#Village of Rain and Moon (雨月の里)

Contents

Psychological horror scenario. 2~3 sessions. Minimal combat, investigation, and atmosphere-centered play. A slow erosion as the party enters an illusion village made by a yoma and gradually realizes the truth.

• Recommended setup: 3~5 PCs (4th~7th dan). At least 1 PC with Perception, Sorcery, or Exorcism at Initiate (1 point)+ is recommended.
• Difficulty: medium (combat difficulty is low. The threats are perception, psyche, and time).
• Rules covered: slow-burn horror pacing / Oblivion Infection accumulation / clue collection / Exorcism and barriers / heavy Three Ways and Six Hearts branches / noncombat focus / timing of truth revelation / Mizoguchi and Kobayashi homage

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#Motif

This scenario mixes the DNA of three Japanese classic horror works:

• Kenji Mizoguchi's "Ugetsu" (1953) -- a potter leaves his village in wartime chasing money, returns, and finds that his wife died long ago; the few days he experienced were an illusion. The ontological horror of "what I believed I loved was the memory of the dead."
• Masaki Kobayashi's "Kwaidan" (1964) -- an anthology of four classic ghost stories. Especially the silence, air, and ritual fear of the "Yuki-onna" and "Hoichi the Earless" episodes.
• "Onibaba" (1964) -- two women pushed by war into stealing from the dead. An oni mask they obtain will not come off, and the mask becomes a face. "The moment a victim becomes a perpetrator."

Common theme: when peace is sweeter than truth. The party's moral choice is designed to actually touch the weight of existence, death, and memory.

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#Background

#Setting Context

Deep in the mountains of northern Tsukushi (筑紫). A name erased from war maps: Kagetsuno Village (影月の里). A nearby estate was destroyed in war 5 years ago, and administratively the village no longer exists. Yet if one follows the mountain road, deep in a foggy valley -- there is still a village with lanterns lit.

#Truth (GM Information, Not Revealed to PCs)

In the winter 5 years ago, there was a massacre in this village. The reason was simple -- it was used as a supply route in a war between nearby daimyo, and one night a small force slaughtered 120 residents to leave no witnesses. The corpses were not even buried in the earth; they were covered by snow. When spring came, the corpses were exposed, and wild animals and crows took care of the rest.

But the souls could not leave. Death was too sudden, and no one could accept that they were "dead." Over 5 years, the souls mixed with the mountain-village energy and naturally generated a barrier of collective oblivion. The souls believe they are alive and repeat daily village life. They farm, cook rice, hold children, and put them to sleep. Time has not stopped; time endlessly replays one spring day from 5 years ago.

At the center of this barrier is one yoma. Yet even that yoma did not create it out of deliberate malice. The souls' collective oblivion was so strong that it drew in nearby yoma aura (妖氣), and at some point that aura itself gained a single will. Its name is "Midwife of Dreams" (夢の産婆) -- classified as a large gashadokuro-type yoma, but its behavior pattern is that of an ordinary village old woman.

#Current Situation

A passing traveler (actually a living human, not a soul) arrived at the village two days ago and stayed one night. The next morning, the traveler descended the mountain and arrived at a Kagura Domain checkpoint with their psyche completely shattered. "The people I loved were all ghosts. But that night with those ghosts -- was the happiest in my life." Then they killed themself on the spot.

After receiving this report, the Kagura Domain Onmyoryo (陰陽寮) dispatches the party. Commission: "Investigate Kagetsuno Village and release the barrier. However, minimize any resources that could harm the residents (souls) -- they are victims too."

#Weight of the Commission

This scenario is not "yoma extermination." If the barrier is released, the souls realize the truth (the fact that they are dead). In that moment, some will pass on (liberation), but some may turn into furious onryo. If the barrier remains, the souls continue inside a sweet dream -- while creating new victims (travelers).

Which side is mercy?

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#Scent (香)

#Sensation of the Opening Scene

The mountain road is ordinary. But the moment the party reaches the mouth of the valley -- the density of the air changes. Through the fog come the sweet smell of miso soup and the smell of freshly cooked rice. It is too early for a supper smell. The sun is still halfway up the sky.

The moment they step into the village, something loosens in the chest. Travel fatigue, tension, and cold dissolve in a single breath. Too mild to distrust, too swift to believe.

The soil of the village road underfoot swallows every footstep in silence. No dogs bark. No roosters crow. Bird calls drift like distant echoes, yet no birds can be seen.

At night, the lanterns are too bright. Before one wick burns out, another wick flares. The oil does not diminish.

#Voices of the Major NPCs

Village Head Takeshichi (illusion -- warm old man's low voice, endlessly kind):

"Ah, travelers. It has been so long. The mountain road must have been a hard one. Spring has just arrived, and the cherry blossoms are in bloom. Come, stay at my house tonight and rest."

Oyu (stroking her belly -- cheerful, but with distant eyes):

"The child will be born soon. Before my husband comes home. He is a potter, so his hands are rough -- I wonder how long he has been waiting to hold his first grandchild."

Child Kishiro (in the shade -- cheerful, but slightly unfocused):

"Mister! Mother scolded me again this morning to hurry up and go to sleep. When I grow up I want to be just like father -- um, where is father, anyway? Mother told me, but I forgot."

Hanjiro (at a drinking table, eyes drifting to his own belly):

"...This land is peaceful. A ronin like me -- that is enough reason to stay and guard it. I came to protect this land. When exactly that was... my memory grows dim."

Midwife of Dreams, Obaa (in the hut -- slow, cracked, heavy voice):

"...You have come. Yes, I knew you would. I did not cage them. They called me here. Which side is mercy -- that is for you to say. I will abide by it."

#Mood Turning Point

• Day 1 arrival: the trap of gentleness. The speed at which caution dissolves is the threat indicator. If it becomes too comfortable, infection has already begun.
• Night of Day 1: just before sleep, children's laughter without echoes. The wrongness of "why are there no dogs?"
• Morning of Day 2: the village head's same line. Welcoming them again as if it is the first time. First sensation of the crack in time.
• Clue accumulation: cherry blossoms do not rot → calendar from 5 years ago → Kishiro has no shadow. The moment wrongness becomes evidence.
• Conversation with Obaa: horror changes into ethics. This is no longer "defeat the yoma."
• Just before the ending choice: moonlight over the village square. Will they begin the rite, leave quietly, or make a deal?

#Distortion of Color and Sense

• Time: the first day is twilight orange. Day 2 is foggy gray-blue. Day 3 is moonlit silver-white. Color loses saturation.
• Sound: the first day has kitchens and children's laughter. From Day 2, echoes disappear. On Day 3, only the PCs' footsteps resonate.
• Distorted sense of time: "When the conversation ended, the sun was almost down." "When you came back to yourselves, 3 hours had passed." The GM deliberately repeats these sentences.
• Smell: old incense smoke lies over the entire village. It is not noticed at first, but from Day 2 it soaks into the PCs' clothes. It remains for a day even after leaving the village.
• Touch: when touching a resident's hand -- warmth arrives one beat late. It is not felt immediately; the hand becomes warm 1 second after contact. Detectable only with a Perception check.

#Mizoguchi Homage

The GM deliberately uses the grammar of black-and-white film. The feeling that "the color has drained away" is the spine of the horror. Strong color appears only in:

• Oyu's pale pink kimono (exactly the clothing she wore when she died).
• Child Kishiro's red cord (the hair tie his mother last tied for him).
• The black candle smoke in Obaa's hut.

Everything else is faded.

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#NPC

#Ally

Onmyoryo Officer Aoi (陰陽寮 葵, Mob, Wounds 1)

• Age 30-something. Delivers the commission. Provides a copy of the traveler's suicide note.
• Does not accompany the party. Waits at the checkpoint outside the village.
• Additional information can be requested: on 2d10+Presence+Negotiation ≥ 13, mentions past war records of the village (massacre 5 years ago). However, draws a line by calling it "an unbelievable rumor."

#Souls of the Village (Resident NPCs, all Wounds 1 spirit-forms)

About 30 people "live and move" in the village. All are souls, and none know they are souls. They disappear easily if attacked (Wounds 1), but a defeated soul leaves a curse on the barrier and increases Oblivion Infection +2.

Village Head Takeshichi (武七)

• Age 60-something. Leader of all village residents. Welcomes the party.
• Personality: kind and peaceful. Knows local legends well.
• Truth: the first victim 5 years ago. On the day of the massacre, he was the first to be cut and fall. He does not remember anything after that night -- the point where time stopped.
• Peculiarity: if a PC asks "What date is it today?", he answers the exact date from that day 5 years ago.
• Reaction when barrier is released: shocked but rational. "...Ah, is that so. We -- I see." High chance to pass on.

Young Wife Oyu (お柚)

• Age 20-something. The most striking person in the village. Waits for her husband (a potter gone to war).
• Personality: cheerful, curious, somewhat lonely.
• Truth: her husband was actually killed in the war 3 years ago. She herself died pregnant during the massacre 5 years ago. The child in her belly could not become a soul and vanished.
• Peculiarity: often strokes her belly. "The child will be born soon." -- her belly is flat.
• Reaction when barrier is released: highest risk of onryo transformation. Strong fixation on the child in her belly.

Child Kishiro (喜四郎)

• 8 years old (8 years old for the 5th year). The most active of all children in the village.
• Personality: pure, likes wordplay.
• Truth: on the day of the massacre, he was cut down first together with his mother. His mother's soul passed on early, and Kishiro was left alone and absorbed into the village soul collective.
• Peculiarity: never stands under the sun (太陽). He has no shadow.
• Reaction when barrier is released: passes on while crying. "I wanted to go to mother."

Martial Artist Hanjiro (半次郎)

• Age 40-something ronin, Swordsmanship Master status. Provides guard and training for villagers.
• Personality: quiet, serious.
• Truth: he was one member of the force that carried out the massacre. Immediately after the massacre, he killed himself from guilt. As his soul seeped into the barrier, his memory rewrote itself so that he had been a ronin protecting the village.
• Peculiarity: when no one is looking, he often presses his belly (site of the suicide wound). Cannot draw his sword -- his hand shakes when he tries.
• Reaction when barrier is released: furious onryo transformation. "I -- cannot be forgiven." Attacks the party.

Midwife of Dreams, Obaa (産婆 お婆, neutral/main antagonist)

• Appears as an old woman over 100 years old(?). Lives alone in a shabby hut on the edge of the village.
• Personality: slow, ambiguous speech. Acts as if she knows everything.
• Truth: the center and result of this village's barrier. A yoma crystallized from the souls' collective oblivion. She did not create the village by her own will -- she is a mirror formed to reflect the dream the souls wanted. However, she instinctively knows that if she disappears, the village disappears too.
• Avoids combat -- if attacked, she disappears. Hides deep within the barrier.

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#Core Mechanics

#1. Oblivion Infection (忘却感染度)

A shared value for the whole party. Starts at 0, maximum 10. Every day (each time the party spends a night in Kagetsuno Village), it automatically increases by +1. Certain actions also increase it.

Causes of infection increase:

• Spend one night in the village: +1 (cumulative)
• Share a meal with residents: +1 (1 time per session)
• Attack or defeat a resident soul: +2 (only to the PC who defeated it)
• Enter Obaa's hut interior (without permission): +2
• Sleep near the barrier: +1

Causes of infection decrease:

• Exorcism rite (Exorcism Master + 30 minutes RP): -1 (limited to 1 time per combat)
• Succeed on a "cognitive resistance" check by collecting truth clues (system below): -1
• Return to the outside checkpoint (Officer Aoi) and rest 1 day: -1
• Escape to the Flank Zone of the barrier: infection freezes (increase stops, no decrease either)

#2. Truth Clue System (Three Clue Rule Compliant)

The party must collect 3 categories × 3 clues = 9 clues to meet the complete barrier-release condition. If they lack clues, ending branches are restricted.

#Category A — Cracks in Time (evidence the village is fixed to time 5 years ago)

1. Village head age contradiction: the village head says "I turn fifty this year," but the village genealogy says 55. (Automatically exposed in conversation, confirmed with Sense ≥ 11)
2. Physical calendar check: a 5-year-old calendar still hangs in the village temple. No dust either. (Search ≥ 13)
3. Cherry-blossom anomaly: the village cherry blossoms do not fall after the season passes. Fallen petals do not rot either. (2d10+Wisdom+Herbalism ≥ 11)

#Category B — Evidence the Residents Do Not Exist (evidence the residents are souls)

1. Kishiro's shadow: child Kishiro does not stand under the sun. Perception check ≥ 13 confirms no shadow.
2. Oyu's pregnancy: Oyu strokes her belly and says "the child will be born soon," but her belly is flat. Medicine check ≥ 14 confirms she is not pregnant.
3. Hanjiro's suicide scar: ronin Hanjiro sometimes presses his belly. Sense ≥ 15, or conversation with him while drunk, reveals the suicide scar.

#Category C — History of the Massacre (evidence of the incident 5 years ago)

1. Bone fragments outside the village: traces of 100 bodies buried crudely in the forest outside the village. Not a large mound, but shallow pits. (Search ≥ 13 or Sense ≥ 14)
2. Temple memorial text: in the back room of the small village temple is a memorial text written by a monk to make offerings for 120 people 5 years ago. But there is no monk. (2d10+Presence+Bearing ≥ 13)
3. Officer Aoi's testimony: if the party returns to the checkpoint and questions Aoi again, he mentions administrative records of a "small massacre in northern Tsukushi 5 years ago." This can cross-check all 3 categories as 1 clue.

Clue collection rules:

• Gain up to 3 clues per day (PCs may split up to collect them)
• When a clue is gained, opportunity for a cognitive resistance check: on 2d10+Wisdom ≥ 13, Oblivion Infection -1
• When all 9 clues are collected, the party fully understands the truth. Ending branches A/B/C/D all open.
• 6 clues or fewer: only ending branches A and C open (truth-revelation branch B impossible with insufficient evidence).
• 3 clues or fewer: only ending branch D (withdrawal) opens.

#3. Time Limit

On the morning of the 4th day the party stays in the village, another living traveler arrives. This traveler (Jiro, a black-market merchant who originally came after hearing rumors) kills himself here on the night of the 4th day (repeat of the original traveler pattern). If the party does not release the barrier or block Jiro within 3 days, Jiro's death = partial scenario failure.

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#Scenario Structure — 4 Acts

[Act 1: Peaceful Arrival (Day 1)]
   ↓
[Act 2: Accumulating Oddities (Day 2)]
   ↓
[Act 3: Encountering the Truth (Day 3 - Conversation with Obaa)]
   ↓
[Act 4: Ending Choice (Night of Day 3 or Day 4)]

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#Act 1 — Peaceful Arrival (Day 1)

#Mood

The PCs receive the commission briefing from Aoi at the checkpoint and climb the mountain road. The road is ordinary. After about half a day, they reach a fog-filled valley. Faint house lights are visible inside the valley.

At the village entrance, Village Head Takeshichi and 5~6 residents greet the party. Takeshichi's first words:

"Ah, travelers. It has been so long. The mountain road must have been a hard one. Spring has just arrived, and the cherry blossoms are in bloom. Come, stay at my house tonight and rest -- if you are not pressed for time..."

The warmth of the welcome is almost suffocating in its peace. A bone-deep tension has held throughout the journey; the moment they step inside the village, all of it seems to dissolve at once.

#First-Day Interactions

PCs may move freely around the village. The residents are all kind, and they fall into conversation -- deeply sympathetic to the party's callings, abilities, and troubles. Too deeply.

First-day clue opportunities (Sense, Scouting, Herbalism checks):

• Category A clue #1 (village head age) -- automatically exposed during conversation.
• Category B clue #4 (Kishiro's shadow) -- check opportunity at sunset.
• Category A clue #3 (cherry blossoms) -- when a PC admires the blossoms and makes a Herbalism check.

Wrongness points (narrated to all PCs):

• The children make voices, but their laughter has no echo.
• Draw water from the well and it is too cold and too clear. Not an ordinary mountain-village well.
• Even at night, there are no dogs barking. It is strange for a mountain village to have no dogs.

#End of Day 1

The village head provides lodging (a farmhouse). If anyone in the party falls asleep, infection +1.

Alternative choice: refuse lodging and camp on the edge of the village → no infection increase. However, the residents are sad the next day ("Do we make you uncomfortable?" -- fewer additional investigation opportunities).

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#Act 2 — Accumulating Oddities (Day 2)

#Mood

After one day, the village is the same as yesterday. The village head repeats part of the same line as yesterday. But the residents do not find this strange at all -- because to them, every day is the first time.

#Day 2 Clues

• Category B clue #5 (Oyu's pregnancy) -- conversation with or observation of Oyu.
• Category A clue #2 (calendar) -- temple search.
• Category B clue #6 (Hanjiro's scar) -- drinking table or training with him.
• Category C clue #7 (bone fragments) -- search the forest outside the village.

Sense, Scouting, Medicine, and Bearing checks are core. Each clue specifies its check difficulty.

#Oblivion Infection Increase

Night of Day 2 = infection +1. Someone among the PCs has already reached level 2~3. Perception check penalties begin.

Choices:

• Try deep interaction with one resident (Oyu, Kishiro, etc.) → additional clue possible, infection +1
• Focus investigation on the temple back room → opportunity for clue #8, no infection change
• Search the outer area → opportunity for clue #7, no infection change

#End of Day 2

If the party has collected at least 6 clues → Act 3 can begin. If below that, investigate further on Day 3 or decide to withdraw.

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#Act 3 — Encountering the Truth (Day 3)

#Obaa's Hut

A party that has collected 6 clues or more reaches an old hut on the edge of the village. The residents only say, "Obaa lives there alone. Be quiet," and do not guide anyone nearby.

Inside, the hut is dark, heavy with incense. An old woman seated in a corner lifts her head and regards the party. Her eyes show nothing but white. Each time she parts her lips, the light in the room dims a little more.

#Conversation with Obaa

"...You have come. Yes, I knew you would. You must have heard -- another traveler took his own life. I am sorry for him. But I did nothing to him. He chose this village's dream himself, woke from it himself, and died himself.

I have no wish for the souls here to live happily in ignorance of their own deaths. I am only -- the result of their choosing. If I am gone, they are gone. And then -- will they be freed? Or will they simply cease?

Which side is mercy -- that is for you to decide. I will accept whatever you choose."

Obaa does not attack. If the party initiates a fight, she only looks at them with sorrowful eyes and says, "Ah. So that is the way you chose." She disappears if attacked (treated as Wounds 0; she does not truly die, but is absorbed into the barrier). Her disappearance does not mean the barrier is released -- rather, the barrier becomes more unstable without a master (automatic infection increase rate +1).

#Confirming the Truth

Conversation with Obaa automatically confirms remaining clues. Even if Category C clues #8 and #9 are uncollected, Obaa's words can partially supplement them. However, if fewer than 9 clues have been collected, branch B (complete release) is locked -- because some residents cannot accept the truth and become onryo.

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#Act 4 — Ending Choice (Night of Day 3 or Day 4)

The party chooses one of the following:

#Ending A — Reveal Truth + Passing-On Rite (眞, 9 clues)

The PCs gather all residents in the village square and declare the truth. While offering at least one of Exorcism, barrier work, morale reinforcement (Jodo Monk), healing light (Arahitogami), or comfort (Entertainer) to each resident, make a rite check: 2d10 + Presence + higher proficiency between Exorcism and Sorcery >= 15.

Success (great success total 20+): all residents pass on in tears. Obaa takes the village head's hand and vanishes with him. Over 3 nights, the village slowly fades until the true ruins are laid bare. PC rewards are maximized.

Failure (difference 1~4): some residents pass on, while some become onryo. Hanjiro onryo + Oyu onryo + 4 Mob-grade onryo appear. The party must fight them in a climax battle. (See §Combat Details below)

Major failure (difference 5 or more, or double failure): almost everyone becomes onryo. Hanjiro (Elite-grade), Oyu (Elite-grade), village head (Elite-grade), and 10 Mob onryo. Extremely hard combat.

#Ending B — Maintain Barrier + Withdraw (慈, Leave the Truth Incomplete)

The PCs leave quietly without harming the village. However, to block Jiro (the next traveler), they place a warning at the checkpoint. They report to Officer Aoi: "Do not send travelers near this village."

Result:

• The resident souls continue dreaming. Obaa remains. Kagetsuno Village is officially designated a danger zone on maps (joint control by Hiei League and the domain).
• However, after 5 years, 10 years, or 100 years, the barrier will naturally weaken → someone will eventually release it, but that is not this PC's problem.
• Three Ways and Six Hearts 慈 is reinforced. However, the weight of "we did not finish what had to be done" remains.

#Ending C — Deal with Obaa (魔, at least 5 clues required)

The PCs propose to Obaa: "Every time the souls touch the outside, their memories shake. We will prevent that contact. In exchange -- (some demand)."

Obaa can offer one secret:

• location of this mountain's earth vein (useful to a feng shui master PC)
• name of the commander of the force that committed the massacre 5 years ago (campaign follow-up hook)
• access to the spirit market (the forbidden commercial sphere of Biu Mountain, where one trades with the dead)

Result:

• PCs do not perform the liberation rite. Residents continue dreaming.
• Three Ways and Six Hearts 魔 is reinforced. Truth must be concealed in the report to Kagura Domain (Negotiation check ≥ 14).
• In the long term, PCs accumulate a dark spiritual burden (follow-up scenario trigger at GM discretion).

#Ending D — Flight / Partial Failure

3 days pass while the whole party has 4 clues or fewer. Infection reaches 7+. 1 PC faces assimilation crisis.

If PCs choose withdrawal: return to the checkpoint. Report "investigation incomplete" to Aoi. Jiro dies. Kagura Domain reputation -2. Treat as scenario failure, but the PCs survive. Retry possible after 6 months (campaign follow-up hook remains).

If PCs accept the assimilation crisis: 1 PC becomes a village soul. They can be released if the other PCs collect 9 clues and release the barrier. Extremely hard retry route.

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#Step-by-Step Progression Guide

#Act 1 Progression Guide — Peaceful Arrival (Day 1)

• Success Branch: 2~3 clues + recognition of wrongness = good preparation for Day 2.
• Failure Branch: 0~1 clues + complete assimilation into residents = additional infection +2 (if sharing supper). Recovery needed on Day 2.
• GM Control: Never imply the truth on the first day. The residents are sincerely kind. Leave space for players to feel the unease of "too comfortable" by themselves.

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#Act 2 Progression Guide — Accumulating Oddities (Day 2)

• Success Branch: 6 clues or more collected → ready for Act 3. Qualification to meet Obaa secured.
• Failure Branch: 4 clues or fewer + infection 5+ = warning stage for ending D (withdrawal). Focused investigation needed on Day 3.
• GM Control: repeat the dialogue word for word from Day 1. The resident themself does not realize it. The moment a player asks the GM, "Wasn't that yesterday's line?" is the key awakening point.

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#Act 3 Progression Guide — Encountering the Truth (Day 3)

• Success Branch: all 9 clues + Obaa conversation complete → all 4 endings open.
• Failure Branch: fewer than 6 clues → ending B locked. Fewer than 3 → only ending D open.
• GM Control: Obaa is an incarnation of victims. Do not give her an evil-yoma tone. Her words are rather a merciful resignation. Put ethical weight on the PCs' choice.

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#Act 4 Progression Guide — Ending Choice (Night of Day 3~Day 4)

• Success Branch (A great success): all residents pass on + Obaa vanishes with them + 1 keepsake + Kagura Domain reputation +3.
• Success Branch (B): choice of 慈. Reputation +2. The barrier remains, but a blocking mechanism is installed.
• Success Branch (C): choice of 魔. Gain 1 piece of information. Long-term spiritual burden accumulates.
• Failure Branch (A major failure): climax combat required. Obaa's self-erasure intervention can save PCs.
• Failure Branch (D): scenario suspended. Right to retry maintained. Weight of Jiro's death.
• GM Control: endings A, B, and C are all different ethical answers. Do not frame B or C as "defeat." The core of horror is the weight of choice, not maximizing outcome.

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#Climax Battle — Onryo Transformation (Only if Ending A Fails)

Location: village square. Moonlight.

Enemy lineup (by Ending A failure severity):

#Partial Onryo Transformation (Within 4 Difference on the Rite)

DPT: ~3.5 Wounds/round. Ordinary Elite-grade combat + intangibility response. Exorcism Initiate (1 point)+ holder required (if [Incorporeal] attacks are frequent, license (3 points)+ recommended).

#Full Onryo Transformation (Major Failure)

DPT: ~5 Wounds/round. Extremely hard. Risk of party wipe. Exorcism + barrier + fire attack required.

#Combat Specials

• The onryo are "victims." Every time a PC finishes one, Three Ways and Six Hearts resonates. A 眞-tendency PC who fails a Wisdom check ≥ 13 when finishing one loses nerve for 1 round.
• Guide-to-pass-on attack: an Exorcism Master PC may choose "guide to pass on" instead of attacking. On 2d10+Wisdom+Exorcism ≥ 15, the target onryo leaves combat + passes on. The party's moral weight decreases.
• Obaa does not participate in combat. She watches quietly from the hut. If the barrier-release rite succeeds, she vanishes with it.

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#Rewards

#Common

• Basic honorarium: 15 gold (medium-difficulty Scenario Tier, within co-08-05 §6.4).
• Narrative milestone: understanding the truth counts 1 time. Completing the scenario (choosing A, B, or C) counts 1 additional time.

#By Ending

#Infection Residue Processing

At scenario end, PCs with remaining infection:

• Infection 1~3: cleared with 1 Exorcism rite by a Jodo Monk or Esoteric Monk (temple visit).
• Infection 4~6: long-term exorcism (1 week recovery + 5 gold offering).
• Infection 7+: permanent spiritual trace. Follow-up scenario hook at GM discretion (recurring nightmares, check penalty in specific situations).
• Infection 10 (assimilation): other PCs must recover them through a separate scenario.

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#GM Guidance — Slow-Burn Horror Pacing

#1. Save Combat

Combat in this scenario happens only if Ending A fails. The baseline is noncombat investigation and conversation. If players push toward combat, resident souls fall easily -- and the party's infection rises by 2 each time. Make combat feel like an unfavorable choice.

#2. Reveal Information Slowly

Do not give all 9 clues in one session. Place each clue as an accumulation of small abnormalities. When players suspect "this is strange," the GM should neither confirm nor deny. Leave space for them to infer by themselves.

#3. Play Resident NPCs Lovably

Portray Oyu, Kishiro, and the village head as appealing and warm people. The scenario works only if players feel "I do not want to hurt these people." If residents are simple villains, the horror does not hold.

#4. Manipulate the Flow of Time

While PCs stay in the village, make real time feel strange too. "When the conversation ended, the sun was almost down." "When you came back to yourselves, 3 hours had passed." Distortion of time expresses infection.

#5. Use Infection Actively

Do not hide the infection value from players. Reveal it, and make clear when it rises and falls. The tension of this scenario comes from players worrying, "Will this choice increase infection?"

#6. Weight of Endings B and C

Do not frame the ending "leave without dismantling the village" as defeat. It is a choice of 慈, and Kagura Domain also recognizes it. Every ending is a different ethical answer.

#7. Handling Major Failure

If Ending A is a major failure (all onryo appear), the party may wipe. At that point, the GM should:

• Offer the "guide to pass on" option for Hanjiro, Oyu, and the village head individually. Successful checks can shorten combat.
• Allow Obaa's intervention -- she steps forward, says quietly, "If this is the last way to end me," then draws the onryo into herself and vanishes with them. PC rescue.
• Prioritize player survival. Horror is felt fear, not wipeout training.

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#Related Entries

• co-08-05 §6 Economy Balance — 15 gold fits the medium-difficulty scenario range.
• co-09-04 Tomb of the Archfiend — reference scenario for infection accumulation mechanics (this scenario is oblivion, not curse).
• co-09-09 Minamoto House Onryo — reference for heroic spirit/onryo handling patterns.
• co-10-07 Earth Vein — reference for Spiritual Taint and barrier concepts.
• co-10-13 Spirit Realm Gate — reference for handling Spirit Realm yoma tone.
• co-02-08 Faith — doctrinal background for passing on and onryo.
• Core Interpretation Principles — Principle 4 (4 active recovery types: Exorcism is divine type).

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"The sweetest dream is the longest remembered. The most merciful lie leaves the deepest wound. When you leave this village -- will you believe what you saw, or choose not to remember?"

-- varying the final line of Ugetsu Monogatari