(D14 EN) And One Mask to Bind Them

[Asahina Hoshiko]

After several visitations by this spirit, many threads of research into it and ways to neutralize it, several meetings to hash it all out, and many more meetings to gather participants, the time had come. Multiple groups trekked out from the court, to the site of the dangerous mine collapse...was it only a few weeks ago?

It was dark and chill, lanterns and torches flickering to cast shivering shadows all along the way. Surely an appropriate mood for a ghostly visitor?

Hoshiko wore her traveling clothes beneath ritual robes for the extra warmth, her travel coat over the lot. The walk and effort to help set everything up kept her warm enough. It was a bit chaotic with so many clans working together, each with their own assumptions by what was meant by a ritual circle or the level of ritual needed for each blessing of this or that object.

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ooc: wanted something ready for rp and set up. I realize some folks may plan to get their Devil's Chase/meditation/tea ceremony out of the way before diving into this. A number of people likely have definite ideas for what things should look like

There's a question out about a piece of the ritual, so the final "here's what everyone is doing" is delayed until that's answered.

[Kuni Shiori]

Shiori was present for the ritual as planned. While it wasn't exactly fashionable or pretty, she would be bundled with straw for warmth. It was already chilly in town but much so in the wilderness with much of the wind traversing through the rocky crevasses howling at them. She was used to sound enough to know that it was merely that but it was enough to mistake it for the wails of a restless ghost. It was enough to frighten the heimen but she would hope that everyone was made of much sterner stuff than that. They were going to need mettle and all hands on deck for this one.

This was the moment of truth.

[Seppun Sadako]

Seppun Sadako is there, standing ramrod straight and her expression stern, her eyes bright in the lantern-light. Two Miharu accompany her, although at her gesture, they stand back from the group.

[Kitsu Shintaro]

Kitsu Shintaro steps into the room, stares wide-eyed at the assembled materials, and then rushes over to Hoshiko. "Asahina-san! Kuni-san! I read..." he begins to pat at his obi for the letter. It is not there. "...I read somewhere that you have finished the ritual! HOW EXCITING!!!!!!!"

[Shiba Higashime]

He receives a glare from the next person to enter--no less than Shiba Higashime, who remembers well just who started this whole mess. She is accompanied by Isawa Yoshio, whose bookish presence is enhanced by his advanced height and total lack of mass.

Rather than her everyday sword, Higashime bears Ofushikai, a lovely thing in a remarkably plain saya, but with feathered tassels like the tails of a Phoenix and a tsuba stylized to appear as its mighty wings.

[Asahina Hoshiko]

Kitsu Shintaro steps into the room, stares wide-eyed at the assembled materials, and then rushes over to Hoshiko. "Asahina-san! Kuni-san! I read..." he begins to pat at his obi for the letter. It is not there. "...I read somewhere that you have finished the ritual! HOW EXCITING!!!!!!!"

Despite the solemnity of the entire occasion, Hoshiko cracks a smile at the daimyo's enthusiasm. "We certainly hope we have." She passes him a scroll with his information. "The ritual circle over there, and we have a mask for the binding, and boxes for sealing. Though the aim is to hold it only to eventually sent it back where it ought to be."

She'll greet Sadako with a solemn nod and nervous greeting. Higashime receives an additional deep bow and thanks for agreeing to assist in such an undertaking. It's still very, very strange to be among these rather junior delegates passing along ritual instructions to a clan champion.

(Info on the scrolls I suppose everyone must have for casting and engaging their swords)

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.

[Shiba Higashime]

Lady Shiba drew Ofushikai and stood to Shintaro's right in a fairly classic Shiba stance.

[Doji Minehime]

Lady Doji slid Shukujo free from the scabbard and a peal of purest music echoed over the hills. She processed slowly to stand at Hoshiko's elbow, the sword held before her.

[Seppun Sadako]

Sadako takes up a position in what seems will be another ritual circle, adopting a wide stance with her knees bent, rooting herself firmly.

[Asahina Hoshiko]

(Restraint rolls in whatever order. I don't want to hold things when people are in and out with weekend stuff going on. If you haven't posted arrival yet, that's fine. Feel free to post it in the past tense as you get your ritual on.)

When all is ready, Hoshiko lights her incense, and thinks of what they've learned. She thinks of the ambitions of emperors and those who would take the role. "We call the spirit here that names itself Hantei Ningi, we call it to answer and hear the anger of the wind. The upset of the elements at your wrongful stay in this realm needs an answer. You claim they and all here belong to you, and the entire natural order says 'no!'" The words remained simple to keep communication clear with the unhuman kami, and firm to keep the flighty spirits focused.

Robes and hair flutter in their enthusiastic response.


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D14 Ritual spellcasting: Air. Affinity VP 1 raise | 8k4 ⇒ 42 (TN: 20)
Sakkaku taunting less conservative raises, but I don't buy it. XD
-1 to Binding TN

[Kitsu Shintaro]

Kitsu Shintaro raised his arms and the dew on the grass began to rise, the droplets joining into a single watery object: that of a great throne hovering in the center of the circle.

Sodan-Senzo Water Powers Activate! Void spent. 3 raises called. | 10k8 ⇒ 53 (TN: 30)

-3 to Binding TN

[Daidoji Ryu]

Ryu was also there! Mostly just as support.

His grey eyes were a little wide as he watched the proceedings, but he was otherwise as placid as ever.

[Doji Shinnosuke]

Shinnosuke arrives bringing the antique mask wrapped in a thick, soft, cloth. He'll give it to one of the shugenja to place in its spot in the ritual circle. The face the mask represents is human, but unsettled and unsettling.



He retires to a spot out of the way. It felt right to be here--one player, one mask, and a very fine antique mask he's rather fond of, at that--but he very much doesn't want to get in the way. In the last act of the play, the unquiet ghost is supposed to reveal its true face, tell its story, and be laid to rest, but in this case Shin is only playing the waki, if even that. The comic kyogen dancer waiting in the wings, maybe.

[Yasuki Masaki]

Masaki had travelled along with Shiori and others - and also covered in a straw cloak. Her greetings to the others gathered were polite, but considerably more somber than her usual tone.

With Hoshiko and Shintaro starting the procedures to restrain the spirit, she keeps attentive, waiting for others to complete that stage to step in when the time comes to bind the spirit.

[Yogo Kiuchi]

Kiuchi had prepared for this. He had spent most of his time since learning about the situation. And when it came time, he called to the fire kami.... who did not answer.

Somehow, he knew his mother was laughing right now.

EDIT: Forgot to include the roll.

Ritual Restraint 2 Raises VOID | 7k4 ⇒ 23 (TN: 25)

[Hantei Ningi]

Kiuchi had prepared for this. He had spent most of his time since learning about the situation. And when it came time, he called to the fire kami.... who did not answer.

The quavering of the elements attracts the attention of...something.

An image of it resolves before Kiuchi's eye, before the eyes of all present: a tall figure that might have been regal, once, but is now emaciated, grasping, hungry.

"All that is in the Empire is mine!" it snarls. "It belongs to me! And so do you!

It reaches for Kiuchi, spectral skeletal hand extended, reaching into his chest, grabbing at his heart with cold fingers, trying to force its way in...

~~~~~
Contested Willpower roll; you may add your Honor to the result of your roll.
You're facing a 35, https://sakkaku.org/r/17570; meet or exceed to resist.

[Yogo Kiuchi]

Kiuchi tried to resist, but an Emperor, even a dead one cast into the Realm of Hungering Ghosts, is too much for him.

Willpower VOID | 4k4+1 ⇒ 18 (TN: 35)

[Mirumoto Jinkan]

Jinkan was there in his nicest robes, and looking forward to watching the Empire come together for the greater good. Also equally entertaining, explode into madness. He would sneak glances at Bayushi Kaguya when she arrived.

[Hantei Ningi]

"Yield to me! Give me what is mine!"

And then Kiuchi is Ningi, and Ningi is Kiuchi.

The mask falls away, and a face of hatred looks out for a moment.

"Wait, what?"

The body that had belonged to the Scorpion tries to move and cannot.

"Move, you worthless flesh-sack!"

[Daidoji Ryu]

Ryu shifted, going from kneeling to up on one knee. His hand flashed to the hilt of his katana.

But his grey eyes flashed to Hoshiko, and he waited.