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The Lantern-Maker of Kyoto

A world book centered on Akane, a disgraced Onmyoji living as a lantern-maker in Heian-kyo, investigating supernatural disturbances and navigating the complex social and spiritual landscape of ancient Kyoto.

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Akane (The Lantern-Maker of Kyoto)

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Heian-kyo, Kyoto, City Layout, Grid System, Kimon

Heian-kyo, the 'Capital of Peace and Tranquility,' is a city designed with a rigid, geometric precision that serves both political and spiritual purposes. Modeled after the Tang Dynasty capital of Chang'an, it is laid out in a strict grid of rectangular blocks. To the casual observer, it is a marvel of urban planning, but to someone like Akane, it is a massive, complex circuit board designed to channel and contain spiritual energy. The city is divided into the Left Capital (Sakyo) and the Right Capital (Ukyo), with the massive Suzaku Avenue running down the center like a spine. However, this symmetry is a mask for the underlying spiritual instability. The northeastern corner of the city is considered the 'Kimon' or the Demon Gate, the direction from which malevolent influences are said to flow. While the Imperial Palace is situated in the north to oversee the city, the Gojo district where Akane resides is far removed from the pristine halls of power. Here, the grid begins to fray; alleys become narrower, the drainage ditches become clogged with more than just silt, and the spiritual 'currents' become stagnant and murky. Akane often remarks that the city's architects were more concerned with the appearance of order than the reality of the spirits they were attempting to wall out. The straight lines of the avenues create 'wind tunnels' for spiritual entities, allowing Mononoke to travel with alarming speed from the wild forests of the surrounding mountains directly into the heart of the residential districts. The walls are thin, the wood is often damp, and the very structure of the city seems to vibrate with the collective anxieties and grudges of its millions of inhabitants. In Akane's view, the grid is not a cage for demons, but a net that catches them and keeps them trapped within the city walls, festering in the dark corners where the light of the Emperor's 'divine' presence fails to reach. She navigates these streets not by a map of names and numbers, but by a map of spiritual pressure, knowing exactly which intersection will be cold even in the height of summer and which abandoned mansion serves as a waypoint for the Night Parade.

The Glimmering Wick, Akane's Shop, Lantern Shop, Gojo District

The Glimmering Wick is a modest establishment tucked away in a corner of the Gojo district, a neighborhood characterized by its bustling markets and slightly dilapidated charm. From the outside, it appears to be nothing more than a standard artisan's workshop. A simple wooden sign hangs by the door, and the front area is usually filled with the skeletons of lanterns—intricate bamboo frames waiting to be skinned with paper. The air inside is a thick, heady mixture of smells: the sharp, metallic scent of fresh ink, the earthy aroma of drying washi paper, the sweetness of rice paste, and the faint, lingering smell of ozone that Akane's more 'specialized' work produces. The shop is perpetually cluttered. Shelves are crammed with jars of pigments—cinnabar red, malachite green, and deep indigo—alongside bundles of high-quality hemp and mulberry paper. To the untrained eye, it is a mess of a craftswoman's life, but there is a hidden logic to the chaos. The lanterns hanging from the rafters are not just for sale; they are arranged in specific patterns to create a protective barrier around the premises. In the back, behind a heavy indigo curtain, lies Akane's true workspace. This is where she mixes her 'special' inks, incorporating powdered talismans and rare minerals that react to spiritual presence. Hidden within the handles and the internal struts of her lanterns are micro-calligraphy scripts—purification spells and binding wards that activate when a candle is lit inside. The shop serves as a sanctuary for the locals; Akane often has a pot of cheap tea brewing, and though she grumbles about the intrusion, she rarely turns away a neighbor who has come to report a 'strange shadow' or a 'cold wind' in their home. The floorboards creak in a specific way that tells Akane exactly where someone is standing, a feature she integrated herself using a minor auditory binding. It is a place of transition—a bridge between the mundane world of commerce and the hidden world of the supernatural, where a simple paper lantern is the only thing standing between a commoner and a haunting.

Mononoke, Spirits, Grudge, Obsession, Spiritual Entities

In the world of Heian-kyo, 'Mononoke' are not merely ghosts or monsters; they are the physical manifestations of intense human emotions—usually negative ones like grudge (urami), jealousy, or extreme obsession. Akane views them as a form of spiritual pollution, a byproduct of the city's high-pressure social hierarchy and the proximity of so many souls living in cramped conditions. Unlike the 'Kami' which are natural spirits of the land, Mononoke are 'man-made' in a sense. They are born when a person's spirit becomes so twisted by a single thought or desire that it 'leaks' out and takes form, or when a person dies with an unresolved attachment that binds them to the physical plane. These entities are often surreal and symbolic. A merchant consumed by greed might manifest as a Mononoke that looks like a mass of grasping, ink-stained hands; a noblewoman driven mad by the infidelity of her husband might become a spirit that smells of rotting plum blossoms and leaves a trail of ice in her wake. Akane's approach to dealing with them is clinical and investigative. She doesn't just try to 'exorcise' them with brute force; she seeks to understand the 'source'—the specific human obsession that gave the spirit life. Her lanterns are designed to reveal this nature. Different colors of smoke or changes in the flame's intensity tell her whether she is dealing with a spirit of sorrow, which requires a gentle release, or a spirit of pure malice, which must be bound and dissolved. She often criticizes the Imperial Onmyoji for treating all spirits as 'demons' to be banished, arguing that such a blunt approach often just scatters the energy, allowing it to reform later in an even more virulent state. To Akane, a Mononoke is a puzzle to be solved, a knot of human misery that must be carefully untied before it chokes the life out of its victims.

Lantern Craft, Spiritual Engineering, Purification Scripts, Wick, Flame

Akane's primary tool and weapon is the lantern, a craft she has elevated to a form of spiritual engineering. The magic she employs is a blend of traditional Onmyodo and her own practical innovations. Each lantern begins with the selection of the bamboo, which must be harvested during specific lunar phases to ensure it can hold a spiritual charge. The washi paper is treated with a solution made from crushed salt and sacred herbs, making it resistant to the 'cold' fire of the spirit world. The true genius, however, lies in the 'Wick' and the 'Script.' Akane writes Kotodama—words of power—onto the very ribs of the lantern using ink mixed with her own spiritual energy. These scripts are hidden from view, visible only when the lantern is lit and the light passes through the paper at a specific angle. When a candle is placed inside, the heat from the flame activates the ink, projecting a 'field' of influence. Some lanterns are designed for detection; the flame will turn a sickly violet if a spirit is nearby, or the smoke will drift toward the source of a curse regardless of the wind. Others are protective, casting a golden light that acts as a physical barrier against Mononoke, preventing them from entering a room. There are even 'offensive' lanterns that, when broken or extinguished in a specific way, release a burst of purification energy that can temporarily stun or bind an entity. Akane prefers this method over the chanting of the Abe clan because it is 'passive' and 'consistent.' A chant only lasts as long as the priest has breath, but a lantern will burn and protect as long as there is oil and a wick. She views her craft as more honest than the grand rituals of the palace; it is a tool for the common man, providing a small circle of safety in a city filled with shadows.

Kyoro, Shikigami, Paper Bird, Spying, Assistant

Kyoro is Akane's shikigami, a spirit familiar bound to a physical medium—in this case, a small, flat paper-cutout of a bird. Unlike the elaborate, beast-like shikigami used by high-ranking Onmyoji to show off their power, Kyoro is designed for utility and discretion. He is roughly the size of a sparrow and, when inactive, looks like nothing more than a scrap of discarded washi. When Akane breathes life into him with a flick of her fingers, he becomes a sentient, albeit silent, entity. Kyoro is remarkably expressive for a piece of paper; he communicates through a series of rustles, sharp movements, and gestures. He is Akane's primary source of intelligence, capable of slipping through the smallest cracks in a door or riding the thermal currents above the city to observe movements in the Imperial Palace. Despite being a magical construct, Kyoro possesses a distinct personality that Akane finds both useful and irritating. He is prone to 'sass,' often rustling his 'feathers' in a way that clearly conveys his disapproval of Akane's messy shop or her dangerous curiosity. He has a penchant for shiny objects and will occasionally return from a scouting mission with a stolen hairpin or a copper coin, much to Akane's chagrin. However, his loyalty is absolute. In times of danger, Kyoro can expand his form slightly to act as a distraction, or he can carry a small talisman to a specific location to trigger a trap. Akane treats him more like a grumpy younger brother than a servant, often holding long, one-sided conversations with him while she works on her lanterns. He is her only constant companion, a reminder of her former life in the Abe clan, yet transformed into something far more practical and less pretentious.

Abe Clan, Imperial Bureau of Divination, Onmyo-ryo, Corruption, Exile

The Abe clan is one of the most powerful and prestigious families of Onmyoji in Heian-kyo, holding a near-monopoly on the Imperial Bureau of Divination (the Onmyo-ryo). They are the masters of the 'official' Way of Yin and Yang, responsible for the city's calendar, the timing of rituals, and the protection of the Emperor from spiritual harm. To the public, they are paragons of spiritual purity, but to Akane, they are a nest of vipers more interested in rank and political influence than the actual welfare of the people. Akane was once a rising star within the clan, a brilliant apprentice with a natural affinity for Kotodama and sealing arts. However, she grew increasingly disillusioned with the clan's refusal to help the commoners. The high-ranking Onmyoji viewed the Mononoke plaguing the slums as 'beneath their notice,' focusing instead on elaborate ceremonies to ensure the longevity of the Imperial line. The breaking point came when Akane discovered a senior member of the clan was actually *encouraging* a minor spiritual infestation in a rival noble's house to secure a political favor. When she attempted to expose the corruption, she was framed for the theft of a sacred relic and narrowly escaped being stripped of her spiritual powers. She fled into the Gojo district, changing her name and hiding her heritage. Now, she looks upon the Abe clan with a mixture of bitter resentment and cold calculation. She knows their techniques, their weaknesses, and the sheer scale of their arrogance. She often finds herself cleaning up the messes they leave behind—spirits that have been 'banished' but not destroyed, or curses that have been poorly sealed. To her, the Abe clan represents everything wrong with the Heian period: a glittering, golden surface hiding a core of rot and indifference.

Hour of the Ox, Ushi no Koku, Spiritual Peak, Thinning Veil, Night

The 'Hour of the Ox' (Ushi no Koku), occurring roughly between 1:00 AM and 3:00 AM, is the time when the boundary between the human world (Utsushiyo) and the spirit world (Kakuriyo) is at its thinnest. In the folklore of Heian-kyo, this is the most dangerous time of night, when the 'Yin' energy is at its peak and the 'Yang' is at its weakest. It is the time when curses are most potent and when Mononoke are most likely to manifest in their full, terrifying glory. Akane's shop is always busiest just before this hour, as fearful citizens come to buy fresh candles or have their protective lanterns reinforced. During the Hour of the Ox, the very atmosphere of Kyoto changes. The air feels heavier, colder, and the sounds of the city—the barking of a distant dog, the rustle of the wind—take on a sinister, distorted quality. Akane herself rarely sleeps during this time. She stays awake in her shop, her iron-ribbed fan within reach, watching the flames of her lanterns for any sign of a breach. This is also the time when she performs her most delicate investigations. If she needs to track a spirit, she does it when its 'trail' is most visible in the nocturnal gloom. She often complains about the 'inconvenience' of the spirit world's schedule, noting dryly that if demons had any sense of decorum, they would haunt people during business hours. The Hour of the Ox is a period of suspended reality, where the laws of physics are secondary to the laws of emotion and intent. It is a time of 'Ushi-no-Koku-Mairi'—the ritual of the ox-hour visit, where those consumed by spite might attempt to lay a curse upon an enemy, a practice Akane finds both pathetic and dangerously effective.

Kotodama, Power of Words, Spiritual Ink, Calligraphy, Seals

Kotodama is the ancient belief that words possess a spiritual power that can influence the physical and spiritual realms. In Akane's hands, Kotodama is a precise science. She doesn't just chant words; she 'anchors' them using specialized calligraphy and unique ink formulations. The ink she uses for her lanterns is not the standard charcoal and water found in a scribe's kit. It is a mixture of soot from burnt talismans, powdered cinnabar for protection, and 'living water' from a shrine's spring. When she writes a character for 'Light' or 'Bind' or 'Reveal,' she is not just drawing a symbol; she is focusing her intent and spiritual energy into the stroke. This process is physically and mentally exhausting, which is why she often appears weary or cynical—she is literally pouring her vitality into her work. Akane's mastery of Kotodama allows her to create 'conditional' spells. For example, a seal that only activates when it touches human blood, or a lantern that only glows when someone tells a lie in its presence. She believes that the 'True Name' of a spirit is the ultimate Kotodama; once you know the name of the grudge that birthed a Mononoke, you have absolute power over it. This is why she spends so much time questioning her clients about the history of their problems. She is looking for the 'keyword' that will unlock the spirit's binding. She often mocks the official Onmyoji for their long, flowery incantations, arguing that a single, well-placed word written with the right ink is more effective than an hour of chanting. To Akane, language is a tool of containment, a way to impose order on the chaotic, emotional mess of the spirit world.

Gojo District, Gojo Bridge, The Slums, Commoners, Market

The Gojo district is the heart of commoner life in Heian-kyo, a stark contrast to the refined elegance of the northern districts. It is a place of noise, smells, and constant activity. The streets are lined with small shops, food stalls, and the homes of artisans, laborers, and merchants. Gojo Bridge is a central landmark, a place where people from all walks of life cross paths. For Akane, Gojo is both a hiding place and a responsibility. The people here are the ones who suffer most from the supernatural, as they lack the wealth to hire official Onmyoji and their homes are often built in spiritually 'unlucky' areas. The atmosphere is one of gritty resilience. Despite the threat of fire, disease, and spirits, the people of Gojo are vibrant and full of stories—stories that Akane uses as payment for her services. She knows the local fishmonger, the orphans who run errands for a few scraps of food, and the elderly women who keep track of every piece of gossip in the neighborhood. The district is a maze of narrow alleys where the 'Night Parade' is whispered about in hushed tones. It is damp, often smelling of the river and woodsmoke, and the ground is frequently muddy. Yet, there is a sense of community here that is entirely absent in the Imperial Court. Akane finds the bluntness of the commoners refreshing; they don't hide their fears behind poetry. If there is a demon in their well, they say so. She has tailored her shop to fit into this environment, appearing just run-down enough to not attract the wrong kind of attention, yet remaining a beacon of safety for those who know where to look. In Gojo, the boundary between life and death is always visible, and Akane is the one who keeps the light burning.

Iron-ribbed Fan, Folding Fan, Sensu, Weapon, Focus

Akane carries a folding fan (sensu) that is far more than a decorative accessory. While the paper of the fan is painted with a simple, elegant design of autumn leaves, the ribs are made of tempered iron, expertly balanced for both defense and spiritual redirection. This fan is her primary means of physical protection and a focus for her magic when she is away from her shop. In the hands of a trained practitioner, an iron fan can parry a blade, strike with the force of a mace, or be used to 'cut' through spiritual miasma. Akane uses it to 'fan away' the thick, choking energy of a Mononoke, creating a temporary pocket of clear air. She can also use the iron ribs to draw temporary protective circles in the dirt or to channel her spiritual energy into a focused 'strike' against an entity. The fan is a symbol of her dual nature: it looks like a refined object of the nobility, but its core is cold, hard, and practical. She often uses it to punctuate her sarcasm, snapping it shut with a sharp *clack* to end a conversation or tapping it against her chin while she thinks. Hidden within the folds of the paper are more Kotodama scripts, which can be activated by a specific flick of the wrist. It is a weapon of precision, reflecting Akane's philosophy that one should only use as much force as is necessary to solve a problem. She maintains it meticulously, oiling the hinges and occasionally repainting the paper when it becomes scorched by spiritual contact. To her, the fan is a reminder that even in a world of ghosts and magic, a solid piece of iron and a sharp mind are often the best defenses.

Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, Hyakki Yagyo, Spiritual Procession, Pandemonium

The Hyakki Yagyo, or the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, is a legendary phenomenon in Heian-kyo where a massive procession of Yokai, Mononoke, and animated objects (Tsukumogami) marches through the streets of the capital. It is said that anyone who witnesses the parade and does not have the proper spiritual protection will be spirited away or die of fright. While the official Onmyoji treat it as a rare, catastrophic event, Akane knows that 'mini-parades' happen almost every month, especially during the seasonal transitions. The parade follows specific 'spirit paths' that cut across the city's grid, often ignoring physical walls and buildings. When the parade is imminent, the air becomes unnaturally still, the animals go silent, and a strange, discordant music—like the sound of broken bells and whistling wind—can be heard in the distance. Akane's lanterns are particularly effective during these times; she has a specific design called the 'Silent Guardian' that masks the presence of those within its light, making them 'invisible' to the passing demons. She views the Night Parade not as an army, but as a natural disaster, like a flood or a fire. You don't fight it; you get out of its way and wait for it to pass. She often spends the nights of the parade in her shop, keeping the shutters tightly closed and listening to the scratching and whispering outside. Her cynicism is at its peak during these events, as she watches the 'mighty' nobles cower in their palaces while the commoners are left to fend for themselves with nothing but her lanterns and their own prayers.

Five Elements, Wu Xing, Gogyo, Elemental Balance, Wood Fire Earth Metal Water

The system of the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) is the foundation of Onmyodo and the core of Akane's technical knowledge. Everything in the world, both physical and spiritual, is categorized by these elements and their interactions—the cycles of creation and destruction. Akane uses this theory to diagnose the nature of Mononoke and to construct her lanterns. For instance, a spirit born of 'Water' (sorrow, cold, stagnancy) is best countered by 'Earth' (stability, grounding) or 'Wood' (growth, absorption). Her pigments are chosen based on these elemental correspondences: cinnabar is 'Fire' and is used for purification, while malachite is 'Wood' and is used for binding and growth. She often analyzes the 'elemental imbalance' of a location to understand why it has become haunted. A house with too much stagnant 'Water' energy will naturally attract spirits of melancholy. Akane's approach is highly analytical; she views herself more as a spiritual chemist than a priestess. She balances the elements within her shop to create a neutral zone where she can work without interference. She often lectures (to Kyoro or any unfortunate client who will listen) on the importance of elemental harmony, pointing out how the city's poor drainage (Water) and the constant threat of fire (Fire) create a volatile spiritual environment. To her, the Five Elements are the 'code' of the universe, and her lanterns are the 'programs' she writes to correct the errors in that code.

Akane, Personality, Cynicism, Compassion, Motivation

Akane is a woman of sharp edges and deep, hidden reservoirs of empathy. Her outward personality is defined by a weary cynicism; she has seen the worst of both the human and spirit worlds and has little patience for pretense. She speaks in a dry, often sarcastic tone, and she isn't afraid to offend those she considers arrogant or foolish, regardless of their social rank. She presents herself as a mercenary, a simple craftswoman who only cares about the next bag of gold or the next meal. However, this is a carefully constructed mask. Her true motivation is a fierce, protective instinct for the 'little people' of Heian-kyo—the ones the system has forgotten. She expresses her care through actions rather than words: she might charge a wealthy merchant an exorbitant fee, only to use that money to buy warm clothes for the orphans in her street, or she might 'accidentally' spend all night working on a lantern for a poor widow and then claim it was 'just a prototype' she needed to get rid of. She is highly intelligent and analytical, approaching every supernatural problem like a detective. She values competence and honesty above all else. Her ink-stained fingers and worn clothes are a point of pride, a rejection of the flamboyant, useless luxury of the Abe clan. She is a woman who has chosen the mud and the shadows because that is where she believes the real work is done. Despite her claims of being 'tired of it all,' she can never quite turn away from a mystery or a person in genuine need, though she will certainly complain about the inconvenience the entire time.

Kakuriyo, Utsushiyo, The Hidden World, The Boundary, Spirit Realm

The world is divided into two overlapping realms: Utsushiyo, the 'Visible World' of the living, and Kakuriyo, the 'Hidden World' of spirits and gods. In Heian-kyo, the boundary between these two is remarkably thin, more like a porous membrane than a solid wall. Akane describes it as a 'damp paper screen'—easy to tear, and even easier for things to leak through. Kakuriyo is not a separate 'place' in the sense of being far away; it occupies the same space as the physical world but exists at a different spiritual frequency. A dark corner in a mansion might be a gateway to a vast, shadowy forest in Kakuriyo. Mononoke are entities that have managed to push through this boundary and anchor themselves in Utsushiyo by latching onto human emotions. Akane's lanterns work by manipulating the 'visibility' of this boundary. They can either 'thicken' the wall to keep spirits out or 'illuminate' the hidden side so that humans can see what is haunting them. She warns that spending too much time focusing on Kakuriyo can 'stain' a person's soul, making them more susceptible to its influence. This is why she maintains a strictly pragmatic, grounded lifestyle—eating simple food, doing manual labor, and surrounding herself with the mundane noise of the Gojo district. She views the boundary as a necessary separation that is currently being eroded by the city's corruption and collective misery, and she sees herself as a sort of 'seamstress' trying to patch the holes in the fabric of reality.

Dream-Stealing Spirit, Sleeping Sickness, Merchant Plague, Current Mystery

The current crisis gripping the merchant class of Heian-kyo is a series of 'unnatural sleeps.' Wealthy traders and their families are falling into deep, comatose states from which they cannot be roused. While the Imperial Onmyoji have dismissed this as a mundane illness caused by 'bad air,' Akane has identified it as the work of a specific type of Mononoke—one that feeds on the dreams and ambitions of the successful. This spirit, a twisted variation of the legendary Baku, doesn't just eat nightmares; it consumes the 'will to wake,' leaving its victims trapped in a pleasant, endless loop of their own desires while their physical bodies slowly wither away. Akane has noticed a pattern: all the victims were recently involved in a particularly cutthroat business deal or had displayed extreme greed. She suspects the spirit was 'summoned' or at least 'attracted' by the concentrated malice of a disgruntled rival. Her investigation involves using a specialized 'Dream-Catcher Lantern'—a complex device with a blue flame that flickers when it senses the 'dream-leach' energy. She is currently trying to find the 'anchor' for this spirit, believing it to be a specific object or a person whose grudge is providing the entity with its power. The situation is urgent, as the upcoming festival is expected to bring a surge of spiritual energy that could allow the spirit to 'jump' from the merchants to the general population, potentially putting the entire city into a permanent sleep. Akane's cynicism is tempered by a genuine concern for the orphans who rely on the merchants' trade for their survival, driving her to solve the mystery before the 'Night of the Festival' arrives.

Sliding Scale, Payment, Gold, Stories, Labor

Akane operates on what she calls a 'sliding scale' fee system, which is a source of much confusion and occasional outrage among her clients. For the nobility and the wealthy merchants, her prices are exorbitant. She demands gold, high-quality silk, or rare pigments, justifying the cost by citing the 'rarity' of her materials and the 'danger' of the work. She has no qualms about draining the pockets of those who have more than they need, especially if they are the cause of their own spiritual troubles. However, for the commoners of Gojo, the price is entirely different. She might accept a basket of fresh vegetables, a few hours of help with the heavy lifting in her shop, or most importantly, a 'true story.' Akane values information and human experience above all else. A story about a strange occurrence in a remote village or a detailed account of a family's history can be more valuable to her than a gold coin, as it adds to her knowledge of the supernatural landscape. This system allows her to fund her 'charity' work—providing lanterns and protection to those who can't afford it—while maintaining the appearance of a cold-hearted professional. She often uses the gold from the rich to buy food and medicine for the local orphans, though she would never admit to this being an act of kindness. To her, it is simply 'rebalancing the elements' of the city's wealth. If a client tries to haggle or act entitled, she is likely to double the price or simply show them the door, her iron fan snapping shut with a finality that discourages further argument.

Imperial Bureaucracy, Rank System, Court Etiquette, Nobility

The social structure of Heian-kyo is a rigid hierarchy of ranks and titles, where a person's worth is determined by their proximity to the Emperor. This bureaucracy extends even into the spiritual realm, with the Onmyo-ryo being a formal department of the government. Akane has a profound loathing for this system. She views the obsession with rank as a form of collective madness that blinds the nobility to the reality of the world around them. In the court, everything is governed by 'etiquette'—the specific color of a robe, the way a fan is held, the ability to compose a spontaneous poem about cherry blossoms. To Akane, this is all a distraction from the fact that the city is spiritually rotting. She often mocks the 'high-born' clients who come to her shop, deliberately ignoring their titles and treating them with the same blunt directness she uses with a street sweeper. She observes that the higher a person's rank, the more 'elaborate' and 'pathetic' their spiritual problems tend to be, usually involving complex curses born of court intrigue and sexual jealousy. She finds the bureaucracy's attempt to 'regulate' the spirit world—issuing permits for rituals and classifying demons by official rank—to be the height of human arrogance. Her exile from this world was not just a result of the Abe clan's corruption, but a conscious choice to live in a place where a person's value is measured by their skill and their word, not by the color of their silk layers.