#Chapter 1 NPCs - Faces of the First Drift Night
Contents
7 NPCs exclusive to this chapter. In addition to the major NPCs from the main 02-npc section (Akihisa, Gensho, and the 6 retainers), this page lists only the NPCs unique to Chapter 1.
Core references
- Required: Yoma Compendium · Three Ways and Six Hearts
- Reference: Wounds and Defeat
References in this supplement
- Required: Young Lord · Retired Onmyoji · 6 Retainers
- Required: Drifted Outsiders · Spirit Contacts
- Same chapter: Chapter Overview · Act 4 · Chapter Yoma · Rewards and Bridge
#NPC List for This Chapter
This chapter has 7 chapter-exclusive NPCs. Classification:
| # | Name | Classification | Relationship | Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyrant of Revival (蘇生暴君) | Lord-grade yoma · antagonist | Final boss of Chapter 1 | Act 4 |
| 2 | Akane (朱音) | Sentient being from Reviving Hell | Neutral · informant | Act 3 |
| 3 | Kujakuju (孔雀樹) | Sentient being from Reviving Hell | Hostile · can be spoken with | Act 3 |
| 4 | Myoen (妙円) | Entangled traveler (pilgrim) | Ally · party support | Acts 1~4 |
| 5 | Lorenzo | Entangled traveler (Nanban priest) | Ally · knowledge | Acts 1~4 |
| 6 | Nameless One | Corpse that does not revive | Clue | Act 3 |
| 7 | Sakuragi Shizuka (桜木 静) | Sentient being from Reviving Hell (weak) | Tragic ally | Acts 2~4 |
Myoen and Lorenzo from the main 02-05 Drifted Outsiders section are baseline NPCs for the main supplement, but in Chapter 1 they are made concrete as chapter-specific subplots.
#NPC 1 - Tyrant of Revival (蘇生暴君)
#Identity
A Lord-grade ko-oni (大オニ). He once ruled as the "king" of the iron-colored plain in eastern Reviving Hell. In his previous life (前生), he was a general and one of the goninshu (五人衆) of Japan's Sengoku period. Akihisa's elder brother beheaded him, and the head was sealed in the brother's wakizashi. The sealed spirit reassembled itself in Reviving Hell and grew to Lord-grade.
#Appearance
Height: 3 jo (about 9m). His skin is crimson. He has two golden horns. An old wakizashi wound remains on his chest (that wound does not close - the brand of his previous life). He carries two iron cudgels (鐵棍). When his flesh is cut, it regenerates immediately.
#Personality and Motives
- Core motive: recover the wakizashi = complete independence for his own spirit. If the seal is broken, he is freed from the laws of Reviving Hell.
- Surface motive: destroy the domain - in truth, this is a means to reach the wakizashi.
- Weakness: negotiation is possible. The tyrant is a "Lord-grade yoma who can be reasoned with." A conversation check can change his decision.
#Key Lines
"Small ones. Your Barrier is thin."
"My flesh grows, but the mark of your blade has not yet closed. Return that blade to me."
"Tonight ends. Whether tomorrow comes - neither of us knows."
#Stat Summary
Wounds: Lord-grade boss. For details, see 10-06 Yoma.
Important: a 1st-dan PC party cannot defeat him directly. In the Act 4 siege, the victory condition is forcing his withdrawal.
#Reappearance
He reappears as traces in the second half of Chapter 2 (in the Black Rope records). The truth is revealed in Chapter 3. In Chapter 5, he may even become a possible ally (depending on the campaign branch).
#NPC 2 - Akane (朱音)
#Identity
A sentient being from Reviving Hell. She is a rare example of an "ascended lesser yoma" who has kept the appearance of a human woman. She calls herself "red sound (朱音)." On the iron-colored plain of Reviving Hell, she remembers the names of those who did not survive.
#Appearance
A woman of about 25. Her skin is pale. Her hair is the color of red water dried in place. A faint shard of mirror is embedded in her left eye. Her kimono is ragged, but her bearing is composed.
#Role
- First encountered near the ruins in Act 3. The PCs find her.
- She is not hostile. She is cautious. She asks first, then gives information depending on the answer.
- Provides a core clue: "These ruins belong to those who came before you."
#Personality
- Quiet. She speaks little. Only the necessary sentences.
- Obsessed with memory. To those who ask for a name, she gives a name.
- Worn down. She is outside the laws of Reviving Hell, but even outside them she is exhausted.
#Key Lines
"Before you, others fell here. Three times. All three times - I remember their names."
"In the end, they did not leave this land. Perhaps some left, but not in my memory."
"Are you too - about to become people I remember?"
#Relationship Development with the PCs
| Relationship stage | PC action | Akane's response |
|---|---|---|
| First meeting | Courteous attitude | Lowers her guard · allows 1 question |
| Exchange names | PC reveals true name | Reveals some clues about the ruins |
| Request information | Ask about previous drifters | Guides them to the location of the "one who does not revive" |
| Express pity | Worry about her condition | Disappears in Act 4 (choice), or reappears in Chapter 2 |
#Reappearance
- Campaign branch: can be found again in the outskirts in Chapter 2.
- Solo ending: if the PCs open the domain gate to her after Act 4, she becomes the only permanent resident from Reviving Hell inside the Barrier.
#NPC 3 - Kujakuju (孔雀樹)
#Identity
A sentient being from Reviving Hell. He is a chieftain-grade individual among Elite-grade oni, formed from several generations of accumulated rusted oni lineage. He calls himself "Kujakuju (孔雀樹) - the one whose banners spread like branches." In Act 3, he guards the old shrine on the Blood Plateau.
#Appearance
Height: 2 jo (about 6m). Over rusted iron armor, he wears a faded peacock-feather mantle. He has no helmet, and his head is bald. His left hand holds a broken spear. His right hand is empty. A thousand small bells hang around his neck.
#Role
- Encountered in Act 3 when the PCs approach the Blood Plateau ruins.
- Not hostile, but cautious. He questions anyone who approaches the ruins.
- On a successful conversation check, he permits the investigation of the ruins. On failure, combat begins.
#Personality
- Sorrow. Very old sorrow.
- Courtesy. He observes a warrior's courtesy. He exchanges names.
- Judge. He tries to read the intentions of those who approach.
#Key Lines
"Whose shrine is this? Speak."
"I have guarded this place for - longer than can be counted. You are not my first guests. You will not be my last."
"If you would take something, tell me. If you would leave it - bow deeply."
#Possibility of Combat
Kujakuju is Elite-grade. A 1st-dan PC party cannot defeat him directly. Avoiding him through conversation is the standard route.
| PC choice | Result |
|---|---|
| Speak courteously · request permission to investigate the ruins | Permission + recovery of the scroll fragment |
| Provoke a fight | Combat (50% chance of serious injury on the PC side) · if defeated, Kujakuju lets them live and leave |
| Surprise attack | Disadvantaged combat · risk of 1 PC death |
| Exchange information | Story of previous drifters · reveals a hint about the Act 4 tyrant |
#Reappearance
He is mentioned again in Chapter 2 as one of the "sealed ones of Black Rope." His lord appears in Chapter 3.
#NPC 4 - Myoen (妙円)
#Identity
Pilgrim Myoen from the main 02-05 Drifted Outsiders section. In Chapter 1, she functions as an information source inside the domain. She wears bhikkhuni robes and is in her early 40s.
#Role
- Outside observer in the Act 1 council room.
- Spiritual adviser to the PCs inside the Barrier in Act 2.
- Companion option in Act 3 (can join the expedition).
- Shrine-side support in Act 4.
#Chapter 1-Specific Subplot - "What She Saw"
At the moment of the drift, Myoen was the only person who witnessed the entire process without losing consciousness. As the domain fell into the Spirit Realm, she saw "the entrance to hell open for an instant."
| Stage | Myoen's memory | Revealed to the PCs |
|---|---|---|
| Initial | Myoen does not speak | None |
| Act 2 Barrier boundary | Myoen stares in one direction at the boundary | "If you went that way, there was an entrance." |
| Act 3 ruins | During the conversation with Akane | "The entrance I saw may not be far from here." |
| Act 4 siege | During Gensho's emergency maintenance | She joins in · helps reduce weakening by +1 |
#Key Lines
"I saw everything. I did not speak of what I saw - because I did not yet understand it."
"Hell is not a place that has gates. Gates are born."
"This lord is a good man. Whether that is good for this land - is another matter."
#Reappearance
In Chapter 2, she is a guide for finding "the other side of the entrance." In Chapter 3, part of her identity is revealed.
#NPC 5 - Lorenzo
#Identity
The Nanban priest from the main 02-05 section. He is in his late 40s. He is from Portugal and fluent in Japanese. Before the drift, he had been staying in the domain for 4 months.
#Role
- Observer in the Act 1 council room.
- Companion option in Acts 2~3.
- Support for directing resident evacuation in Act 4.
#Chapter 1-Specific Subplot - "His God"
After entering the Spirit Realm, Lorenzo's faith wavers. His God is not in this land. It takes him this entire chapter to admit that fact.
| Stage | Lorenzo's state | Line |
|---|---|---|
| Act 1 | Still praying | "Lord, are You present even in this place?" |
| Act 2 | First experience outside the Barrier | "Here, the weight of my prayers is different." |
| Act 3 | Before the ruins | "The old names of this land - are not the name of my God." |
| Act 4 | During the siege | "I will only save the residents. Tonight, my prayers will rest." |
#Key Lines
"God did not come to this land. But humans did. Wherever humans are - there must be meaning."
"I have become a resident of this domain. Let us stop calling me a priest. For one day."
#Reappearance
In Chapter 2, in Black Rope Hell, his faith returns in "another form."
#NPC 6 - Nameless One (無名の者)
#Identity
An unreviving corpse found in the Blood Plateau ruins in Act 3. Sex and age unknown. The clothing is Muromachi (室町)-style armor. Inside the armor is 1 small scroll fragment.
#Role
- Found inside the ruins in Act 3.
- Provides emotional impact for the PCs + the first clue.
- Plants a seed that continues to Chapter 3.
#Why Does This One Not Revive?
The laws of Reviving Hell apply only to those who belong to that hell. This one does not belong to Reviving Hell. He crossed over from another hell (probably Kyoukan) and died here.
#Clue - Scroll Fragment
Muromachi-style script. Only the following three characters can be read:
- 輪 (rin) - wheel, rebirth
- 封 (fu) - seal, sealing
- 還 (kan) - return, restoration
These three characters use the same hand as the sealed records in Chapter 3 Kyoukan Hell.
#PC Reaction Guide
| PC action | Effect |
|---|---|
| Recover the scroll | Secures the Chapter 3 clue |
| Bury the corpse | Heart tendency Compassion +1 · resident morale +1 (after reporting) |
| Recover the armor | Supplies +1 (mid-grade armor) · Heart tendency Hegemony +1 |
| Leave the corpse | Heart tendency Void +1 |
| Examine the corpse (Medicine or Exorcism) | Determine cause of death - "killed by a law outside Reviving Hell" |
#Reappearance
In Chapter 3, this person's identity is revealed. He was one of the previous drifters.
#NPC 7 - Sakuragi Shizuka (桜木 静)
#Identity
The weakest sentient being from Reviving Hell. She is a lesser-grade spirit, but she maintains a self. She calls herself "quiet cherry tree (桜木 静)." She appears as a girl of 14~15.
#Role
- First encountered just outside the Barrier in Act 2. She asks for help.
- If the PCs save her, she temporarily resides in the domain in Acts 3~4.
- She has a special role in the Act 4 siege (below).
#Appearance
Her kimono is torn. A withered cherry branch is caught in her hair. Wounds repeatedly appear and disappear on her face. Her voice is small.
#Personality
- Innocent. Still young (even in spiritual years (靈年)).
- Dependent. She begins to depend on the PCs. This dependency gives Act 4 narrative weight.
- Damaged memory. She does not remember why she fell into Reviving Hell.
#Act 4 Siege Special Role
Shizuka is a distant relative of the tyrant. She is a spirit of the same lineage. In Act 4, if she stands before the Barrier, the tyrant stops for one beat.
| PC choice | Effect |
|---|---|
| Do not place Shizuka before the Barrier | Standard siege |
| Place Shizuka before the Barrier · guide role | Tyrant attention -2 rounds · 50% risk that Shizuka vanishes |
| Offer Shizuka to the tyrant | Tyrant withdraws immediately · Heart tendency Demon +2 · lifelong regret |
#Key Lines
"You were the first to teach me my name after I came here. Thank you."
"I do not know how many times I have died in this land. But while I am with you - I am afraid to die."
#Reappearance
- Vanishing ending: no reappearance. However, "Shizuka's name" remains in the PCs' Hearts.
- Survival ending: can accompany the party in Chapter 2 (special NPC slot).
#Retainer Casualty Rules - If Retainers Die in This Chapter
#Retainer Casualty Frequency
Across Chapter 1, 0~2 retainer casualties is standard. 3 or more is narrative overload.
#Narrative Handling for Retainer Casualties
| Retainer | Effect on casualty |
|---|---|
| Yamaguchi (old soldier) | Resident morale -2 · absence of "old tactics" in the next chapter |
| Ino (young warrior) | Squad cohesion -1 · squad B reorganized in the next chapter |
| Sakurai (educated warrior) | Lord Heart tendency Compassion +2 · lord's diplomacy -1 in the next chapter |
| Tsukahara (quiet archer) | Resident morale -1 · ranged Wounds weakened in the next chapter |
| Mori (young warrior monk) | Onmyoji weakening recovery speed -1 · spiritual Wounds weakened in the next chapter |
| Hajiya (foreign military officer) | Diplomatic options reduced in the next chapter · relationship shift with Lorenzo |
#Funeral Scene When a Retainer Dies
If a retainer dies, insert a short funeral scene at dawn in Act 4 (5 minutes). Each PC says one thing. This is the retainer's "moment when the name remains."
#Next
- Detailed Chapter Yoma Stats: 10-06 Chapter Yoma
- Act 4 Siege: 10-04 Act 4
- Rewards and Bridge: 10-07 Rewards and Bridge
"Those who have names are not forgotten. But if the one who gives names disappears - the names disappear as well." — Akane, before the ruins in Act 3.