Kansen (TCG)

A Kansen

Kansen were corrupted kami that spilled forth from Jigoku or were once kami dwelling within Rokugan before becoming corrupted. They bloomed in the wake of devastation, choking out all life or twisting it with their touch. Their thirst for true desolation made them single-minded and terrible. Kansen were found in the Shadowlands and summoned by practitioners of Mahō to perform magical, but evil, displays of power. Those mortals were called mahō-tsukai and they must always provide a sacrifice to fuel mahō techniques. This was usually blood, but particularly evil acts could in and of themselves function as sacrifices. Kansen might answer invocations of Shugenja who had violent emotions while practicing shugendō for violence. Anyone who heared the whispers of kansen could learn incantations from these vile spirits, who lured people into service with promises of great power.

The Blood Price

Kansen required a sacrifice of fresh blood. Most kansen craved human blood, and the practitioner's own blood signifief a personal sacrifice. Mahō-tsukai quickly learned where to make cuts that bleed freely without causing permanent damage. Some kansen preferred the blood of high-born samurai, powerful shugenja, or enlightened monks, or that from a specific family or clan. To arrange a sacrifice for a demanding kansen, a mahō-tsukai might perform many smaller sacrifices and rituals that helped them set up the final victim and remove any yōjimbō or other obstacles.

External Links

• Bloodthirsty Kansen (Under Fu Leng's Shadow)

References

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