#Act 1 — Entering the City

Contents

1 session of material. Chapter 4 Session 1. The first conversation with the talking Haibi embers. Every scene in this chapter changes according to how the PCs answer the questions.

Core References

- Required: Chapter 4 Overview

- Reference: Shonetsu Mirror Guide · Yoma Bestiary Haibi

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#Scent — First Impression of Shonetsu

#GM Read-Aloud Box (Session Opening)

"You have left the boiling lake of Chapter 3 Screaming Hell. You walk. You do not know how long you have walked — time is thin here."

"At some moment, the air changes. Wetness dries, and warmth arrives. But it is not hot. It is lukewarm. That lukewarmness is stranger — air of this temperature should not be in the Spirit Realm."

"And ash. It is falling upward. Like snowflakes, but toward the sky."

"The horizon is red. Not from the sun. The entire city is burning."

#Three Core Direction Points

1. Cold Shonetsu. The essence of this hell is not "burning," but "after becoming ash." Fire is visual, and temperature is neutral. The PCs are surprised — "Why is it not hot?"
2. Reverse-gravity ash. Ash falls upward. This is the first sign of Scorching Heat Hell. It takes the PCs several minutes to notice — those minutes make them feel that "this place has different laws."
3. The strangeness of familiar things. The silhouette of the city in the distance resembles Kagamiyama(the PC domain). The roofline, the height of the torii, the position of the shrine. The PCs do not notice at first, but anxiety builds as the distance narrows.

#Scent and Sensory Details

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#Law — Structure of Act 1

#1.1 Approach — The City That Does Not Draw Nearer

No arrival check. The PCs walk. They walk and walk again. The city does not come closer.

GM gimmick: after about 20 minutes of walking, repeat descriptions to the players. "Ash falls upward." "The city is still on the horizon." This repetition imprints the abnormality of space on the players.

Solution: if a PC takes an irrational action such as "reverse their stride (walk backward)," "walk with eyes closed," or "try swallowing the ash," the city suddenly draws close. Use this scene to invite player creativity.

Alternative: if no one finds a solution within 30 minutes, a single Haibi ember descends before the PCs and gives a hint such as "say your name backward." (This Haibi is not kind. It speaks mechanically.)

#1.2 Before the Castle Gate — Questions from the Talking Haibi ★ Core Scene

When the PCs reach the city castle gate, 5~7 talking Haibi surround them. They do not attack. Instead, they ask one question to each PC.

#Haibi Questions — Common Rules

• Questions are based on each PC's personal past, tendencies, and Three Ways and Six Hearts.
• Several scenes in this chapter change according to the PC's answer (see the GM branch table).
• The Haibi do not roll checks. They only listen. Lies are impossible — the Haibi read the PC's inner self directly. Even if a PC says, "I forgot revenge," if revenge still boils inside, the Haibi hear a different answer.
• However, the answer the player declares through the PC's mouth determines the scene. If what the Haibi read differs from the declaration — the Haibi mention that mismatch. This is Shonetsu's mirror direction.

#6 Question Types (Assigned by PC)

The GM matches an appropriate question to each PC. If there are 4 PCs, use 4 questions. The same question may be repeated.

#Handling Answers

If a PC answers: the Haibi repeat that answer. Their voice has become the PC's own voice. The player hears the sentence they said replayed from the Haibi's mouth slightly differently. This is the mirror.

If a PC remains silent: the Haibi wait. 1 minute, 5 minutes, forever. If the PC never answers, the Haibi say "You still cannot speak" and scatter. The scene proceeds. However, that PC suffers -2 disadvantage on the Ashen Skin imprint check in an important scene later in this chapter.

Lie or refusal to declare: the Haibi do not scatter. Instead, they attack (move to step 1.3).

#Branches by Answer Pattern

The GM records each PC's answer. The patterns below are reflected later in this chapter.

#1.3 First Clash — Conflict with Those Who Refused

If any PC rejected the Haibi question, 2~3 Haibi change form and attack. Combat form of Burning Soul(灰火).

Combat values: 2 Minion-grade Burning Souls + 1 Veteran-grade Burning Soul. Medium difficulty for a 6th-dan PC party.

Combat gimmick: even when a Burning Soul is slain, it becomes ash and rises again (Reviving Hell extension — even in Scorching Heat Hell, the property of "living again" exists). The true solution is for a PC to blurt out an answer to the question during combat. If a PC shouts a line such as "I still have not forgiven him" while fighting, one Burning Soul disappears at that moment.

This gimmick teaches the PCs that "just fighting will not win." It is the doctrinal core of Shonetsu.

Combat result (victory/reconciliation): the Haibi group makes way. The castle gate opens.

#1.4 Passing the Castle Gate — "The Name of This Castle Is"

After passing the castle gate, a gate sign comes into view. The wood is burned black, but the letters still remain in pale gold.

北見山城 — Kitamiyama Castle

This is the moment when the GM first reveals this name. If any PC knows this name (for example, a historian PC by background), that PC can recall the following information with a domain history check, Target Number 13.

• Target Number 13 success: "Kitamiyama? A small kokujin domain in southern Echigo 200 years ago. But that domain suddenly disappeared from the records. No record says what happened afterward."
• Target Number 18 success: additionally, "The Kitami family crest is two nested circles. It has something that resembles the name Mirror Pond."

If no PC succeeds, they gain this information in Act 2.

Core direction: when reading this name, the GM does it deliberately slowly. Break it one character at a time. "Kita · mi · yama · castle." This deliberate slowness signals that "this place is special."

#1.5 Securing a Foothold — Western Samurai District

100 paces west after the castle gate. There is one house that burns but remains intact. Shonetsu's paradox — it burns, but its structure is not destroyed. The PCs can enter it.

True identity of this house: the mansion of a Kitami family retainer who lived here 200 years ago. Its owner was of the return faction, and died resisting during transformation. His grudge still soaks the house — ironically, that is why the house is maintained (his grudge is the fuel).

Use: the PCs' foothold for this chapter. They can sleep (dangerous, but possible). There is a little food and water (time is stopped, so it has not spoiled). A 200-year-old diary sits on the bookshelf — this is the Act 2 clue.

Caution: sleeping in this house guarantees a nightmare. The memory of the return-faction retainer intrudes into the PC's dream. Exposure modifier Target Number 13. On failure, exposure +1, but the PC gains one clue fragment about Kitamiyama's end during the dream.

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#Law — Combat and Checks

#Environmental Checks (This Act Only)

#Special Rules for This Act

#Haibi Question Rule [New]

• Haibi perform a question check targeting the PC's mental value (no dice; the answer itself is the check).
• If the answer matches the PC's inner self: the Haibi scatter. That PC gains resistance to Reversion Residue later in this chapter +1.
• If the answer does not match the PC's inner self (lie): the Haibi classify the PC as an attack target. In addition, the PC's next exposure modifier Target Number +2 (disadvantage).
• Silence: the Haibi scatter, but the PC receives a "deferment" mark. This mark determines the loyal-retainer Haibi NPC's reaction in Act 2.

#Reversion Residue Rule [Whole Chapter, Starts in Act 1]

Act 1 is still the warning stage. Reversion does not yet happen. However, the PCs learn the following:

• when resting in the foothold mansion, paper objects begin crumbling from the edges.
• by touch, PCs can feel that their letters, talismans, and maps have become "a little thinner."

It begins operating fully from Act 2.

#Distance Paradox Check [1.1 Only]

• After walking for 20 minutes, Creativity check, Target Number 11. On success, the player spontaneously thinks of a solution such as "walk backward" or "close my eyes" (no GM hint required).
• Even on failure, the scene proceeds. Move to the Haibi hint.

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#Direction — Session Management

#First 5 Minutes of the Session

• Read the environment transition (box above).
• Deliberately emphasize to the players that "Shonetsu is not hot." Prevent misunderstanding.
• Plant "you feel as though you have seen this place before" after the middle of the session.

#Middle 30~60 Minutes — Question Scene

• Handle the question separately for each PC. Other PCs listen quietly — this listening affects relationships between PCs.
• While handling questions, the GM does not drag out time. When a PC answers, immediately repeat it through the Haibi. Immediate response preserves scene tension.
• If a player struggles to answer, open a path with "if you cannot answer now, you can answer later." However, state that "if you do not answer," they receive a deferment mark.

#After the Middle — Entering the City

• At the Kitamiyama name reveal, use 3 seconds of silence. The GM reads the name and waits for player reactions without saying anything.
• In the foothold mansion, guide the PCs naturally toward discovering the diary. The diary becomes the handout for the Act 2 opening scene.

#Session End

• Hook sentence: "Inside the burning mansion, you open someone's diary. The date on the first page is — March 14, 1407."
• This sentence plants resonance with the drifting date of the players' own domain (March 14, 1607). Exactly 200 years apart.

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#GM Branch Table

#Tracking Sheet by PC Answer Tendency

Record each PC's answer to the question during the session:

PC name: ___________
Assigned question: Q__
Answer summary: __________
Tendency: [ ] honest · [ ] evasive · [ ] aggressive · [ ] compassionate · [ ] refusal
Haibi reaction: [ ] scatter · [ ] attack · [ ] deferment mark
Self-Haibi mismatch direction: [ ] yes · [ ] no

#Chapter Accumulated Indicators

Record the following at the end of this act:

• Number of PCs with honest answers: N — loyal-retainer Haibi NPC reacts warmly in Act 2
• Number of PCs with aggressive answers: N — transformation faction tendency confirmed in Act 3
• Number of PCs with compassionate answers: N — return faction tendency confirmed in Act 3
• Number of PCs with deferment or lies: N — classified as "neutral" in Act 3, target of Mikura approach
• PCs with reversion resistance +1: list — advantage on later reversion checks

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#Direction Tips Box

#Tip 1 — Directing Reverse-Falling Ash

To convey this at the table, repeated description is key. Over 20 minutes, the GM repeats it 3 times, 5 times, 10 times — deliberately. The moment a player asks, "Wait, is the ash falling upward?" is the success point of the direction.

#Tip 2 — Directing Haibi Voices

The GM replays the PC's words only slightly differently. Example: if a PC said "I forgot revenge," the Haibi repeats, "You say you forgot revenge." It adds one word, changing "forgot" into "say you forgot." This slight alteration chills the players' ears.

#Tip 3 — The Grudge of the Western Mansion

You do not need to reveal until Act 2 that the mansion is "maintained because of a grudge." In Act 1, treat it only as "a strangely intact house." If a PC breaks Target Number 15 with spirit-related Perception, reveal it then.

#Tip 4 — Maintain "Not Hot" Through the Whole Chapter

If a player describes it as "hot," the GM quietly corrects them: "It is not hot. It is lukewarm." When this correction repeats 3~5 times, players internalize Shonetsu's paradox. In the Act 4 climax, there will be a moment when "fire that was not hot becomes hot for the first time" — this is the groundwork for that contrast.

#Tip 5 — Thinning Sense of Time

During Act 1, the GM distributes lines such as "you do not know how long you walked," "it feels like time is not flowing," and "the sunlight does not move." This thinness is Shonetsu's spatial direction.

#Tip 6 — Pulling Question Material from PC Pasts

The 6 Haibi questions are examples. In an actual session, directly use the background on the PC character sheet. Example: if a PC has a background like "drove a former lord's retainer to death," the Haibi asks, "Say that retainer's name." This personalization is the core of the mirror direction.

#Tip 7 — Maintaining Akihisa and Gensho's Presence

Akihisa may accompany the party or remain in the domain in this act. GM discretion, but domain standby is recommended for Act 1. Reason: the mirror direction works better when it is felt first as something personal to the PCs. Akihisa should join late in Act 2 so his reaction is maximized.

Gensho is maintaining the Barrier remotely. The method for PCs to send news to Gensho during this act is a talisman letter. However, because the talisman is undergoing reversion, only part of the message arrives. Example: from "Kitamiyama," only "Kita" arrives. Gensho reacts to that name — "Kita?" But he cannot know more. This fragmentary quality builds Gensho's anxiety.

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#Check Summary (This Act)

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#Act 1 Completion Checklist

• [ ] Every PC individually responded to a Haibi question
• [ ] The name Kitamiyama was revealed
• [ ] The foothold mansion was secured
• [ ] The 200-year-old diary was found
• [ ] Each PC's answer tendency was recorded
• [ ] Foreshadowing of Reversion Residue was presented once or twice
• [ ] Reverse-falling ash was imprinted on the players
• [ ] Session-end hook (diary first page "March 14, 1407") was delivered

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#Links

• Previous: Chapter Overview
• Next: Act 2 — Traces of the Previous Drifters
• NPCs: Talking Haibi · Loyal Retainer Haibi
• Monsters: Burning Soul · Ash Soldier
• Full rules for this chapter: rules section in the chapter overview
• Core reference: Zone Gimmicks · Flame Environment

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#Branch — 4 States at the End of Act 1

At the end of Act 1, the GM classifies the party into one of these. NPC tone at the start of Act 2 is determined.

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#Supplement — Reversion Residue Rule Details (Act 1 Trailer)

#Sensory Signals of Reversion

The moment when the PCs first feel reversion should occur somewhere in Act 1. The GM inserts one of the following scenes:

1. After the Haibi questions, when a PC touches a talisman in their clothes — a talisman crumbles at the fingertips. Its contents remain, but its corners have become ash.
2. The instant they sit on the tatami in the mansion — ash sticks to the sleeve edge. Even washing does not completely remove it.
3. When they drink water at the foothold — a faint taste of ash in the mouth. The water is clean, but the air carries ash.

#Tracking PC Countermeasures

#Player Notice Timing

• At Act 1 1.5 (foothold mansion), the GM gives the reversion warning.
• At Act 2 2.5, give notice that the reversion rules are fully active.
• From Act 3, check reversion every scene.

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#This Act Map — City Outskirts Structure

#Western Samurai District Outskirts

 [North -> city center · keep]
    ↑
  ┌─────┐
  │shrine│ ← Act 2 core
  └─────┘
    │
  [foothold mansion] ← Act 1 1.5 arrival goal
    │
  ┌─────┐
  │gate │ ← Act 1 1.2 Haibi scene
  └─────┘
    ↓
 [burning wasteland · area where Haibi embers fall backward]

The first zone of the city outskirts functions as the PCs' safe foothold. The mansion is the foothold, the shrine is the Act 2 stage, and the castle gate is Act 1's psychological threshold.

#Street Traits

• Road width: about 4~6m. Same as an ancient Japanese road.
• Building structure: wooden, 2 stories. Tiled roofs. Burning, but not collapsing.
• Light: no sunlight from the surface. The city lights itself with its own flames. The western samurai district is relatively dark (because the main castle keep is the center).
• Air: lukewarm. Ash falls upward. Sound travels only in one direction.

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"You have seen this place before. You simply do not remember it yet." — Words whispered softly into one PC's ear by a Haibi ember before the castle gate.

"March 14, 1407. This is the diary I begin today. I hope I can write it to the end." — First diary of clerk Goichi. Session-end hook.