Kamigawa: The Complete History | Magic: The Gathering Lore

the feudal japanese inspired world of kamagawa is a land of mystery and dangers a far-flung plane few travel to and even fewer understand it's a world clouded in superstition divided into two realms vying for harmony or supremacy it's the setting for a story unlike any in magic the gathering's history an epic war waged by unlikely misfits and godlike beings known as the kami all started under mysterious circumstances with a perpetrator as shocking as the story's conclusion this is the world and complete history of kamagawa [Music] many races call kamagawa their home some rather unique in others seen throughout the multiverse but all teeming with the aesthetic influence of this plane while all races are in some way independent from one another groups are broken down into two distinct categories of loyalty to the lord of eganjo the most powerful ruling family on kamagawa in the story of kamagawa this leader is the dyimo takashi konda a skilled human samurai who looked out for the prosperity of all mortals on kamagawa still despite their noble cause there are some races who buck the yoke of authority trying in vain to remain independent of human society while others have woven seamlessly throughout it humans on kamigawa are the most populous and well-traveled of the native races their territories stretch far and wide branching out from the absolute center of kamagawa their primary settlement in toabara known as the eternal fields iganjo castle stands towering over the flat region visible even from the far edges of the grasslands a constant reminder of the ruling dimo in his family's influence humans here are versatile in their professions and temperaments being the blank slates of kamagawa if you would a human of nobility can grow up to an honorable house training to be a sage a cleric monk or even a skilled warrior known as a samurai they can be loyal steadfast and unyielding but if born to a house of low means humans can just as easily become farmers or worse still criminals who lack all sense of honor gangs of thieves and assassins of all races scour the roads of kamagawa praying on travelers one of the most famous humans outside of the daimokonda is the lowly brigan toshiro yumazawa who despite his questionable station in life would go on to be one of the greatest saviors of kamagawa kitsuni are known as fox folk humanoid foxes who exemplify the traits of honor and loyalty as such the kitsune have integrated easily into human society pledging allegiance to the reigning daimo family with unwavering fervor because of their personality traits many kitsune grow up to be monks or skilled samurai being masters of blades in combat and hired on by human families to act as bodyguards secured in their sense of loyalty kitsune always act with honorable intentions because it is through this that a kitsune can secure a long and prosperous life all kitsune are born with a single tail when they're adults a kitsune is set out to achieve what they will but their achievements are believed to directly affect their lifespan with each accomplishment honorably achieved a katsune can grow an additional tale the majority of this race have two tales sometimes only ever achieving one tale with others growing five or more with two tails a kitsune is expected to live about 75 to 85 years old and those with five or more can live upwards of 500 years with some rare few growing nine tails or more in their extended lives there's no known limit to their agelessness as they grow their adult names often change based on their experiences names will often combine multiple aspects of their lives and sound more like titles such as golden tail opalai or autumn tail one of the most famous kitsune on kamagawa is known simply as ninetales an almost mythical figure longest lived and wisest of this race however after loyalty served him poorly the kitsune cut off half of one of his tails as penance known from then on as eight and a half tails the soratami or more commonly known as moon folk are a unique race on kamagawa often seen by the others as demigods the soratami however are a mortal race that can grow old and eventually die though they never lose their alien beauty throughout their entire lifespan moon folk consider themselves to be the primary race on kamagawa living among the clouds and giant floating cities they quite literally put themselves above the other races this idea is reinforced by how the other races view the soratami many believe this group to be descendants of kami gods and spirits of kamagawa while this isn't necessarily the case the soratami used this myth to their advantage many of the moon folk are well learned and scholarly being some of the most adept mages on kamagawa as such their council is always sought after and their advice is always followed this isn't because of some precognition magic though often a moon folks prediction comes true because of the direct meddling of the moon folk soratami believe it is their natural right to meddle in the affairs of those on the land acting as diplomats and envoys of the spirits simply to manipulate the lesser races a council of soratami mages work directly with the daimokonda because this gives them the greatest ability to mess with the affairs of humans while asuratami may explore the kamigawan terra they never venture from their clouded cities for very long in this one of the most famous moon folk tamio is an exception rather than placate to her people's desires to meddle tamio vowed only to observe and never interfere she carried this vow even after becoming a planeswalker when her spark ignited tamio was able to traverse the multiverse and continue studying the worlds beyond kamagawa taking an extensive interest in innistrad having spent many years on this dark plane studying the effects of its magical moon the nazumi more commonly known as rat folk are a race of humanoid rats of typically small stature and even smaller integrity many see them as zoomy for their worst traits being sneaky untrusting and vicious toward their enemies while many nizumi are as you would expect rad folk to be these aren't traits unique to this race but rather it's a reflection of their experiences while many other races of kamigawa regard the nizumi's behavior as their nature it's actually more of a result of how they're nurtured nazumi are treated as outcasts in the greater kamigawan culture pushed out from major cities from the majority of humans who find them distrustful as such many nezumi groups make out survival in dangerous swamplands fighting for limited resources and against dangerous blights because of this constant fight for survival nizumi have become one of the most determined races on kamagawa defined by their endurance tenacity and moxie but that too means the majority of nazumi aren't below resorting to thievery or killing in order to survive making them criminals as such many nazumi are broken down into different gangs who control various territories gangs work together to share their riches but don't instill any sense of loyalty as the nizumi is only ever loyal to itself this was best seen in the legendary nazumi maronar even as a rat folk meronar was exceptionally strong and skilled as a ninja he's responsible for several other gangs well disbanding as well as turning against his own leader to aid kamagawa as the plane fell to chaos the urachi or snake folk are one of the strangest races to be found on kamagawa and one of the most mysterious as a people these reptilian humanoids live extremely traditional lives not giving in to some modern advancements of comfort they live much like their ancient ancestors had in woven huts suspended in branches of the zhukai forest because of this the orarachi have a strong distrust for those outside their race any at all who would threaten their customs or borders are often met with a violent reminder of their independence the urachi have a strong connection with the kami or spirits of kamagawa with a prominent respect for those spirits of the forest they pay their respects to the kami before hunting or foraging for food or before going to battle the uraci will fiercely defend themselves if threatened and because of their unique anatomy they're extremely skilled warriors generations of survivalist training in the zhukai forest has made the oracie some of the best bow hunters and marksmen on kamagawa their slender bodies making them nearly silent and undetectable when skulking about the treetops their extra limbs a second set of arms helps them to climb and fight simultaneously and also allows them to wield multiple weapons when fighting in hand-to-hand combat as such you won't find many other warriors on kamegawa eager to face an owarachi with four swords snake folk are famously isolated not even dealing with the local human monks who call the jukai forest their home as such they're a rarity in most kamigamon cultures and invoke mystery and suspicion wherever they turn up still there was one who would bring the uruachi out of the darkness and reach out to their monk neighbors the broodmaster of the snake folk shashiro shashiro aided the human monk dozen the fallen leaf who in turn promised to show the secrets of his order to the uraci people shishiro was the leader of the united orochi tribes of which there are three the matsu tribe being skilled archers and hunters the kashi tribe the strongest warriors led by shishiro's son suzuki and the sakura tribe the wisest of the orochi steep in shamanism also led by shashiro's daughter sachi with shashiro building a relationship with the zhukai force monks and learning their secrets the orochi would finally step out of the shadows and impact the whole of kamagawa the aki are the resident goblin race of kamagawa though they differ in many regards to others of this species throughout the multiverse physically they are small hunched creatures that sport a tough shell like plating on their back this gives them the appearance of a humanoid turtle but in truth they're just well armored goblins aside from appearances aki are quite similar to other goblins they're mischievous curious and love to play pranks on travelers scaling their mountainous homes though compared to what we think a prank is the aki's tricks are decidedly more dangerous even deadly to their victims aki make their homes among the mountains of kamagawa making out survival in the hostile environments there they regularly avoid eruptions and falling rocks even considering even causing some themselves as part of their pranks because of the dangers few races dare to make the treacherous journey through the mountains but they do play host to those looking to stay unfound bandit groups regularly make the mountains their base of operations hiding from authority and training for various raids some aki have even wandered into these camps and accidentally joined these criminal organizations aki berserkers are trained to be the front line the fodder for raiding parties but training really is too strong of a word bandit leaders simply pick up the volatile aki and basically point them in a direction and they do the rest while wild by nature the aki aren't as dim-witted as some tend to believe in fact aki have a strong spiritual side to them praising the kami of their mountainous home they're also quite clever and inquisitive and aki will take technology or a spell they're unfamiliar with back to their cave and puzzle over it endlessly until they discover its secret this means the aki can be quite apt at machinery alchemy and spellcraft despite their reputation for being simple-minded marauders one aki who exemplified this was the famous illusionist kikijiki kikijiki was charged by a dragon to steal back a precious pearl that was stolen by the moon folk in doing so kikijiki discovered a magic mirror of the soratami and found that within it his reflection moved independently confused kikijiki shattered the mirror and the aki's reflection escaped having succeeded in his trial this dragon patron saw the aki's magical potential and went on to teach him the secrets of illusion magic making kikijiki one of the greatest duplication sorcerers of kamagawa finally we come to the ogres of kamagawa better known as the obakimono the ogres here are different in that while many of the other races worship the kami the kindly spirits of benevolence the obakimono worship the oni the oni are dark spirits evil kami who represent death bloodshed and disease most ogres want to see kamagawa burn bringing about an oni-driven apocalypse prophesied by their ancient leaders already towering and strong the ogres enhance their physical strength with blood and flesh rituals to their only gods while many oni have been imprisoned by the kami their essence can still leak forth and for the right offerings can be bestowed to a follower this makes many ogres on kamagawa unnaturally strong and quick with a blood craze looking to appease their oni these spirits also grant them dark magic making the ogres some of the strongest shamans on kamagawa they wield spells of disease and rot sending wafts of plague down upon their enemies many ogres start up their own bandit groups based within the swamps and mountains of this plane these syndicates can grow to a massive size resembling armies that can threaten even established cities one of the most famous of the obakimono is hitsugu the leader of the hiozen reckoner group though painfully abusive hitsugu believed his training methods resulted in true strength for those who could survive it his influence was so great that the ogre set toshiro yumizawa on his quest to save kamagawa and eventually he himself would merge with the onihiso worshipped becoming an avatar of destruction but still no less part of the plane itself while these are the mortal races that inhabit the physical realm of kamagawa there is another realm adjacent that holds the spiritual essence of this plane the land of the kami the spirit world with its denizens steep in mysticism and mystery [Music] humans leave their mark on utsuhu the mortal realm in half of kamigawa's whole the kami inhabits kakuro the second half the spirit realm that completes the circle that is kamagawa this spirit realm holds many mysteries and is seldom experienced by the mortals of this plane but in the rare cases that the two realms coexist worshippers of the kami are granted great boons because of their unbridled power the kami or great spirits have become the subject of much admiration looked to as gods symbols that represent all things on kamagawa the nature of the kami is still very much unknown even proclaimed monks and the moon folk who have studied the spirits for generations still know only a fraction of their being the whims of the kami are their own and they take on the attributes of whatever aspect they tend to represent in this the kami act like gods on other planes being the physical manifestation of abstract concepts granting boons or inflicting punishments fitting for that concept and acting out those specific motivations as such most mortal races of kamagawa worship the kami or their dark counterparts the oni dedicating their lives to studying their wishes or fearing their wrath while the spirit world plays host to countless different kami they are broken down into loose categories there is no one-size-fits-all description for kami as their forms are only bound by their own imaginations but we can at least break them down by how the spirit was formed and what those of kamagawa have come to interpret as that kami's purpose take for example the great kodoma tree spirits these are kami of the natural and ancient wood when in the mortal plain they inhabit some of the oldest trees of kamagawa oddly enough powerful spirits have appeared in the cardinal extremes of kamagawa and around them great monastery of monks sprang up learning from the hushed whispers of these powerful forest spirits the kami can also take on more familiar shapes such as humans and sometimes come to represent the spiritual energy that gave them form take the ona though many varieties of this kami exist they all take the visage of human women they're known to have a calming effect on those who encounter them incredibly shy they stand as a rare sight to the living on kamagawa and many interpret their appearance as a blessing other kami are much more beastial or even terrifying in their physical forms take the kirin for example these spirits take the shape of horses but oftentimes incorporate segments of other animals as well these are extremely inquisitive kami passing through the barrier that divides their world from that of the mortals simply to learn about mortal lies bringing that knowledge back to share with others of its kind spirits of the water or river are known as kaijin meant to protect the sanctity and bounty found in their domain while the oddly shaped baku whose appearance is quite frightening are seen as benevolent guides and consumers of nightmares even wandering one some rather common and pedestrian kami are seen in a positive light they often appear to lost children who have lost their parents walking them back to safety other kami are just the forlorn souls of humans who were pulled into the spirit realm upon their death the realm of the kami is not necessarily the afterlife for the mortals of kamagawa they are a race in and of themselves and not simply the ghosts of the dead so if a human is brought into the spirit realm something new is created known as a zubira the face of the human is taken from them and they lose any sense of identity they go on to carry their final feelings and become a kami that represents them when someone dies in a very traumatic way or was not given the proper rights their spirit can become a commie known as a guro and return to the mortal plane seeking vengeance not all kami are here to represent sunshine and hugzo the oni or dark demonic spirits represent the equally strong decidedly more negative aspects of life only of cruelty insanity death disease pain you name it if there is something you don't like you best believe there is an oni looking to make your nightmares come true some of the oni even take on much more demonic shapes bending our understanding of what could be considered a demon or a god take the kuro pitlord for example by all accounts this kami acts much more like a demon than any of its kin making badly sighted deals and gathering an army of minion worshipers to cement its control within the mortal realm the oni are ruled over by a dark foreboding presence the strongest and most depraved of their kind known simply as the all-consuming the oni of chaos of course even the idea of the races themselves can coalesce in the spirit realm and as a result kami emerged as specific patrons to the mortal races of kamagawa these kami are typically huge in size meant to represent the people who worship them and as such they stand for their culture practices and even mimic their physical appearances take the patron of the uraci for example a large green spirit of the forest with large serpent-length fangs or the patron of the moon worshiped by the moon folk a flying kami who guards the cloud castles of the sortami the patron of the nezumi is a ravenous spirit low to the ground with a wide gaping maw and gnawing incisors that often expects nizumi's sacrifices the patron of the katsuni rather than having multiple tails has multiple arms but still expresses the importance of honor and loyalty the strangest patron kami is by far the patron of the aki it doesn't really look like the aki or represent their culture in any particular way and in fact it's believed to be a trickster commie who claims to be the patron of the aki demanding regular sacrifices as such the aki fling themselves from the cliffs feeding the waiting commie below while there may be no tier list laying out the various strengths and weaknesses of the kami species it's clear when one spirit is stronger than another and the strongest kami of kamagawa are referred to as the myogen these powerful aspects are regarded as some of the wisest and most benevolent kami but that all depends on your perspective as well while incredibly powerful the various myogens still only act upon their original purpose the concept that birthed them woefully unchanging and without emotional hesitation still some of the milogen went on to play pivotal roles in the story of kamagawa including the myogen of knight's reach which even managed to planeswalk at one point in its history all kami of the spirit realm bow and servitude to the great one okagachi the largest kaminone this gigantic dragon-shaped kami is undoubtedly the strongest present on kamagawa taking the form of a serpent with eight heads and eyes ablaze with starfire okagachi is the oldest known being of this plane said to have formed with the creation of kamagawa itself okagachi serves a very singular and divine purpose the reason it came into existence along with kamagawa its body as massive as it is serves as the curtain the divider between the mortal and the spirit realms as this barrier it is through okagachi's wisdom and mercy that he allows some comedy to walk between the realms and even rarer still some humans it is seen as the heart of the world the soul of kamagawa one who would maintain balance between the realms at any cost that aspect of its purpose being put to the test as an event known as the kami war raged by okagachi's order during the story of kamagawa there's no doubt that kami come in a great variety of shapes and sizes they stand for everything moths rocks the earth itself fields spiders departed loved ones or despair deception herbs moth ancient law the hunt fire even painted roads when it comes to worlds with a generous sense of deities you'll have no better selection than nose on kamagawa who puts even the pantheon of theros to shame [Music] kamagawa as a plane too has its share of mythical creatures such as dragons but as is often the case here even these traditional fantasy monsters are treated in a unique way the dragons of kamagawa are best represented by the cycle of spirit dragons which as their titles suggest are actually kami that take the physical form of dragons their bodies are long and serpentine in structure with no wings or limbs to speak of this is a rather unique design for dragons in mtg which mostly take on a strong european influence while all dragons on kamigawa are somehow tied to the spirit realm they're more in tune with the realm of mortals than their kami brethren their spirits born of the land and heir who from their beginning vowed to protect aspects of the mortal plane against any and all threats even from other commies even in the great kami war to come when order to attack the lands of mortals the spirit dragons fly high to protect their ancient charge giving them a special place in the history of kamagawa the spirit dragons one for each of the mana symbols protect segments of kamagawa that strongly associate with their color identity take kyge for example the great water serpent known as the tidestar its name translates to capital river as the waters of kamagawa flow across and are held within its fin-like flaps along its body as the patron kami and dragon of blue mana tyga is incredibly curious and intellectual storing and sharing the plane's knowledge of magic this dragon makes its home among the secluded kamitaki falls at the base of which a great scholagic academy was founded this institution was known as minimo a place for aspiring mages and wizards to train in the mystical arts and where study of the kami was practiced tyga vowed to protect the waters and islands of kamagawa and that included this academy built upon these ancient waters but sadly this spirit dragon was killed by the disgruntled and misguided hitsugu kokucho the evening star is the ryu or divine dragon of kamagawa's swamps its name translating to black miasma kokusho protects the putrid marshes teeming with black mana the great pits of takanuma in particular though swamps may not seem worthy of protection they serve a great purpose in the ecosystem of kamagawa the bridge between rotted decaying flesh and fresh clean water kokusho represents the cycle of rebirth where all the dead returns to the soil only to be born again as something new on kamigawa ryusei the falling star is the divine dragon of kamigawa's mountains making its home in the silken zen mountain range its body is ablaze with fire and scales of molten rock it represents the tectonic activity of the mountain ranges those that cause constant earthquakes and avalanches jugan the rising star the jeweled eye is a magnificent green aligned spirit dragon who took dominion over the great jukhai forest of kamagawa bound to guard over the natural world the wooded realms of the plane during the great kami war jugan stood by its original vow and protected the monks of the zhukai forest as they pleaded for help the dragon again showed mercy to the uraci people showing that no matter the race all those who dwell in the forest could count on and finally we have the white aligned dragon spirit jose the morning star the blazing hope of kamagawa while humans don't have a patron kami per se yusai fulfills a similar role to the primary human settlement of aegonjo with praise and worship yozai protects the fertile plains of kamagawa even from its own kind konda the high dymo of kamigawan humans called this powerful spirit dragon to face off against the insurmountable force that was okagachi despite okagachi being the lord of all kami yozai protected the humans who called the planes their home though hopelessly outmatched against the great one still even with the help of the spirit dragons can the realm of mortals really look to defend themselves from the kami we don't need to speculate on this in the story of the kamagawa block the endurance of mortals is put to the test in what would become the greatest calamity of this plane the kami war the events of the original kamagawa block all began with a greedy leader and those looking to meddle through his ambition the leader is the ultimate ruler of human society the dymo warlord konda by all accounts konda is an honorable man seeking prosperity for all those under his stewardship never once has he wavered from supporting his people still he is merely mortal and thus destined to fade from the mortal realm he his followers his family they would all become dust lost to history all because they lack what the great kami possess immortality filling the dymo's head with whispers of everlasting life are konda's greatest and most trusted advisors the soratami or moon folk the ambassador of this wise race directly responsible for advising the dymo on matters was maloku who understood that konda's ambitions would only result in weakening his hold on this kingdom as such the advisor moved forward forming a team that would achieve what mortals had always longed for the immortality of the kami the true motivation behind this plan inspired by the moon folks racial supremacy was to have those tribes locked to the land wiped out so that they would rule all of kamagawa in this effort the sorotami teamed up with their patron kami moji of the crescent moon mochi much like the people he embodied was a trickster and meddler by nature he told the moon folk of a ritual a secret that could gain the mortals access to the spirit realm but that wasn't all mochi also described a powerful energy a coveted prize that most mortals would risk everything for but this power came at a grave cost it would likely start a conflict that would tear the mortal and kami realms asunder leaving the land ravaged and ripe for sore tommy control using the research of an ancient consume named ninetails who would later be known as eight and half tails spiritual counselling from the sensei of minamo a school of arcane magic named hizoka and the general of his formidable samurai forces takano konda and miloku completed a sec religious ritual that spit in the face of kamikawa's natural order together they breached the barrier separating the physical and spiritual realms plundering an ancient treasure while not fully traversing into the realm of the kami konda only needed to pierce the veil for it was the barrier itself that held his quarry the giant snake kami the soul of kamagawa the living gateway okagachi while the great one slumbered konda and his allies entered the dragon and stole a piece of its essence its heart that would go on to be called simply that which was taken this essence this energy was more than just a part of okagachi it was a child a part of the great one that would become the next great kami over countless generations now within the grasps of konda the dymo trapped this essence within an ornately carved stone disk holding it away within his formidable fortress of a ganja there was one final key that led to konda's success in this mission the birth of his daughter michiko who came into kamagawa the night that which was taken left the spirit realm with her birth there was a burst of spiritual energy one that allowed the barrier to finally fall but none could predict at the time how closely these two events were tied now however kona had achieved his goal and became immortal under the spiritual glow of that which was taken he also found that he became indestructible and possessed foresight locked to him in his mortal state konda had become a living kami and a front to the natural order of things and since that moment the realm of the kami became restless okagachi the great one the soul of the world was furious at these mortals who dared to enter his domain and steal a part of his essence konda's immortality was an affront to the kami and it required retribution not only did okagachi want to teach the mortals a humbling lesson but the dragon kami also sought to return that which was taken a powerful piece of the kami's essence ripped from his very being it not only was a source of powerful magic but it was okagachi's divine purpose as the oldest and most enduring force on kamegawa okagachi ordered the kami to attack the physical realm lowering the barrier splitting the worlds officially starting the kami war this painful conflict raged for 19 years the mortal races of kamigawa struggling to beat back the endless never dying ranks of the powerful communist spirits that sought vengeance konda playing a political game feigned any knowledge of what provoked this attack yet in secret using the power of that which was taken konda secured his own palace ensuring his seat of power was unharmed during the war while his people suffered and died his daughter michiko now 19 years old having lived her entire life in the middle of the commie war was growing ever obsessed with uncovering the source of these attacks and rescuing her people her father konda was not a kind man to his daughter focusing much of his energy on his own spiritual power yet still guarding her more like a trophy than a child of his knowing that his daughter was somehow tied to the power of that which was taken konda didn't want to risk anything happening to michiko but the rebellious youngster managed to escape her ancestral home striking out into the world hoping to use her station to uncover the mystery of the kami war but the road of this journey was long and dangerous there were many in kamagawa who knew michigo and her importance to the dymo she would have enemies nipping at her heels but it was a chance encounter with a petty thief that would see this unsuspecting woman finding her destiny [Music] toshiro yumizawa was born to a world that was treacherous and unkind little is known of his past but he certainly grew into a figure that was less than noble toshiro took his more unseedy skills as a brigand thief and assassin and used them for various crime families working alongside ogres and rat folk toshiro was only in it for himself making few friends but plenty of enemies all to meek out survival as he could his life would start down a new path though as he was introduced to the ogre shaman hitsugu who naturally wants to see the rival gangster killed toshiro adapt that black magic is able to convince the only worshipping ogre to join forces combining their considerable skills into a new gang hitsugu agreed to the alliance despite toshiro's original mission to assassinate the ogre together they formed the hiozen reckoners life wouldn't be easy for tshiro even with finding a stable organization to work out of as fate would have it he would stumble on a curious medium between a few sword tommy mages and the nazumi or rat folk this was curious mostly because the people of the moon were already a rare sight on kamagawa but to consort with rat folk it was unheard of since witnessing this meeting toshiro has been attacked and pursued by soratami agents unsure of how to deal with this new threat hitsugu suggests he seeks answers from the monks of the zhukai forest and with that toshiro sets off still the kami war raged in the background of toshiro's journey passing through a mountain range and defending himself from the lesser kami forces of the myojin of infinite rage the myogen at one point were seen as powerful aspects of kamagawan culture they were regularly prayed to by its denizens and offered great favor and boons they were once truly benevolent spirits however with okagachi's orders even the myogen now attacked the physical realm this was toshiro's first sense that the kami war was only picking up in intensity with his road cleared to the zukai forest toshi as he was affectionately called he bumps into the traveling party of princess michiko who too headed for the wisdom of the jukhai monks at the moment of their meeting however they're attacked and captured by the orachi the snayfolk who were angered by their trespass the orawachi pledged their allegiance to their green aligned kami the myogen of life's web and it was her meddling that led to this assault the maya jen of life's web understood the truth of michiko's birth her connection to that which was taken and looked to kill the princess in order to return balance to kamagawa ordering her urarachi worshipers to capture her though toshi and michiko managed to escape the enraged orochi they faced the myogen of life's web personally though not powerful enough or skilled enough to take on a myogen toshiro did manage to slay a number of the life's web's worshippers cutting their throats and ending the prayers that was allowing the myojin to manifest in the physical world with several groups of uraci still on their heels escaped to safety securing the knowledge that their meeting was no chance encounter and that something stronger than luck tied the two together still more answers were needed despite knowing that the soratami were in somehow connected to all of this and tied to the mage academy of minamo michiko decided to travel to the university seeking guidance from the sensei hizoka who was present the night of her birth at this point it's clear that this princess and the night she was born was at the center of the coming war and she needed first-hand accounts of what happened while traveling there toshiro was being tracked by some former employers who too were seeking to settle a score the gang sent a band of criminals to kill toshiro led by the assassin kiki and the nuzumi maronar the group tracked the traveling party to the mountains of sikonzen however this was toshiro's and hizuku's turf and they were able to defeat the banded army with the stolen power of akami known as yugi-una this powerful being of frost and ice obliterated the banded forces leaving only kiki and maro nar alive at the mercy of the hyos and reckoners they would be spared but shanghaied into the group forced to perform a blood and kanji magic oath that left them loyal to hidsuku hitsuku was also seeking vengeance at the time wanted to destroy the school of minamo after a group of their order killed one of his friends he was consumed by hatred for the wizards but toshiro was able to stall his plans to attack minamo if only for a time the ogre would soon set upon the school and all those who studied within much to the chagrin of toshiro meronar revealed that an old boss of tishiros was seeking his head for a hefty bounty but also that this gang leader was in possession of a powerful kami artifact that they could use in their future missions together the three planned a scheme to liberate this artifact known as the shadowgate from its current owner by acting as if maro nara and kiki had captured toshiro the group presented the apparently beaten rogue as a prize but as their former master stepped to claim the head of toshiro maronara betrayed him setting toshiro loose to recover the shadowgate this kami relic once in the hands of toshiro whisks him away to a dark and odin where a grateful patron looked to thank him though that kami were for the most part under the rule of okagachi some of the more powerful spirits still had their own interests at heart the myogen of knight's reach the powerful kami of black mana had quite enjoyed the benefits of the kami war and looked to keep it going for as long as possible while merely a spiritual essence the myogen of knight's reach found that it had the power to travel to different worlds to planeswalk in a sense but that was only because okagachi was preoccupied with this war with his barrier down kamagawa was again open to the multiverse and this spirit was enjoying the time to travel sensing the kami had the upper hand in this extended conflict with the mortal resistance waning the myogen of knight's reach made a play to extend the war presenting a gift to toshiro an unlikely player in this conflict the kami offered toshi a boon the ability to meld into the shadows instantly teleporting to any other darkened corner on kamegawa allowing him to evade capture and even escape death in exchange for his services the myogen of knight's reach knew this rogue would one day be on the path to steal that which was taken the kami hoped that with this power toshiro would be able to evade okagachi's justice for all time forever preoccupying the snake leaving it free to explore the multiverse however with this new power toshiro would uncharacteristically save all of kamagawa [Music] with knowledge from the myogen of knight's reach toshiro and michiko became wary of the soratami and their moon kami mochi understanding the meeting of the moon folk and their true deceit as councils and advisors all in a front pursuing their own end to rule all of kamagawa koshiro looked to enact justice he left michiko behind instructing her to not pursue answers regarding the circumstances of her birth at minamo fearing that planned siege of hizuku with that toshiro traveled to the soratami city of otawara seeking answers and retribution for their constant meddling above the clouds within the moon folks floating city toshiro unleashed the powers of akami virtually leveling the suspended civilization though this wasn't his main goal kashiro was still seeking answers and from this assault he learned of the connection between the soratami and konda that konda may have started this conflict by stealing something from the kami realm to toshiro's surprise he found that both hidzuku and michiko betrayed their words with both of them heading to minamo for completely different purposes michiko was seeking sensai hizouka but unbeknownst to her he had been made upon of by the soratami and the kami mochi she was however able to get some useful information from him that confirmed her suspicions that her father daimokonda was somehow involved in the start of the kami war before more was shared the ogre hitsugu and his revenge force attacked the school in the hopes of leveling it to the ground hiddugu's rage was so legendary during his assault on minamo that he managed to summon the patron oni of his people the twisted dark leader of all oni known simply as the all-consuming oni of chaos with this powerful spirit on his side the ogre even managed to defeat one of the few kami left standing for the mortal realm the spirit dragon kaiga he and his forces laid waste to the academy dismantling it break by brick and killing all inside including sensei hizouka michiko ii was there hiding trying to avoid the carnage either because of their fated connection or the power afforded to him by the myogen of knight's reach toshiro was able to hear the anguish cries of michiko and arrived at minimo to rescue her in the chaos the patron kami of the soratami mochi the smiling trickster who started all this mayhem tracked toshiro down in minamo and looked to extract revenge for the rogue's part in the death of the moon folk the kenji magic toshiro had mastered allowed him to put up a fight against the kami who he knew was behind this entire scheme rather than destroying the crescent moon kami he froze the spirit looking to get more answers later down the line ensuring that michiko was safe from hizuku's rampage toshiro quickly vanished into the shadows seeking the greatest prize of all this item everyone heard about but knew nothing of that which was taken for a man of his skills the theft of such a relic was actually pretty easy from the shadows of the throne room toshiro appeared stealing the stone disc carved with draconic symbolism and reappearing in minimal the pieces of this puzzle were coming together and with michiko now out of harm's way toshi had to deal with his boss hidzuku whose vengeance was looking to upend everything toshiro and hizuku met where toshiro revealed that he was helping the ogre in minamo however the gang leader saw through toshiro's fib and believed his allegiance to him had wavered toshiro managed to break his blood pact with hitsugu using the power of knight's reach revealing that the ogre's aggressions it was far beyond acceptable for vengeance that he now stood against his former partner he declared war against and broke apart the hiozen reckoners hidsugu attacked toshiro who was backed up by his rogue ally the nazumi meronar while outmatched by the powerful oni wielder the two managed to gouge out the ogre's eyes leaving him incapacitated but hitsugu still had an ace up his sleeve his oni patron the all-consuming oni of chaos which was now barreling towards them as fate would have it all this kami activity summoned the first appearance of the great one okagachi into the physical world this was his war but until now he was uninvolved with it directly now sensing the reappearance of that which was taken outside the security of daimo's palace okagachi appeared above minimal the great serpent looked to have no real aim in this attack honing in on the all-consuming oni of chaos and doing battle with his dark counterpart to hizuku's shock his patron oni was torn to shreds with little effort by okagachi despondent the ogre laid down his arms and ended the assault returning to some level of rationale toshiro even offered his former friend a parting gift transporting the ogre to the abandoned honen of his departed oni where hizuku sat contemplated and prayed [Music] tashiro had ventured all throughout kamagawa he pillaged knowledge from the soratami and the treacherous kami mochi he convened with the rolling family of the urachi suzuki of the jukai forest he endured hardships like ending the life of his nazumi friend maronar killing the rat folk as a mercy to end a painful curse and now this road has brought him to a single conclusion that the princess michiko and that which was taken from okagachi were bound together by fate on the night of her birth with that he set forth on his final mission to reunite these two spiritual forces and put a stop to the kami's rampage gathering all the pieces of this mystery together under the branches of the jukai forest toshiro explained as best as he could the potential relationship between michigo and the stone disk that had been so coveted by her father konda unlocking the secrets of the ritual that bound this essence to the physical realm toshiro used his kenji magic bestowed upon him by the myogen of knight's reach to release its locked prisoner what appeared before them was nothing like what tashiro expected from the disc came the spiritual energy of a woman taking the shape and lightness of michiko only with some draconic accents and traits this energy who took the name kiyodai was the daughter of okagachi kyodai felt the connection between her and michiko using her magic to show her sister as she referred to her the true purpose of her being the spirit brought the mortal into her experience showing michigan the life she lived as part of okagachi and how being trapped within this stone disk for the past 20 years has been a torment beyond any other in these visions it was shown that her father konda was the one ultimately responsible pursuing his own selfish ends with experiencing the life of akami michiko was finally in tune with her spiritual sister and the magic between her and kyodai revealed itself they merged into a single being two separate parts coming together to make one whole an entity known as the sisters of flesh and spirit the complete harmonization of the physical and spiritual realms with this new power the sisters set off to return the world to balance which meant they needed to confront both of their fathers with kyodai's spiritual essence released from the stone disk the great one okagachi sensed the appearance of that which he lost and broke through the skies above the zhukai forest this however was not a beloved reunion of father and daughter as okagachi had come to consume keodai and again make her part of his being in order for peace to be restored the sisters of flesh and spirit must rise up and defeat okagachi usurping his post as barrier between the realms only then will the kami finally relent the daughters took to the skies fueled by their divine purpose okagachi filled the horizon with his immeasurable body but the sisters possessed that which made the great serpent immortal that essence fueling them was the divinity of the kami the thing ogiganji desperately wanted back but it too was the power that would be his undoing the conflict was long and bloody the great serpents ate heads slowly being severed by the divine magic of the sisters the union of flesh and spirit knocked off one head after another slowly whittling the great one down to size bit by bit okagachi weakened and shrank losing what waning power the kami once had finally with only two of its greyheads remaining his once formidable size had abandoned him now he was no bigger than a common garden snake no longer a threat to the mortal realm in a fitting end to the war each of the sisters took one of the two remaining heads in their mouths and bit down hard killing their pseudo father and casting its lifeless mortal remains aside the barrier between the mortal and kami realms had been shattered the mixing of energy would result in even more instability for kamagawa there must be someone in charge someone powerful to act as the gateway between these two realms there was none other than a sister of flesh and spirit to take up this task forevermore they would be the barrier between the realms ensuring peace and harmony between flesh and kami and never wavering unlike their monstrous father still there was another perpetrator who needed to be dealt with the father of the sister of flesh michiko's dad the daimo konda who needed to pay for his part of the kami war for his greed that cost the lives of countless innocents when konda finally crawled out of hiding in search of his immortality the sisters a flesh and spirit confronted him and cast their judgment upon him they turned kona to stone and while still alive and conscious shattered his body into countless pieces killing him body and spirit a punishment fitting for his folly now these joined aspects of the mortal and kami world stand together as the strongest spirit on kamagawa the plane's new soul taking on the charge of both their late fathers ensuring the prosperity of both the physical and spiritual realms they managed to calm down the kami attacking humans officially ending the kami war and continued to act as the primary kami of kamagawa and arbiter of magic rewriting the rules of how the kami and mortals coexist in a surprising twist the ogre hitsugu reappeared now with a more monstrous appearance during his time meditating under his defeated onis honden hitsugu was offered the blessing of the all-consuming oni of chaos merging the two ravenous bodies creating a new scion of flesh and spirit only this one for the oni rather than nakami this new demonic fusion gave the ogre a gaping maw of endless teeth entering his stomach a representation of the oni's endless hunger for chaos as this new monster appeared it gave hizugu one final chance at vengeance killing the mastermind behind all this the one who orchestrated the attacks that ended in the ogre's friends and comrades being killed the smiling kami of the crescent moon mochi in a series of spectral jaws cast forth mochi was torn and consumed by the oni and mortal being bringing the final perpetrator of the kami war to justice afterwards the scion of the oni pledged allegiance to the sister of flesh and spirit although they represented different sides of the spiritual world it was their cooperation that would maintain balance the sisters accepted the oni as part of their world with just as much a right to exist as they did a pact that would ensure continued harmony as kamigawa returned to some sense of normalcy there was no great reward or praise for the man who grew so much in the defense of others toshiro yumizawa as he walked alone on a road to find whatever home he could he was attacked by a moon folk agent seeking revenge for toshiro's interference at this point toshiro was battered and beaten too weak to really defend himself the assassins stabbed the ronin in the lungs and looked to finish him off for good as he began to take his final labored breaths the myogen of knight's reach appeared and offered him aid the kami spared his life and destroyed his attacker but also remembered that toshiro had betrayed the kami's will the myogen of knight's reach granted him great power in exchange for extending the kami war instead he used that power to conclude the war early while impressed with toshiro's achievement it stood against their bargain as punishment the kami cast toshiro through the blind eternities taking advantage one final time while kamagawa was still open to the multiverse knight's reach brought toshiro to a new world a plane called dominaria and deserted him there to make matters worse the kami took yumazawa's eyesight completing the punishment while the world of kamagawa was saved by this midfit who found a greater purpose in himself toshiro was forced to again rewrite himself on a foreign plane still his efforts weren't in vain as kamagawa was finally safe [Music] as toshiro was thrust through the blind eternities for disobeying the will of the myogen of knight's reach the powerful kami peered past the dark veil between worlds and delivered the rogue a punishment he was brought to the world of dominaria a land foreign to the kamigama native and was forced to rebuild from scratch to make the journey even more difficult the kami stole toshi's eyesight blinding the skilled warrior toshi was left on dominaria a non-planeswalker who managed to traverse the multiverse all to meek out survival as best he could but of course this is tashiro yumazawa we're talking about a man who suffered greater trials than this and came out clean the other side toshi traveled by scent picking the waft of decaying plant matter that could only mean a swamp toshi saw these putrid lands as home a dark escape for those who needed to disappear and from there the yumazawa house would regain its strength toshi founded his family's first home that would become their ancestral stomping grounds in the eras to come centered around the talon gates of dominaria in the yumezawa manor as time went on clan yumazawa grew in prominence as some of the richest and well-trained fighters on dominaria but there are large time gaps in the information we have on this long recorded plane we don't really hear much of this family for another 300 years when a starkly different situation presents itself now the house and the clan that inhabits it have fallen from grace their prominent members nothing more than peasant farmers clan yumazawa is almost forgotten however like their ancestral progenitor before them a young man named chanto yumizawa managed to claw his family back from the brink though nothing more than a simple farmer chanto was drafted into a fighting force of which he managed to grow and skill and impress very important people he returned from war with a unique set of skills both in combat and metallurgy he was an unrivaled smith crafting bladed weapons far sharper and more durable than any dominaria had ever seen the clan became rich and prosperous once again becoming the center of madaran culture setting clan yumazawa up for its next major chapter in history a fight against nicol bolas nicobolus the god emperor as we know him started his ancient tyranny not on the plane of amonkhet but on dominaria dominaria is seen as the center of the multiverse a world in which the mana of the blind eternities crosses through as such the powerful ungodly dragon bolus coveted it as the most precious prize to conquer which he easily managed to over several years being a pre-mending planeswalker and an elder dragon to boot few could stand against the might of bolus and quickly bolus became the god emperor of madara and truly the whole of dominaria growing up in a world ruled by bolus a young warrior of house yumazawa was born named tatsuo tetzuo was a talented warrior a samurai trained by his family to brutal effect even at a tender age tetsuo was able to kill older and stronger opponents in duels using his cunning and quick reflexes traits that would serve him well as he applied to be the champion of the emperor a station of great importance one that holds sway over the domains of mortals and has the ear of the dragon emperor himself bolus was not a good or kind leader ruling with an iron fist but still he trusted control would be maintained by his loyal servants with his champion meant to be the most loyal of all with tetsuo's martial skills and noble intentions inherited from his house umizawa won the champion title though serving under the thumb of bola seemed a challenge for someone of tetsuo's kindness the warrior believed being this close to the emperor meant that he could keep some people safe by encouraging mercy and compassion acting as a tool while suddenly subverting the stranglehold bolus had on the region but this wasn't an easy task as bolus's power only grew though tetsuo tried his hardest to steer the regime away from senseless slaughter the right hand of bolus his royal assassin ramsay's overdark ensured that the bloody rule continued sensing that yumazawa was not as loyal as he led on ramsay set out to expose the noble champion putting him in more extreme situations in which he must follow the honorless orders of bolus eventually his loyalty was pushed too far when he was dispatched to brutally end an uprising of his own people unable to square his loyalty to those in need with the loyalty of his emperor tatsuo broke rank and ended his title of champion which was picked up by ramses though many minions of bola scoured the lands and committed heinous acts they were on order of their emperor in order to end the chaos of dominaria tetsuo needed to cut off the head of the snake sever the tie bolas had on this world but of course being a mortal man no matter how skilled a warrior or mage yamazawa stood no real chance against bolus so tetsuo escaped to the meditation realm the personal realm of bolus in which he had access to when he was champion and there he plotted against his former emperor though the minions of bolus searched the land for their treacherous quarry tetsuo couldn't be found so ramsay set out on a bloody campaign slaughtering the innocent until tetsuo showed himself after completing his plans to usurp bolus tetsuo reappeared to end the senseless violence of his rival ramses in the emperor's personal shrine the seat of his power and the anchor of his great stores of mana on dominaria tetsuo and ramsay's dead battle however a victorious warrior wins the battle first and then seeks the fight having already placed allies around overdark's personal manner to lay siege and destroy it tetsuo effectively cuts ramses off from his greatest source of mana leaving him weakened tetsuo yumazawa managed to kill the highest ranked regent in bolus's command only angering the god dragon further in announcing a formal challenge to bolas rule tetsuo again escapes to the meditation realm the personal pocket dimension of nicobolus the dragon chased his target there believing he had the advantage in his own domain but this is where clever tatsuo gains the upper hand with the emperor preoccupied with tetsuo in the meditation realm he was blind to the massive spell he had already cast upon his shrine on dominaria this shrine essentially acted as bolus's body his anchor to dominaria and as the massive meteor hammer spell crashed into the shrine it shattered the body of bolus straining him within the meditation realm powerless to escape tetsuya returned to dominaria a hero with the minions of bola slowly retreating as their powerful god was no longer there to support them as time went on peace returned to dominaria and tetsuo may have even become emperor for the remainder of his life this chapter of dominarian and mumizawen history is a little bit scarce but certainly this house has gone on from kamagawa to make the storybooks again on dominaria where one ancestor destroyed the greatest kami and ended a war another rescued dominaria and essentially killed the god dragon nicobolus the last remnant we see of clan yumazawa is the modern member tatsuko who picks up the traits of his ancient ancestor and is a rogue she has inherited the apparent ability of said ancestor able to jump into the shadows and transport herself to any other darkened corner it's unclear if this power is to represent the myogen of knight's reached boon or not but it is clear that the house of yumazawa isn't going anywhere on dominaria moving from the past of kamigawa's tragedies and triumphs our minds turn towards the future of this plane and what a strange and different place it will become our latest journey to kamagawa sees the plane 1200 years after the conclusion of the kami war as the plane settled and balance was restored the age of mortals began and the relative safety afforded to them allowed the expanse of their civilization and technology the result kamagawa neon destiny a futurescape of cyberpunk aesthetic and technological advancements long gone are the days of feudal style settings replaced by towering skyscrapers and glistening neon lights where warriors samurai and ninjas now carry weapons of futuristic making clad and armor of unfamiliar design it is here that kamagawa has developed far past its initial cornerstone imagery but how will this modern interpretation mesh with kamigawa's storied past in a world blessed with modern comforts and technology how did the kami play a role in the lives of ordinary citizens what about the tribes of kamagawa how have the nizumi or orochi take to the rise of modern societies the soratami who once lorded over the other races in their clouded castles now must share the skies with towers and devices of human design how do they cope with this assertment of their supremacy the world of modern kamigawa is so far removed from its roots that to me it can be an entirely different plane and none would be the wiser in the span of just 1200 years the mortal world has recovered from a supernatural war that threatened all life and developed far past any other plane technologically speaking with maybe the exception of perhaps ravnica or kaladash these human advancements the key phrase being human are so rare in the fantastical world of magic gathering that they seem almost foreign but a world like modern kamagawa neon destiny is still allowed to stretch the boundaries of what we think fits and hopefully it still incorporates the old story of kamagawa in some way and isn't completely consumed by this new neon aesthetic [Music] kamagawa is a plane with so much flavor to it a story so well enjoyed by the player base but yet isn't fondly remembered as a block it measured the gathering kamigawa saw one of the lowest numbers in the game's history leading to the false correlation that it was unenjoyable or worse still the players didn't enjoy the plane itself however this wasn't the case and with nostalgia hitting a fevered pitch fans of kamigawa beat the drums and herald the song of this world's return public demand for a return to kamigawa was so strong that the fans were finally listened to and the announcement of a return was revealed but always be careful for what you wish for yes we're returning to kamagawa a miracle by all accounts but it's not the kamigawa we asked for or wanted kamagawa now plays host to a cyberpunk theme far removed from its ancestral roots leaving us at the moment in a state of uneasy excitement will this bring the flavor that the original kamagawa was famous for or will this be an entirely new experience i want to take this time to say thank you all so much for joining me on this journey through the history of kamagawa if you enjoyed this video and want to see more like it please take a moment to show that support by leaving it a like sharing it with others and hitting the subscribe button or even by becoming a member on the channel they all go a long way in keeping us afloat and bringing you the type of content you enjoy and as always thank you all so much for watching until next time see ya [Music] you

Channel: Aether Hub

Views: 84,039

Keywords: mtg, mtg lore, aether hub, magic arcanum, magic the gathering, mtg history, innistrad history, midnight hunt, crimson vow, sorin markov lore, crimson vow spoiler, mtg documentary, mtg complete history, magic the gathering story, mtg story, return to kamigawa, kamigawa, kamigawa lore, kamigawa story, kamigawa history, neon dynasty, kamigawa neon dynasty spoilers, kamigawa neon dynasty preview, kamigawa neon dynasty story, mtgknd, magic arena, toshiro, umezawa, umezawa lore

Id: gmh-W0XJexM

Length: 68min 5sec (4085 seconds)

Published: Fri Sep 17 2021