Bamboo Watchman (竹守)

The Bamboo Watchman (竹守) is a guard NPC in Zone 1 (Withered Bamboo Grove). He’s the first NPC you’ll meet outside Yomi Town, and he offers two of the early-game quests. He doesn’t sell, buy, or heal — his role is to warn you about the zone and to advance the quest chain.

Services

• Warns about zone 1’s enemies and the boss mechanic.
• Offers two quests: “Kodama Purge” (kill 5 enemies) and “Reach Level 5”.
• Does not sell, buy, or heal.

Quests offered

Kodama Purge (木霊討伐)

“The Bamboo Watchman asks: thin the Kodama and Bakemono that drift between the stalks. Slay 5 foes in the grove to ease his patrol.”

• Type: Kill
• Target: Any enemy (* wildcard)
• Count: 5
• Reward: 100 gold + 50 XP
• Prerequisite: Whispers of Yomi must be completed.

This quest progresses automatically as you fight in zone 1. Any kill — Kodama or Bakemono — counts. You’ll likely complete it naturally within 5 minutes of starting zone 1.

Reach Level 5 (五級到達)

“The grove is only the first step. Grow strong — reach level 5, and the deeper roads of Yomi will open to you.”

• Type: Level
• Target: Reach level 5
• Count: 5
• Reward: 80 gold
• Prerequisite: None — available immediately.

This quest progresses automatically as you gain XP. Reach level 5 and the quest completes.

Both quests can be active simultaneously. Accept both when you first talk to the Bamboo Watchman.

Dialogue tree

Opening (greet)

“Halt, traveler. The bamboo is not kind to the unwary. The Kodama drift between the stalks — gentle, you might think, until one steals your breath. And deeper in, the Bakemono wait. What brings you to my grove?”

Options:

• “What should I fear here?” → continues to warn.
• “Tell me of this zone” → continues to ask_zone.
• “I must go” → “Go carefully. The stalks have ears, and the dead have teeth.” (ends conversation)

warn

“Two rules. First: do not fight the Bakemono at stage 8 or above, not yet — they grow strong quickly. Second: the boss at stage 10 is a Kodama — Warlord, three times the size, three times the rage. Bring a heal, or bring a friend.”

Options:

• “Thank you” → “Survive, and we will speak again.” (returns to greet)

ask_zone

“The Withered Bamboo Grove — levels 1 to 5, by the old reckoning. The bamboo was green once, they say. Now it is grey, and the wind through the stalks sounds like weeping. I do not know why it withered. The Ronin Ghost might — he was here before me.”

Options:

• “Deeper zones?” → “Past me lies the Mist-Shrouded Shrine — levels 4 to 10. The Yurei there are faster than the Kodama, and the Onibi hits harder than anything in this grove. Do not go until you are ready.” (returns to greet)
• “Thanks” → “Survive, and we will speak again.” (returns to greet)

Quest-giving flow

When you talk to the Bamboo Watchman after accepting “Whispers of Yomi” from the Ronin Ghost, the talk-quest progress triggers automatically. After this conversation:

1. “Whispers of Yomi” is marked as completed (you’ve talked to the Bamboo Watchman).
2. Return to Yomi Town and talk to the Ronin Ghost to claim the 50 gold.
3. Return to the Bamboo Watchman — he now offers “Kodama Purge” and “Reach Level 5”.

When to visit

Visit the Bamboo Watchman:

• Once, when you first enter zone 1, to advance the quest chain.
• Again after reaching level 5, to claim the “Reach Level 5” reward.
• Again after killing 5 enemies in zone 1, to claim the “Kodama Purge” reward.

After that, you have no reason to return to him unless you want to re-read his dialogue.

See also

• Ronin Ghost — sends you to the Bamboo Watchman.
• Torii Keeper — the next quest-giver in the chain.
• Withered Bamboo Grove — the zone he lives in.
• Quests — the full 7-quest chain.