fables

“ Tonight, we feast on sacred kirin meat! „
― Ryogan hunting yokai, Fairest #11 — "The Hidden Kingdom Chapter Four: The Bad Sleep Well"


The kirin is a form of yokai and species, one of which lives in hiding in Tokyo, Japan. It appears in Fairest #12 — "The Hidden Kingdom Chapter Five: Battle Royale."

Physiology

The kirin is a form of yokai. It looks like a unicorn with the scale and wings of a dragon, a long flowing mane and a backward curving horn.[2]

History

Homelands

The kirin is a form of yokai from the Hidden Kingdom, the Homelands version of Japan. The seii taishōgun, Ryogan, begun to bend the local Emperor's ear to his puritanical beliefs, and the Emperor was soon convinced of Ryogan's plan to exile all the non-human residents, the yokai, from the Celestial Palace. After he he took control of the Emperor's court, Ryogan took up hunting yokai for sport. During one such hunt, he remarked that they would all be feasting on "sacred kirin meat."[1]

Shortly afterward, Rapunzel discovered that a set of china bowls in Ryogan's chambers were decorated with detailed plans for his military strategy which would constitute a coup against the Emperor, with the help of the Adversary. One of the illustrations on the china bowls depicted a kirin.[1]

One of the kirin was among the many Japanese Fables who escaped to the mundy version of Japan after their homeland was invaded by the Adversary, and settled down in Tokyo, Japan.[2]

Mundane world

Many years later, a kirin enlists in Tomoko's makeshift army as she prepares to battle Katagiri, and is seen in the background as Tomoko addresses her troops.[2]

Appearances

Fairest

Original source

It is based on the kirin from Japanese folklore. Resembling a cross between a deer and a unicorn covered in dragon-like scales, the kirin possesses a tail reminiscent of an ox,[3] a backward curving horn[4] and a long flowing mane. Its entire form and mane are aglow with brilliant, holy flames, while its expression conveys a deep sense of peace.[3] The kirin in the comic looks like a unicorn with the wings and scales of a dragon, a long flowing mane and a backward curving horn.[2]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Fairest #11 — "The Hidden Kingdom Chapter Four: The Bad Sleep Well"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Fairest #12 — "The Hidden Kingdom Chapter Five: Battle Royale"
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Kirin, Yokai.com. "Resembling a deer with scales like a dragon's covering its body, the kirin is a chimerical beast. It has a tail like an ox and a flowing mane. Its body and mane are covered in brilliant, holy fire and its face is the picture of utter serenity."
  4. ↑ Kirin, Eerie Worlds. "Appearing as a deer-like dragon, the Kirin has an ox's tail and a backward-curving horn."