
There is a step that all Yoroni need to take before they escape their prison. They must reassemble their core identities, pull their essences together from their scattered remains that the Cores had milled them into. In order to do so, they need to either remember or to have retained one thing above all else: their true names. Today, those that follow that thread and unravel the power and mysteries of that First Step, are named after their path to Enlightenment: Kototamagaku, the study of the power of words. Few wield as much influence over the Yoroni as they do.
When one speaks of the Kototamagaku, one usually refers to an elite few among the larger number described by the term. They, unlike any other, have stepped onto the second stage of Enlightenment, merging two elements into their essence and incorporating their virtues, disciplines and teachings into one. This unparalleled mastery of the Five-Fold Path puts them spiritually above almost all Yoroni, except, perhaps, some of the most exceptional Daimyos and Oyabuns, earning them tremendous respect and power. All this is no coincidence, nor did it happen overnight. From the beginning, the Kototamagaku were instrumental in the forging of the Five-Fold Path and the shaping of the Eternal Pagoda, defining the spiritual aspect of the mortal prayers that forged the path. As poets, artists and visionaries, their path to Enlightenment came from understanding the true nature of the Void and, in this age of Balance, the Elements as well: not as sources of power on their own, but as infinite potentials that can birth endless cosmoses, fountains that words can shape, define and manifest, connecting the physical to the ephemeral, the abstract to the material, a concept or an entity to a name.
Today, the Kitsune, Mistresses of water and air, and the Jorogumo, Mistresses of earth and water, are the most known and most involved with Yoroni society, standing over their peers as their de facto spiritual guides. They are the closest thing the Yoroni have to a priesthood, acting as seers, ritualists and spellcasters rolled into one. Their less known peers enjoy no less respect – or power with some leading solitary, contemplative existences that aim to perfect their arts, which are paramount to the Kototamagaku. Others tend to the vast majority of those engulfed by the term Kototamagaku; the scribes, cataloguers, bureaucrats, acolytes and scholars, spread throughout the levels of the Eternal Pagoda, carrying the burden and responsibility to register, monitor and record all and without whom the entire Yoroni social structure would collapse. And therein lies also the salvation of those who would otherwise never ascend.
Not all who manage to begin their journey through the Five-Fold Path are guaranteed to reach the upper echelons of the Eternal Pagoda, never mind completing it entirely and achieving enlightenment. The vast majority, legions upon legions of veterans from the War of Hosts, are trapped within the lower levels of the Pagoda, some scarred and maimed beyond repair during their torment in the Elemental Cores, others having simply lost the strength or will to continue, after millennia of imprisonment. Each and every Yoroni, however, no matter how far along the Five-Fold Path, has taken that First Step. They carry a name that irrevocably ties them to the very core of their being, that defined them enough to remain individual entities within the Void and endure the unending milling of the Cores. As most stop ascending, they are forgotten by their more fortunate peers, their names a faded memory to all, even sometimes to themselves… but not to the Kototamagaku.
Fueled by the knowledge of the true names of other Yoroni and empowered by their study and understanding, the Kototamagaku wield names like blades and shields alike, reshaping the world with their conjurations and defining Yoroni society. The most immediate power comes from speaking – correctly, accurately, TRULY speaking – true names; this allows those they name to manifest briefly, fleeting appearances of the primordial shards-that-were, in a manner akin to hexes or charms. And yet, while a testament to their authority over those they name, this is but the least of their abilities. Their true influence and power lie in writing. This is a long and exacting process, where not just the right meaning, but attitude, technique and even intent have to be perfect for the entity to be conjured and bound. The demands of the process are tied to both how far along the Path the conjured Yoroni is (and thus how evolved, complicated and defined), and how powerful (and thus how strong the conjuration must be). This is how entities like the Origami, Shikigami and Domaru-Damashi come to be: legions of Yoroni, conjured and bound to parchments or physical items.
Such power is not wielded lightly. Much like they perfect their art, the Kototamagaku have formed and evolved – and still constantly evolve – a code of conduct and etiquette that is meant to reflect the most pure principles and virtues of the Five-Fold path and which permeates all aspects of life among the Yoroni. These protocols are meant not only to self-police their use of names but also to present specific criteria upon which names can qualify to be used, summoned or bound. In many ways, the Kototamagaku have thus also become the spiritual judges of the Yoroni, deciding what is proper and what is not, who can be called and who not, who is worthy to call for and who not. Their presence in the court of a Daimyo not only ensures more conjured Origami to their service but also enhances the prestige and influence of the court. In theory, the system is, if not always fair, then at least properly aligned to the Five-Fold Path. In practice, ambition, favoritism, promises, influence and politics often rule behind the veil of etiquette – and the Kototamagaku often prove to be the true power behind the seat of their lords. True names are often viewed as a highly coveted resource above all else; one which the Kototamagaku, each with their own School of acolytes and scribes through the pagoda fueling them with more names, wields with masterful skill and velveteen etiquette.
One would expect that such power over the rest of the Yoroni population is not always welcomed, or at the very least it would be viewed with some suspicion. But to serve a Daimyo is to be offered not only a glimpse of Paradise, but also the opportunity to serve and learn by witnessing one who has achieved Enlightenment. If or when they return to their true forms in the Pagoda, the lessons learned by observing their masters will help them move forward. Or so the protocol says. The truth is that the vast majority of the Yoroni are slowly losing hope of ever reaching true Enlightenment. The recent thinning of the Mantle, which allowed for more to enter the Paradise of the material world, fueled further the thirst to witness it, even bound and in someone else’s service. To be called in this manner is for many the only hope to witness Paradise; for others, it is a shortcut, as their will, strength or discipline fails to propel them higher.
While all this is known, especially among the upper echelons of Yoroni society, the etiquette is still observed and the illusion maintained. Some wonder why, claiming that the Kototamagaku seem to be challenged in their power and their influence over the Yoroni solely by the Shuten Doji himself. The Kototamagaku themselves claim that it is because the protocol dictates that the role of the Kototamagaku is to assist more Yoroni to ascend. While true, that answer is, obviously, but another veil, another layer of the protocol. The true answer, some claim, is different: they hide because they must. The mask of etiquette is there to safeguard one thing above all else, to ensure that the true thoughts, true nature and true intentions of each Kototamagaku, and each high ranking Yoroni as well, remain hidden – and along with that, their true names remain veiled.
Masters of the First Path, Name Traders, Twice Enlightened, Judges of the Path and priests, scribes, artists, and puppet masters… There is no shortage of names and epithets for the Kototamagaku, and not all flattering. It matters not. As long as they know their true name, the other Yoroni can call them whatever they want. In the end, they are the ones that will be answering to the Kototamagaku.