The Tale of the Faded Words

Long ago, the islands hummed with kotodama — the spirit that lives inside every word. The most beautiful words of all were the polite ones: small bows woven into speech, so that even strangers felt seen.

But the shrines grew quiet. People forgot how to say いらっしゃる instead of 来る. They forgot to add お to a humble cup of tea. As words faded, the spirits faded with them — the kodama dimmed, the kitsune turned away, and a corrupted Onryō rose from the silence to swallow what remained.

You are a Spirit Guardian. With a single jewel, a single match, you can return a polite word to the world — and a kami to the shrine. Travel five sacred realms. Befriend yokai. Restore the music of speech. And when the corrupted spirit finally rises, defeat it with the most powerful weapon of all: respectful language.