever.

Characters
n/a

Not Present, But Mentioned

 * Spirit who guards the realm of the dead