There are few groups in the Emerald Empire as enigmatic and poorly understood as the monastic Asako sect known as the Henshin. Even among the Phoenix, very few outside the Asako family have any real understanding of the Henshin's ways. Most Rokugani believe the Henshin are merely a monastic group of courtiers and historians within the Asako, although their strange behaviors do distinguish them from other Asako and suggest they possess some manner of mystical or supernatural talent. Unfortunately, that recognition does little to assist in understanding the Henshin's ways.
The Henshin follow the Path of Man as revealed by Shiba to Asako. By developing perfect unity with the universe, tricking the Elements and learning their secrets, the Henshin can attain absolute perfection of the soul, which in turn grants divinity. The Henshin are essentially monks of a sort, and as apprentices they are known as michibuku. Once they have learned the secrets of the Path of Man, they are inducted into the ranks of the secretive fushihai, the true masters of the Henshin order. The fushihai hold deep knowledge of the universe and essentially immortal, able to live far beyond the normal mortal span. Some of the fushihai ascend to the Celestial Heavens upon their mortal death, becoming minor Fortunes and validating the Path of Man.
Rank One: The Four Mysteries
The first lesson of the mysterious Henshin is the relationship between the individual and the Elements that comprise all things. You may, as a Simple Action, increase or decrease both Traits associated with one of your Rings by an amount equal to your School Rank. This lasts for a number of minutes equal to your Insight Rank and may be done a total number of times per day equal to five times your Insight Rank. You may instead increase or decrease the Traits of another in a similar manner, but only by an amount equal to half your School Rank, rounding down (to a minimum of 1). Altering the Traits of an unknowing or unwilling target requires a Contested Willpower Roll. Traits reduced in this manner do not affect a target's Ring (and thus do not change Wound Ranks when the Earth Ring is targeted, etc.).
Rank Two: The Riddle of Earth
The stoic and straightforward kami of Earth are the simplest to entertain with one's riddles, and their blessings are potent indeed. As a Simple Action, you may invoke this Technique and gain Earth's blessing; you are immune to all Conditional Effects (excluding Grappled and Mounted) for a number of hours equal to your Earth Ring.
Rank Three: The Riddle of Air
The capricious spirits of Air can be delighted into conferring their blessings upon you. As a Simple Action, you may invoke the blessing of Air. The blessing lasts a number of hours equal to your School Rank. For the duration of this effect, you cannot be deceived by any illusion or other false images, and can perceive them as transparent falsehoods. If an illusion is created by a spell of higher Mastery Level than your Insight Rank, you and the spell's caster must engage in a Contested Air Roll. If you are defeated, you do not perceive the falsehood of the illusion.
Rank Four: The Riddle of Fire
The wrathful spirits of Fire can be entertained by your riddles, if only briefly. As a Complex Action you may invoke Fire's blessing to increase the number of kept dice on an unarmed damage roll (which is normally 0k1to your Fire Ring. This effect lasts a number of Rounds equal to your School Rank.
Alternatively, when an opponent strikes you with a melee attack, you may spend a Void Point to force a Contested Fire Ring Roll. If you are successful, the number of damage dice your opponent rolls is reduced by your Fire Ring.
Rank Five: The Riddle of Water
The mercurial spirits of Water can confer their speed and fluidity in exchange for your riddles. You must succeed at a Lore: Elements (Water) / Water Skill Roll against TN 20. If successful, you may take one Complex and one Simple Action per Turn, or you may instead take three Simple Actions per Turn.