Day 13: The First Rule of Ritual Club...

[Agasha Yuna]

If the risk is that the gaki will try to possess someone, a mask seems like a dangerous last position. Because anyone trying on the mask in the years to come might be vulnerable to possession. But it might be a good enticing trap for that reason. I'd suggest putting the mask in a box that is then sealed.

(I think this is just flavor, but it feels like good flavor.)

[Kuni Shiori]

We're only a few hundred years into the Empire, it feels almost too appropriate if we were to put it into a mask and go "whelp, that happened but now this will never happen again". Too cynical?

I'm sure we'll get TOP shugenja working on keeping it sealed forever. I'm sure there are a dozen options but Shiori would be more than happy to take and have her House seal it in a depleted iron mine. I suspect that Sadako will have the best dibs/reasoning to keep it, however.

As for the location! I feel if we're feeling very confident, the Kyuden itself seems doable...whether the forecourt or the temple grounds. But when it comes to practicality, it will be best to perhaps do this in the hinterlands to keep any blast radius to a minimum, unless the ghost is tethered to the kyuden itself.

[Hantei Ningi]

I'll go where I damn well feel like!

[Kuni Shiori]

I'll go where I damn well feel like!

I bet you won't go to the ocean because you're too scared! Big scaredy cat! Even Nyoko isn't that scared!

[Asahina Hoshiko]

If the risk is that the gaki will try to possess someone, a mask seems like a dangerous last position. Because anyone trying on the mask in the years to come might be vulnerable to possession. But it might be a good enticing trap for that reason. I'd suggest putting the mask in a box that is then sealed.

(I think this is just flavor, but it feels like good flavor.)

Yes, sealing it up makes sense. The eventual goal is "send it back to gaki-do". Which is probably along the lines of getting a conference of shugenja poked at the problem since someone who is not at court probably has that ability.

I'll go where I damn well feel like!

I bet you won't go to the ocean because you're too scared! Big scaredy cat! Even Nyoko isn't that scared!

OK we just need a portal to gaki-do right where Shiori's pointing at the ocean, and we're set!

[Asahina Hoshiko]

Edited first post to contain details for ease of finding.

Sadako professes to be ok with Earth. (not a Seppun affinity)
Shintaro's coming.
Togashi is not-a-sword
GM's have ok'd scanning the delegation and MC pools for other possible participants.

*zooms* to work now.

[Yogo Kiuchi]

I got an answer. I get my Affinty for the restraint, not the binding.

[Asahina Hoshiko]

I got an answer. I get my Affinty for the restraint, not the binding.

I think I've reflected that by putting you on the ritual side of things. See the original post on this thread. I've edited in some organizing there.

[Cearnach]

Sanjuro recruited Higashime for certes.

The Mantis can contribute a Water shugenja: Gusai Hoshiu

[Fukurokujin]

I forget if I mentioned it, but Aiko is an Earth shugenja and will want to demonstrate her worth in leadership; she'll be game, grass-stalk and all.

[Doji Shinnosuke]

If any or all of our PC shugenja want to participate in the Devil Chase tryouts in the EE, we can probably organize a few Tea Ceremonies to restore a Void Point for some/all of you before this happens in EN. There are a good few practitioners around! And it would be flavorful as a before-spiritual-battle activity.

I can cover two other people very comfortably, three with pretty good odds (rolling 6k4 with void).

[Jihen]

I could also give everyone a VP through religion magic.

[Yogo Kiuchi]

I got an answer. I get my Affinty for the restraint, not the binding.

I think I've reflected that by putting you on the ritual side of things. See the original post on this thread. I've edited in some organizing there.

Ah. Sorry. Missed that. Just tried to do a brief catch up during my break.

[Asahina Hoshiko]

Sanjuro recruited Higashime for certes.

The Mantis can contribute a Water shugenja: Gusai Hoshiu

Updated

I forget if I mentioned it, but Aiko is an Earth shugenja and will want to demonstrate her worth in leadership; she'll be game, grass-stalk and all.

Sadako said she could do earth (and we have Shiori). But as noted above, while extra people don't have an effect, there's no reason folks can't be adding in. (Basically I think Sadako isn't/shouldn't be bumped, and bumping PCs is poor form. Much as we like Aiko)

I've updated the lead post with where I think folks are going (Masaki and I need to pick a part..but we're kind of interchangeable there) and will work with Shiori on getting the post up tonight for rituals and rp.

Also, if anyone participating in the ritual wants a nomination for the Devil's Chase, Hoshiko would certainly offer that after spending all this time working with you on the ritual design.

[Asahina Hoshiko]

If the risk is that the gaki will try to possess someone, a mask seems like a dangerous last position. Because anyone trying on the mask in the years to come might be vulnerable to possession. But it might be a good enticing trap for that reason. I'd suggest putting the mask in a box that is then sealed.

(I think this is just flavor, but it feels like good flavor.)

Tagging this since it's come up in the thread. I like using Sanjuro's box to encase a mask vs. to encase a lid.

1. as mentioned in the thread affinity and ritual adhere to the mask far more than to a standalone lid
2. let's Shinn contribute despite not being a shugenja, and I like having more people get to do a bit of something where that's an option!
3. cursed masks are cool.
4. We *are* planning this as a temporary cursed mask till we can kick the spirit back to the realm it belongs in. (whether that is what happens...well...)

[Asahina Hoshiko]

OK, thread to get started in is up. Here

Details are in the thread as well as the first post of this one. Note that my math was off earlier and I've moved things around (off by 10 on the restraint, in fact)

Question here:

Shugenja not participating in the restraint will need to make spellcasting rolls, base TN 55, to force the spirit into the object. Again, each shugenja may make one and only one such roll. Again, the TN is lowered by 5 for each Element represented among the casting rolls, as well as by 1 for each successful Raise made on the binding roll. Again, in theory, one shugenja could do this, but it would be hard.

Is binding meant to be restraint there? Or is it meant that as each person rolls for binding, if they take raises, it reduces subsequent rolls by 1?

Because if it's the restraint rolls that may mean we want to push for the lower TN at that step, assuming everyone is likely to manage a raise there to reduce the binding roll by possibly 5 or more?

Edit to actually add the link. derp

[Fukurokujin]

Yeah, the underlined binding should read restraint. Mea culpa.

Updating.

[Asahina Hoshiko]

OK then. Updated here to fix that and my math

Scheduled for D14 EN...at the mine in the Hinterlands: viewtopic.php?p=17974#p17974

Restraining:

This ritual will require shugenja to make a spellcasting roll, base TN 55, to restrain the spirit. Each participating shugenja may make one roll and only one roll. The TN is lowered by 5 for each Element represented among the spellcasting rolls being made. (IE, if we have all five Elements, the TN for each of the rolls becomes 30.) Ancestral Swords will lower TN by 10 per sword.
Raises on these rolls will lower the TN of Binding by 1 per raise.

Success will restrain the spirit.

TN 55 (-20 for 4 elements, -20 for 2 swords (Crane and Phoenix) =15

Air: Hoshiko
Earth: Shiori
Fire: Kiuchi with Ward bonus for affinity
Water: Shintaro
Void: empty

Binding:

Will require the presence of a vessel or other object suitable to retain the spirit: a mask, to be sealed in Sanjuro's boxes

A number of shugenja not participating in the restraint will need to make spellcasting rolls, base TN 55, to force the spirit into the object. Again, each shugenja may make one and only one such roll. Again, the TN is lowered by 5 for each Element represented among the casting rolls, as well as by 1 for each successful Raise made on the restraint roll. Again, in theory, one shugenja could do this, but it would be hard.

Success will bind the spirit in the object.

TN 55 (-25 for 5 elements, -10 for one sword (Scorpion)) =20
Air: Masaki
Earth: Sadako? (Aiko also posited for Earth) (NPC)
Fire: Sanjuro
Water: Another delegation NPC --Gusai Hoshiu
Void: Isawa Yoshio (Phoenix delegation NPC)

Failure opens up the chance of someone being possessed.

With Binding TN affected by Restraining, I'm going to get this up in the thread to get the Restraining rolls in. If folks in Binding would rather roll restraint or vice versa, that's doable. I moved a few people around on the thought that taking raises was more a PC than NPC thing. And that Shintaro was more the sort to swing at raises than anyone. XD

That's 9 rolls to succeed at...make your offerings to Sakkaku.

[Agasha Yuna]

I think this is pure shugenja scene so I am not planning to attend, but if you all would like a witness/observer, let me know.

[Asahina Hoshiko]

I think observers are certainly fine (observer thread? if desired). They're backup in case of possession? ehhhh.

Though I grant Yuna is probably not observing for backup restraint purposes.