Jukai

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Jukai
[[File:{{#setmainimage:Jukai.jpg}}|250px]]
Information
Plane Kamigawa

Jukai (JOO-kye;[1] Japanese: (じゅ) (かい) ; literally: "Sea of Trees") forest is a major green-aligned location on Kamigawa, an ancient forest composed mainly of huge cedar trees.[2] It is almost as large as all the surrounding territories combined.[3]

Description

The forest was inhabited by the orochi (snakefolk), and humans: budoka and kannushi monks, and the border regions were a home of kitsune (fox-folk), with many villages built there. There were many kitsune villages along the northwestern forest and larger ones in the south.[4] About a day's walk from the edge of the forest, the terrain becomes hillier and the trees become larger. The Orochi lands were located about a four days walk into the forest.[5]

The guardian dragon of Jukai was Jugan.

History

Part of Jukai was destroyed during the soratami invasion during the events of Guardian: Saviors of Kamigawa.

At the start of what is now known as the Modern Age, the city of Towashi was expanding rapidly to accommodate the demands of its increasing population. Moonfolk, nezumi, humans, and akki alike were living together, mingling in a way that would have been unthinkable in previous times. As the city grew, it began to eat into the Jukai Forest. Trees were felled to clear the land for new buildings, and many of the forest's kami found themselves being driven out. Enraged, the kami fought back, emerging from the depths of the forest to wreck the newly constructed buildings and curse the builders.[6]

The emperor at the time finally intervened when an attack by the kami, and the Towashi builders' subsequent retaliation, threatened to upend all the peaceful relations between mortals and kami once more. He brokered an agreement that the city would halt further growth into the forest. Meanwhile, the kami would not attack the city or intrude upon their planning. The city builders could continue to develop any land they had already started building on, with one exception: they were forbidden from cutting down Boseiju, which had fallen into the city's domain during the construction and fighting. Furthermore, Jukai Forest was now closed to all mortals without permission from the kami.

The Order of Jukai

Circa 1,200 years after the events of the Kami War, the Order of Jukai was established to preserve nature and reverence for the spirits.[7]

For much of Kamigawa's history, power was concentrated in the hands of the elite: the Imperials who ran the Plane with Kyodai's blessings, various warlords, and those who could channel the power of the kami. More recently, however, Kamigawa has found itself facing significant disruption to this status quo as innovations have made access to power more widely and cheaply available to all. Key among these innovations were two: enhancers invented by the akki artisans of Sokenzanshi, and the method invented by the Saiba Futurists of drawing power directly from the spirit realm.[8]

The boom of all this technology has seen the rise of the Order of Jukai, who believe that this unrestrained use of technology is drawing on power in a reckless, dangerous manner that threatens to irreparably damage the fabric of the two realms.

Kami occasionally make their way through merge gates, and while the Imperials have constructed them to keep the crossings safe, the Order of Jukai has built temples to make sure the kami feel welcomed. They believe spirits are a sacred part of nature that should be revered.

locations

  • Boseiju. The oldest and tallest tree on the plane — a huge twisted old cedar.[9] Its name means "she who shelters all."
  • Okina. The largest temple in the Jukai Forest; means "shrine to the grandfathers."
  • Sugi Hayashi. One of the villages in the forest. It is the home of lady Pearl-Ear and Sharp-Ear.

In-game references

Associated cards:
Referred to:

References

  1. Magic Arcana (September 14, 2004). "A Kamigawa Glossary, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. Alex Smith (March 07, 2005). "Truth in Fantasy". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  3. Guardian: Saviors of Kamigawa, Chapter 12
  4. Outlaw: Champions of Kamigawa, Chapter 11
  5. Outlaw: Champions of Kamigawa, Chapter 16
  6. Emily Teng (January 21, 2022). "Boseiju Reaches Skyward". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  7. Akemi Dawn Bowman (December 16, 2021). "Kaito Origin Stories: A test of Loyalty & The Path Forward". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  8. Emily Teng (January 21, 2022). "The Modern Age". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  9. Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty First Look (Video). Weekly MTG. YouTube (December 16, 2021).