Eons ago, a titanic struggle raged between cosmic forces of order and chaos; unspeakable horrors fought with unimaginable powers for domination over the whole of creation. Legend has it that the armies of law, assembled in full, met the host of villainy on what is now the barren wasteland of Katarsis. There, amidst the pitched battle, the champions of virtue began to weave enchantments of imprisonment round their maleficient foes. The hideous generals realized this too late, and they were sealed within great prisons of basalt as black as their foul souls, sunken deep beneath the tattered landscape. With their masters gone, the foul minions of vice took to the abyss in retreat, where they were able to find refuge and nominate new, lesser lords for their cause. The bastions of purity then used the last of their energies to tear the whole of Katarsis from the rest of creation, and make it a cage for the fettered abominations that, should they free themselves from their personal vaults, they would find a still larger prison from which they must then escape.
Yet the Shuujin could still call, albeit faintly, upon their most trusted Oni servants, who answered their liege lords and willingly entered Katarsis, intent upon rescuing their masters. In the ensuing millennia, civilizations have come and gone, and powerful beings have unknowingly or unwillingly stumbled in to meet their doom. Yet still the servitors labor, seeking to free their rulers from the great eldritch dungeons. Ghastly cities and putrid shrines have formed around these black obelisks, teeming with sordid life of all sorts, and the world of Katarsis, once fair, is now besmirched with vile, oozing terrors and horrifying, shambling things that wander the wastes, marshes, and jungles, looking for life to destroy... never realizing that they are but a small part of some greater, hideous game; a game only the Shuujin understand fully.
The Oni are ogre demons who constitute the patrician and equestrian classes of the larger foul cities. Their manners are cruel and sadistic, and they delight in whatever pleasure happens to be in vogue at a particular time. They need no sustenance save evil, but they enjoy all types of food and drink: the more exotic, the more desirable. They relish meats of any kind, especially Ningen and Erufu. Shinigami are the sole exception... Oni avoid the flesh of these creatures at all costs, as it seems to make them severely ill.
Oni are very acquisitional, often for acquisition's sake, and indulge themselves as often as possible. Most keep Ningen and Warashi slaves, and they seldom involve themselves in work of any sort. They often own trading companies, but leave it to other, more industrious races to conduct their business for them. The only work they pursue, indeed, the only work they deem worthy of their attention, is the unbinding of their Shuujin masters. As a result, Oni tend to be totally self-centered and self-absorbed. Infighting is extremely common, although in most cities it has been regulated in such a way that they choose small, well-trained armies of slaves to settle their disputes for them on a designated field of battle. Disputes generally arise over ownership of land or other assets, though Oni often engage in battle purely for the pleasure of it. If they prefer not to keep a soldiery of their own in train, the wealthy simply hire professional armies to settle their disputes. Usually, these armies are led by more business-driven Oni who lease them out to the highest bidder.
A majority of the Oni reside in the vast cities surrounding the great eldritch prisons. A typical city will consist of patrician and plebeian quarters located near the temple district, well-separated from non-Oni, working-class areas. In most cases, a powerful Shikima (an incubus or succubus) is the ruler of the city in question. Some of them remember still the great battle between virtue and vice, but their spawn place little credence in it. As a result, many can be found owing no allegiance to the imprisoned Shuujin, instead roaming the wastes doing as they wish and proclaiming themselves rulers of whatever lands they manage to oppress. These rogue Oni are usually shunned by urbanites, but such hostility fosters little conflict until there is financial gain to be had from it.
Ningen, or humans, learn and adapt to new situations quickly and easily, but their lack of innate power relegates most of them to lives of servitude and subjugation. Within the larger Oni cities, Ningen are primarily slaves or escapees who aggregate secretly in sewers and abandoned catacombs. They sometimes form small towns and villages throughout the badlands, really no more than trading posts along major caravan routes, or are found operating raiding parties and living as nomads and bandits. In rare cases, full scale cities do arise, built on the ruins of some long-forgotten empire, but the Oni usually take pleasure in crushing these infestations before they manage to amass even the least threatening of armies. Still, on occasion, Ningen gather great numbers in areas so undesirable that more powerful beings have little interest in even bothering to stamp them out.
Ningen fashion, interestingly, has a significant impact on other cultures within Katarsis. It is not uncommon to encounter tattoo parlors and body piercing studios in even the smallest Oni cities. Similarly, Ningen hair styles, with their shaved patterns and vibrant colors, are quite popular among Erufu youth and adults alike. Ningen tailors and furriers are a regular sight in any garment district, hawking their bright and asymmetrical creations, while use of their facial cosmetics (rouges, lipsticks, eye shadows and liners) and henna body art has, likewise, infiltrated even the most isolated areas of Katarsis.
The Ningen's main advantage is their individual adaptability, which is reflected in their social structure as a whole. They get along well with Warashi and are tolerant of both Erufu and Shinigami. Like choke weed or cacti, they can root themselves almost anywhere and begin to thrive, thus accounting for the Oni's fear of any structured civilization forming. Surviving elder Oni can still recall a time of massive Ningen cities, once teeming with commerce, that now litter the blasted landscape in ruins, home to the countless unnamed horrors that claim the wastes. They remember in terror, and would prefer not to relive their past mistakes.
Erufu (elves) are, in general, taller and thinner than Ningen. This lighter bone structure allows them considerable quickness and agility, but at the expense of a strong and constitute build. They are well known for their pointed ears as well as extra fingers, toes and other body parts. These tribal dwellers of the badlands have, however, attained a mastery of medicinal health and possess an innate understanding of the manufacture and use of herbal drugs. They can be found at nearly any bazaar or free market selling their wares: some beneficial, some illicit.
Like Ningen, Erufu are not the fair creatures that, long ago, wandered in from other worlds. Apart from searching for, harvesting, and preparing their strange and wonderful concoctions, the vegetarian nomads must keep a constant watch for hideous armies of Gaki that cross the jungles and scrub lands they call home. Unfortunate descendants of a tribe which was exiled to Katarsis for some now-long-since-forgotten trespass, ancestors of the Erufu wandered the lands of the walking dead and, as their numbers dwindled, the stronger among them began to develop a keen sense of smell that enabled them to sense the oncoming approach of the decaying Gaki. They are able recognize the foul stench of these creatures and determine when they are near or have passed by--some Erufu, rumor has it, are even able to identify the type and number in the darkest, coldest nights. Because of this, Erufu are formidable allies in any border skirmish near the lands of the undying, and boast an immunity to the aura of fear that the Gaki exude.
Erufu tribes prefer to wander through forest wilderness whenever possible, but can cross other terrains as the need arises. They live a rustic life much like that of their ancestors, settling in temporary dwellings among the treetops and seeking spiritual fulfillment rather than material possessions. Erufu tribes generally elect the strongest mentalist among them to serve as their elder, and their most skilled warrior to serve as their general. These two posts are usually not given to the same tribesman, no matter what his or her qualifications may be. The elder makes decisions of a social nature, and gives his opinions on weighty issues of the tribe. The general is entrusted with the duty of keeping order and protecting the people. Both of the leaders listen to legal disputes, although the elder can overrule the general's decisions in this area. The general, however, is charged with enforcing the laws and ways of the tribe, and thus a balance is struck between them.
Though they have no distinct culture of their own, Warashi (sometimes also called half-elves or chibi) are well-integrated throughout both Oni and Ningen society. Half-Ningen and half-Erufu (parents must be one of each, as Warashi are always sterile), it is interesting to note that they are usually significantly smaller and lighter than either of their parents. This seems to be due to the fact that they never achieve full physical maturity, often being mistaken for children. Upon close inspection, however, they can be identified by an androgynous appearance, fair complexion and glassy, soulful eyes that convey a wisdom betraying their true age. Since their innocent looks, soft voices and deep gaze produce a natural calming effect in others, Warashi are prized by patrician Oni as negotiators and entertainers (though just as often, also slaves to the less tasteful whims of their cruel masters). While Ningen-Erufu sexual relationships abound throughout Katarsis, Warashi proliferation is, understandably, significantly higher in captivity, or in regions where free populations mix in greater numbers. Given that many Warashi grow up in the wild, abandoned by Erufu mothers at an early age, they are often seasoned survivors and woodsmen within their homelands.
Konketsu, half-breeds or demonspawn, are the result of a collision between Ningen and Oni societies. Even though they keep a majority of their Ningen parent's traits, Oni blood is highly dominant, therefore any individual with such heritage will be born either Oni or Konketsu. If only one parent bears these traits, a Konketsu birth will be the result, but if both bear the mark, their offspring will be Oni. Also dependent upon parentage is the child's gender, as a Konketsu takes the sex of the non-Ningen parent. On occasion, a male child (sometimes called a cambion) is not recognized for what he is until it's too late (the wings and other distinguishable features develop after birth), and is raised by his Ningen mother through the crucial first few years of physical development. Rarer still, a female Konketsu (also known as an alu-demon) is, for some inexplicable reason, not consumed by her mother directly after birth, but instead nurtured to adulthood for the sake of some twisted and sinister notion. Females are also not nearly so repulsive as their male counterparts, but neither of them age visibly, retaining a youthful appearance throughout their long lives. They are both, however, equally despised, and are often treated to gruesome public torture or execution, so they are quite rare in the cities of Ningen and Oni alike.
Not surprisingly, Konketsu are quite able in combat, however their claws, horns, talons and vestigial wings prevent them from wearing many types of clothing or armor. As their diet consists mostly of raw flesh and carrion, little remains of any unfortunate soul who should perchance lose to one in a fight. This, however, can sometimes pose a problem, as every day a Konketsu goes without eating at least his or her own body weight, there is an increasing risk of attacking the closest possible food source in a blind fury until enough is consumed to satiate such powerful hunger. Because of this high metabolic rate, Konketsu also inherit the ability to regenerate lost limbs or other extremities (except, of course, the head) over time, and recover from lesser wounds quite rapidly. Their viscous, black blood saves them from suffering blood loss, but their lineage also imparts a weakness to iron and steel weapons. A savage bite, prehensile tongue, wings and tough hide, along with exceptional health and a long lifespan, make the Konketsu a permanent fixture in this unforgiving, blighted land.
Far beneath the surface, the original inhabitants of Katarsis still thrive, their shadowy forms hiding them from destroyers and demons, and their natural inclinations sparing them from many of the nameless nightmares which stalk the lands both above and below. Sometimes called shades or darklings, the Shinigami are mysterious, subterranean beings distinguished by their short, muscular appearance and gray to black skin. Their shadowy existence allows them to hide in and even travel undetected through shadows, though in bright light they are nearly paralyzed. The Shinigami are naturally immune to otherwise poisonous slimes, molds, and fungi, and their heightened vision allows them to see through or into walls and solid objects that thwart the eyes of surface dwellers. The only remaining true natives of Katarsis, Shinigami can resist the sinister influence of their home and therefore never suffer from the vices and temptations other races have come to accept, nor can their bodies become possessed by restless spirits after death. Curiouser still, the faint aura of shadow surrounding them and making Shinigami harder to strike in combat suggests that they may not be totally grounded within, nor bound to, this land of imprisonment.
Shinigami will tolerate most other races if necessary for business or other reasons, but usually enjoy solitude in the shadows of the underworld. Those few who do venture above ground usually do so exclusively for trade and commerce. Since they never require sleep and eat only the slimes and fungi of the underworld, they unceasingly work the forges in their legendary cavern city of Jingoku. Typically regarded as the realm's most accomplished weapon smiths, their Shinigami Blades are unmatched in both beauty and function. This skill is so renowned that, within mere hours of a Shinigami caravan's arrival in any city, all of their wares will have been purchased and the caravan will have departed for more merchandise. Because of the extreme wealth fabled to be gathered therein, Oni have sought Jingoku for millennia, ever in vain. A clever and cunning folk, it is whispered among surface dwellers that the old gods gave the Shinigami an eternal tracelessness in compensation for sealing them within this accursed place.
Few outsiders are ever invited into the shadow city of Jingoku, and of those who are, fewer still ever find their way out again. It is rumored that Shinigami communities, while gloomy, are not at all cheerless, and many settlements are said to hang from the roofs of great foetid caverns, where the Shinigami harvest the fungi that they so enjoy. Odd angles and dizzying heights, steep stairs with no rail, narrow balconies, and gaping windows into enormous chasms reserved for the secret arts of weapon smithing... The labyrinthine layout confounds non-natives, causing many to aimlessly wander to their deaths unless a concerned resident should perchance to escort the wayward visitor back.
While otherwise espousing political neutrality and attempting to avoid involvement in the strife and goals of surface societies, the attempts of the Oni to free their Shuujin lords are still seen as a serious threat to the balance of Katarsis, and the Shinigami do anything they can to thwart these endeavors.
Hollow remnants of vast Ningen civilizations destroyed millennia ago, the Gaki exist most often as great battalions of walking corpses. Set apart from lesser ghouls and spirits by their intelligence, this sentience allows them to form societies with cities, governments, commerce, and particularly militia. Some are but remains of massive necropolises and military forces brought back by one of the great necromancer-tyrants or lich-queens of old. Others are merely the undying children of the grave, retaining their memories after death, imbued with the limitless negative energies innate to this land: great warriors, unsurpassed mentalists, cunning and devious individuals who through their own good (or more often bad) fortunes, somehow manage to cheat death.
Armies of Gaki now roam the wilderness wastes, competing with Erufu nomads for some unknown prize. Some are tolerant of, and even on rare occasion kind to, other races, but most are self-serving and bent on destroying the living, vaguely remembering the joys of mortal pleasure and resenting those who are not unnaturally cursed with their hideous eternal existence, wantonly destroying each and every living thing in their path and laying waste to what little pleasantness remains. They fear only the Oni, respect what vile imprisoned beasts those mighty denizens give praise to, and leave the lands that surround the monolithic prisons untouched by their terrible rage.
Beware, brave adventurer, for you too may one day find yourself rising from the grave to join the wrath of the Gaki.