#tenome

Yokai: The Art of Shigeru Mizuki. Published 10/31/2023 by Drawn & Quarterly.

Shigeru Mizuki is no stranger to the supernatural and its portents. Kitaro and Tono Monogatari reimagined the obscure folktales of his youth, bringing them to life with whimsy. Mizuki the cartoonist certainly left an indelible mark on comics as world literature. Mizuki the fine artist, on the other hand, rounds out the full scope of his fascination with the otherworldly and fantastic, bringing these worlds to life in robust color. Yokai: The Art of Shigeru Mizuki showcases his expertise of not only folklore, but celebrates him as a naturalist. Elements of Mizuki’s lush compositions—flora, fauna, and everything in between—showcase his mastery of form and love for nature. These popular renderings of a disappearing, rural Japan are his contribution to the preservation of a cultural heritage that would have otherwise been forgotten. The grotesque realism central to his body of work is offset by the ingenuity of his fancy for the macabre. Pieces in this deluxe, full-color edition call to mind the playful pop-sensibility of Maurice Sendak informed by the technical prowess of traditionalists like Dürer and Doré. And like any other Mizuki classic, each oeuvre is a unique snapshot of spirit, human or otherwise, in constant transition. Yokai: The Art of Shigeru Mizuki includes supplementary writing by acclaimed Mizuki scholar and translator Zack Davisson.

 For good or ill, the concept of nobility has been a major influence on our idea of leisure. After all, when you have the resources to not worry about your day to day needs, you do need to find ways to fill your time.

It is from this need for fulfillment that hunting for sport comes from. Participants might have hunted before they became landed gentry, or they might simply picked it up as a way to test their mastery over the world around them. (and maybe disprove jokes and rumors about their lack of hunting prowess among the common folk).

Of course, such sport activities did also give rise to dubiously-sporting activities such as fox hunts, or importing exotic beasts just to kill them, so we can be thankful that not everything about those activities became part of more widespread leisure activities in the modern era.

Today we are looking at such a noble hunter sort. They might be a noble who enjoys the hunt, or they might be a royal huntsmaster in the employ of the same. Regardless, their combination of courtly knowledge and wilderness savvy make them sort of a bridge between civilization and the wilds.

This is especially true when we consider the unique powers and abilities of their animal companion as well, which we will see below. There are some parallels between this archetype and the chameleon hunter, but they remain very different from each other.

In any case, a courtly hunter promises to be effective in both the wilds and noble court.

 Naturally, this flavor of hunter is much more adept at social graces compared to their peers.

Whether it be a quirk of fate, or a deliberate action on part of the hunter, their animal companions are blessed with a possessing nature spirit, granting them much greater intelligence, though they still cannot speak. This greater intellect does mean they can behave much more independently than other companions.

Given their focus on civilization, these hunters only gain a selection of animal foci from the base list, replacing the rest with new ones more keyed to their social interests. The ones the archetype keeps include bat, falcon, mouse, and owl.

The new foci for this archetype include the beaver, who grants the blessing of craftsmanship; the chameleon, who helps disguise their identity; the eagle, which improves your force of personality directly; the fox, which proves a cunning liar; the frilled lizard, lending you some of it’s intimidation; the octopus, blessing you with incredible flexibility in tight places and restraints; the thieving hands of the raccoon; and finally the beautiful performative skill of the songbird.

However, having a mighty beast following you around in noble circles is bound to turn some heads, even with “domesticated” animal companions like dogs. So, these hunters learn magics to turn their companions into smaller forms suitable for easy carry and concealment, and might be mistaken for an exotic pet. These forms might range from a juvenile member of the same species, or a much smaller related species, such as a small bat, or a lapdog. With a touch, the hunter can shift them between forms.

Thanks to their intelligence and bond with their master, these companions can tap into some of the knowledge of the hunter when performing skills all on their own.

The first time a courtly hunter turns their exotic pet tarantula into a web tyrant spider and sics it on an assassin, it’s a shock, but whether it be to confuse foes or to add to their companion’s abilities when playing scout, these hunters learn how to give them smaller forms that change their species, gaining the associated abilities. Over time, they learn to master more and more forms.

Not quite as good at working together directly with their companion in combat, this archetype has the advantage of a companion that is smart enough to take orders directly rather than relying on the trick system, and can serve as a skilled ally in the right circumstances, and even as a scout that is more durable than a familiar in the same role, thanks to the smaller and multiple alternate forms they gain access to. I’d recommend a stealthy social build that prefers to strike from ambush.

 While it is almost certainly not always the case, I imagine that those of these hunters that remain true to the druidic nature of their magic might serve as an envoy of nature, having the ear of royalty to help them understand how to live alongside nature, preventing overhunting and exploitation of resources, as well as bringing the missives of fey and nature spirits and beings directly to the rulers of the land.

  Dryroot came into the service of the Countess ten years ago, and in that time, the little vine leshy has done much to improve the care given to the surrounding wilderness. They have also proved to be an excellent aid to the royal spymaster, their companion, a tortoise named Bura, able to take on the form of birds and keeping an eye on key individuals.

 Sandevor is reknowned as the best hunter in the land, frightened by no beast. However, a different predator now stalks the streets of his beloved home, and the king is calling upon all his resources to find the source of these bizarre killings that leave behind boneless corpses. The culprit: a horrific eye-palmed creature called tenome.

手の目 "Tenome"

From a distance one would not think much of an elderly guildsman attending a graveyard. However drawing closer anyone would be startled at the sight of this seemingly ordinary man's true form. Hands outstretched into the surrounding darkness as if reaching for something that isn't there, the man shuffles his way through the tombstones appearing lost. A lone visitor that strays too close would soon find themselves as live prey, as the man turns revealing a gaunt, almost featureless face and piercing eyes centered upon each palm of his clawed hands.

Shu-No-Bon: ...

Ama-No-Jaku: Bunga Unga Bunga Bunga.

Te-No-Me: Tower of Babel?