We needed all of that extra magic, plus the clever insights of our team, to send Nurarihyon packing. For anyone who has not been following our 9-month adventure, Nurarihyon is a Japanese Yokai who loves to take over people's homes.
You may read more about him from his first emergence in "The Dreameater" to his re-appearance at "The Joker's Wild." A summary of his actions for the past nine months is part of the February recap for "The Gentleman Caller."
Nurarihyon started out as a kind of bubble creature called a nurarihyon. These jellyfish-like creatures float out of the waters of the Seto Inland Sea of Japan. One of these creatures rolled onto the shore and transformed into the short, gourd-headed monk named Nurarihyon. He is the leader of the Night Parade of 100 Demons, a dreadful parade through the streets of Japanese towns and villages.
Nurarihyon moves into people's homes. He puts the owners under a spell and slowly takes over ownership of the house from the spirits who own the ancient land. He came to the Dragon's Eye Detectives's Agency after the detectives lost a game to him. The detectives owed him a boon, a request granted. Nurarihyon asked to become a detective.
Nurarihyon sent Rebecca to the Underworld to fetch some cookies from the Queen of the Underworld, Izanami. When Madame Drak sent a dream showing Rebecca surrounded by a ring of Bubble Creatures, the detectives were forced to leave the agency on a rescue mission. Mathea the Dreammage in charge, promised she would hold down the fort.
They found the overly happy Bubble Creatures in an Underworld lake, but they slipped away, taking Rebecca with them. A helpful spirit octopus recommended a visit to the Queen of the Underworld -- a daunting visit full of peril, given her history.
Izanami was a goddess of the Upper World, once -- beautiful and strong. She and her husband Izanagi created the world, the islands of Japan, and all of the creatures and plants that inhabit that world. She died giving birth to the fire kami (god).
Izanagi tried to bring her back from the Underworld, but made the mistake of shining a light on her while she slept there. The light revealed a decayed corpse crawling with maggots -- a terrifying sight. Izanagi fled, and Izanami was enraged (he had promised not to look at her). She sent her Ladies of Horror and her Skeleton Warriors after him, and he barely escaped. Izanagi promised to divorce Izanami, and in revenge, she promised to kill 1000 beings each day. He swore he would give life to 1500 more beings each day, to offset her destruction, and so it has been ever since.
Our detectives had to visit this lovely lady with a gift. They chose flowers, first, and then decided to bring her a perfume that evoked the smells of the very first morning of creation. They hoped the lovely scents might bring back good memories. Their only fear was that she might think of Izanagi and fly into another horrible rage.
The detectives were careful not to look at her. They were polite and respectful and courageous. They performed all kinds of funny dance steps as she requested, hopping like frogs, leaping like fire lizards and running around like wild horses. They even sang her a song. She liked that most of all. (It was the alphabet song, a song she had never heard before this.)
The detectives were granted a rare audience with the perilous Queen of the Underworld. They followed all of the Underworld protocol, and presented their gift. Izanami smelled the sweet perfume and thought about the mist rising from the water, the dewdrops on the bright green grass, the snowdrop that grew from her footprints. She almost remembered her ex-husband, but the detectives quickly turned her thoughts to the other beauties of creation.
The Queen of the Underworld granted them safe passage through her realms, and revealed the secret location of Nurarihyon's palace, the place where the Bubble Creatures had taken Rebecca.
The detectives went there and found Rebecca (disguised as a cuttlefish) and the Bubble Creatures, deep in the Seto Inland Sea. The detectives cast an earth spell over them preventing them from leaving ... and then were surprised when Rebecca dug out of the trap and told them that the Bubble Creatures were only trying to show her something.
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| Nurarihyon's sea palace, smashed by an earthquake |
This was the reason that Nurarihyon periodically rises from the sea, along with his Bubble Creatures. He was homeless.
He would rise out of the sea, take over a home while his palace was being rebuilt. Once it was done, he would disappear as mysteriously as he had appeared. When the catfish broke loose from his chains again, the palace would be destroyed and Nurarihyon would set out again to take over another house.
The detectives agreed that this was very sad--and they saw an opportunity. If they could build Nurarihyon a new palace, using their magic, then maybe he would leave the agency.
Mathea the Dreammage contacted the detectives, calling for their help. Their watch wouldn't work, since the Gentleman Caller changed the password, but Mathea sent a dream through the Dragonstone. She told the detectives to hurry back, because Nurarihyon had done something terrible. The dream revealed the Tomtes, turned into Yokai, or Japanese demons. Mathea, too, turned from a beautiful phoenix into a demonic phoenix as they watched.
The detectives rushed home, only to discover that the sign had been changed. (See the photo!) Nurarihyon decided that if he turned the Tomtes into Yokai, they would see him as their leader and grant him custody of the Twig and Turf.
Fortunately, the detectives arrived in time. They challenged Nurarihyon to another game. The stakes: control of the Dragon's Eye Detectives Agency vs his own brand new palace and a list of promises made to the detectives. The sight of the new palace almost swayed Nurarihyon by itself, but he loves a good game, so he took up the challenge.
It was a fierce game. Yarnballs flew back and forth, turning detectives into Yokai when they came from Nurarihyon, and then turning them back into humans, when they came from the group's very skilled healer. The detectives almost lost. Two lonely detectives stood between them and distaster, but the healer managed to free more detectives at just the right moment, and the tides turned.
The detectives won. Nurarihyon lost. A contract was drawn up, requiring Nurarihyon to give up any claim to the Dragon's Eye Agency, and to restore the agency to its original condition. The detectives asked him to apologize to every person whose home he ever took -- and to Rebecca, Mathea and the Tomtes who had been Yokaified. He complained that that would take centuries, but he lost the game, so he had to honor his promise.
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| The new palace constructed by the detectives |
A huge party was held -- Nurarihyon lifted any nightmarish qualities from everything in the Box of Nightares, so the detectives were able to eat the food of the Underworld. It was a good thing that Nurarihyon removed the Underworld taint from Izanami's cookies, since they were lady fingers.
A very special thank you goes to Mathea Hoy, who was my assistant for this adventure. She joined Dragon's Eye when she was first nine, as one of the legendary Maine Founders--the first Maine detectives. She has completed sixteen mysteries, and now is old enough to take on her first job, working for Dragon's Eye Adventures during April vacation. Her wonderful drawings brought the adventure to life as a cartoon, and her fine art and sewing skills really helped guide the children as they made their Tomtes. Thank you, Mathea!
Photos of the Tomte, some of them turned into Yokai, are on the Facebook page.
