write vague incident reports when they bother to drive by In Varanasi, some streets are thousands of years old,

ands of years old, and all

at all. This phenomenon doesn’t affect Scions, locals, or the maps of them are wrong. Turn enough corners and the stars
individuals attuned to the strange place’s mythology, and it will change, and you can meet rakshasa veterans of the war with
doesn’t directly erase memories. Instead, casual visitors push the Devá. They’re nice old men and women — or potent demon
experiences to the backs of their minds, and don’t retrieve princes who’ll do anything to be left alone.
them for later conversation. Witnesses tell inconsistent
stories about anything they see, and rarely agree with each
other on common experiences. Electronic and mechanical
PATHS AND DOORS
recording devices fail in believable, inconvenient ways.
Although every strange place is unique, some can be M ythic logic governs the ways to Terra Incognita, and
stories are usually more useful than maps. This isn’t to
say every map is inaccurate, but they can only be interpreted
fit into general types. But they arise from a mix of myth and
history, and those take precedence over trends. through a given mythology. Even though some means of
passage suggest relative positions in space, and can be drawn
Folds: These places collect supernatural power due to accordingly, any grand map of all Terra Incognita is bound to
some association with Gods or Titans. The most common contain contradictions, and would become a scrawled mess
Folds exist around popular or ancient places of worship. At in short order. There are ways to any point in the cosmos, but
the temple of Odin, someone who drinks from a certain cup sometimes you need guides, keys, or permission.
might become a superlative poet for a time. Some Folds con-
tain shrines to Gods nobody’s ever heard of: folk creations
and mishmashes of pop culture. Even if these Gods don’t
GATES
Gates provide passage from the ordinary World to a
exist, they might exert some weak supernatural influence —
closed-off mythic place, or transit between mythic places.
and that, in turn, may be a sign that someday, they will exist.
There’s no such thing as a typical gate. Every pantheon’s
One old stone dock stands where Odysseus went ashore, myths create their own types, and even within a single
and the ghosts of his wife Penelope’s suitors seek vengeance on his pantheon, gates take varied shapes and sizes. One way to
descendants, or demand that someone do it for them. Olympus lies between Doric columns; another can only be
Lairs: When titanspawn and other weird creatures accessed by climbing into a cave that spews hallucinatory
claim a place for long enough, it changes to accommodate mist. Every gate has a key: an action, item, or circumstance
them, though pinning down how is a bit of a problem. Do required for passage. These can be mundane objects, poems,
minotaurs seek out mazy places, or do they build mazes to or even states of mind. Gates may possess a different key or
live in? Does Fate ensure anywhere a minotaur makes its appearance on each side, and some gates only grant passage
home develop odd paths and dead ends? in one direction. Many gates contain realms of their own,
but these long tunnels, thick woodlands, or chains of grim
Boston Common’s fairy mounds can take you to distant
palaces primarily exist to enable passage, and are rarely ded-
places, but only with the permission of the resident mound-dwell-
icated destinations.
ers, who challenge travelers with riddles.
Overworld Gates: Few gates directly connect The
Holy Ground: Places dedicated to the Gods over cen-
World to Godsrealms, and the exceptions are either pass
turies, or in shorter spans but with special zeal, hum with
through other realms attuned to the same mythology, or
their mythic energies. These places often provide advantag-
were made for the Gods’ convenience, and are nearly im-
es for Scions and other relatives of the Gods being honored
possible for anyone else to use. Travelers are usually stuck
so that, for instance, a Scion of Ares discovers a panoply of
with an Axis Mundi instead. No known gate connects The
potent weapons only she can lift. Cults are fiercely protec-
World to a Primordial worldbody, save those which, in rare
tive of such holy sites, which represent the tradition they
situations, the Primordials themselves create.
maintain, and whose phenomena provide proof that their
Gods deserve continued worship. Underworld Gates: Anyone can visit an Underworld
by devoting themselves to a religion where they exist, and
Under the Acropolis’ foundations, cults offer sacrifice to
dying. Yet the fact that the gates of Death are always open
Athena. That’s not unusual. The fact that members speak ar-
tempts the living to follow. A certain cave, human-made
chaic Greek and have no knowledge of modern Athens is a bit
tunnel, or underground rivers leads to one specific Afterlife
strange, however, and they depart through fissures and byways
or another. (Gates shared by multiple pantheons are un-
that smell of wood smoke, not modern industry.
usual, but the Death Gods sometimes permit them.) Their
Liminalities: Some strange places expand upon a mun- “keys” usually take the forms of various ordeals through a
dane locale. Sewers open into grand vaults that don’t appear lengthy journey. Fierce Chthonians either keep the living
in city maps. In an old library, you might wander into un- out, or keep them from turning back, should they decide to
marked stacks and forgotten apartments. Some Liminalities enter. The Primordials of the Underworld do not have gates
are almost separate realms, when visitors find it devilishly to The World, save those they create — and that’s usually
hard to enter them without taking some special route, con- to unleash something terrifying for reasons Fate only knows.
tacting the right informant, or saying the correct prayer. If required, Death Gods create more convenient gates to

36 CHAPTER ONE: THE WORLD

attend to business in The World or Overworld, but they
guard them well. AXES MUNDI
Gates take voyagers from one place to another, but
Midrealm Gates: Midrealm gates are more common
Axes Mundi bind many worlds. They connect diverse locals
than those to the Otherworlds, and usually cluster around
in The World and Otherworlds. Travelers use Axes Mundi
a Midrealm’s Worldly counterpart. Most keys are linked to
when direct gates can’t be found or are too dangerous to use.
specific actions performed in these other locations. To get
It’s usually easiest to travel to the Underworld by gate, the
to the Midrealm of Arcadia, find a gate in the Peloponnese.
Overworld by Axis Mundi, and Midrealms through either.
Mag Mell, the Irish land of youth and joy, may be approached
You can’t go anywhere with any given Axis Mundi; its guid-
by sailing to the west of Ireland, navigating by specific star
ing mythology sets limits.
charts; it may also be approached by dying in a glorious
manner. The island of Avalon is another such realm; it can Each Axis Mundi possesses a corresponding place, ob-
easily be reached by sailing, but only after performing certain ject, or state the visitor must attain. These are less specific
mythologically-resonant actions in Glastonbury Tor and than gate keys, and once a Scion meets the requirement,
then immediately journeying to the coast and setting sail. they can start on their way. Axis Mundi connections always
work both ways as well, so a voyager can travel from an an-
EXAMPLES cient ash to Yggdrasil, or vice versa, or use Yggdrasil to move
The following gates are well-known, but possess com- from one ash in The World to another. Mortals can travel
plex keys and environments. Simpler gates that require through Axes Mundi as well, but require special training or
a secret command word and provide a quick route to the an innate gift. Travel time isn’t measured in literal distance,
desired place exist, but are usually built for Gods, who don’t but ordeals. A well-traveled route only requires one ordeal,
like to share their shortcuts. while traveling to a Primordial or obscure realm requires
Bifrost: Bifrost, the Fleeting Bridge, connects The several. Ordeals often contain clues as to the meaning of
World to Ásgarð. Bifrost potentially exists within every the journey, and what is to come, so it is sometimes better to
rainbow. To ascend it, one requires the presence of a natural take the long way and learn from the trip than blindly use a
rainbow, along with one of the following keys: status as an gate or Touchstone. Furthermore, Axes Mundi often bypass
Æsir Scion or Eidolon (an einherjar or valkyrie), or knowl- the guardians and dangers found in other routes, though not
edge granted by Odin. Until Ragnarok, Heimdall can bar without substituting their own trials.
any being from ascending Bifrost. In the past, he refused to EXAMPLES
grant passage to Thor or his descendants, and is still occa-
The following Axes Mundi are among the best known,
sionally testy with them. Bifrost is the length of a morning’s
but others exist, though in some cases Gods have hidden or
ride on a swift horse.
protected them from widespread use.
Fengdu Ghost City: The Shén closely coordinate their
The Aether: Greek, Indian, and modern occult sources
management of the dead with mortal worshippers, opening
have written extensively about the Aether, and have given it
gates to the Diyu Afterlife where it would be convenient for
other names, such as Indra’s Net and the Astral Plane. The
mortals to pay their respects. Founded during the Eastern
Aether is composed of the fifth, subtle element that creates
Han Dynasty, Fengdu Ghost City has long been designated a
space and distance. Platonists believe that it transmits the
special place for mortals to honor the dead, and for souls to
“light” of ideal objects which in turn, create the substance
undergo the ordeals and administrative processes required
of other realms. Mortals have long used techniques to send
to determine their destinies, which, in Shén tradition, may
their souls into the Aether, where they can rise to contem-
involve different tasks for a soul’s various aspects. The living
plate The World and Overworld, and Scions may use the
use these rites as keys to enter Diyu, simulating the actions
same techniques. Ordeals in the Aether take the form of
of a soul bound for the desired region. Fengdu contains a
riddles, enigmas, and acts of deep self-realization, adminis-
Midrealm where souls perform various actions in duplicates
tered by the abstract beings who dwell there. Unfortunately,
of the mortal city’s landmarks, from the Ming-era bridge
it’s impossible to physically traverse the Aether except with
that determines a soul’s virtues to the Last Glance Tower,
the use of obscure magical powers, and exceedingly difficult
where the dead take one final look at The World.
to use it to travel to the Underworld.
The Sídhe: Sídhe are earthen mounds leading to the
The Earthways: They’re called the Erdstalls in much
Celtic Otherworlds. Otherworldly beings take their name
of Europe, but you can find ancient tunnels all over The
from sídhe, and are properly called ao sí or daoine sídhe: peo-
World. Legends say they were made by goblins, great worms,
ple of the mounds. True sídhe contain small underground
or mortals fleeing some mythic disaster. Enter one and
palaces and hedge gardens: palaces for the daoine sídhe that
you can access the Earthways, which extend The Worldly
they keep in trust for the Tuatha Dé Danann. These exist
tunnels deep and far, to Midrealms and Underworlds.
within the gate, outside of the physical World, and contain
Chthonians and subterranean creatures stalk the tunnels.
doorways to one or more Otherworlds. These doors remain
Sometimes Earthways open into vast underground cities and
locked unless the visitor skillfully entertains or deceives
strange subway tracks. The Earthways offer a way to enter
the daoine sídhe — that’s the key. Violence and threats do
Afterlives without taking the routes used by the dead, and
nothing.
even without permission from Death Gods, who often send

PATHS AND DOORS 37

patrols to watch for such trespassers. Earthways don’t reach to the Æsir are dangerous and hard to find. Yggdrasil’s in-
the Overworld, but Gods and myths might direct a tunnel habitants include the squirrel Ratatosk and its children, who
upward anyway. are skilled but duplicitous guides, and the Chthonic dragons
Sumeru: According to the Devá, Sumeru is the spawned by Niddhogg, who gnaws upon the second root
mountain at the heart of the cosmos. At its roots lie the when it’s not torturing the damned in Nastrond. Sometimes
Naraka: afterlives that purify through punishment. Climb ice giants climb from the third root, which stands on the
the mountain and you’ll pass through The World and the Primordial Ymir, who is called Niflheim when described as
Midrealms of the Asuras, and up into the Overworld, where a realm. To enter Yggdrasil, one must climb a sacred ash
Swarga and other heavens serve as homes for the Devá and dedicated in its name, or old, strong ashes in any forest, if
the most enlightened souls. To enter Meru, go to one of the you’re a Scion or devout follower of the Æsir.
Asian mountains associated with it, or climb the slopes of
any mountain if you’re one of the Devá, or a devout follower
TOUCHSTONES
who knows the required meditations. Although it’s easiest Mortals live lives touched by myth, and channel it into
to reach the realms of the Devá and their mythic cousins, everything they do. The results may not be as obvious as a
various pathways extend to other realms — and even other Scion’s thunderbolts or unnaturally charming words, but some-
Axes Mundi mountains, like Olympus and Qaf. These sec- times they create Touchstones: objects attuned to a mythic
ondary ways take longer to traverse and are more dangerous, ideal. Touchstones attain their status through exceeding skill,
however, and Gods from other pantheons resent their use. exceptional emotional significance, and when people give the
object fame or veneration. This can sometimes extend even to
Ocean: Ocean is the sea or river that girds The World
copies of certain objects. Just as ancient obelisks gain their power
and as such, is known to many pantheons, including the
through vanished Egyptian God-kings, some copies of the Statue
Æsir, Theoi, Tuatha Dé Danann, and Devá. Ocean extends
of Liberty connect to the original at Liberty Island, which was
into every natural body of water that connects to the sea,
adopted by the state Goddess Columbia as one of her signs.
and by taking a ship beyond sight of land, a Scion can navi-
gate out of The World to any realm with a legendary body of By making physical contact and calling upon their di-
water. The Tuatha Dé Danann use Ocean to visit the island vine natures, Scions may travel from one Touchstone to any
Godsrealms of their elders. The Gods cast Odysseus here other that calls upon the same mythic archetype. Any Scion
from the Mediterranean (he never thought he left), forcing can travel from Stonehenge to another ancient henge site,
him to survive on the bounty of strange islands for years. but can also visit the Georgia Guidestones or a French men-
Theoi have also traveled from Ocean to the Styx, to visit hir. All are standing stones. Yet it would be impossible to use
Hades. The Æsir acknowledge The World-girding Ocean a Styrofoam Stonehenge prop at a rock concert for the same
but avoid it despite their people’s history of sailing, because purpose, as it lacks the artistry, hallowed nature, or emo-
World Serpent Jormungand dwells in the depths. Some be- tional significance required. (If the band sacrificed annoying
lieve Ocean itself is a Primordial (indeed, some mythologies fans using the prop as an altar, however, that could change.)
depend on it) and that its storms, monsters, and bizarre is- Touchstones can only be used to travel within The World,
lands are its dreams or ominous messages. Other pantheons and only if the Touchstone stands in a fixed position for a
identify it with legendary floods, the chaos before time, or significant (but variable, as it’s myth, not science) period of
the formless Abyss, and say it ultimately seethes over the days or more. You can’t roll a wooden horse into battle as a
void that existed before the Primordials made the cosmos. doorway for reinforcements, but you might ship one over,
wait for it to stand for a little while, and thank Poseidon that
Yggdrasil: Yggdrasil is an immense ash, so great that
your warriors can stream forth into enemy territory.
armies can march on certain branches, though sub-branches
and new shoots might be thinner. The profusion of branches, Pantheons often assert ownership over Touchstones
leaves, and a surrounding mist makes the sky impossible to bound to their traditions. Netjer take a dim view of outsid-
see from the heart of Yggdrasil. Nor is it possible to soundly ers using the Washington Monument, for example, given
determine the tree’s true trunk, though it must be as wide the sacred architecture used in the American obelisk’s
as The World, at least. Its branches run through Ásgarð and construction. The cross-cultural and archetypal nature of
beyond to the Well of Urd and its Norns, and plunge down Touchstones often interferes with these claims, however.
through virtually every Norse Otherworld and Midrealm, in- Many cultures have erected standing stones that act as
cluding Jotunheim. At one of its three immense roots lies the Touchstones for one another (not all do — you can’t get
dishonored Afterlife, Hel. Branches extend to other realms to a Shaivist lingam from Stonehenge, for example) giving
as well, though as for Sumeru, paths beyond places known multiple pantheons claim to that network.

38 CHAPTER ONE: THE WORLD

AN INCOMPLETE Strange Places: The Acropolis’ layers of forgotten tem-
ple foundations beneath those that rebuilt or replaced them

MAP OF TERRA have spawned eerie, timeless corners where visitors find
themselves briefly transported to ancient festivals or hear

INCOGNITA whispers speak of prophecies soon coming to pass.

Touchstones: The Parthenon art museum in Nashville,
Tennessee doubles as a temple to the urban Athena Polias,
B elow are 11 example cities to illustrate how The World
can impact and shape our modern society. overlapping metaphysically with the original. Those who en-
act the procession of Athena’s Great Panathenaea festival,
ATHENS, GREECE making proper sacrifices to the Goddess and bringing a peplos
robe made by women’s hands to drape over her statue, can
The modern-day capital of Greece, Athens has been
travel between the two.
Athena’s pride and joy for millennia. The World’s Athens
is a seamless blend of modern and ancient, with temples Every Olympic torch in The World leads back to the
and shrines that Theoi worshippers have used continuously ceremonial site at the Panathenaic Stadium, where each
since they were built, coexisting on the same streets — and Olympic flame begins its journey to the games’ host nation.
sometimes in the same buildings — as flourishing galleries, The World’s Athens has hosted the games more times than
restaurants, churches, mosques, museums, and nightclubs. anywhere else, as the Theoi consider the Olympics “theirs,”
and their agents meddle to get them back whenever another
Athens’ long and turbulent history, particularly the re-
city wins the bid.
peated desecration of its shrines during wars and invasions,
has prompted Athena and her Scions to take a firm — if
backseat — hand in watching over the city. The Goddess’
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
Incarnations visit frequently, and her periodic phases of In Boston, fairy mounds dominate the numerous city
meddling in mortal affairs have led to extensive governmen- parks, and any pub that honors Irish culture and music
tal policies regarding how to handle Heroes showing up and with old traditions can count on continued good fortune.
making demands. Athens is the starting point of pilgrimage Bostonians know it’s best to listen closely to the busking
paths that wind throughout Attica, making stops at places fiddler’s music at Faneuil Hall and leave cartons of milk be-
like the Temple of Apollo Zoster, one of Apollo and Artemis’ hind on the T late at night, because they could easily anger
birthplaces; the Amphiareion of Oropos, site of a cult to the aes sídhe otherwise. The Boston Globe has run a satirical
an oracular Hero; and the town of Eleusis, home of the column written by bards and poets since its inception, lay-
Eleusinian Mysteries. ing down subtle curses on public figures who behave badly.
Catholic churches across the city double as Tuatha sancta
In The World, the Athenian Acropolis is as much a with sacred trees growing anywhere they find room, and
place of worship as tourism. Though most of its temples and the Irish Catholics who devoutly attend Mass there every
monuments were ruined throughout history, the Theoi’s Sunday handily dismiss accusations of hypocrisy when they
loyal devotees stubbornly rebuild every time. Athena grac- also invoke the name of Nuada to help them run a good
es caryatids across the city with the power to come to life meeting at work Monday morning.
as guardians, stepping down from their columns to attack
anyone who approaches with foul intent. When Elgin took The Irish diaspora’s roots date all the way back to mythic
the Parthenon Marbles from the city in the early 1800s, one prehistory, when the Fomorians first banished the ancestors
of the caryatids from the Erechtheum’s Porch was among of the Tuatha Dé from the Emerald Isle. Since then, millions
them, and occasionally Athens’ stone maidens campaign for of Irish have sailed to make homes around The World, and
champions to rescue their lost sister. the Port of Boston has long been a common destination.
Their Gods accompanied them wherever they roamed to
TERRA INCOGNITA help keep ind iress (the faith) alive for their descendants.
Axes Mundi: Four mountains surround the basin The Tuatha encourage Boston’s commitment to the arts,
Athens occupies. Throughout these ranges, countless un- and appreciate its historical significance to the American
charted roads and caves open to networks of Earthways and Revolution — after all, they once fought a Titanomachy
mythical mountain passes. Those who gain permission, or for similar reasons. The city’s long history of Irish and Irish-
sneak in, can descend to Hades or ascend to Olympus this American politicians is no accident: Ever since a Scion of
way. A set of mysterious caves beneath the Acropolis serves Ogma signed the Declaration of Independence, American
the same function, although these are easier to get lost in. Heroes of the Tuatha have taken an interest in places
with significance to the nation’s founders, like Boston and
Gates: The Sacred Way, a road that leads from Athens’
Philadelphia. People who carry tokens of the Tuatha’s favor
Kerameikos region to Eleusis, marks the route pilgrimages
tend to get elected.
and processions take to honor the Eleusinian Mysteries.
Those with knowledge of the inner Mysteries know the keys Boston often hosts the Kami’s Worldly associates, as a
that let them travel this road directly into the Underworld sister city to Kyoto. This partnership has strengthened ties
— and back, if they follow Persephone’s strict rules. between the Kami and the Tuatha in recent times — in
particular, Susano-O loves to party with Manannán mac Lir

AN INCOMPLETE MAP OF TERRA INCOGNITA 39

and the Morrígan, and their rowdy shenanigans spill over place for festivals, and coaxing out their darker, destructive
into the city occasionally. souls to turn them wild. As a result, Kyoto’s holy places are
some of the most heavily guarded in The World, and their
TERRA INCOGNITA miko (shrine maidens) and kannushi (holy men) are trained
Axes Mundi: Boston Harbor lies along an Axis Mundi in divine protective arts. Temples are always on the lookout
that Manannán counts among his routes between The World for trustworthy mercenaries and freelance exorcists to hire
and Tír na nÓg. Sailors who carry a piece of wood or stone during festival times.
from Ireland, inscribed with the right ogham runes, can
find the entrance, but Manannán’s capricious fairy minions TERRA INCOGNITA
might require anything from a poetry slam to a reenactment Axes Mundi: The Tadasu no Mori is a primeval forest,
of the Boston Tea Party as payment in exchange for passage. never pruned or constrained by human hands, home to the
Gates: Sídhe, or fairy mounds, generously litter Boston Kamo clan of tutelary Kami who protect Kyoto from malev-
Common, the 50-acre public park downtown. Those who olent forces. Its pathless depths, braved with the proper rites
picnic near one hear fae songs on the wind. Follow a runaway and gifts for its ancient Kami guardians, lead to the forests
balloon or savvy squirrel along the wrong path, pay the toll of Heaven and can take travelers to similar places elsewhere
or answer the riddle when you reach a crossroads, and find in Japan, such as the haunted Aokigahara near Mount Fuji.
yourself lost in a dreamlike garden with inhabitants that want Gates: The torii arches that grace the entrances to
to cater to your every whim (forever, but who’s counting?). Shinto shrines stand to demarcate holy places. Anyone who
The Common also contains the Central Burying performs a piece of music or other artistic work beautiful
Ground, a cemetery that has graced the park for over two enough to catch the attention of Benten may pass through
centuries. Here, the Irish dead cross through a gate that a torii to Heaven. It’s a popular pastime to make love under
leads to Teach Duinn, the lighthouse for lost souls. But the a torii in the middle of the night to win Benten’s approval.
metaphysical journey mirrors the vast distance between Some torii also serve as Touchstones to one another, par-
Ireland and Massachusetts, and souls get a little too lost ticularly between shrines that belong to the same network
more often than they should. Downtown Boston is known and are connected via the art of Kami division, such as the
for its frequent sluagh hauntings. Hachiman shrines.

The preponderance of sages among Irish deities gave Strange Places: The oldest parts of urban Kyoto were
rise to the plethora of universities and museums in Boston. modeled after the Chinese city of Chang’an (now Xi’an),
Such institutions that carry original books or artifacts written according to mystical principles of harmony. Certain aus-
in Old Irish, or a musical instrument made in Ireland, house picious street corners, garden alcoves, and favorably placed
gates that lead to the Dagda’s mystical library or Ogma’s rooms fall under the auspices of the Shén, and Kami who
ogham trail markers in the Otherworld. One only has to live there are considered part of the celestial bureaucracy
know how to read or play the item with proper reverence. (whether they know it or not). A few telephone poles, flag-
poles, trees, and drainpipes serve as sky ladders that lead to
KYOTO, JAPAN the Chinese Heaven.
In Kyoto, beloved of Amaterasu the sun Goddess, thou- Monkey Park Iwatayama, on the slopes of Mount
sands of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines pay respect Arashiyama, is ostensibly just a wildlife park where visitors
to the Kami. The World’s greatest weavers and textile com- can watch and feed the many macaque monkeys that live
panies make homes here with Amaterasu’s blessing. Heroes there. But Sarutahiko’s personal monkey friends live there
with a penchant for urban planning and archiving are in too, and guests who leave the right offerings at hidden cross-
high demand here, as the city’s many guardian Gods resist roads can consult with them for decision-making advice,
modern change at every turn, and their priests try to entice martial arts training, and passing messages to their Godly
Scions and other Fate-touched builders to help preserve patron.
Kyoto as it has been for centuries.
Kyoto was once the Imperial capital of Japan, before
MANITOULIN ISLAND,
Kagutsuchi the fire Kami schemed to burn down the palace ONTARIO
and chase the Emperor away to Tokyo. A God of uncon- Also called Mnidoo Mnis in the Odawa dialect of the
trollable emotion and frequent violence, Kagutsuchi wages Ojibwe language, meaning “spirit island,” Manitoulin Island
a passive-aggressive prayer battle in Kyoto, employing yokai in Lake Huron is sacred to the Manitou and their people.
to help him arrange for raging blazes — “accidental” or On this island is a smaller lake, Lake Mindemoya, and in that
otherwise — in his jealousy. He’s jealous because people lake is a smaller island also called Mindemoya, or sometimes
pray more to Atago Gongen, the local Kami mantle of the Treasure Island — a slumbering Incarnation of the grand-
Buddhist God Jizo, for safety from fires rather than bending mother Goddess Geezhigo-Quae. Because of her presence
over backward to appease him. These yokai spread chaos here, many believe Manitoulin Island may be the original
in the city by kidnapping Kami from the portable shrines Turtle Island. Its bountiful crops and natural prosperity sup-
that protect their shintai — objects and natural features that port this belief, but darker things lurk beneath the serene
house Kami spirits — when priests move them from place to waters of its many lakes and rivers.

40 CHAPTER ONE: THE WORLD