Indie Boards and Cards | Kodama 2nd Edition | Card Game | Ages 14+ | 2-5 Players | 30 Minutes Playing Time

Product Information

While each culture has its nuances and stories surrounding these spirits, the common thread is the deep connection and reverence for nature. Such spirits often serve as guardians, protectors, or even avatars of nature’s wrath, emphasizing the importance of living in harmony with the environment. AI recreating multiple Kodamas in a forest What do I do if I see a Kodama? Over time, the concept of these tree deities evolved, leading to the emergence of Kodama in Japanese folklore. Kodama became associated specifically with the spirits residing within ancient trees. These mystical beings were believed to be delicate in physical form, and their life force depended entirely on the tree that hosted them. The Significance of Kodama in Japanese Folklore One of the earliest textual references to the Kodama can be found in the “Konjaku Monogatari,” a collection of over a thousand stories from the late Heian period. Here, the Kodama is depicted as a tree spirit capable of cursing or bringing harm to those who cut down its dwelling tree. Given their reclusive nature, kodama spirits are rarely seen as active characters in modern Japanese manga and anime – even in the ancient Shinto myths, they’re just not given much personality to work with. The yokai spirits and kami gods of Shintoism are known to often interact with people. Whether it’s to help or to torment humans, most of these mystical Shinto beings are said to have accompanied humankind since its very inception. However, the kodama are somewhat different.

Whatever form they took, kodama were said to be possessed of supernatural power, that could either be a blessing or a curse. Kodama that were properly worshipped and honored would protect houses and villages. Kodama that were mistreated or disrespected brought down powerful curses. While kami represent broader aspects of nature, kodama focus specifically on the symbiotic relationship with trees and are regarded as protectors and guardians of the forests in which they reside. Oni, Yōkai, and Other Supernatural Beings

Wrapping Up

Do Not Harm the Tree: Legend has it that those who harm a tree housing a Kodama may face misfortune, illness, or even death. If a tree gives you a sense of spiritual significance or is marked with shimenawa (sacred rope), avoid cutting, damaging, or otherwise harming it. After placing a branch card, look at the icons on that card. You score 1 point for each instance of those icons in that contiguous line of cards. You do not score points for other instances of that icon if they are not part of this contiguous line of cards. In a world where every tree is inhabited by its own gentle and benign spirit, it is your important task to ensure that every sapling grows strong and big, and offers a home for as many small creatures and plants as possible, thereby creating harmony and balance in the forest. If you can work in harmony with the seasons and nurture the worms, fireflies, flowers and mushrooms that grow on the tree that you have been tasked to look after, you will come out as the best caretaker and will be generously rewarded with health and happiness by the tree spirit, the kodama, that inhabits your tree. It is this work that you carry out in Kodama: The Tree Spirits by Action Phase Games.

Kii Mountains: These mountains are home to the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage routes, which have been used for over a thousand years. The forests along these routes, replete with ancient trees and shrines, are deeply spiritual and the kind of places where one could imagine spirits like the Kodama residing. The newly added card can only touch one other card. You must not cover any of the features. Your branch card must not hang over the edge of the table. Additionally, most of the new Kodama cards and Decree cards interact with the spirit tokens and splitter/chooser mechanic. All of these changes provide an interesting twist on the core mechanics you already love about Kodama.Also regarded as spirits having supernatural powers 一 anyone who sets out to do the Kodama harm should already expect to become targets of retribution. Friends or Fiends? During each Growing Phase, players grow their trees to make them more enticing to the Kodamas in their care. The Growing phase is divided into four rounds in which each player takes one turn growing their tree. It is said that this is also practiced to prevent the trees from being cut down which is regarded as a sin. Because the Shinto woodcutters of Japan believed in the kodama yokai, they were very careful with the trees they were cutting. Before trying to cut down or even trim a tree, the woodcutter would first make a small incision into the base of the tree to see if it “bleeds”. A tree that bled was said to be a kodama tree and wasn’t to be touched. Kodama are primarily associated with trees, especially old and significant ones. It’s believed that cutting down a tree that houses a Kodama brings misfortune. For this reason, in many parts of Japan, significant trees, particularly ancient or oddly shaped ones, might have a sacred rope called a shimenawa tied around them, indicating their sanctity and warding off harm. 4. Behavior and Characteristics