Echo, the “sound” – How did she end up with only 'sound'?
Part2: Pan
In Greek mythology, Echo ("sound") was an Oread who resided on Mt. Cithaeron [Part1].
Among the many nymphs who Pan, the god of Arcadia (utopia) fell in love with, was Echo.
Echo was a nymph who sang and danced well, but refused Pan's advances because she did not like to fall in love with men.
The arrogant Pan, in revenge for her rejection, drove the shepherds and goatherds under his command crazy, partly because he had long been envious and jealous of her singing of her musical performances. Pan is the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, rustic music and impromptus, and companion of the nymphs. He has the hindquarters, legs, and horns of a goat, in the same manner as the fauns (a therianthropic hybrid goat-like creature, god of the forest) and satyrs (bellicose, drinker, therianthropy).
They attacked Echo and tore the poor woman to pieces (they dismembered the verses of the 'song' she sang). At that time, even though Gaia (Earth) hid Echo's body, the scattered 'song verses' remained, and when Pan played his flute, the song verses came from nowhere in the form of an echo, often frightening him.
⁽ ¹ ⁾ HARBINGER, A COUNTABLE NOUN.
A PERSON OR THING THAT ANNOUNCES OR INDICATES THE APPROACH OF SOMETHING. A FORERUNNER. TO COME BEFORE, TO EXIST AFTERWARD.
bearer of cursed speech during the heian period, skilled yari user. they/them. 5ft 8inches. is killed in battle at age thirty - four in the war waged against the king of curses, ryōmen sukuna.
general note that i'm aware the inumaki clan are not part of the big three, but i've chosen to name them nobility in their own right as holders of the cursed speech technique. in the modern day they are the last known holders and so i thought it only appropriate to date it far back to nobility in this period.
INU ⁽ 狗 ⁾ “dog”.
MAKI ⁽ 巻 ⁾ “to roll up”.
SUKE ⁽ 祐 ⁾ “help from god and buddha”.
YASU ⁽ 保 ⁾ “to keep. to protect. to help”.
inumaki no sukeyasu is the second - born child to the head of the inumaki clan and his wife, twin alongside a brother, sukenobu, older sibling to a younger brother, sukehiro - 3 years difference.
as the bearer of cursed speech sukeyasu was born with the snake eyes and fangs seal on their mouth, to which all three siblings until almost the end of their teenage years wore half - veils that covered their mouths from sight and did not speak in public so as not to distinguish which child had inherited the technique. ( sukehiro was once targeted in an assassination attempt because of this, recovered well though slept in sukeyasu's room for 4 months as a result. ) once the technique had been coveted to a level skilled enough the veils were removed. outside of the inumaki clan residence and the presence of other jujutsushi, sukeyasu continues to wear the half - veil when exposed to non sorcerers, to shield the seal present on their skin.
personality - wise, sukeyasu is good in nature and likes the company of others, reserved as a teen but not shy. inwardly opinionated, easily irritated when things do not go their way, user of physical touch to convey emotion when expression does not suffice. will use cursed speech to their advantage when necessary.
coveting the technique means that sukeyasu cannot communicate like most people. their predecessors were mainly selective mutes to protect themselves and others, choosing not to speak unless using the technique for its intended purpose, though two generations before it was discovered that the bearer could lean on words that carry no cursed energy to communicate in absence of full sentences. as the heian period was a time that bred powerful jujutsushi with power that vastly combats those of the modern era, sukeyasu possesses the ability speak in short sentences that require a moment of thought ( they can control their cursed energy output to a tremendous extent so as to speak using verbs and not command their conversational partners, this is reserved for friends as it can be tiring if prolonged. ) sukeyasu, much like the descendants of the inumaki bloodline, relies sometimes on a small array of chosen words that do not carry cursed energy, but unlike inumaki toge, these are not commonly linked.***
▍ SUKEYASU'S CHOSEN WORDS :
these are words they namely relied on in their childhood, before they coveted their technique and were able to push past the limitations surrounding cursed speech being imbued into words without will. they also tend to revert to these if tired, or have used their technique within a certain timeframe ( these are written in modern japanese as it is difficult to find translations from this period, you get the idea ).
soot ( 煤 : susu, used to waive concern ) - the name of their cat.
ginger ( 生姜 : shōga, used as an affirmation ) - something they carry with them to soothe their throat.
magnolia ( 朴の木 : hōnoki, used to show concern, a way of saying i have it from here ) - plant native to the minakami area, where the inumaki clan residence resides.
pheasant ( 雉 : kiji, expletive ) - a favourite meat.
+ others that will be added to in time. sukeyasu can also use friend's names, yes + no quite easily to answer questions and/or grab attentions.
that being said, sukeyasu often communicates most emotion through their facial expressions. it is noted that they would likely be very outspoken and diplomatically inclined if they were able to communicate freely in full sentences, and are very naturally expressive in hums, clicks of their tongue against the roof of their mouth, sighs - so on and so forth.
the inumaki clan residence during this period is located in what is now modern day minakami and resides atop a channel of canyons that act as echoing amplifiers for cursed speech when used as an offensive tactic against intruders. in open space, sukeyasu will expel further cursed energy to amplify the reach of their voice. though this is usually not necessary as their reach is fairly powerful without. with the nature of the inherited technique passed down through the bloodline, the inumaki clan often chose to be uninvolved in most happenings, but this changed with sukeyasu's forebearer, who took a step forward into the world and sought to do what they could for the people.
labelled the harbinger, sukeyasu's presence in battle, in general, can be seen as an ill omen. ( think: inumaki toge is seen as a nusaince wherever he is for those opposing him. ) none are exempt from the effects of cursed speech - though those with higher cursed energy will perhaps not be compelled to the same level. cursed speech can be a very useful tool in interrogation, as the receiver of the words could be compelled to tell the truth, and sukeyasu does not need to physically touch in order wound. sukeyasu has to be quite specific with their chosen wording, and cursed speech users tend to keep their commands short so as to avoid injury and fatigue to themselves.
sukeyasu is well versed in martial arts and is a skilled yari wielder and uses one as their chosen cursed tool to aid in close proximity fighting, they are agile and light on their feet, evasive and defensive fighting techniques are paramount to their need for proximity and yet to keep themselves out of reaching distance of most enemies. they are leanly built though muscular and toned from years of training.
as with those who came before and those who inherit the technique after sukeyasu's time, they carry medicinal herbs and tonics to soothe their throat after usage of cursed speech. if travelling, they will stop to top up their store in nearby villages, or by foraging themselves. they have an educational knowledge of what will work and what to look for.
their father passes when sukenobu and sukeyasu are twenty - two. with sukeyasu being the second - born, naturally sukenobu takes over as the head of the inumaki clan and sukeyasu continues their aid of ridding the surrounding lands of cursed spirits, curse users alike in order to hone their technique, sometimes at the behest of the emperor. they take an active role in the efforts to subdue curses, notably sukuna, and play a part in strategizing and commanding sorcerers either offensively or defensively depending on the situation.
they die at age thirty - four during the war waged against ryōmen sukuna and other curses, a particularly brutal death. sukeyasu puts up a valiant effort but in the end is slain after having their tongue removed so they cannot use cursed speech, choking on their own blood before their body is burned to avoid resurrection or aid from a reversed curse technique.