Around a central area with cushions for seating, a number of small tables are available for people to display their interesting objects. People are encouraged to touch and examine the objects, react and discuss around them.
The decor evokes Meido, but aims to avoid doing so in a gloomy or spooky way. This is not a night of 100 candles with dim lights and a shrouded mirror.
There are mirrors though, evoking the karma mirrors of the underworld, in which one may see their past actions drawn forth for the judges. Some mounted on trees in the garden, others dangling, all adding flashes of light and movement in the light wind of the day. They counter the overcast skies with their unexpected flashes. The flashing glimpses of reflections might also remind one of a missing relative as they see just a moment of their own reflection, bent through memory to someone with a passing resemblance.
Emma-O's symbols are about. Origami representations of his fearsome black mempo, court implements as reminders of the judgement that waits there, and cleverly folded mazoku--the spirits who serve Emma-O endlessly
Scattered braziers offer warmth to gather around for those who don't find the mild winter weather all that mild. Servants have tea and light snacks on hand, and may be asked for more substantial fare for those who wish for a proper lunch before court.
The Objects and who will talk about them
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For Shintaro (should he tell a tale)
A war-fan, very faded. The black lacquer is hazed and cracked, while the gold symbols are of a progenitor house long faded beneath a pale Phoenix mon. The silk cord at the end of the handle is obviously newer.
For Sanjuro
A gold hair comb with an image of a ship's wheel and a gold and red fish. This belonged to her great-grandmother, an earth shugenja Yasuki, who trained with the Kuni before marrying into House Ageki as part of a trade deal.
For Ryusei
A one-eyed doll that is said belonged to a great-grand uncle of hers. This doll is much like a Daruma doll in look and cultural purpose in the Crab Clan, supposedly originating from the Kuni. The paint has aged to a brick red but it seems otherwise well taken care of.
For Yuna
A tenmoku style tea bowl produced in House Tanaka's oldest ceramics workshop, one of several his grandparents liked to use regularly while they were alive.
For Sayomi
A fan, painted mostly black, so the negative spaces form the image from the underlying warm gold silk. A bare winter cherry tree, with dry grasses at it's base. Plump buds along the gnarled branches hint at the bloom to come. Example of the technique Great-great... grandpa Isawa's fan.
For Hoshiko
A single white go stone. It was from the set his great-great-great....grandpa who was a go master played his last game upon. Upon it's conclusion, he divided up the stones among his children who divided it up among their children....
For Eiji
An ink pot, working with sandpiper designs, first owned by the first generation of House Shigi to have fancy stuff like "buildings" and pottery. It was broken at least twice, and has been repaired kintsugi-style- once with gold, once with silver.
For Ryoichi
An intricate lacquer box depicting stylised trees in golden and light green tones and red, golden and white poppy flowers. The box smells strongly of spices (the spices have been reserved elsewhere so they wouldn't interfere with the reading!), and has a few dents here and there which are still visible despite repairs over the ages. The box originally belonged to Masaki's great grandfather's grandparents (the stories told in the family vary as to whether the grandfather or grandmother - both seem to have used it), whose dealings greatly contributed to the family's fortunes while they were still part of a larger Yasuki house in the Crane. This part is known and told in the family - what is not known is what these deals involved (the family traditionally interprets the poppy flowers based on their Hanakotoba meanings, 'fun-loving', 'rejoice', 'success', and the dents as simple accidents... that is not quite what they actually represent
)For Masaki
A carp netsuke that has been in his family since it was owned by Shiozaki Hana, the founder of his house. It's said to have been a gift to Shiozaki Hana from an artist who was killed by the kolat.
For Shinnosuke
An old hand-held mirror that has been passed down for generations through the women in her family, passing from mother to the eldest daughter. It's made with bronze by Lion artisans.
For Shiori
The Onodera family sake cup, made from silver mined by his great-great-great-great grandfather and passed down for 6 generations.
