Origins The Birth of the Empire of Mugen
In the time before the dawn, the gods above, the Great Kami ruled from Takamagahara, the High Plane of Heaven.
Generations blessed the celestial realm, yet the world remained formless chaos.
Izanami and Izanagi, charged with ordering the shapeless turmoil of the mortal realm, descended from their heavenly dominion.
Izanagi bore the sacred jeweled spear, Ama no Nuboko.
Though great were their powers, Izanagi and Izanami failed time and again.
Infinite lifetimes passed until, frustrated and unsure how to proceed, they thrust the Ama no Nuboko into the writhing chaos and stirred the maelstrom.
The relic’s jeweled tip dug into the murk beneath the gloom, and when they withdrew it, a drop fell from its sacred blade.
That drop formed the first island of the lands of Mugen. Elated by their success, Izanagi and Izanami made their home on the island and gave birth to the seven isles.
Order was born, and the world was no longer without form.
Yet chaos remained.
Izanami bore the Kami of Sea, Wind, and Nature. Beloved and terrible, these gods fashioned the land and sea according to their will.
The birth of her final son, Kagutsuchi, Kami of Fire, proved her undoing, and She Who Invites, the Great Kami, died in childbirth.
Her passing delivered Death and Sorrow unto Mugen.
Izanagi, stricken by grief, dove into the depths of the underworld seeking to return his beloved. He failed and was forced to cleanse himself in the River Woto before ascending once more. During his purification, three Kami formed from his tears:
Tsukuyomi, the Moon; Susanoo, Sea and Storms; and Amaterasu, the Sun.
In Amaterasu’s light, the land flourished, and her people grew. All beneath her gaze were blessed with beauty.
In her glory, Amaterasu bore a son, Jimmu Tennō, to lead her people.
To celebrate his birth, she gave unto her people the gift of her divine spark, which the mortals named Ryū no kokyu, the Dragon’s Breath.
Through Jimmu and his line, the blessing of mahou spread throughout the land and its people.
Through his line, the children of the isles would flourish.
In her wisdom, Amaterasu feared the jealousy of her brothers and sisters. She conceived Suda, a Dragon, a guardian born to ensure none threatened the Emperor’s Divine Tether to herself and the Kami.
Suda’s eyes were ice, her breath flame.
She was at once both beautiful and terrible.
So long as Jimmu drew breath, Suda lived.
In the presence of her divine spark, the peoples of the isles knew peace and prosperity. The lands ripened, and Mugen flourished. The goddess smiled, and warmth embraced her children.
Yet, the glory and joy of his sister stirred anger within Susanoo. Winds and hail poured down from the heavens. Tides rose from the seas. Many were swept away, and those who remained cried aloud, cursing the Kami and their wretched power.
Distraught by her brother’s antics and frightened by his terrible storms, Amaterasu fled beneath a mountain, plunging her people into darkness. The seas roiled, the land quaked, and demons rose from fiery rends in the land.
Death and Despair flourished where Darkness reigned.
In the absence of the Sun, the land and people began to wither and fade. Demons, undeterred by Amaterasu’s light, emerged to wreak vengeance upon the living.
Beauty and order failed.
Hope was lost.
Fearing the death of Mugen, the other Kami pleaded for Amaterasu to return, yet she refused.
The Kami turned to cleverness, placing a flock of roosters outside the cave. Amaterasu heard the cocks crow and wondered at morning’s call when the world remained dark, yet she did not emerge.
Next, the Kami bound a mirror to a massive tree, hoping Amaterasu might see her reflection and be heartened by her light, yet she did not emerge.
Frustrated, the Kami camped outside the cave. They drank and played music, many laughed and danced. Ama no Usume no Mikoto, goddess of Festivals and Dance, threw aside her kimono and bared her naked beauty.
The delight of the gods grew raucous.
Curiosity overcame Amaterasu, and she emerged to discover her fellow deities lost in merriment.
The mirror reflected her light, and the nakedness of the dancing goddess transfixed the Sun.
While Amaterasu stood distracted, the Kami rolled a great stone to seal the cave and prevent Amaterasu from retreating.
That day, a new Emperor, a new Tennō and his dragon, emerged, and the Sun granted life and light to the land once more.