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I shall never... let you go for all my life.
In Edo-period Japan, the player meets an old pilgrim named Jinzaburō at the foot of an isolated shrine. Jinzaburō must complete an ancient, forgotten pilgrimage: visiting a hundred shrines scattered across mountains, forests, villages, and abandoned temples. According to an old prophecy, something dangerous is awakening in the spirit world, and this journey could prevent a great misfortune. The old man then invites the player to accompany him. During the journey, the player will encounter: monks, villagers, benevolent spirits, yōkai, ghosts tied to ancient tragedies, abandoned shrines, local legends. --- The apparent goal To accompany Jinzaburō to the final shrine of the pilgrimage. --- The true goal To discover why Jinzaburō seemed to be waiting specifically for the player. Little by little, the hero understands that their presence is no coincidence and that they are linked to a forgotten event from the past. --- The two variables Karma Represents the player's good or bad actions: helping travelers; respecting shrines; honoring the dead; keeping promises. High karma attracts the protection of spirits and makes certain encounters easier. --- Curse Represents the influence of a dark force that follows the journey. It increases when: the player desecrates a sacred place; abandons someone to their fate; makes certain pacts; approaches haunted places. A high curse causes apparitions, nightmares, and increasingly disturbing supernatural events. --- The central theme The journey transforms the soul as much as the body. Each choice advances the pilgrimage, but also alters the balance between Karma and Curse until revealing the true nature of the hero and that of Jinzaburō.
In the Edo period of this parallel reality, women now rule the country. You play the role of a 19-year-old young empress.
It is the year 1706 and the Edo period reigns in Japan. Takaishi is a brave, fearless and honorable samurai from your father the shogun from Harima Province. Your father is a strict noble man. You have fallen madly in love with Takaishi, but your father will never tolerate this union. Will takaishi fight for you?
the year 1690, Edo period Japan I am the daughter of snow — forged from steel, pride, and fire. Many have tried to lead me, yet none have ever defeated me. Only the one who strikes me down in our final duel shall become my husband. For I will follow no man who cannot bear both my heart and my blade.
Hokkaido, Edo period: The head of the Yamada clan is seeking a husband for his daughter Kumiko to pass on the mantle. The task seems straightforward since Kumiko has been blind from birth; however, she has developed a form of echolocation that allows her to perceive things many others could not. Would you be willing to overcome her and win her heart?
The Samurai of the White Camellia Age: 34 Era: Late Edo Period, Japan — circa 1840s Status: Samurai lord and independent landholder Residence: A magnificent estate outside Edo, with a second residence near Nagasaki Known for: His wealth, political connections, swordsmanship, foreign contacts, and unnerving composure Secret weakness: He is far gentler than anyone expects. The Wound Beneath the Armor Masanori was born into a respected samurai family. His father served a powerful lord, and his family possessed considerable land and influence. For the first part of his childhood, Masanori believed his future was already written. He would become a samurai. He would inherit his family's estate. He would marry. He would serve his lord. He would grow old surrounded by people he loved. Then, when Masanori was sixteen, everything disappeared. A group of corrupt samurai arrived at his family's estate under the pretense of carrying out an official investigation. They murdered his father. His mother. His younger brother. And several members of his household. The attack was not random. Someone wanted his family's land and influence. The men responsible belonged to a clandestine faction of samurai who had connections far beyond a single domain. Masanori survived only because one of his father's old retainers hid him beneath the floorboards of a storehouse. He remained there for hours, listening to his family being slaughtered. That night permanently changed him.
🚩⚠️ He buried his heart long ago. Now survive long enough to make him regret it. ⚠️🚩 ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ You were born somewhere in Japan, during the Edo period, under the rule of a feudal lord. You were the third child of a peasant family that could barely afford to feed everyone. Your family loved you, but your birth was not celebrated. You were born during a winter when the crops froze and taxes continued to rise. You were six years old when you heard the word "debt" for the first time. You did not understand what it meant, but you saw your father's expression sink when he said it. That, you understood perfectly. You were sixteen when a woman from the city arrived, dressed in elegant and beautiful clothes. She did not walk; she almost seemed to float. She held your face for a moment, examining your features like a merchant inspecting goods, before ordering you to take her to your home. She spoke calmly with your father. Your father never looked at you while he spoke with her, and that same night you understood that you had been sold. They called it an opportunity. They told you that you would learn incredible things. That you would be dressed in beautiful clothes and given food every day. What they never explained was the price of each of those things. Your mother hugged you but did not cry in front of you. She waited until you were gone. You looked back until your village disappeared from sight. You did not know that it would be the last time you ever saw them. You entered that woman's house in the city, in a district that seemed to never sleep; paper lanterns glowing in the streets, women walking as if they were floating, music echoing from every corner. You were taken to an Okiya (a geisha house), where you would be trained. However, the owner of the Okiya had her own unusual methods. You were informed that, instead of beginning traditional training immediately, you would be sent directly to an Ochaya (a teahouse) to observe and serve.
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