Yama Kings
Yama King is a generic term employed by the Kuei-jin referring to various malignant spirit beings that rule over the Thousand Hells.
Overview
Yama Kings are very powerful and hold territories in the outer reaches of the Yin and Yang worlds. They are known as banes in the West, while those of Yin are called Malfeans by western wraiths. They are the supreme wardens of Yomi Wan, and largely fallen servants of the August Personage of Jade who, discovering that chi could be extracted from human souls through torture, adopted such techniques to extract that energy.
Generally, the only requirement to be a Yama King is to own some real estate in Yomi Wan. While some, such as Tou Mu, are actually corrupt and fallen former judges of the dead, others are merely corrupt spirits in general (Emma-O was originally an Ainu judge of the dead made bitter and twisted by Yamato occupation of his island) and some (Haha No Fukami and Yen Lo) appear to follow their original duties to a greater or lesser extent. The Yama Kings also include beings from other places, such as corrupt mortal sorcerers (such as Mikaboshi) or possible vampires (such as Ravana).
In the Fifth Age, the Yama Kings have a link to the P'o, and they often seek to subvert the Kuei-jin to their service. Ones who succumb are known as Akuma. They are very powerful, but they are also bound by their crimes - the oldest remember the strange smile on the August Personage's face when He turned away from them, and the wisest suspect that ultimately, they are the butt of a joke which will only be apparent at the end of time.
Known Yama Kings
- Ravana in Lanka, the Demon City of the Rakshas, presiding over the souls of the violent.
- Emma-O in Kakuri, the Night Realm, presiding over the souls of the despised and dishonorable.
- Tou Mu in the Hell of Being Skinned Alive, presiding over the hoarders and abusers of power.
- Mikaboshi in the Wicked City, presiding over the souls of the corrupted, isolated and anonymous sinners.
- Hluh in the Hell of Boiling Oil, presiding over the gluttonous.
- Rangda in the Hell of Burrowing Maggots, presiding over the diseased.
- Wu Hua in the Pit of Salt and Iron, presiding over the souls of traitors.
- Haha No Fukami in the Hell of Seven Burning Seas, presiding over the souls that abused fire and water.
- Tou Shen in the Feverish Hell, presiding over those who profited from smallpox.
- The Wandering Overlord, the most mysterious of the Yama Kings.
- Honoyeta, the corruptor of the Nagah.
- Hine-Nui-Te-Po, presiding over the souls of those who committed suicide.
- Malaveyovo, presiding over cannibals and hungry Same-Bito.
- Ku of the Thousand Tears, who rules from Feng-tu and is the patron of the Wu-Keng.
- Dou Tingzhang, was the Mutilator of the Unfaithful.
- Bao Zhong in the Hell of Never-Dying Sorrow
