Kagenari no Koto, the art of shadow's form, was the Rokugani term for the art which called upon the power of darkness that laid within Soshi and was adopted by him. Its use was borderline forbidden due to its dangerous power, and only the highest-ranking daimyō of the Scorpion families were aware of its existence and the dōjō where it was taught. [1]
Recruitment[]
Kagenari was taught only to the most promising members of the Soshi, handpicked by the Soshi Daimyō, and some of them had an innate connection to the Void. Some truly gifted students were also trained as shinobi, but others were instead imbued with the shadow's blessing through a brand, a marking which imprinted the powerful properties of the shadow directly onto the skin. [1]
Abilities[]
Kagenari practitioners wielded the ability to control and become one with shadows, to alter their physical form, such as shape, size, and movement, to match the surrounding darkness. [1] shinobi adopting this secretive art could manifest Void powers to hide in plain sight, meld into shadow, or project phantom images. The cost of these powers was oneself, as frequent wielders of these powers inevitably loose their grasp on reality, becoming paranoid and delusional. [2]
Shadow Branding[]
The process of being shadow branded was long and excruciating, with sometimes unforeseen and unprecedented results. The rituals must be undertaken during the dead of night under a new moon, with the light of but a single candle. The rituals of the Hidden Moon Dōjō were the most lavish and excruciating, to heighten the potency of their brands. Many rituals might accidentally terminate in death. The brand appeared as an intrincate black labyrinth of swirls and knots on the skin, resembling a tattoo, and it could not be seen in the light of the sun. [1]
References
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