Mazoku
Mazoku was the name given to the demons of the underworld toiled beneath the earth to oversee the souls of the dead. [1]
Creation[]
A soul weighed down with karma at the end of a selfish and misguided life suffers rebirth as a demon, banished to a realm and an existence of cruelty and pain. The best of these worst beings called themselves mazoku, demons bound to serve Emma-Ō and his Kings of Hell, keeping the underworld running efficiently and justly. If they acquitted themselves honorably, perhaps rebirthed as an animal or human was in store. [2]
Hierarchy[]
The hierarchy of mazoku was complex and labyrinthine, but included three broad tiers. At the top, the daimaō served as lieutenants to the nine Kings of Hell. They were trusted with the highest levels of administration in the underworld, and commanded mazoku in battle when necessary. Maō (demon lords) were put in charge of groups of mazoku, such as patrols or administrative areas. Under these were mazoku with specific roles, such as guards and scribes. [3]
Duty[]
Mazoku served as magistrates and guards within Gaki-dō, but the sheer number of spirits there utterly overwhelmed any attempt to properly keep them contained. Many gaki escaped Gaki-dō to haunt Rokugan, especially in areas where the two realms drew near, such as where violent battles, terrible murders, and other blood-soaked horrors occurred. The mazoku sometimes worked with Phantom Hunters to jointly accomplish their common mission. [4] Mazoku bureaucrats were responsible for the various procedures that allowed souls to progress through Meido, receive their judgment, and reincarnate. Regardless of their specific duties, these mazoku deal with a range of processes and documents. [5]
Appearance[]
These beings were humanlike, but with red or blue skin and sharp claws, teeth, and horns. They served the reincarnation cycle as jailers, torturers, prison guards, judges, scribes, couriers, custodians, and sundry other roles. [2] When traveling in the Mortal Realm Mazoku took on mortal guise, usually maintaining one or more of their startling features in this form such as especially fearsome eyes, unusually sharp teeth, imposing eyebrows, or hair that tended to settle into a hornlike pattern. [6]
Traitors[]
Mazoku aligned with Jigoku's forces infiltrated Meido's administration, reincarnating souls who once served Fu Leng and undermining attempts to prevent undead servants from arising, or bribing judges and other agents. Meido's administrators spent a great deal of effort to root out these impostors. [7]
Known Schools[]
See also[]
References
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