| Please note: This article is about the ritual of the Unicorn Clan to accept foreigners within the Clan. For other uses of the term, please see Blood Rite (disambiguation). |
Blood Rite was a ritual used by the Unicorn Clan to accept foreigners within the Clan. [1]
Ki-Rin Exodus[]
To survive during the Ki-Rin's Exodus the Ki-Rin Clan knew they had to meddle their blood with the Ujik-hai. But they also realized they would lost its divine connection within three generations doing that. The Kami Shinjo left the Clan to seek a solution, and after four months she returned, to spend one more week with Iuchi. They developed the Blood Rite. [2]
Shinjo[]
Shinjo gathered the tribesmen around the mikoshi, the portable shrine they had brought from Rokugan, and withdrew a bloodstone necklace from her throat. Shinjo bled many hours as Iuchi conducted the Blood Rite, inducting all found worthy of joining with the clan. The bloodstone had been placed into a breast pin and worn by the Shinjo Daimyo ever since. [2]
Supplicants[]
The Ki-Rin formalized a ritual to adopt the newcomers. The supplicant was questioned, and if he was considered worthy, he was allowed to join on a probationary basis. They were treated as a working guest learning the Clan ways, until they were prepared to perform the Blood Rite. [1]
Ritual[]
The candidate was purified in a ceremony performed by the Iuchi. The Clan's Daimyo held the bloodstone on his fist, and blood dripped magically from his hand. The candidate placed their chop on a vow of fealty, burnt the document and brewed it into tea. An Iuchi Shugenja took one drop and placed it into the tea, which was drunk. In such a way his vow reached the center of hid being, his Chi, and at the same time the divine Kami essence was transferred to the candidate. [3]
Aftermath[]
The adopted took new names in the Rokugani tradition [3] and they were known as 'Blood Brother' and were full members of the Clan. After the return of the Clan to Rokugan the Rite was only performed at the Clan's annual conclave. [4]
References
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