Floating Underworld (Envelope)
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It is 1867. The emperor has succumbed to smallpox¸ and the cholera epidemic is worsening. Black ships¸ their bellies full of gunpowder¸ loom menacing and cold off the coast of Edo. New¸ revolutionary political ideas are being developed and spread with the brush¸ the sword and the cannon as their ambassadors. In the courts and castles¸ the future of Japan as a country is being decided. In the farms and workshops¸ life goes on as usual. Meanwhile¸ in the gambling dens and brothels¸ in the ditches and post stations¸ in the theatres and performance halls¸ a different kind of revolution is brewing¸ and a different kind of court is held every night - a party to change the world¸ and perhaps even let the Dead crown their own empress.
Is it any wonder¸ with the future of the country so uncertain¸ the soul of the nation in dispute¸ that Edo would become such a desirable locale for the lurkers of the night? Everyone wants to be where the action's at¸ everyone wants a say in how things are run and everyone needs some way to let loose¸ free from the harsh and strict judgement of a society still stuck in its ways. And nobody can satisfy those far-reaching ambitions and unspeakable cravings with more brutal efficiency than the Dead of Edo¸ some of whom have been keeping the party going since long before anyone spoke Japanese.