In Rokugan, magic is a very real thing. Spirits of the elements dwell in everything and shugenja are trained to get the spirits to do their bidding. In addition, monsters stalk the lands, and society is keenly aware of the Shadowlands, where nightmares walk about in putrid flesh.
History[]
The Isawa family were the discoverers of magic within Rokugan. It is said that Isawa's younger brother was the one to made the actual discovery, but Isawa was the one who realized the full potential of the craft. At the time, Isawa saw magic as a tool to give his "Children of the Earth" an equal footing with the extraordinary power of the "Children of the Sky". [1]
Dangers of spellcraft[]
Not every spell is cast perfectly. Usually, failed incantations merely have no effect, but sometimes, the kami are angered and lash out. All sorts of disasters are possible if this should happen, one of the most devastating being the shugenja being driven mad. Most in this situation are unstable for the rest of their lives, scarred in one of the elements. Each time that shugenja casts a spell from that particular element, he stands a chance of losing control of himself. [2]
Spell research[]
- This section is covered more in-depth in the article Spell research
Even the most common spells known by shugenja across Rokugan had to be created at some point in time. All spells known were created through a process known as spell research. [3] When a shugenja wants to create an effect that is previously unseen, he generally spends several months in his school's library, researching the spell effect he wishes to create before he actually attempts to create the spell. [4]
Spells[]
Spells were ritualized prayers that invoked the kami in a carefully researched, specific manner to accomplish incredible effects. [5]
See also[]
References
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