Maho

Maho is blood magic. It is fueled by the power of fresh blood and sacrifice, and draws from the sixth element: corruption. The use of maho Taints the users, forever linking them to Fu Leng and Jigoku. It calls upon kansen, evil spirits of corruption.

History and Use
Maho was not originally a creation of Fu Leng, but of the Tribe of Isawa. Before the Dark Lord fell, the Isawa practiced blood magic that was clean, voluntary and pure.

When Isawa's followers realized maho would no longer be free of Jigoku's influence once they allied with the Kami Shiba, they foreswore its use.

It was centuries before the research of Kuni Nakanu elevated maho from a primitive arcane art to an evil, destructive force.

Maho-tsukai generally believed that they bent the forces of the Shadowlands to their will, but they were mistaken. The use of maho served Fu Leng, regaardless of the user's intent. Tsukai were generally greedy and impatient shugenja, hoping to find a quick, easy way to immense power. Many believed that they could use maho only when necessary, completely unaware of its addictive nature.

Iuchiban
Centuries more passed after Nakanu's researches, when the sorcerer that would come to be known as Iuchiban unearthed the dark Kuni's notes. Iuchiban founded the Bloodspeakers, an organization of maho-tsukai and began making plans to raise an army of the undead to help him conquer Rokugan.

His immediate plans were foiled, but Iuchiban had also learned the secrets of immortality from the heartless Khadi. He was imprisoned only because he could not be killed, but he escaped centuries later and tried again. Once again, his plans did not bear fruit and once again he was contained, presumably for all time. Recently, he managed to escape once more, and now the Bloodspeakers were marching to battle throughout Rokugan and the Shadowlands, fighting for control of both.

Casting Maho
To cast a maho spell the sorcerer would invoke a prayer to the Dark God Fu Leng and, in order to gain his favour they would also have to spill blood. It did not however always have to be their own but the more blood spilled the better. Any who would call upon this power would became corrupted immediately, with the severity of the taint dependant on the complexity of the spell.

Maho Spells


The following is a list of known Maho Spells by mastery level.

Mastery Level 1

 * Bleeding
 * Blood and Darkness
 * Blood Rite
 * Curse of Weakness
 * Drain Soul
 * Heart of the Damned
 * Legacy of the Dark One
 * Limb Disruption
 * Pain
 * Rise Again
 * Reduce
 * Summon Undead Champion

Mastery Level 2

 * Caress of Fu Leng
 * Choking Death
 * Control Undead
 * Curse
 * Curse of the Unblinking Eye
 * Curse of the Water Spirits
 * Darkness Rising
 * Dark Wings
 * Fear
 * Hate's Heart
 * Mists of Fear
 * Unblinking Eye

Mastery Level 3

 * Animate the Dead
 * Blood of Midnight
 * Corruption of the Elements
 * Dancing with Demons
 * Dark Divination
 * Essence of Undeath
 * Fire and Blood
 * Flock of Blood
 * Obsidian Armor
 * Pekkle's Visage
 * Stealing Breath
 * Taint Strike

Mastery Level 4

 * Animate the Dead
 * Blood of the Ages
 * Curse
 * Dark Favors
 * Gift of the Maker
 * Possession
 * Summon Greater Kansen
 * Summon Oni
 * Touch of Death
 * Touch of Jigoku

Mastery Level 5

 * Create Elemental Vortex
 * Dominion of Fu Leng
 * Fierce Blood of the Earth
 * Fu Leng's Champion
 * Harvest of Death

Mastery Level 6

 * Rise, Taint
 * Summon Revenant
 * Summon Swamp Spirits

Mastery Level 7

 * Corruption of the Earth
 * Grip of Iuchiban
 * Stealing the Soul

Mastery Level 8

 * Summon Garegosu no Bakemono

Other Maho Spells

 * 1000 Years of Terrible Slumber
 * Banish Oni
 * Dancing with Demons
 * Dark Charisma
 * Gift of a Kansen
 * Heaven Has No Justice
 * No Pure Breaths
 * Sinful Dreams
 * Eat The Flesh
 * Tomb of Earth
 * Truth is a Scourge
 * Ward of Divine Peace
 * Ward of the Eight Kami

Mastery Levels
The mastery levels above are as listed in Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition. The mastery levels in Game Master's Pack; The Hare Clan appear to be approximately one level higher (as seen on Curse and Summon Oni).