Embracing the essence of stone grants a monk incredible powers of resilience. When this Kiho is active, your TN penalties at all Wound Ranks are reduced by an amount equal to your Earth Ring. You may also continue to take Simple Actions when at the Down Wound Rank. This effect lasts a number of rounds equal to your Earth Ring.
You can attune yourself to minute vibrations in the earth and use them to detect the movement of others. While this Kiho is active you can detect the approach of any creature or individual that moves across the ground within a distance equal to your Insight Rank x 50 in feet. You only know the location of moving things in contact with the ground. If this Kiho is active when a skirmish begins, you cannot be ambushed or surprised by any land-bound opponent. This effect lasts a number of minutes equal to your Earth Ring.
Although part of the elemental fist set of Kiho, this particular technique is more defensive than offensive. While Earthen Fist is active, you may only adopt the Defense or Full Defense Stances. If an opponent makes a melee attack against you and misses, your next Turn you may attempt the Disarm Maneuver against that opponent (assuming they are within range) for no Raises and regardless of the normal restrictions of your stance, ending the Kiho's effect. This Kiho is rendered inactive if not used within one day of its activation.
Earth and Water are similar in that they have seemingly endless depths to their power and influence. However, where Water is relentless in its strength and power, the Earth knows no bounds in its purity and focus. This basic Earth Kiho is taught to monks of all aspects of the Brotherhood, as it helps them re-focus and center their chi in stressful or dangerous situations. When this Kiho is activated, you may immediately roll to recover from a non-permanent Condition or other effect that allows rolls for recovery, such as Dazed.
Rain and time wash the mountains, leaving it free from impurities. While this Kiho is active, you roll a number of additional dice equal to half your Earth Ring (rounded down) on any roll made to resist the effects of poison or disease.
This Kiho was developed early on by the more martial sects of the Brotherhood, but was rarely learned or used until the Wind’s Grace Order adopted it for use in its training. By focusing on the omnipresence of Air and letting go of mundane perception, you are able to fire an arrow at a target that is out of sight but may be in range. The arrow must still be able to travel in a straight line to the target—it will not suddenly pierce stone or turn corners, for example, but firing through a paper screen, amid total darkness, or through heavy smoke are all possible.
The wind is all around us, and by focusing his chi, a monk may see as the wind does, dramatically increasing his ability to perceive threats and preemptively counteract them. While this Kiho is active, if you have not yet taken your Turn during the current combat Round, you may spend a Void Point to immediately interrupt any opponent who declares a melee attack against you. As part of this interruption, you may either make a Move Action away from the opponent, or you may instead make an unarmed attack against them. Once you have done so, the effect of this Kiho ends.
By bringing their chi in alignment with that of the wind, monks may dramatically increase their reaction time and ability to evade the blow of others. While this Kiho is active, your Armor TN is increased by an amount equal to your Insight plus your Air Ring.
The power of the wind can carry messages and information well beyond the boundaries of human weakness. Some natural creatures with an affinity for Air already possess remarkable abilities that go unnoticed and unappreciated, and certain monks can mimic these abilities. While this Kiho is active, you may as a Complex Action focus your chi by remaining utterly still and unmoving. Once this is done, so long as you maintain concentration and do not move from your current position, you can see a number of miles equal to your School Rank.
Perhaps the most basic of all Kiho, Air Fist allows a monk to channel the energy of the wind and lend its speed to his strikes. While this Kiho is active, as long as the only attacks you make are unarmed attacks, your Initiative Score is increased by +5. If you make any other type of attack, the effect is immediately canceled. The damage of all unarmed strikes made while this Kiho is active is reduced by an amount equal to your Air Ring. This effect ends after a maximum of one day.