Spirit's Binding and Reckoning

Timeline

Governor's Discreet Request - The governor, Miya Tetsuya, asked the group to discreetly save his friend Higuchi from a possessing spirit and the party discussed containment options. The disturbance in the palace led them to the kitchen where they found a disheveled woman exhibiting unnatural behavior. The group identified a foreign pendant removed from the woman, confirmed it had held a powerful spirit, secured a replacement vessel, and prepared the Central Garden pond as the controlled space for warding and extraction.

Private rescue request issued - Miya Tetsuya asked the group to discreetly save his friend Higuchi, a noble author, from a possessing spirit; Asahina provided a suitable vessel and Shiba Midori carried the ritual instructions. The group discussed using a Threshold Barrier and potentially waiting for Tonbo Kuma before acting.

• Governor’s quiet request - Miya Tetsuya, the governor, asked the group to discreetly save his friend Higuchi, a noble author, from a possessing spirit; Asahina Nao, an Asahina shugenja, had brought a suitable vessel, and Shiba Midori carried the ritual instructions.
• Plan to contain spirit - The group discussed using Threshold Barrier and possibly waiting for Tonbo Kuma, the Dragonfly shugenja, before acting.

Palace disturbance discovered - A sudden disturbance of shattering crockery prompted immediate action, and Miya Tetsuya led the group to the Palace Kitchen. They found a disheveled woman in a purple dress frantically feeding logs into the furnace despite late-summer heat.

• Sudden disturbance heard - Crockery shattered elsewhere in the palace, and Miya Tetsuya urged immediate action.
• Kitchen scene discovered - Miya Tetsuya led the group to the Palace Kitchen, where a disheveled woman in a purple dress frantically fed logs into the furnace despite late-summer heat.
• Unnatural behavior noted - Observations confirmed the woman’s boorish manners, ravenous eating, sweating while complaining of cold, and jerky movements were unnatural for a noble in the Governor’s Palace.

Confrontation and denial - Kakita Kazumi approached the woman and asked whether she was a lady or a spirit; the woman denied possession, complained about the heat, and stepped outside appearing confused. Observers noted her boorish manners, ravenous eating, sweating while claiming cold, and jerky movements as unnatural for a noble in the Governor’s Palace.

• Courtyard confrontation begins - Kakita Kazumi approached and asked who was present—lady or spirit; the woman denied possession, complained the house was too hot, and stepped outside looking confused.
• Foreign pendant spotted - Kakita Kazumi noticed a Gold Pendant With Red Gems Forming A Roaring Flame Emblem on the woman’s neck.
• Pendant stolen unnoticed - Kakita Kazumi deftly removed the pendant without the woman noticing and placed it in water; it briefly sizzled and burned his fingers.

Pendant identified as foreign - Kakita Kazumi noticed and covertly removed a Gold Pendant With Red Gems Forming A Roaring Flame Emblem, then placed it in water where it briefly sizzled and burned his fingers. Asahina noted the pendant’s non-Rokugani make, Shiba Midori began spiritual scrutiny, and Bayushi Monban identified the script as from the Burning Sands; Shiba Midori’s analysis showed the pendant had bound a very powerful spirit but was recently emptied.

• Non-Rokugani make confirmed - Asahina Nao remarked on the pendant’s foreign make; Shiba Midori began spiritual scrutiny while it remained in the water.
• Burning Sands script identified - Bayushi Monban identified the pendant’s engraved writing as script from the land of the Burning Sands, beyond Rokugan’s borders.
• Vessel formerly held spirit - Shiba Midori’s spiritual analysis found the pendant had used alien magic to bind a very powerful spirit, but the vessel was recently emptied.
• New box available - Asahina Nao offered a New Containment Vessel and proposed sealing the spirit once expelled from the host.

Garden chosen for warding - Asahina offered a New Containment Vessel and proposed sealing the spirit once expelled from the host. Miya Tetsuya suggested the Central Garden as the most controllable space, servants began closing its entrances, and the possessed woman wandered to the Central Garden pond where she undressed, bathed, and ate a goldfish raw. Bayushi Monban prepared the Threshold Barrier around the pond and completed its casting.

• Garden chosen for warding - Miya Tetsuya suggested the Central Garden as the most controllable space; servants began closing its entrances.
• Possessed in the pond - The woman wandered to the Central Garden Fish Pond, undressed, bathed, and at one point plucked and ate a goldfish raw.
• Threshold Barrier prepared - Bayushi Monban began marking and preparing a Threshold Barrier around the pond area while keeping a low profile.
• Barrier established - Bayushi Monban completed the Threshold Barrier enclosing the pond area; his demon wound burned during the casting.
• Forced crossing attempted - Bayushi Monban pulled the woman through the barrier; she slapped him, fled for her clothes, and the spirit remained within her.

Ritual Preparation and Extraction - Reinforcements arrived and the group clarified roles for ejection and sealing of the spirit. Shiba Midori and Bayushi Monban attempted multiple spiritual effects, discovered the trapping rite’s limitation against possessing spirits, and prioritized forcing the spirit from the host before sealing. Bayushi Monban used mobility and invoked powers while Shiba Midori coordinated the Cleansing Rite that forced the spirit to leave the host.

Reinforcements and roles assigned - Doji Setsuna returned with Tonbo Kuma and a bodyguard and briefed them on the situation. Doji Setsuna urged Tonbo Kuma to assist Bayushi Monban and Shiba Midori, and Asahina reiterated the need to expel the spirit before sealing.

• Reinforcements arrive - Doji Setsuna intercepted and returned with Tonbo Kuma, the Dragonfly shugenja (they/them), and a bodyguard, briefing them on the situation.
• Sealing plan clarified - Doji Setsuna urged Tonbo Kuma to assist Bayushi Monban and Shiba Midori; Asahina Nao reiterated the need to expel the spirit before sealing.

Initial magical attempts fail - Shiba Midori attempted to invoke Heart of Amaterasu to hinder the spirit but failed, subtly increasing the spirit’s next difficulty. Bayushi Monban’s second attempt to force separation by tackling the woman through the barrier failed to split the possessing spirit from the host, and Shiba Midori determined the trapping rite only works on unbound spirits.

• Heart of Amaterasu attempt - Shiba Midori attempted to invoke Heart of Amaterasu to hinder the spirit but failed, subtly increasing the spirit’s next difficulty.
• Second barrier push failed - Bayushi Monban tackled the woman through the barrier to force separation; the barrier did not split the possessing spirit from the host.
• Ritual limitation realized - Shiba Midori determined from the ritual text that the trapping rite only works on unbound spirits and could not affect a possessing spirit.

Extraction method chosen and empowered - The team aligned on first ejecting the spirit then sealing it; Asahina urged extraction, and Bayushi Monban invoked Riding the Clouds to reach Shiba Midori and deliver the vessel and instructions. Bayushi Monban declared himself a Kuni warden, drew Family (his blood-bound blade), and called on the Lady of Decay, producing animated clan-tattoos, changes in his hair and eyes, and manifesting a shadowy form, Onohime.

• Extraction prioritized - Asahina Nao urged the team to first eject the spirit, then use the vessel; the group aligned on that order.
• Riding the Clouds leap - Bayushi Monban invoked Riding the Clouds to swiftly reach Shiba Midori and deliver the vessel and instructions within range.
• Kuni warden revealed - Bayushi Monban declared himself a Kuni warden, drew Family, the blood-bound blade, and prepared to defend allies.
• Lady of Decay invoked - Bayushi Monban called on the Lady of Decay, causing animated clan-tattoo movements, half his hair to turn emerald, his eyes to blacken with emerald snowflakes, and a shadowy form, Onohime, to manifest.

Cleansing Rite forces Ifrit free - Shiba Midori and Bayushi Monban coordinated a Cleansing Rite; Bayushi Monban hurled Shiba Midori toward the possessed woman, who seized the woman’s temples and performed the rite. Flames erupted as a towering Ifrit of ash and fire separated from the woman and manifested within the barrier, and Asahina commenced the sealing ritual on the new vessel.

• Cleansing Rite coordinated - Shiba Midori and Bayushi Monban coordinated a Cleansing Rite to expel the spirit from Higuchi.
• Midori hurled to target - Bayushi Monban hurled Shiba Midori toward the possessed woman; Shiba Midori seized the woman’s temples and performed the Cleansing Rite.
• Ifrit forced out - Flames erupted as a towering Ifrit (efreet of ash and fire) separated from the woman and manifested within the barrier.
• Sealing rite begun - Asahina Nao commenced the sealing ritual on the new vessel while others engaged and contained the spirit.

Containment Combat and Aftermath - The Ifrit manifested within the Threshold Barrier and engaged the party, dealing critical damage to Kakita Kazumi before the group contained it. The Ifrit tested the ward, Doji Setsuna offered parley, and the spirit agreed to enter the provided vessel under compulsion; Shiba Midori completed containment rituals and felt the sealed box’s power. The party tended to the wounded, checked the freed host, exchanged heated words in public, and the shadow form receded.

Ifrit counters and injures Kazumi - Kakita Kazumi grabbed a bucket of water and closed on the Ifrit, landed an iaijutsu cut that knocked smoking coals from the Ifrit and inflicted a critical wound, and the Ifrit countered with a single powerful blow that knocked Kazumi unconscious and left him burning and bleeding. Asahina shouted warnings about the spirit’s lethality while the sealing ritual continued.

• Water bucket readied - Kakita Kazumi grabbed a nearby bucket of water and rushed to close the distance to the Ifrit.
• Iaijutsu strike landed - Kakita Kazumi executed an iaijutsu cut that knocked smoking coals from the Ifrit’s mass and inflicted a critical wound.
• Ifrit’s devastating counter - The Ifrit struck Kakita Kazumi with a single powerful blow, knocking him unconscious and leaving him burning and bleeding.
• Danger acknowledged - Asahina Nao shouted warnings about the spirit’s lethality and pressed on with the sealing ritual.

Ifrit contained within barrier - Bayushi Monban used Riding the Clouds to extract Kakita Kazumi from inside the barrier and stood over him defensively. Shiba Midori realized the Ifrit had manifested inside Bayushi Monban’s Threshold Barrier, the Ifrit tested the ward and failed to breach it, raging against its confinement.

• Rescue from the barrier - Bayushi Monban used Riding the Clouds to extract Kakita Kazumi from inside the barrier and stood over him defensively.
• Barrier caging confirmed - Shiba Midori realized the Ifrit had manifested inside Bayushi Monban’s Threshold Barrier, effectively caging it within the warded area.
• Ifrit tests the ward - The Ifrit attempted to breach the Threshold Barrier and failed, raging against its confinement.

Parley and spirit surrender - Doji Setsuna knelt at the barrier and offered to bear the spirit to a place it could be freed; Shiba Midori translated. The Ifrit asked whether it must shrink to fill a mortal again and said it would go with them if there were no other option; Shiba Midori invoked Fires of Purity on herself, rejected release, demanded containment for Rokugan’s safety, Doji Setsuna presented the new vessel, and the Ifrit collapsed into it with palpable sadness as Asahina completed the sealing ritual.

• Parley offered - Doji Setsuna knelt at the barrier and courteously offered to bear the spirit to a place where it could be freed; Shiba Midori translated.
• Spirit’s conditional assent - The Ifrit addressed Shiba Midori, asking if it must shrink to fill a mortal again, and stated it would go with them if there were no other option.
• Fire protection invoked - Shiba Midori invoked Fires of Purity upon herself, gaining protection against fire and imbuing her weapons with sacred quality.
• Containment demanded - Shiba Midori rejected releasing the spirit and demanded acceptance of containment for Rokugan’s safety.
• Vessel presented - Doji Setsuna presented the new vessel at the barrier; Shiba Midori instructed the spirit to enter.
• Spirit surrenders - The Ifrit collapsed into the vessel with palpable sadness; Asahina Nao completed the sealing ritual.

Aftercare and public confrontation - Shiba Midori sensed immense spiritual power in the sealed box and handled it carefully. Bayushi Monban performed a Theology Earth cleansing to remove Kakita Kazumi’s bleeding, the freed host Tonbo Higuchi was checked and found physically stable but exhausted, Bayushi Monban covered and escorted her to dress, Bayushi Monban rebuked Doji Setsuna for risking herself and declared her life his responsibility, Doji Setsuna replied sharply while holding the sealed box, Onohime withdrew and Bayushi Monban’s markings and hair returned to normal, and Asahina confirmed the Ifrit’s unusual surrender and successful containment.

• Power sensed in box - Shiba Midori felt immense spiritual power radiating from the sealed box and handled it with care.
• Kazumi’s bleeding cured - Bayushi Monban performed a Theology Earth cleansing to remove Kakita Kazumi’s bleeding condition after the battle.
• Host’s condition checked - Tonbo Higuchi, the freed host, appeared physically stable but exhausted and emotionally shaken by the ordeal.
• Dignity restored - Bayushi Monban covered Tonbo Higuchi and escorted her to dress appropriately after the possession and chaos.
• Public rebuke issued - Bayushi Monban, unmasked and still marked by the Lady of Decay’s touch, angrily rebuked Doji Setsuna for risking herself, declaring her life his responsibility.
• Heated reply given - Doji Setsuna, visibly shaken while holding the sealed box, replied sharply that he was relieved of that burden, both revealing intense emotion before witnesses.
• Shadow recedes - Onohime, the shadow form, withdrew; Bayushi Monban’s tattoos settled, his hair returned to normal, and his composure returned.
• Sealing outcome noted - Asahina Nao, holding the sealed vessel, remarked on the Ifrit’s unusual surrender and confirmed the successful containment.