古くから日本では山や川、風などの自然に神が宿っていた。遠い昔、人間の自然破壊により一部の神は居場所や力を失い、異形化し「神影」と呼ばれた。神影はその恐ろしい姿ゆえに人々に討ち払われ、姿を消した。その出来事は歴史の中で語り手を失い、民話にも伝承にも残らず、わずかに古文書の一部ににその記録があるのみで人々の記憶からほとんど消え去ってしまった。

だが近年山間部や人里近くで古い記録に残る神影に似た未確認の存在が目撃されている。彼らが何のために現れ、どのような意図を持つのかは分かっていない。忘れられた神の嘆きの姿なのか、自然が人間に向けた怒りの化身なのか。その声を読み解くための記録こそが『神影録』である。

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In ancient Japan, it was believed that gods resided within nature—mountains, rivers, the wind, and more. Long ago, the destruction of nature by humans caused some of these gods to lose their places and their powers. Twisted and transformed, they became known as Shinei. Due to their terrifying appearance, they were driven away by humans and eventually vanished. Over time, the events surrounding them faded from history—unspoken by storytellers, absent from folklore and tradition. Only fragments in old manuscripts remain, and the memories of Shinei have nearly disappeared from the minds of people.Yet in recent years, sightings of mysterious beings resembling the ancient Shinei have been reported in remote mountains and even near human settlements. No one knows why they appear or what their intentions may be. Are they the sorrowful forms of forgotten gods? Or incarnations of nature’s wrath toward humanity?
The record meant to decipher their voices and truths is the “ShineiRoku.”