Spells

This spell calls on the purity of jade to protect its targets against the power of Jigoku, whether manifested as Taint or as the dreaded magic known as maho. The target radiates the sacred green light of jade, and while the spell lasts, he cannot gain the Shadowlands Taint and is completely immune to the effects of all maho spells. This spell cannot be cast on anyone who possesses at least one full Rank of Taint, for the pure jade spirits will recoil from such a corrupt individual, immediately alerting the caster to this individual's Tainted nature.

This spell is the most powerful of the physically protective Earth spells, calling on the favor of the Dragon of Earth to enshroud the targets with protection against all forms of harm. The Earth spirits absorb all damage which the targets suffer while the spell lasts. However, there are limits to even Earth's endurance. Nemuranai can bypass the protection. Further, if the Earth spirits protecting a specific target absorb a total of 100 Wounds of damage, they will be exhausted and the spell's effects on that target come to an end.

The most powerful of the binding spells which Earth shugenja use to deal with dangerous creatures, this spell can literally imprison the essence of such a creature for as long as the caster desires. Casting this spell requires that the caster possess a gem or pearl in which to imprison the creature (the GM may, discretionally, allow other rare or precious items to be used, such as a beautifully inlaid puzzle-box or a crystal pendant). The spell can target any creature native to the realms of Jigoku, Gaki-do, or Toshigoku, and any other non-human creature with at least 1 full Rank of Taint.

After casting the spell, the caster must make a Contested Willpower roll against the target. If the caster wins, the creature's physical body vanishes and its essence is imprisoned within the item. It will remain there indefinitely unless the item is physically destroyed. If that happens, the released creature immediately resumes its physical form, and will most likely seek vengeance against the caster or his descendants.

The Earth itself arises and takes form to defend you. The ultimate realization of the Summon spell, this prayer summons a massive kami of pure Earth to serve you. It takes the form of a vaguely humanoid shape, roughly ten feet in height, with a broad body and thick limbs all formed of earth and stone. This mighty Earth kami may move up to 5 x your earth per round, and its footsteps shake the earth in a twenty foot radius around it, preventing anyone from making Simple Move Actions within its area of effect. This Earth spirit is treated as if it has all Physical Traits equal to your Earth Ring, and attacks with a Jiujutsu Skill rank equal to half your Earth Ring. The kami can carry up to 1,000 pounds of weight if so commanded, and its blows are strong enough to destroy any wooden structure and to shatter stone walls of one-foot thickness. For purposes of taking damage, the spirit is considered to have Wounds as though it were a human with Earth equal to your Earth Ring, but suffers no Wound penalties. It is Invulnerable. If it is successfully reduced to zero wounds, it is dispelled.

Most famously used by Isawa Tadaka and Isawa Sezaru in the early twelfth century, this powerful variation of Rise, Earth is found solely in the Phoenix libraries. Thus far the Phoenix have not shared it with any other clan, although they seriously considered doing so during the Kali-Ma Invasion. Depending on specific campaign settings, the GM could also have this spell introduced to the wider Empire in an earlier era. The spell creates ten human-sized warriors, forming them from earth and stone and animating them with the power of the Earth kami which infuse them. The warriors will move, fight, and otherwise act as the caster commands, obediently and fearlessly. They have Traits and Rings equal to the caster’s Earth, attack (with swords made of stone) as though they have Kenjutsu of 4, and have Reduction equal to twice the caster’s Earth. Their swords are considered to have the Jade property. When destroyed (or when the spell’s duration ends) they collapse

into piles of loose earth.