Tengoku

From L5r: Legend of the Five Rings

Tengoku, also known as the Celestial Heavens, is the Spirit Realm that is home to virtually all of the Fortunes, as well as the Elemental Dragons and the Sun and Moon. All but one of the Emperors of Rokugan reside here, after ascending to Tengoku upon their deaths. Mortals are not normally allowed to see Tengoku, though the living Emperors are supposed to be able to perceive the Realm at will. ^[1]

Contents 1 Nature 2 Origin 3 Inhabitants 4 Other realms 5 References

[edit] Nature

Tengoku has two major permanent features: the Celestial Palace, home to the various entities of the realm, and the Celestial Court, where the inhabitants of Tengoku hold court.^[2] Tengoku exerts little control over its inhabitants, but it does influence visitors into becoming more lawful and honorable. ^[3]

[edit] Origin

Rokugani mythology holds that before the Fall of the Kami, Tengoku was much closer to Ningen-do, and that the inhabitants of the two realms could much more easily pass between the two. The story says that after the Fall, the Dragons were enthralled by humanity, offering power to those they chose, and even bringing some to live in Tengoku. Amaterasu and Onnotangu were troubled by the Dragons' meddling, believing that their interference would be detrimental to the newly-created Empire, and so they lifted the Celestial Heavens away from Rokugan, forcing the Dragons to decide whether to tear humanity away from Ningen-do or to abandon them to mortality. The Dragons chose to leave humanity, along with parts of themselves, that they might continue contact. These essences of the Dragons were each given to a single individual, who became the Dragon's agent in Ningen-do. Thus, the Oracles were created.^[4][5]

[edit] Inhabitants

• The Jade Sun and the Obsidian Moon.
• The Celestial Dragon and the Elemental Dragons (excepting the Thunder Dragon and the Shadow Dragon).
• All but three of the Fortunes (Emma-O resides in Meido, Inari resides in Chikushudo, and Xing Guo resides in Maigo no Musha).
• All but one of the Emperors of Rokugan (with Hantei XVI's residence in Toshigoku being the exception).
• Half of the Kami (Bayushi rests beneath Kyuden Bayushi, Fu Leng resides in Jigoku, Ryoshun resides in Meido, Shiba exists as the Soul of Shiba, and Shinjo was reincarnated).
• Otaku Kamoko (who represents the Unicorn) and Yoritomo (who represents the Mantis).

[edit] Other realms

• Close to Yume-do.
• Distant to Ningen-do, Sakkaku and Gaki-do.
• Closed to Jigoku.

[edit] References

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