The Torii Gates of Freice

One of the abandoned Torii Gate in Peka, 2011

The Torii Gates of Freice (Hoterallian: 並外民鳥居, Namimin Torii, Freician: Paiotoa'me Torii oe Faio) is a Freician-Hoterallian urban legend about abandoned and run-down Torii Gates in Freice. According to urban legend, during the Hoterallian occupation of Freice, several Torii Gates were constructed on the island. However, after the occupation, several were abandoned and left scattered throughout the island. Locals claim that these Torii Gates are a gateway to the underworld and that they are haunted by the spirits of the dead. Many believe the area surrounding the gates is cursed, and visitors who come too close risk being dragged into the underworld. Despite the eerie reputation of the Torii Gates, they have become a popular destination for adventurous tourists seeking a spooky experience.

History

During parts of the Hoterallian occupation of Freice, several Torii Gates were built to convert the native population to Gaoism and to create places of worship for the growing Hoterallian population on the island. Shortly after the handover of Freice back to Riamo, some of the gates were left unattended by the new governance, leaving many to be forgotten by time.

The legend began to spread when an anonymous user uploaded an image of an abandoned Torii Gate in Roheo Radei Oratite on the Hoterallian imageboard "2prog", with the description:

The Torii Gates of Freice, the once remnant of the Phoenix, is now the gateway to hell for others. It's said that during the Hoterallian occupation, they built these gates all over the island. But after the occupation, they were abandoned and left to decay. Locals say that these gates are the entrance to the underworld and that those who pass through them will never return. Some even claim to have seen ghostly apparitions around them at night. Would you dare to explore the Torii Gates of Freice?

— Anonymous, 2prog (May 13, 2005)

Several other users then posted more images of similar Torii Gates in Freice and their experiences when visiting the locations. According to the users and the discussion, they claimed that they felt a strange presence and heard whispers as they walked through the gates. As more and more users shared their stories and images, the legend of the Torii Gates of Freice grew, and it became a popular topic on the imageboards across Anteria. Some even speculated that the Torii Gates were a gateway to the underworld, while others believed they were cursed by the spirits of those who died during the initial invasion by Hoterallia. The legend eventually spread to other online communities and became a popular tourist attraction, drawing people from all over the world to visit the mysterious and eerie gates.

Legends

The popularity of the legend then was further popularized through stories and accounts of the mysteries surrounding the gates.

According to one user on the Common imageboard Inukai from 2009, he went to one of the Torii Gates in Koimuke, he stumbled upon a forgotten trail that led him to the Torii Gate, from there, he approached the gates, he felt an eerie chill down his spine. He then heard the faint whispers of the tormented souls that lingered within. Suddenly, the gates creaked open, and he was consumed by an overwhelming sense of dread as he entered the realm of the dead. He was chased by the tormented souls before collapsing and returning to the front of the gate.

There's another story related to the gates, about a woman who encountered a shadowy figure lurking among the gates in Peka. The woman was watched by the figure when she pass by the gates on her way home until one day she confronted the figure, resulting in her being led to the underworld.

The real Torii Gates

A person inspecting one of the run-down gates in Roheo Radei Oratite

According to historical records written during the occupation, around 50-60 gates were constructed, many varying in size and number. Outside of government-recorded gates, around 10-15 gates fit the description of the legend, with most located in Roheo Radei Oratite. These gates are officially referred to as Unattened Gates (Paiotoa'me keresi Atika'me), built between 1925 and 1931.

The reality of these gates was later inspected by a team of professional Gaoist and Hoterallian experts, with the assistance of the Freice-Hoterallian Friendship Association. The team was dispatched by the Hoterallian television network, HHK's nightly show "Watashitachi no Mawari no Nazo" (私たちの周りの謎, The Mysteries Around Us). The show created a two-episode documentary about the legend, with professional Gaoist priests and miko inspecting the gates and sometimes purifying the gates, while others in the team acquired accounts and witnesses of the legends surrounding the gates from the locals living near the areas of the gates.

The team came to the conclusion that the legends surrounding the gates were possibly caused by hysteria or paranoia, mainly due to the eerie atmosphere the abandoned gates create after years of decay. The team gathered around 1 million Hoterallian gen (1.1 million ACU) from donations in Hoterallia and parts of Little Orajioe to restore the gates, as of 2022, 9 out of the approximate 15 gates are fully restored.