Kosenjoubi

Kanji: 古戦場火
Kana: こせんじょうび
Pronunciation: kosenjōbi

TRANSLATION: Ancient Battlefield Fire
ALTERNATE NAMES: Kosenjō no hi
ORIGIN: Edo period art; Toriyama Sekien, Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki (1779)

HABITAT: Ancient battlefields
DIET: None

ABILITIES:

• Fire creation from blood-soaked earth
• Levitation above the ground
• Transforms into wounded warriors or animals
• Appears in large groups at night

WEAKNESSES:

• Prayers and Buddhist rites for the fallen

OVERVIEW: Kosenjoubi is a type of onibi, or ghost fire, that appears over old battlefields at night. The yokai is known for the mournful red flames that float across grassy plains where great battles once took place.

APPEARANCE: Kosenjoubi appears as countless orbs of red flame in the night air. The fires float aimlessly above the ground and glow with a sad, lonely light. Sometimes the flames take the shape of wounded warriors or animals that died long ago in battle. Each shape resembles a soldier or beast cut down on the field. Kosenjoubi never moves with purpose and only floats in quiet circles. The yokai keeps its glow dim and red rather than bright.

BEHAVIOR: Kosenjoubi rises from the blood of warriors and animals that died in battle. The blood flows into the earth and returns at night as flame. The yokai walks the old battle site and never leaves the ground where it died. Some of the shapes move slowly and look for the body parts they lost in war.

INTERACTIONS: Travelers see Kosenjoubi on grassy plains at night where old battles took place. The fires are eerie to look at but do not harm the living. People offer prayers for the fallen to ease the spirits within the flames. They remind us what happens when the dead never pass on.

OTHER FORMS: Kosenjoubi can take the shape of wounded warriors that look across the ground for missing body parts. The yokai also appears as wounded animals that died in the same battles. Outside the battlefield the fires do not adopt any human disguise. The form always stays tied to the place of death.