This spell is a prayer to Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, asking her to bestow her favor on the caster in the form of radiant Fire kami. (In the twelfth century, when Amaterasu is superceded first by Yakamo and then by the Jade Sun, the name and forms of this spell changes, but the effects remain the same.) Once the prayer is completed, warm sunlight blazes down on the chosen area, bathing it in full daylight even if it is at night, indoors, or underground.
This spell, one of the few directly protective prayers involving the Fire kami, asks the kami to protect one person, enveloping the target in a shroud of bright flames. Neither the target nor anything he carries takes damage from the spell, but anyone who comes into contact with him or strikes him with a melee attack takes 2k2 Wounds. Anyone the target strikes in melee with an unarmed attack or a weapon he carried when the spell was cast also takes an extra 2k2 Wounds. Anything the target puts down, however, cannot be picked back up without subjecting it to the damage from the spell.
This spell is especially popular among the more pacifstic types of shugenja, since it provides a way to avert a battle without actual violence. The spell evokes the full power of hundreds of Water kami to reduce the ground to a half-liquid mire while, at the same time, flling the air with water vapor to obscure vision. Entire armies have been rendered effectively helpless by this spell, unable to move or to strike out at their foes.
Perhaps the greatest gift Water can bestow requires a powerful shugenja to impart it to others. This spell is a complex ritual that requires an hour to cast, and can only be cast upon a willing target. For the duration of the spell, the target requires no food, drink, or sleep. A number of times during the duration equal to your School Rank, the target may replenish his Void Points as a Simple Action; this is the equivalent of recovering Void Points via a full night of rest. The target also recovers a number of Wounds per hour equal to twice your Water Ring.
The memory of the ocean is infinite, and its vast power can lay in wait for a very long time indeed. Upon completion of a successful casting of this spell, you may immediately cast a second spell of any element. This second spell must be a spell you can normally cast, and it must be of Mastery Level 3 or lower. If the second Spell Casting Roll is successful, the second spell is stored within you, and will not activate until a specific physical effect takes place, which you specify at the time of casting.
“The sea is a thing of great destructive power, but also great mercy and salvation.” - Asako Chukage
You wrap yourself in the protective embrace of the wave. Your Armor TN is increased by an amount equal to your Water Ring plus your School Rank for the duration of this spell.
This spell evokes a sudden blast of water that strikes with the heavy, irresistible power of the tide. The water is summoned into existence, fying out from the caster in a heavy mass and striking the target with gentle but nigh-irresistible power. The target must make a Contested Roll of his Strength against the caster’s Water – failure means Knockdown (the target is knocked Prone). The spell will also extinguish any open fames the targets are carrying (torches, lanterns, candles, etc).
Energy flows through the universe just as water flows through the mortal shell. You may send your energy to another, weakening yourself and strengthening them in the process. You may reduce any one of your Physical Traits by an amount up to your School Rank. The target of this spell increases the same Physical Trait by the same amount. If your Trait is reduced to 0 as a result of this spell, you immediately fall unconscious and the spell's duration is reduced to 1 round. No Trait may be enhanced above double its normal rank by this spell.
The prayer commonly known as Castle of Water protects the caster by creating a physical barrier of water kami to obstruct attackers. The Castle of Air, by contrast, protects the caster by creating a cunning illusion that confuses and bewilders attackers. The Air kami create a circular barrier of false sounds and images, making it incredibly difficult for attackers to actually perceive the correct location of anyone within the bounds of the Castle of Air. An attacker may believe he is striking at the caster when he is actually swinging at empty space.