Oni are legendary demons that dwell in Jigoku, and followers of Fu Leng, the fallen Kami. They have appeared in the Shadowlands, attacking the Empire alongside goblins, ogres, and undead. Some of them spawn lesser versions of themselves.
Those mortal souls with true wickedness in their hearts and whose deeds were undeniably vile were thrown into Jigoku as oni after being judged by Emma-Ō. [1]
With twisted horns, razor-sharp teeth, and enormous talons on their hands and feet, these bestial creatures resemble the very hells in which they dwell. They were only able to enter Ningen-dō of their own volition through the Festering Pit. Another way for oni to come to Ningen-dō was invitation by misguided or evil mortals. Only when they were slain do their souls returned to Meido, although the powerful ones were able to make their way back to Jigoku itself to be reborn. [2]
Oni were born formless, shapeless, and without identity, with no name to call their own. Instead, they took the names of mortals, which increased an oni's power a hundredfold. There were those who would trade their name in exchange for some of an oni's power, a terrible betrayal of their bloodline, and the name became forever besmirched. In exchange for the name, the oni became linked to the name giver, who obtained the powers of the oni and could summon it at any time. Each could hear the thoughts of the other, and they must heed each other. Nothing could break this bond except the banishment of the oni or if the name-giver's death. [3]
Oni were cruel and brutal creatures, but they also had their own twisted goals and motivations that drove them. The oni of Jigoku were deeply bound to the Fallen Kami Fu Leng, and they shared his appetite for conquest and dominion. The breach from Jigoku gave them a new realm into which they could spread their horrors. [4] Most oni sought dominion, and their obedience to Fu Leng as their Lord was sometimes contested by the most powerful ones. [5]
The otherworldly powers of the oni were strange and varied, as their demonic proclivities took many different forms: [6]
Celestial Realms, p. 10 ↩︎
Legend of the Five Rings - Roleplaying, p. 320 ↩︎
Emerald Empire: The Essential Guide to Rokugan, p. 164 ↩︎
Shadowlands: The Essential Guide to the Dominion of Fu Leng, p. 140 ↩︎
Shadowlands: The Essential Guide to the Dominion of Fu Leng, p. 24 ↩︎
Shadowlands: The Essential Guide to the Dominion of Fu Leng, p. 137 ↩︎