TOKIUJI’S PRAYERS
Isawa Tokiuji was the Master of Void during the time
of the Gozoku. He is known for expanding the enrollment
of the Isawa School until it grew beyond the confines of
Kyuden Isawa. Tokiuji created the title of Adept and had
each of the Elemental Masters bestow the rank on five
of their most promising students. Each Adept was in turn
gifted with a position as a sensei, allowing many more
students to train in the Isawa methods.
Less well known are the gifts of prayer beads that Tokiuji
granted to each newfound Adept to help them begin their
school. Twenty of these mala (necklaces of beads) were
created, five for each of the four Elements. Each set was
carved from the wood of the Mori Isawa and etched with
symbols echoing the chosen Element, and each quickly
took on the physical properties of these Elements: mala of
Air were light and hollow, seeming to float, while mala of
Fire were warm to the touch and seemed charred on their
outer edges.
The mala beads became known as Tokiuji’s Prayers,
for the Master had whispered sanctified words over each
bead before bestowing his gift. Each set grants the same
benefit, but attunes to the Element for which it was
created. An individual who meditates at least once per
day with a set of these beads attunes the mystic nature of
Void to the Element of that mala, allowing him to treat the
Element as his Void for the purposes of making Raises and
determining how many Void Points he possesses.
Kaidanshu and Koan
g
– The Intangible M g
Magic
It is said that all things within the Celestial Wheel
possess a soul, even if that soul is not always “awake.” The
kami within any object exist unaware of the world around
them until something draws them out: either a forceful act
of creation, or proximity to wondrous persons or events.
Created nemuranai are called shokunin, while those jolted
awake by events or personal influence are called mijuku.
Nemuranai are as varied as the circumstances of their
creation, but almost all of them are physical vessels –
objects to be held and used. The exception to this pattern
are the Kaidanshu.
Kaidanshu and their cousins, the awakened koan,
are an extremely rare form of nemuranai which lacks a
physical form. Kaidanshu are stories or tales, and koan
are more focused philosophical conversations held with
the self (or others). Each exists in a mundane state, but
when awakened they – like physical nemuranai – become
mystical vessels to contain power, purpose, and will.
However, unlike other nemuranai, they exist solely in an
intangible state – the words of an awakened koan echo
Chapter Five
in the mind, but on paper they are only so much writing.
This enigma of ephemeral yet real power is what makes
scholars associate Kaidanshu and awakened koan with the
Void.
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THE WORLD IS NOT THE WORLD
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142
Chapter Five
CREATION AND USE
Each Kaidanshu arises from either a powerful story
(often one of the Kwaidan tales discussed earlier in this
chapter) or a profound koan. They are created in much the
same way as other nemuranai, and vary in power along the
same parameters. Some are willed into being by a mystic
(monk or shugenja) exerting close ties to the Void, while
others awaken out of circumstance. For example, days of
meditation on the One Hand Koan by a mystic potent in
the Void could awaken a Kaidanshu quite suddenly.
Kaidanshu are more limited in their use than other
nemuranai; their abilities usually only benefit the
individual who created them or whose understanding
brought them into being. Additionally, Kaidanshu and
awakened koan cannot simply be “used” in the same
manner as physical nemuranai. Each requires a brief but
intense consideration of their meaning and “center” by the
user. In game terms, this is either a Free Action or a Simple
Action (as the GM judges appropriate) and a Meditation/
Void roll, with a TN based on the power gained from the
item. (TN 30 should probably be considered the base TN,
since it is never easy to master the profound difficulty of
true understanding.) A typical Kaidanshu may only be
used once per day, since their profound sense of
wonder is not easily invoked or replaced, and
their duration tends to be short.
In game terms, a Kaidanshu can be created with
Spellcraft, Meditation, or Storytelling, using the Void
Ring and a TN chosen by the GM based on the potential
power of the item. For spontaneously created Kaidanshu,
any listener who perceives the “heart” or “center” of a
story or koan might suddenly “see the Void” and awaken
the nemuranai. The GM may also consider exceptional
circumstances such as fasting for days or residing in a
location with a deep connection to the Void.
GIFTING THE WISDOM
It may seem odd to think of ephemeral stories which
can be freely told to others as “magic items” in any normal
sense. However, simple recitation of a story does not
attune the listener to the Kaidanshu’s gift any more than
picking up a rare and unique weapon instantly grants the
new owner its powers. Kaidanshu are not just mysteries,
but brief glimpses behind the Void into the inner workings
of the Celestial Wheel itself, and they must be mastered
with care before they bestow their powers.
All that being said, a Kaidanshu may be “gifted” in
a variety of ways. Perhaps a mystic creature, monk, or
shugenja whispers an insightful truth and it dramatically
attunes the character’s perception to the “center” of a tale.
However, to pass on Kaidanshu is a gift, and requires a
corresponding loss – one cannot both pass on the wisdom
and continue to benefit from its effects. In game terms, a
Meditation/Void Roll (TN 35 or higher) should be required
along with long hours of recitation, meditation, or
pondering of the tale. Perform: Storytelling may be used
in place of Meditation if the GM judges it suitable, but the
Ring is always Void.

EXAMPLES OF KAIDANSHU
Kaidanshu focus on the understanding of a tale as it
relates to a task at hand. Their power is drawn from the
enigmatic nature and mysterious qualities of the “fifth
Element,” and there is no end to the power they may
unleash. The examples listed below include both koan and
some of the stories described earlier in this chapter.

ONE HAND:
“Two hands clap and there is a sound. What is the
sound of one hand?” When it is first heard, a koan is a
static thing upon which to focus attention. After repetition,
however, one can realize it is a dynamic thing – the act
of seeking an answer allows one to see the self within the
koan. When one realizes this identity, the “two hands”
become one. The practitioner becomes the koan being
understood; that is the sound of one hand. An awakened
form of this koan allows a character to reach beyond
EXAMPLES OF MINOR AWAKENED
KOAN
Each of the following awakened koan requires a Simple
Action and a Meditation/Void roll at TN 30 to activate it.
It then grants a +1k0 bonus to the next roll (within ten
minutes) on a specific Skill:
Following the rules and protecting bureaucracy is
binding oneself without rope. (Courtier or Lore: Law.)
Neglecting written records with unrestrained ideas is

normal limitations, exceeding the normal maximum Raise
limit by one (or more if the character makes Raises on the
Meditation/Void Roll to activate the koan).
DESTROYING ENLIGHTENMENT:
The great monk Hua Toa said: “If you discover
Chapter Five
falling into a deep pit. (Any Lore Skill.)
To be awake and not ignorant is to wear chains and
carry a boulder. (Any Intelligence-based Skill.)
A person who perceives thoughts as they immediately 143
arise is tinkering with the Void. (Investigation.)

THE WORLD IS NOT THE WORLD

Enlightenment you must destroy it.” Realization of Without thinking of good or evil, show me your original
this koan makes one aware that the preconception of face before your mother and father were born. (Lore:
Enlightenment as a separate and external thing is false and Heraldry or Acting.)
must be removed. It allows the user to deny connection
to the Void in another who is unable to achieve this
understanding. The master of this koan n makes an Opposed
uccessful, the target
Void Roll against a chosen target – if successful,
cannot spend Void Points for a number ber of Rounds
equal to the koan user’s Void Rank.

THE KISS OF KUCHISAKE-ONNA:

This Kaidanshu grants the user
the ability to deny the passions
of the body which the tale
shows as so dangerous. The user
is immune to any attempts at
emotional manipulation (including
Intimidation, Temptation, Fear,
and similar things) for a number of
Rounds equal to his Void.

SPIRITUAL DIPLOMACY:
This Kaidanshu grants the userr
skills based upon experience, but nott
necessarily his own experience. The he
character gains insight into a chosen en
oll
skill for a single roll, making that roll
with a number of Skill Ranks equal to his
Void. This replaces any ranks in the Skill
already possessed, and does not add onn or
grant Mastery benefits.