There are thirteen Brush Gods in the game, including Amaterasu herself. They represent the twelve members of the Chinese Zodiac, although the cat, who is included in the legend, is not an actual member. They are a vital part of the game as without the ability to call upon their powers Amaterasu is left without her main weapon, is unable to help people and cannot solved problems. Amaterasu can harness the Brush God's power with her Celestial Brush. The player can bring up a screen and draw different patterns that result in different attacks. However this cannot be done without the aid of ink. If Amaterasu runs out of ink the player will be unable to draw and Amaterasu will loose her red markings. However the ink will eventually refill itself and the amount of ink left can be seen by looking at the ink pots on the side of the screen. Issun is also traveling with Amaterasu so he too can learn all the brush techniques. He also gives her hints as to where the Gods might be hiding.
