#Spirit Realm Topology — Directions and Depth

Contents

Core reference: Zone Gimmick Catalog (區域仕掛圖鑑)

Light incense and open the map. The Spirit Realm has a north. More precisely, it has the north as seen from Kagamiyama Domain. Directions in the Spirit Realm are not absolute but relative, and their reference point is always the barrier dome.

#1. The Basic Shape of the Spirit Realm

The Spirit Realm is not a plane. But it can be "drawn" like one. The topology the GM actually needs to handle during a session has the following shape.

#Center: Kagamiyama Domain

The domain stands at the center of the Spirit Realm: a circular space enclosed by the barrier dome. The dome's diameter can be crossed within one round. From inside, there is sky, houses, and roads; from outside, the domain looks like a single translucent lamp(燈) set on an ashen plain.

The dome's surface is hazy. It is hazy even on clear days, and especially dense when the tide is high. The inside is the stage of the core text; the outside is the stage of this supplement.

#Outside: 8-Direction Radial Structure

Centered on the domain's barrier dome, eight radial sectors extend outward. From true north(北), they proceed clockwise: north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, northwest. Each sector is close to a fan shape, widening as it recedes from the domain.

Hell is placed in only five of the eight directions. The remaining three directions are inaccessible regions called "blank spaces(空)." On the map, blank spaces are left empty in gray; if a character walks that way, a phase distortion occurs, such as the direction turning back or the character returning to the domain.

#Hell Placement

There are five hells in five directions. Their placement is shown in the table below.

The three blank-space directions are southeast, southwest, and northwest. The accepted view is that these three directions are not places living beings should go. On a map, it fits the mood to mark them with dotted lines or leave them blank entirely.

#Blank-Space Rules

If a character walks into a blank-space direction, the scenery slips out of place on the fifth step. On the sixth step, the PC realizes they are already standing on the road they passed through. On the seventh step, the barrier dome is visible straight ahead. A blank space is not geography. It is refusal.

GM operation tip: If the PCs insist on moving into a blank-space direction, warn them three times, then make them lose that session. "Lose" means that all progress from that night is treated as having been a dream, and they wake the next morning in the domain. Spirit Realm Exposure remains, and their memories are blurred.

#2. Round — The Spirit Realm's Distance Unit

Distance in the Spirit Realm cannot be measured with a ruler. It is measured in time instead. A "round(間合)" is the unit of one Spirit Realm step, and is the same as the core text's time unit. One round corresponds roughly to 15 minutes of an adult walking on level ground, but in the Spirit Realm this value is fluid.

#The Fluidity of Rounds

Even when the same distance is walked, tide, Spirit Realm Exposure, and emotional state can change round expenditure. For each movement, the GM applies the following modifiers to the baseline rounds.

Modifiers stack. With high tide + Spirit Realm Exposure 7 + entering a hell's center, a baseline 3-round movement swells to 7 rounds. In the Spirit Realm, closeness is not always close.

#Practical Round Records

During a session, the GM notes Spirit Realm movement in the following format.

[Movement] Domain barrier → northern Reviving boundary
Baseline 3 rounds / high tide +1 / incense -1 = total 3 rounds

Recording only "total N rounds" in the session log is enough. That value feeds directly into the Spirit Realm Exposure calculation in 03-02 Travel Rules.

#3. Depth(深) — Another Axis, Not a Horizontal One

The Spirit Realm is drawn like a plane, but in truth it has another axis called depth. Depth increases as one approaches a hell's center, and operates separately from horizontal movement.

#Defining Depth

Inside each hell direction, a PC's position is recorded with two values: "round distance within the direction" and "depth step." Depth step is an integer from 0~5, and each step has its own scenery and danger level.

Depth 0 is the direction boundary, the point just entered. Depth 5 is the heart of the hell(心部), the region where doctrinal suffering fully begins to operate. Scenes in which the GM leads the PCs to depth 5 feel most natural near the scenario climax.

#Depth Progression Rules

Depth does not increase simply because the PCs walk. Between each step is a crossing point called a "pass-gate(關)." To pass a pass-gate, one of the following is required.

1. An act that accords with that hell's doctrine(see 03-06)
2. Spending one stick of incense
3. Succeeding on a barrier check (Target Number is current depth step + 8)
4. A forced event — capture or guidance by a yoma, and so on

At the pass-gate, the GM describes which of these four routes is open. Not every route needs to be open.

#Scenery by Depth

The table below gives the common scenery by depth step. Specific descriptions for each hell are detailed in 03-06.

A PC who reaches depth 5 experiences that hell's doctrine through the body. This experience is recorded not as Spirit Realm Exposure, but as an "imprint(烙印)," and an imprint does not vanish after the session ends. (Imprint rules will be handled in a separate file, planned for a later section of this supplement.)

#4. Combining Direction and Depth — Coordinate Notation

When the GM records a PC's Spirit Realm coordinates, use the following format.

(direction/depth/rounds within direction)
Example: (north/2/3) = Reviving direction, depth 2(Corridor), 3 rounds entered within the direction

This notation is kept in the campaign log for continuity between sessions. If the PCs return to the domain and enter the same hell again, depth does not reset. If they reached depth 3 on their first visit, the second visit may begin in the Corridor at depth 3 (GM discretion).

#5. The Barrier Dome's Outer Face — Boundary Zone

The one-round width outside the domain's barrier dome is called the "boundary zone(境地)." It is a gray zone belonging to no direction, and is the space where 03-05 Boundary Events operate.

On the map, the boundary zone is drawn as a thin gray rim around the barrier dome. Inside this rim, hell-specific weather does not operate; instead, a "mixed wind(混風)" blows, mingled from the currents of the eight directions.

This boundary zone is the first place the PCs step when leaving the domain. Many scenarios begin in this zone, and many PCs fail to return from it.

#6. Practical Examples of Measuring Travel Distance

#Example 1: Domain → Reviving Outer Court

• Domain barrier → boundary zone: 0 rounds (barrier crossing only)
• Boundary zone → north-direction Gate(depth 0): 2 rounds
• Gate(depth 0) → Outer Court(depth 1): 1 round + pass-gate crossing

Total 3 rounds + 1 pass-gate. Spirit Realm Exposure calculation under the travel rules follows 03-02.

#Example 2: Reviving Outer Court → Screaming Outer Court (Direction Movement)

Direct movement between hell directions is impossible in principle. Each direction connects only through the central domain. Therefore this movement is as follows.

• Reviving Outer Court → Reviving Gate: 1 round
• Reviving Gate → boundary zone: 2 rounds
• Boundary zone → Screaming Gate: 3 rounds
• Screaming Gate → Screaming Outer Court: 1 round

Total 7 rounds. If the path passes through the domain interior, domain stay time is added.

#Exception: Spirit Realm Corridor

A "Spirit Realm corridor" provided by a high-ranking yoma or by GM privilege is a passage that directly skips between directions. It rarely appears from Central Halls of depth 3 or deeper. Using a corridor costs 1 round of movement, but Exposure +1 is mandatory. It works best when used rarely.

#7. Mapmaking Guide for the GM

#Step 1. Draw the Domain Dome

A small circle in the middle of the paper. About 3cm in diameter. This is Kagamiyama Domain's barrier dome.

#Step 2. Draw 8 Direction Lines

Draw eight radial lines around the circle. Put north at the top, then proceed clockwise in 45-degree increments. These lines become the direction boundaries.

#Step 3. Mark the Hells

Place hell marks in the five directions north, northeast, east, south, and west. The marks may be text or small icons. It is also fine to mark them with a single kanji (等・黑・叫・焦・無).

#Step 4. Handle Blank Spaces

Mark southeast, southwest, and northwest with gray hatching or dotted lines. It is best to write the word "blank space" faintly.

#Step 5. Depth Concentric Lines

Inside each direction, draw five steps of depth lines. They are shallow near the direction boundary and deeper toward the outer end of the radial line. They may be individual curves by direction rather than true concentric circles.

The map does not need to be beautiful. It is a GM-only map not shown to the PCs. If needed, keep a separate simplified table for the PCs with only direction names and hell names.

#8. Tone — The Terror Given by Topology

The terror of the Spirit Realm comes less from the "unknown(未知)" than from the "known(既知)." The PCs already know that Reviving lies to the north. Knowing is the condition of fear.

The GM's descriptive tone should be this: everything is exactly in its proper place. Black Rope is to the northeast. It has always been to the northeast, and it will remain there. Screaming is to the east, and when the wind blows from the east it smells of boiling water. This precision is frightening. The Spirit Realm is not a disorderly nightmare, but an excessively well-kept ledger.

#Staging Tips

#Scent — Confirming Direction

When the PCs lose their direction, the GM describes "which way the incense leans." Each hell gives off a distinctive scent(see table 1). The direction in which the incense smoke is drawn can be used to backtrack their location. Handle this as description, not a check.

#Law — Direction Check

If the PCs lose their direction and want to recover it with a check, use a Wisdom check, Target Number 10. On a success, they know their direction and depth step. On a failure, the GM may give false information, such as mistaking a blank-space direction for a hell.

#Staging Tip — The Moment the Map Opens

Early in the session, when the PCs first enter the Spirit Realm, the GM opens the map. Do not show it immediately. First, light incense in the imagination. Describe the direction of the smoke. Then show only one corner of the map. "The place where you stand is this point on the map."

The moment when the entire map appears at once belongs in the latter half of the session, or in the opening of the next session. The revelation of geography is story rhythm.

#Connection — Direction and Emotion

Directions map to emotions. Depending on the state inside a PC, they are drawn toward or pushed away from certain directions. This mapping is detailed in 03-06 Hell Guide, together with each hell's "mirror" entry.

For quick examples:

• An angry PC is drawn to Reviving. The feeling of cutting, then cutting again.
• A PC soaked in restraint goes to Black Rope. Hands that bind themselves.
• A PC whose emotions boil goes to Screaming. Heat that never cools.
• A PC who wants to burn everything goes to Scorching Heat. A heart that wants to leave nothing but ash.
• A PC who can feel nothing goes to Avici. A place that has forgotten even that there is no end.

#9. Direction Boundaries — Contact Between Adjacent Hells

The eight directions are not completely separate. The boundary between two adjacent directions is about half a round wide. In this thin band, the currents of two hells mingle. It is not a special space topologically, but it matters for staging.

#Adjacent Hell Combinations

Boundaries with blank-space directions are handled separately. A blank-space boundary is described as the feeling of "scenery cutting off," and in practice the PCs' very approach is refused.

#Boundary Dangers

Within the half-round width of a boundary, the weather rolls of both hells operate. Apply whichever Exposure modifier is worse. As a result, staying on a boundary may be more dangerous than being inside a direction.

But boundaries also have advantages. Sometimes the currents of two hells cancel each other. When Reviving's "opening" meets Avici's "nothing," a rare effect may erase an opened wound. The GM places this cancellation phenomenon at discretion.

#Scenario Value of Boundary Travel

An advanced PC party can circle the Spirit Realm along the boundaries. This journey offers a view of the entire Spirit Realm, but Exposure accumulation is severe. It is one of the rare achievements PCs may accomplish in a long campaign.

#10. The Domain Seen From Outside — Reversal of Sight

Inside the domain there is sky, and there is ground. The domain seen from the Spirit Realm is different: it is a translucent dome set on a plain. It is not sky, but an object.

#Impressions by Distance

As PCs enter deeper into a hell, the domain dome disappears from sight. At the Heart(心) of depth 5, it feels as if the domain does not exist. This sensation forms the isolation of the Heart.

#Dome Color Changes

The color of the domain dome changes subtly with time of day and tide.

This color change is an auxiliary way for PCs to perceive time and tide. It is the third clue after incense smoke and barrier transparency.

#11. A Hell's Interior Space — Depth Step Details

#Depth 0 — Gate(門)

Each hell's Gate is not a physical gateway. It is the sensory turning point of "now this is that hell." Description before and after entering the Gate should change qualitatively.

• Reviving Gate: the iron smell first becomes clear inside the nose
• Black Rope Gate: a single black cord appears in the air
• Screaming Gate: low muttering begins to be heard in the distance
• Scorching Heat Gate: the air grows slightly dry and turns gray
• Avici Gate: footstep sounds vanish

#Depth 1 — Outer Court(外院)

This is the step where the hell's distinctive sensations become clear. The hell's "shape" has not yet appeared, and only its presence fills the area. The PCs begin to feel discomfort from here.

#Depth 2 — Corridor(回廊)

This is the step where traces of harm mingle with the scenery. Concrete forms — broken swords, severed ropes, half-burned pillars — begin to appear. It is also the step where unique gimmicks begin operating in earnest.

#Depth 3 — Central Hall(中堂)

This is the step where the hell's forms exist independently. At this step, the PCs first fully face "residents of the hell" or "the scenery of the hell." Barrier Target Number increases sharply.

#Depth 4 — Inner Court(內院)

This is the step where doctrine operates directly. For Reviving, the Cadence of Revival; for Black Rope, self-binding; for Screaming, boiling. Each hell's unique gimmick operates at maximum intensity in this region.

#Depth 5 — Heart(心)

This is the place where the hell's essence is completed. When a PC reaches this place, they experience the hell's doctrine through the body. This experience is permanently recorded as an imprint.

#12. Phase Drift — When the Map Moves

The Spirit Realm map is generally stable, but rarely a "phase drift" occurs: a phenomenon in which part of the map briefly slips out of alignment.

#Drift Triggers

• Autumn dipole period during a large tide
• Spiritual storm (03-04)
• Presence of a yoma of the "Inverter(顚倒者)" line
• An event in which a specific seal is released

#Drift Effects

• Two hell directions are temporarily exchanged (example: north becomes Screaming, and east becomes Reviving)
• Mismatch between the PC's current coordinates and map coordinates
• Direction-sensing checks become impossible

Drift is temporary. Usually, it returns to normal after 1~3 rounds. However, if depth-step movement occurred during the drift, the PCs will be in strange coordinates after restoration.

The GM uses drift as an urgent description during play. A single sentence, "the map moved," can abruptly change the session's mood.

#13. Basics of Topology Staging

#First Entry Scene

The scene where the PCs first enter the Spirit Realm begins with an overwhelming description of topology. The moment the barrier dome becomes a translucent wall, the PCs first experience the sensation that "now they have gone from inside to outside." Do not handle this moment too briefly.

#Timing of Direction Declaration

When the PCs choose a direction, the GM presents the "first impression" of each direction in one sentence. When the first impressions of the five directions are laid side by side, the PCs can judge where to go by sensation.

#Making Depth Visible

Signal changes in depth step clearly. Instead of a direct declaration like "you have entered the Outer Court," the GM uses a sensory transition such as "the weight of the incense changes."

#Staging Tips

#Scent — Confirming Direction

When the PCs lose their direction, the GM describes "which way the incense leans." Each hell gives off a distinctive scent(see table 1). The direction in which the incense smoke is drawn can be used to backtrack their location. Handle this as description, not a check.

#Law — Direction Check

If the PCs lose their direction and want to recover it with a check, use a Wisdom check, Target Number 10. On a success, they know their direction and depth step. On a failure, the GM may give false information, such as mistaking a blank-space direction for a hell.

#Staging Tip — The Moment the Map Opens

Early in the session, when the PCs first enter the Spirit Realm, the GM opens the map. Do not show it immediately. First, light incense in the imagination. Describe the direction of the smoke. Then show only one corner of the map. "The place where you stand is this point on the map."

The moment when the entire map appears at once belongs in the latter half of the session, or in the opening of the next session. The revelation of geography is story rhythm.

#Staging Tip — Direction-Change Rite

When the PCs change direction, that is, when they move from one hell to an adjacent hell, the GM describes "the exchange of incense." The action of extinguishing the old incense completely and then lighting new incense is symbolic. This action is not a rule, but ritual staging.

#Connection — Direction and Emotion

Directions map to emotions. Depending on the state inside a PC, they are drawn toward or pushed away from certain directions. This mapping is detailed in 03-06 Hell Guide, together with each hell's "mirror" entry.

For quick examples:

• An angry PC is drawn to Reviving. The feeling of cutting, then cutting again.
• A PC soaked in restraint goes to Black Rope. Hands that bind themselves.
• A PC whose emotions boil goes to Screaming. Heat that never cools.
• A PC who wants to burn everything goes to Scorching Heat. A heart that wants to leave nothing but ash.
• A PC who can feel nothing goes to Avici. A place that has forgotten even that there is no end.

#Links

• Previous: 03-00 Index
• Next: 03-02 Travel Rules
• Environment: 03-03 Tides, 03-04 Weather
• Boundary Face: 03-05 Boundary Events
• Hell Deepening: 03-06 Hell Guide
• Core Barrier Rules: 05-05 Zone Gimmicks