Agasha Shodai
Phoenix Clan Mod 
Phoenix Clan * The Void Master * Tensai * Taisa * Enlightened * Paragon of Compassion * Unique
Posts: 783
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Post by Agasha Shodai on Feb 17, 2011 1:58:17 GMT -5
War: It is the bane and the salvation of humanity. It is a bane in that many lives are taken out of turn; removed from the Cosmic Wheel of Fate before their appointed time and the weave of reality must be recast lest the events of the present prevent those of the future from occurring. It is a salvation in that certain inequities of the world may be revealed by the actions of those who feel war is the only answer to their problems. The trick is to discover these inequities and to resolve them as quickly as possible. It must be done before emotion attaches itself to the act of war and feeds upon itself until the participants are so fixated on winning that they become agents of the bane of humanity. The irony of war is that to hate it, you strengthen it. War is a living, breathing force of nature; much as the kami are. But it is a mindless force that cares neither for those who would believe they are its master nor who is innocent. That is why war must be dealt with resolve of spirit, openness of mind, and a desire to minimize the threat it represents. This is done by fighting the battles that must be fought until the teeth of the war machine are worn to its nubs as swiftly as possible. It should be done with honor and respect for one's opponent because once the fighting is done, the survivors must be capable of living in harmony. When conflict ceases to be a viable option, then peace can step in to right the inequities that allowed war to flourish in the first place. In my youth, I relished in the act of battle; be it with katana, yumi, or my closest of companions, magic. It was only as I reached the pinnacle of my skills and became Tensai that I became aware - truly aware - of how much damage I had unwittingly caused. I began a quest of enlightenment, to purge my soul of those actions that I had come to regret. Enlightenment guided me to the Tao of Shinsei and I am honored to have learned its secrets as well as to have mastered my physical combat skills with the Tengu. It has been a arduous course, and yet I am still a young man with a long road through life ahead of me. I see the youth of the Empire training for their Gempuku, so I have gone to them - regardless of their clan - to pass on some of what I have learned in the hopes that they can avoid the mistakes I myself made. But know this: I am both teacher and student. This Tao is a living thing and as I learn new things, it may provide different dynamics on the earlier concepts. I hope to learn from you as much as you learn from me because this is the core of what it means to UNDERSTAND one another... And it is only when we understand one another - even if we do not agree - that we can respect our fellow man. When we respect each other, our disagreements become less prounced and cause fewer inetiquites that lead to war. This is the Tao of a warrior who fights for peace, though once his Tao propogates it will render him obsolete. It is a dichotomy to be selfless to the point of extinction, but it means a legacy that goes beyond how long the bards sing of your glory and honor. Your legacy... Will BE the future. This is my Tao... And I am glad to share it with you. Let us build a future that will be worth calling our legacy together. Many as one, one as many. Tensai Agasha Shodai |
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Post by tadakasan on Feb 17, 2011 2:10:10 GMT -5
*bows to Shodai, his hat hiding his face* Thank you very much for sharing this with all of us Shodai-san. There is much wisdom in your words, certainly more wisdom than I know I possess. And yet, by not knowing that, I know so much more. Yet another ironic diacotamy that the universe possesses... *he smiles a little* There is at least much wisdom in recognizing them.
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Agasha Shodai
Phoenix Clan Mod
Phoenix Clan * The Void Master * Tensai * Taisa * Enlightened * Paragon of Compassion * Unique
Posts: 783
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Post by Agasha Shodai on Feb 17, 2011 2:20:59 GMT -5
*Bows to Tadaka* I look forward to learning and sharing with you as well, my friend. There is one thing I would like to ask that maybe you, the one most in tune with the Void in our clan, may be able to confirm. As of late, I have noticed a trending of events that suggests the universe may, in fact, have a sense of humor; have you by any chance have noticed this as well?
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Agasha Shodai
Phoenix Clan Mod
Phoenix Clan * The Void Master * Tensai * Taisa * Enlightened * Paragon of Compassion * Unique
Posts: 783
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Post by Agasha Shodai on Feb 17, 2011 11:45:31 GMT -5
Shodai Sochi - Kiero no Kijutsu Heika
"First Steps - The Path of Magical Warfare"
Kiero no Kijutsu Heika is a discussion of utilizing magic for strategic combat rather than tactical combat.
Let me share with you a story of one of my journeys...
Shortly after I became Tensai, I was called upon to travel to the lands of the Mantis to deal with some seafaring bandits. I found myself yoked to a junior magistrate that had been assigned to deal with the issue. The man was skilled, but he knew little in the way of how to effectively use his combat resources. He thought in terms of the physical world only and all but ignored me when it came to times when work needed to be accomplished.
When we finally cornered the bandits in question and assaulted their island base, the leaders attempted to flee by boat. The magistrate ordered us to give chase and to destroy them to the last man. The man wanted more heads that he could present to his Daimyo as proof of the bandits' destruction, caring more for his personal glory than the lives of the men that served him.
As we boarded the boats to begin pursuit, I peered upon the skein of the heavens in an effort to see what destiny held for us. It showed me that the bandits would indeed die this night, but that if any direct combat ensued, many others would die out of turn; including the Magistrate, whom I could see in the Cosmic Wheel as playing a vital role in future events.
Knowing my words would fall upon deaf ears if spoken, I waited until we came into bow range of the other boats. I silently communed with the kami of the air and bid them ensure that any arrows that would hit the men on our boat would be deflected from landing killing blows.
Then I waited for the moment I had forseen coming - a small-tipped armor piercing arrow homed in on the Magistrate. With reflexes honed by years of combat skill and guided by the kami, I caught the arrow's shaft with my bare hands a mere palm's width from the Magistrate's right eye.
"Perhaps it is now time to try it my way, Honorable Magistrate." I suggested softly to him as I snapped the arrow in half and tossed it to the deck at his feet. The man, pale as a sheet - stunned by how close he'd come to being killed without any chance to survive - nodded in silent agreement.
Ordering the captains to allow the bandits to move out of bow range, I communed with the most powerful ocean kami I could find and told it my of desire to see the bandits destroyed. In reply to my request, the kami raised a semi-circular wall of water taller than the mast of the bandits' boat that cut off their ability to flee.
Many of the men aboard my boat gasped in awe or horror at the sight and there were numerous utterances of disbelief.
The bandits attempted to reverse course, but their fate had already been decreed by Destiny. With a roar of vengeance for the victims of the bandits, the salt water wall collapsed upon their ship, shattering it like a petulant child kicking over a castle of sand upon the beach.
As our ship bobbed slightly from the wave that wiped the bandits from the sea, I turned to the Magistrate, who now was on the verge of soiling himself, and said simply, "There is nothing wrong in seeking glory or honor, my friend, but try to remember in the future that your actions may have consequences for you and the men you command."
I share this story with you to demonstrate the principle of properly utilizing your battlefield resources. Any warrior - be they Bushi, Shugenja, or Courtier - learns on the battlefield to think outside the box and utilize their resources in unexpected ways in order to survive. They do this by thinking strategically.
When one thinks of utilizing magic in warfare, many picture Shugenja hurling bolts of lighting, fire or ice against the vanguard of the enemy from a distance. This, while useful in reducing the enemy's numbers, is a form of tactical warfare and does not lend itself to effectively bring a swift end to combat. There are some situations where such actions are necessary, but a properly utilized Shugenja - using strategic magical warfare - can weaken an entire army without taking a single unnecessary life.
"That is impossible without relying on dishonorable tactics or, worse, utilizing Maho." Is typically the first reaction of people when I tell them this truth, which I call Seniki Soujuu - Battlefield Management.
The story I shared with you is an example of Seniki Soujuu in action: it is performed by utilizing magic to make the field of battle a weapon in your arsenal; be it for offense or defense.
Every Shugenja - be they Initiate or Tensai - has a limit to how much mystical force they can channel without resting; each according to their gifts and talent. Generating elemental forces is particularly draining, even for those who specialize in a single element. For the same energy spent to destroy a dozen opponents, Soujuu Senkai could alter the battlefield for a half hour that could allow one man to disable or kill one hundred others.
The concept of Seniki Soujuu can be applied to any combat situation you may find yourself in. Let us use the Yobanjin invasion as an example. The gaijin have brought a massive army with them, thousands upon thousands of warriors, whose existence I have seen with my own eyes.
The Yobanjin encroach on the Empire through the mountains rather than the plains because they know that on the open plains the Unicorn and their cavalry would cut through them like a kama harvesting wheat. Yet depsite their effort to control the battlefield, a mere of twenty or thirty Shugenja untilizing Seniki Soujuu effectively could halt this massive army in their tracks.
How is such a feat possible?
I can think of four ways in a heartbeat, some of which would generate a massive body toll, others which would not. Let me name them in progressive severity...
Rain. Snow. Rockslide/Chasm. Lava.
Rain and Snow are the simplest and most elegant means of delaying and weakening the Yobanjin. Imagine that the gaijin return to their encampment for the night while a group of Shugenja gather on a plateau that overlooks them. The mystical adepts pool their energies to generate a powerful storm that is centered upon the camp and cause it to rain or snow heavily all night long.
If it is rain, the invaders wake to find the ground sodden and mucky; they must now expend more effort to trudge to the field of battle, potentially exhausting themselves before they can pose a threat.
If it is snow, they must expend even more energy to dig themselves out of their tents in the bitter cold which they may or may not have the proper attire to deal with. Many of them may freeze to death before they manage to do so.
The last two options, however, should be reserved for the most dire of situations because there could be unforseeable consequences of such a major manipulation of the terrain.
If the first two methods are insufficient, the Shugenja can summon an Earth kami to cause a rockslide or open a chasm that cuts off the gaijin's paths through the mountainous terrain. They must then spend days or weeks to either clear the debris/build a bridge to cross the divide or march south to the open plains.
The last option is lava. By summoning both an Earth and Fire kami, the Shugenja could open a rift in the mountain and call up a river of molten rock that would work its way downhill in the direction of the Yobanjin. Those who do not flee will meet a very hot and very painful end.
Are these the only options of Seniki Soujuu? Not in the least; all it takes is a mind open to alternatives to force-on-force conflict. Every location offers its own hazards that a strategically thinking general can use to his own advantage.
This concludes the Tao of Kiero no Kijutsu Heika. The next chapter of the Tao will discuss Kiero no It-kiuchi Kijutsu - The Path of Personal Combat Magic.
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Post by tadakasan on Feb 17, 2011 12:38:01 GMT -5
Oh, do not let me interrupt your lesson Shodai-san; learning and teaching are both some of the most sacred duties of the Phoenix. But as far as whether the Universe has a sense of humor, it most certainly does.
There are three basic ways to look at the universe and both suggest as such. One is to look at the Structure of the universe as a manifestation of it's personality and purposes. In such a casem the fact that Sakkaku has been a realm long before the Kami fell from Tengoku even suggests that it must be an intrical part of the Universe itself. This would imply that the Universe has a sense of humor, or at least mischief which could largely be said to be the same thing.
Another way to look at it is to look at the spirits that we meet in our every day lives as well as well not just those from other realms. Look at the kami and kansen that make up this world. Do they not have a sense of humor themselves? They do indeed and one needs only look to the air kami to see a personification of humor in the universe.
The last way is to look at what comes to us before we learn, what is instincually part of who we are rather than the way we are raised, for surely such basic things come from a universal design being an intrical part of us from the time we are born? The point is this; long before we learn to speak we learn how to expess our primal emotions. A baby cries when it is angry or sad, smiles when it's happy... and of course laughs when it is amused. We do not teach the babies to laugh. Nor do we teach them what to laugh at. Instead they are born with that capability, to find things humorous. if a sense of humor is woven into the fabric of our very being from birth, can it come anywhere but from the Universe itself having a sense of humor?
There are other ways one might point out the Universe's sense of humor, but none are quite as intrically part of the Universe, nor obviously humor rather than something like irony.
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Agasha Shodai
Phoenix Clan Mod
Phoenix Clan * The Void Master * Tensai * Taisa * Enlightened * Paragon of Compassion * Unique
Posts: 783
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Post by Agasha Shodai on Feb 19, 2011 21:40:51 GMT -5
*Smiles at Tadaka* Thank you for confirming that, my friend. When I attempted to pose the questions to the monks in Reihado Shinsei, they merely gave me odd looks... I think they thought me insane. I guess it is only something that we Shugenja can fully comprehend thanks to the deeper connection we have to nature.
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Agasha Shodai
Phoenix Clan Mod
Phoenix Clan * The Void Master * Tensai * Taisa * Enlightened * Paragon of Compassion * Unique
Posts: 783
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Post by Agasha Shodai on Feb 20, 2011 23:13:32 GMT -5
Nidai Sochi - Kiero no It-kiuchi Kijutsu
"Second Steps - The Path of Personal Combat Magic"
Kiero no It-kiuchi Kijutsu is a discussion of utilizing magic in unexpected ways to defeat an opponent when combat is your only option.
Any Shugenja worth his salt knows any number of jutsu for dealing with an opponent. Magic plays a pivotal role on the battlefield, whether its a massive fireball, armor plate fashioned from the earth, a weapon fashioned of water, or a wind that causes ones opponents to drift off to sleep. Every Shugenja family has their own spells... Some they share with others and gain popularity until everyone uses them; others they keep under the strictest of confidence, sharing them only with members of their own family and the rare outsider that has distinguished themselves enough to merit access.
I am the son of two Shugenja - my father Agasha Keitaro and my mother Agasha - formerly Isawa - Sakura - and so magic was a part of my life from the moment I was old enough to learn how to read and channel the energies of the world. I communed with my first kami - the friendly water spirit that inhabited my family's koi pond - before I had my sixth birthday. I was playing with balls of fire - something that made my mother nervous on many occasions - when others were playing with rubber balls or watching their older siblings prepare for their Gempuku.
I was a prodigy when it came to magic; amongst the most gifted novices in Kyuden Agasha in that I not only learned new spells fast, but - thanks to my Isawa mother - I was also capable of utilizing Void magic. My maternal grandfather had high hopes that one day I would be the next member of his family to sit on the Elemental Council - an honor he once held, though his failing health had made him resign when my mother was still a child - and he hoped to shape my destiny the way a potter molds clay. My paternal grandfather, a grizzled old Gunso, however, wanted to ensure his own legacy was passed down and, whenever he managed to convince my mother or father to let me spend the day with him, I learned the importance of warfare as a non-Shugenja can understand it.
As I got older I could see the time would come that I would have to pick one path: be it the path of the blade or the path of the scroll. I respected both of my grandfathers and decided that I would forge a path that would honor the things both had taught me and chose to stride both paths: like the Tamori, I became a Yamabushi. Neither of my grandfathers lived to see me become Tensai, which would have made my Isawa grandfather very happy, or be able to train my skills with the blade under the Kenku, a feat Gunso Agasha believed an impossible dream, but I can only hope they were proud of me.
It is important to maintain a wide focus in all things in life. Is it better to be a master of one skill at the cost of all others or to acquire aptitude in many and excel in several, even if you are not "the best?" "The Best" is the most trecherous phrase in the language of man: when you believe yourself to be "The Best" you become complacent. Your edge dulls and you begin to make mistakes.
I remember when I was traveling and helped train students at the Kakita Dueling Academy. The day came when the training class was permitted to hold weapons of live steel for the first time. One of my fellow instructors - a rather pompus yojimbo - chose to challenge one of the worst students to a duel. To this day, I do not know what the man was thinking, save that there was a significant amount of sake involved. In the first exchange, the student managed to hold his own against the teacher; though only just.
The yojimbo, full of braggadocio, chose to remove his armor, saying the boy wouldn't even be able to scratch his hakima. Before I could call off the sparring session, the seasoned veteran attacked the student. The student - instinctively - reacted the way he'd been trained; he deflected the wild blow and replied with a calm, decisive stroke that disemboweled the yojimbo before he realized that he'd missed.
*Ahem* - pardon me; managed to derail my own thoughts. These stories, however, provide valuable lessons that will come into play in later steps, so I will let them remain within this scroll.
Let that be another lesson: a true measure of a man is not found how he behaves when he is victorious and successful, but how he acts when he fails. It is better to focus on what you accomplish, rather than what you fail to achieve.
Now, back to the matter at hand.
Combat magic, in my Tao, is designed to enhance one's physical combat ability as much as it is designed to replace physical combat ability. When I was of age, I set out on a quest to learn the the many different magics in the world - the honorable ones, at least. I have been honored to be able to study with shugenja from every major - and many minor - clans. Using the political connections of my family, I have, over my many years, developed many new spells.
I have been granted permission to reveal the existence of four of the spells I have devised, describe their effects, and inform the studiers of my Tao where they might go in order to seek permission to learn them. If you find them interesting, you will have to rely on your own social savvy to acquire access to the studying them.
Kaisen Kijutsu
"Improvement Magic"
I categorize any magics that are designed to enhance a person's body Kaisen Kijutsu. These jutsu either improve your physical or mental abilities and are best suited for combat.
1. Senjou no Juumoku, "All Eyes of the Battlefield" - Humans rely primarily on our eyes and ears to be able to fight, whereas other species can rely on other senses. Humans have five senses - sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch - and Senjou no Juumoku enables your mind to gain insights from scent and touch, as well as augmenting sound. This is designed to be a multi-element spell that uses up to three elements - essentially opening up 3 extra "eyes" - but if you lack the ability to use such techniques, the jutsu is designed to reduce the effects by limiting the number of "eyes" you open.
A perfect Senjou no Juumoku requires one to be versed in Earth, Air, and Void magic. Those who can utilize the Earth "eye" have their sense of touch enhanced so that you can feel the movements of everything touching the ground within a five meter radius of your location. The Air "eye" enhances the eyes and ears to be able to discern ally from enemy without looking within the same radius, as well as being able to detect things moving in the air - such as arrows - to give you a chance to avoid them. The last "eye," that of the Void, will enhance your mental prowess allowing you to more efficiently process the extra sensory inputs and - for those that are really in tune with the Void - permit you the ability to see actions play out a few heartbeats before they happen.
The materials needed to learn Senjou no Juumoku - as with any of my spells that include the element of the Void - are housed in Kyuden Isawa.
2. Hachi Shitai no Tako, "Eight Arms of the Octopus" - Despite its deceptive name, this is actually an Earth element technique and is extremely handy when you are severely outnumbered. The spell causes six additional limbs fashioned of rock and dirt to erupt from the ground and attach themselves to your body or armor. The additional limbs are strong enough to wield weapons or deflect attacks, but because of the extra weight, you will see a reduction in your ability to move and dodge. It is best utilized in situations when you are defending a stationary position, such as a bridge or a fortress wall.
Since the extra limbs are controlled by your mind, it is very important to practice the spell to great extent before putting yourself in a life-or-death situation. There are a number of times I bruised - and occasionally broke - an arm bone because I was trying to move just my real arm and one of the spell-crafted arms tried to move into the same location at the same time.
I crafted Hachi Shitai no Tako with the assistance of the Tamori Shugenja of Shiro Mirumoto and the records are stored there.
Ikusa Kijutsu
"Battle Magic"
1. Ame no Jade, "Rain of Jade" - A spell that I devised with the aid of the Kuni Witch Hunters in Kyuden Hida, Ame no Jade involves using powdered Jade - approximately 30 units worth - to be dispursed by a Water Kami over an entire battlefield, though if the situation calls for a smaller or larger storm, the amount of jade is variable. Anything the rain falls on has the powdered jade absorbed by it. For Crab warriors, it is akin to drinking a cup of Jade Petal Tea in providing enhanced resistance to taint effects. For a tainted creature, it is devastating: taint-enhanced abilities are weakened, Maho-tsuki feel as though their skin is burning and interferes with their ability to concentrate, and - best of all - it can, temporarily, purge the ground in the Shadowlands of its vile taint.
Seek the Kuni of Kyuden Hida if you wish to learn this spell.
2. Kazeshini, "Wind of Death" - I devised Kazeshini under the precept of "If you cut the head off of a chicken, while the body may still move, it no longer does so well." It is an attack designed to allow you to target enemy leaders - Chui rank or higher - from a great distance and kill or disable them - all you need is to have line of sight in order to target the spell's effects. Kazeshini also requires a Shugenja's complete concentration while the flying blade of air with an edge sharper than the most finely honed katana edge is in motion. If you lose your focus, the blade will lose its edge or disappate altogether.
A word of caution regarding this Air spell, however... It can sever armor, sinew and bone of an enemy - or an ally if they step into the wrong spot at the wrong time. Since it requires all of a Shugenja's focus, it should only be used if in a fortified position or if you have an ally you trust to watch your back.
This spell was made with the assistance of the Asahina shugenja, you will need their cooperation to learn it.
Some of the spells that I crafted were done in my youth - back when I was headstrong and thrilled in the fight - as can be seen in their focus on wreaking havoc with one's opponents. A few, like Kazeshini and Senjou no Juumoku, were devised after I became the man I am now and are designed to minimize the duration of a fight and reducing the number of rents formed in the Cosmic Wheel from massive destruction. I choose to share both types with you because of the fact that there is a necessary duality in my Tao...
If we were to boil down Kiero no Kijutsu Heika - the first step of my Tao - into a single phrase, it would be: "Minimize destruction whenever it is possible." The second step, however, seems at odds with the first step. If we consolidate Kiero no It-kiuchi Kijutsu into its most basic tenants, it would be: "If destruction is the path to the greatest good, do not restrain yourself if you know your course is true."
In other words, it is all well and good to seek to minimize disrupting Destiny's course, but one must remember that we are but mere mortals. Destiny has a way of adapting things to ensure it's course remains true: if one man is killed out of turn, someone else will be called to fill the man's role. It is an act of vanity to assume that Fate depends on you and you alone to do the right thing all the time. Life is a trial for our souls that is as more about being's choices as it is about the path destiny sets us upon.
This concludes Kiero no It-kiuchi Kijutsu. Next we shall discuss Seishin no Hyougendoshite Kijutsu - Magic as an Expression of the Soul.
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