| Hellish Abyss | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Japanese name | 虚 |
| Romaji name | Utsuro |
| Other names | Gate to Hell (黄泉の門) The ✻ |
| Location(s) | Below Minakami Village |
| Function | Gateway to the Land of the Dead/the cause of The Repentance |
| Status | Appeased/flooded |
| Game | Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly |
The Hellish Abyss, known in Japanese as the Utsuro (虚: Void, Hollow), is a setting in Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly. It is the central ritual site of All God's Village. The abyss is where the sacred Crimson Sacrifice Ritual is performed, and it is both feared and revered in village folklore.
Appearance and Characteristics[]
The Hellish Abyss appears as a perfectly square, open hole, found in the system of underground tunnels (both natural and minded) beneath Minakami Village. Whether is was discovered this way, or created is unknown. They Abyss is left uncovered.
The Abyss is in a large, underground chamber, several stories in height, with a torii gate over the entrance tunnel. This chamber is plain and empty of all other features or adornments, except a few torches and a plain, rectangular, stone altar. The altar is cushion shaped, approximately knee height, large enough for a grown person to lay on, with the head of the altar facing towards the Abyss.
The Abyss lies directly underneath the sacred altar and ring of stones on Misono Hill.
Those who look into the Hellish Abyss go insane and are immediately blinded. Speaking of the Abyss directly causes people to become mute. Taking a picture of the Hellish Abyss with the Camera Obscura reveals a teeming mass of spirits in the darkness. The Taboo Tome implies that whatever is in the Abyss can communicate with those outside of it, and listening to it will destroy a person's soul or turn them heartless.
The Abyss causes earthquakes, and expels a miasma-like malice, which corrupts those who come in contact with it, and drives them insane. In spite of being feared and viewed as an entryway to the land of the dead, the village also appears to attribute their source of life and prosperity to it, since it is used to create the Remaining, who act as local kami, blessing the village.
It is unclear if the Abyss feeds off of negative emotions, such as pain, suffering, and resentment, with a sufficient amount of these emotions appeasing it for a period, or if the Abyss becomes temporarily sealed after sacrifices because the sacrificed were ready and willing to die, with no earthly attachments (because of the aforementioned suffering).
Background[]
The Hellish Abyss is a sacred site steeped in village folklore. It has long been regarded as a gateway to the land of the dead, however, its origin has never been made clear. The abyss is also the center of the earthquakes that occur in the surrounding region. After some periods of peace, the land surrounding the abyss would quake, which the villagers would take as an omen of future disaster and misfortune. Criminals are forced to look into the Abyss and, once blinded by the sight, are turned into mourners, who live their lives in the tunnels, attending to the Abyss and to the Veiled Priests.
In order to calm the abyss and prevent the evil energy it holds within from seeping out, sacrifices are made to appease it. An ordinary human sacrifice was not enough, however, and this need gave birth to the Crimson Sacrifice Ritual.
The Crimson Sacrifice Ritual entails the sacrifice of the younger twin sibling. Identical twins are born relatively frequently in All God's Village, and they are thought to be special, holding power above that of ordinary humans. By completing the ritual, the souls of the twins are thought to become one, and the immense energy created by that process, in turn, seals the Hellish Abyss for years. The sacrificed twin becomes a Crimson Butterfly, and journeys to the other side of the abyss, while the remaining twin guards the earthly realm.
The Crimson Sacrifice Ritual occurs only after twins are born and raised to a certain age. During the time between, the Hellish Abyss would occasionally rumble, and measures must be taken to momentarily calm it. Because of this, the villagers also practiced a Hidden Ceremony, wherein an outsider to the village is taken in and made into a human sacrifice. The sacrifice, named a Kusabi, is mutilated and cut, but kept alive so that the pain would act to pacify the abyss when they are finally thrown into it. More pain suffered by the Kusabi would hold back the darkness of the abyss for longer, however, this ritual's effects were temporary, meant only to delay disaster until the proper Crimson Sacrifice Ritual is held.
Although the abyss is revered the sacred site of these rituals, it is primarily feared as a passageway into the land of the dead. The rituals described are performed to appease the abyss and prevent the darkness from escaping and corrupting the village, A catastrophe villagers referred to as The Repentance. Merely speaking of the abyss is viewed as a taboo in the village, as any exposure to the abyss is known to inflict suffering. A ceremonial tome found in the Kurosawa House describes the taboos surrounding the abyss:
Taboo Tome[]
- "The gate to hell is called the Hellish Abyss.
- Gaze not upon the Repentance
- Eyes that glimpse the abyss will be blinded by the Dead Souls
- Speak not of the Kusabi
- The mouth which utters Fear will be made speechless by the Master
- Listen not to the Gate
- Those who heed the Hope are turned heartless by the Sacred Promise
Yet another tome clearly summarizes the villagers' beliefs regarding the Hellish Abyss and the rituals performed for it:
Disaster Tome[]
- "If the ritual is not performed, the ＊ will open.
- In human wretches shall burst forth from the ＊,
- villagers will be engulfed by the ＊,
- and the sky will be plunged into darkness.
- We must think of this disaster as a repentance
- for our failure to fulfill our duty to the ＊,
- which grants us life.
- We must accept that this is the reason for our existence."
Trivia[]
- The words "Hellish Abyss" are never written in village texts. Instead, it is crossed out by a ＊ ( × in Japanese versions) wherever the words are meant to appear.
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