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>>37879167
Previous Thread: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/37838434/

Search for Title: Ryukuza on Suptg
Barrier Combat Guide: http://pastebin.com/rZLwzvGx
Twitter: @XsQuestmistress

Hebiki Akari's Tale: http://pastebin.com/3JjNVKbY

Kurao Yui's Tale: http://pastebin.com/qYJa4PwH

Kumatori Kiki's Tale: http://pastebin.com/pdjfAEEU

Akari's Lesson (R-18): http://pastebin.com/bnGavrhP

Kiki's Gift (R-18): http://pastebin.com/sLP3NcbC

Aniki, Senpai, and Me (R-18): http://pastebin.com/U1AxYhxK

Quest Pastebin: Under reconstruction.

Kiku, the shortest, is 5' 1" for ever and ever. Lesbian submissive.
Akari is 5' 3", and has another few inches to grow. Sexuality is weird, switch. Cosplayer!
Yui is 5' 4" and will only grow due to circumstances beyond her control (though she will be able to change her size, being Void oni). Dyke, switch.
Kiki is 5' 6", and is at full growth. Bisexual bottom.
Ryukusa is tall at 5' 8", but this becomes 6' in her true form. She is fully grown. Lesbian top.
Er Yin is the tallest at 5' 10" and is fully grown. Lesbian dominant.
Jinyuu is 5' 7" but persistently hovers an extra three inches above the ground or floor because of her nature as a seer. Straight.
Hinata-hakase is 6' 3". Sexuality is terrifying.
Hidesato is 5' 5". Straight.
Kushinada is 5' 8". Straighter.
Taisho Ryoga is 5' 9". Who knows.
Hyun Chisato is 5' 4”, and is fully grown. Lolicon with plausible deniability.
Rie is 8” tall or 5' 5”, and is fully cat. Her sexuality is cat.
Ryuu Wakaba is 5' 6" and is fully grown. Straight dominant.
Hagyu Genso is 12' 5” standing upright. He is by and large gay.
Mizumi Shoko is 7' 2”, is fully grown. Bisexual top.
Yuuhi is 4'11” and is fully grown. Yuuhi a cute.
Tokei Isusangi a.k.a. Inau-san is 5' 3”....
Reiha is 5' 5 1/2”, and is milfy.
Peta is 3' 2”. Peta is \>.</
>Talismans:
Akari – Centipede
Er Yin – Scorpion
Kiki – Toad
Kiku – Lizard
Yui – Snake
Ryukusa – Matagama-no-Shitoki

>>37879167
>[x] About the mechanics of the Five Element Theory in the World of Rryukuza.
Might as well start at the top!
>725 pages
Geez!

>>37879167
>[] Magic, Prayer, Ritual, Powers and Artifacts.
Also, an explination on how mortal fighters work. Ryuu Ryukuza seems pretty dismissive of them, but they were apparently crucial in killing her predecessor.
What separates them from a normal human?

>>37879167
>[x] The nature of Deities in the World of Ryukuza.
Pretty interested in this. Well, religion in general really.

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>>37879167

Well, all those subjects appear very interesting, and I'd to know the most about them possible. So I would vote "all of them".

If I had to chose one, though, it would be

>[] Magic, Prayer, Ritual, Powers and Artifacts.

With one question in particular: how does what Kiku did to Chisato differ from what Er Yin would have done?

>>37879167
>[] Magic, Prayer, Ritual, Powers and Artifacts.
Priestess and Seer stuff

>twelve point Ariel
Laundry has never been more thorough

>>37879167
XS, this is an awesome premise, trading is with mechanics. Can we choose multiple as 'normal', will multiple have ao a demolished amount of each, or one choice?
>[] Magic, Prayer, Ritual, Powers and Artifacts.
>>37879282 also had a good idea with mortals.

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>>37879278
Such an important and overlooked question!

There are two mechanics that are at work in the five Elements of the Spirit Children. The first is the one that is understood in the world - each element controlling, creating, destroying, or insulting another, and each one having specific effects upon the bodies and minds of those whom are associated with them. We see the powers of the elements as the powers of nature and life working and manifestign in various energies, leading to different abilities and talents. Those creatures who are not attuned to a specific element are affected equally by all of them, and protected equally from all of them, and their powers tend to be those not associated with the elements.

While in China Metal replaces the Japanese Void, they represent the same phenomena - that of the mind and the spirit, which is evident in the spiritual qualities of the katana as the exemplar of the void in the legends and stories of samurai; the daisho is the soul of the samurai.

Of course, there is a practical side this as well: each and every individual has a rating in each and every element. Having a higher rank means that they power of the element can overwhelm, and that is modified by the nature of the compared elements. The system would be similar to that of Weapons of the Gods, except implenented through Amber Diceless mechanics. Ryukusa, of course, has a heavy dose of Good Stuff, meanign luck and fortune smile upon her. A Curse can be considered Bad Stuff overwhelming her Good stuff temporarily, while most others have Neutral Stuff. There are exceptions among the family of course!

>>37879510
>XS, this is an awesome premise, trading is with mechanics. Can we choose multiple as 'normal', will multiple have ao a demolished amount of each, or one choice?
Did someone feed the bot Ryukuza.txt and it spat out this?

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>>37879282
>>37879456
>>37879474
>>37879510
Well, it seems that Ryuu Ryukusa's friends are most interested in this subject at the moment! But we will return to >>37879278 and >>37879556 a little later. I will also address >>37879306 as well, though a touch later, if you will excuse this poor Rice goddess her excursions into fancy!

>>37879644
I'm sure we'll get through anything anons are wondering about.

>>37879582
Just woke up, combine that with trying to 'type' shit on a phone and you get madness. It should be:
XS, this is an awesome premise, taking with us while teasing mechanics. Can we choose multiple as 'normal', will multiple choices have a diminshed amount of each, or one choice only?

>>37879730
Phone-posting: not once.

>>37879730
>More a combination of seeing what everyone is interested in, and answering mechanics and situational questions to an extent. I'll answer the mechanics questions as best I can explain, but a working knowledge of Weapons of the Gods and Amber Diceless will be helpful.

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[X] Magic, Prayer, Ritual, Powers and Artefacts.

In the World of Ryukuza, there are many types of magic and power, each stemming from their own place in the world. By this, I mean that each of the Seven Great Continents has their own magic and beliefs, which have been muddied and confused by humans since time immemorial. Each type of magic and power stems from the legends and history of it's people; even Americans have access to that kind of power, thought most would consider it 'technological advancement' as opposed to magic. Still, there are a few who can dip into the Westerner's world of power, bringing to life their own form of magic.

Sadly, as time has passed, humans have drawn away from the spirit world that exists along the real world, with only a few remarkable people being drawn into it enough to become sorcerers, magicians, or witches, or gaining blessings from their deities and gods and demons.

Obviously, in Japan, the two great religions that exist strongly are Buddhism and Shinto. Shinto is the stronger of the two in the World of Ryukuza because of the descent of the Emperor's bloodline with that of Ryujin. With the arrival of Bodhisattva and Buddhism, there was an upheaval in the spiritual nature of Japan for some time, and this lead to a widespread mingling of human bloodlines with those of youkai, certain kami, oni, and other spiritual presences. This forced the Great Kami to make a place for them in the world, and they now serve as intermediaries between the human world and the spirit world. This allows them to travel between the two as they wish.

As the spiritual warfare settled, so too did the nature of prayer, rituals and other spiritual abilities. Here in Japan, there are three distinct types of magical power: sorcery, which is using knowledge and secrets to enforce your will upon the natural world through supernatural means.

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>>37879963
Sorcery is the most difficult to learn, but anyone with strong will can learn it. The humans who use mystic powers to fight spirit children and youkai are often simply a kind of sorcerer. Because sorcery is an act of human will drawing upon the power of the spirits, there is no control save that which the human has learned. The caveat to this is that there is a limit on how much power a human can gather because human understanding is limited. Ryukusa-chan is often annoyed by such people because they overreach and over-estimate their abilities constantly; still, she has yet to meet a truly well trained sorcerer!

Then there is Prayer, which is appealing to the kami – or even youkai or other, stranger things! - to intercede on your behalf in the human world. Prayer also sustains the kami and can empower youkai, so the devotion given to the kami or the youkai can produce a grater or lesser effect depending on the number of people who worship and pray to the kami or youkai. The Catholics can use this technique especially well, since there is a single force and hierarchy they pray to! The Buddhists and certain spiritualists are among these – spiritualists often are more closely connected to the youkai, than they are to the kami, when they are not actually sorcerers.

Finally, there are Powers, which are innate gifts that a person or spirit child possesses and are innate to their bloodline or mikoto. Sometimes a trace of spirit blood will waken in someone and they will have a power. All Spirit-children have powers, thought the different types of spirit children have different types of powers. Even those associated with the same element can have drastically different abilities. Powers are innate and the strongest form of magic that can be used in the human world, but using too much can bring the attention of the kami, youkai, or worse, the Great Kami. It is forbidden to harm humans using Power except in the most dire of circumstances!

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>>37880007
There are many kinds of artifacts. There are holy ones, legendary ones, and those crafted by the gods. In Japan, if an object is old enough, cared for, and given due reverence and appreciation, it can awaken and become a kami. With enough reverence and attentiveness, such a thing can even be a form of artifact – many named swords are kami, not artifacts. The main difference between the two, is that an artifact of Japan is its own 'person', and not associated or known to be a kami.

The Ninigi, the Three Jewels of Japan, are such things. They are not kami, but they belong to the kami, and have been entrusted to humans for care and safekeeping. The Wish Granting Jewel is an artifact, rather than a kami, because it was fashioned by the kami for use by humans. Ryukusa's mukade bearing sword is a very weak artifact, but it is an artifact, because it was made so by power and fortune rather than through respect and worship as a kami blade would be. Excalibur would be an artifact, but the sheath would be a kami – something given power by its reverence and association. Likewise the Shroud of Turin is a kami, rather than an artifact.

The distinction is whether something is 'made to be the way it is' or whether something 'becomes the way it is.' A kami is something that becomes a spiritual thing, while an artifact is made a spiritual thing.

I hope that helps! Is there something more specific or would you like to ask another question?

>>37879940
>tfw you've only heard of the former.
Seems to work, though.

>>37880309
How the various methods of human abilities interact with someone like Chisato

>>37880309
Welcome back from exile, XS!
>Likewise the Shroud of Turin is a kami, rather than an artifact.
With the various non-Japanese mythologies and religions existing, I'm wondering how they coexist in more religiously diverse regions.

>>37880393
This. Also, the question of what would happen should a kami/artifact leave its place of devotion, or, in the case of weapons, are wielded by someone that doesn't believe or doesn't know about its lore. Think Ryukusa wielding Excalibur or the Holy Lance.

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>>37880383
>>37880393
>>37879306
Well, since you are asking, this hearkens back to the fellow who was asking about the nature of Deities in the World of Ryukuza.

>How the various methods of human abilities interact with someone like Chisato
>With the various non-Japanese mythologies and religions existing, I'm wondering how they coexist in more religiously diverse regions.
[X] The nature of Deities in the World of Ryukuza.


If you will give me just a moment, I will explain as best as a humble Rice Goddess can do so!

>>37880525
Of course.

>>37880525

May you receive eight million praises

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>How the various methods of human abilities interact with someone like Chisato
>With the various non-Japanese mythologies and religions existing, I'm wondering how they coexist in more religiously diverse regions.
>Also, the question of what would happen should a kami/artifact leave its place of devotion, or, in the case of weapons, are wielded by someone that doesn't believe or doesn't know about its lore.
[X] The nature of Deities in the World of Ryukuza.

While the Quest of our little dragonette is centered in Japan, the World of Ryukuza is of course much larger, as Er Yin-sensei and the Miko kiku-chan have demosntrated!

While the world as you may all know it is a culturally diverse place, the World of Ryukuza is somewhat less secular, while at the same time less diverse. The major religions still exist, but unlike the world you are familiar with, they are less adversarial at large, and are more intensely associated with those regions that they were born in. There is no 'Neo-pagan" movement in the World of Ryukuza, because those religions never truly died out. They may have been hidden (the Druids and the Norse) or they may have become less overt and entire societies may worship in secret (the Yoruba religions of Africa, practiced in the World of Ryukuza by vast groups of largely ignored indigenous peoples, or the practices of the Native Americans beneath the noses of the American people), or they may be simply overlooked and unknown (such as the Dreamtime, where huge numbers of Aboriginal people wander in and out of a massive Barrier that is contiguous with the continent of Australia!)

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>>37881004
This has had a polarizing effect on the diaspora of religious practice in the World of Ryukuza. The deities of each religion exist in their own places – heavens or hells or Dreamtimes – that exist near the central places of their societies. Takign the worship abroad has some effect, but because the deieities tend to reemain in their homes, there is a very real loss of power and strength in the prayers and convictions of those who worship. Because even ordinary humans are under the care of their deities, there is a stronger feelinf od security when one is devout and at home than when one is on a pilgrimige.

The other effect this has is to enable ordinary people to have mystical or even religious experiences they are unprepared for. An act of faith can be answered in person, if one is lucky (or particularly unlucky in some instances!) and likewise, those with faith can have a strong effect on those who are seekign somethgin to believe in. A side effect of this is that with the proper powers, rituals, or sorcery, entire groups can be brought into the world of the spirit children. When this happens, such people gain a limited Power, and this can have an effect on their children or even later generations – essentially making them a lineage of lesser spirit children.

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>>37881025
Of course, that also causes problems. Since the various gods and deities are locked into their places of power, and are unwiullign to leave them, this means that a worshipper or emmissary must take special precaustions against influence from others as well as maintaining ties to their own sorces of power. Temples are the main way to do this, but objects of faith – essentially, in the terminology of Shinto, kami – can be brought to other lands and maintain a link back to the homeland of the worshipper. A special icon such as a family bible or a blessed cross for a Chirstian, an amulet or strip of Runes for a Norseman, a fetish or gri-gris for an African Yoruba practitioner, for example. Ryukuza's Matagama-no-Shitoki and her sword Ame-no-Omukade-no-Musume would serve to sustain her as far away as Tibet or New Zealand, giving her access to more of her power than she would ordinarily have.

Naturally, this can cause problems if worshippers of the two religions come into conflict, as was the case when the Boddhisatva arrived in such force. But because the deities are active in these places, it can quickly become very overwhelming to an invading religion when their miracles and power are tested against the natives. It seems, the more internalized a religion is – acesticism, monastic worship, and internal empowerment such as Jainism or Buddhism – the more survivability it has in other regions.

Taoism is a special case!

Since the deities are very aware of their artifascts and tools, the use of such a thing by others is a good way to become embroiled in a conflict with the deities and worshippers of that religion. While the artifacts and relics of one religion may not respond to the worshippers of another, that doesn't make them powerless – but it will definitely attract a great deal of ire from the deities, and that causes people like Kushinada-chan, Hidesato-chan, or Inau-san to show up and take things in hand!

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>>37881048
Likewise, demigods exist in other pantheons of deities – the decendants of and Uther Pendragon, Beowulf, the line of Zion, or the get of Math ap Mathonwy could eassily show up in responds to the theft of artifacts and relics.

I think that answers most of the questions! Do you have something else pressing?

>Spellchecker is on the fritz again, damn it.

>>37881086
This was pretty interesting, I don't think I have any more questions on this though.

>>37881086
Well you didn't really explain Chisato. I mean, is she just some random human who can now see spirits with no real prospect to defend herself? Could she learn/use any of the types of magic in any reasonable timeframe? Does her position in our court give her any actual power (and would that change if we did some formal ceremony, or if we were to actually claim our full power and responsibility), ect.

>>37881086

Could you tell us about karma, and how it interact with the different powers and groups of deities?

For exemple, how could Hidesato-san pay off ehr karmic debt while being trapped in a Barrier, or how Ruy-dono's acts changed the effects of her cousin's powers.

>>37881086
Do the blood gods of the Aztecs still hold power? Can gods and pantheons be broken or killed?

>>37881086
May I ask what kind of corruption Ryukuza's Mikoto (I think I spelled that correctly) had sustained, or what kinds of corruption there are?

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>Well you didn't really explain Chisato.
>Could you tell us about karma, and how it interact with the different powers and groups of deities?
>Do the blood gods of the Aztecs still hold power?
>Can gods and pantheons be broken or killed?

Well, Chisato-san is now something like a lesser spirit-child, or a spiritualist. The gift that Kiku-chan has given her grants the ability to see into the true world, the realm the spirit-children live in. By itself, this has some advantages – if one is aware of something one is able to interact with it to an extent, in Shinto, and that can give one great power as well as placing one in severe danger. Against a true youkai or kami, she would be in grave danger, it is true – but at the same time, she would be aware of such things and pray, enter sacred ground, or even use incense to drive such things away or attract ones to protect her. By pairing her up with a spirit child, say, a pretty little nogitsune-born girl who is as cute as a button, she gains the protection of someone able to assist her in defending herself and who could teach her tricks and skills to cope with such creatures.

While Ryukusa-san calls it 'karma' what she is really talking about is not truly 'karma' as the Buddhists refer to it; it is a convenient word for a complex interaction. In Shinto, it is referred to as 'on', 'giri', and 'gimu'. It is more pervasive and complex, but essentially, it comes down to three things: permanent indebtedness that occurs passively that one repays by living properly and well and is paid out of loyalty, love, and respect (on); temporary indebtedness that has no limitation on time in it's repayment and is considered a favorable way to live and gives respect to those you return it to (giri); and debts incurred which must be paid in exact kind and within a given framework of time and effort (gimu). It is this last which is most important because of Barrier Combat.

>>37881086
>>37881185
>Could you tell us about karma, and how it interact with the different powers and groups of deities?
I'm also curious about this.
Karma is very important to Ryukusa, it ties into her previous incarnation and into her feud with Obaa-san, after all.

>>37881842
Barrier Combat inflicts a state of gimu, a sort of karmically binding burden upon the loser. It is inescapable and real, and must be repaid. It is more than a loss of face – it is an ordinance by the Great Kami, that to disrupt the natural order and cause spiritual damage to an area incurs a debt, and the debt is placed upon the loser to be repaid to the winner. Hidesato's debt to Ryukusa is of this nature, and she must repay it because the kami ordained it so. This is why Barrier Combat is never taught, only experienced by most people. Gimu is a heavy burden, and like all of what Ryukusa-san gleefully calls 'kami stuff' there is no way to escape the binding of it save through other kami-stuff.

How this works with other religions and deities is very difficult, because each group of deities has their own version of such matters – it makes things very troublesome when you owe a were-gild to a practitioner of seidr for killing her crow when you thought it was a transformed tengu who slew your father, and you are both correct! Ryukusa shouldn't have too much trouble with this as long as she remembers her nature and doesn't confuse it with other's beliefs....

I would suspect the old gods of the Aztec are still hidden and worshiped quietly by the secret peoples hidden in the many many miles of jungle in the South of America. I doubt they would allow their worshipers to leave easily, nor would they appreciate modern intruders! Likewise, the vulnerability of the deities and gods and goddesses is dependent upon the region, more than the religion. It is entirely possible to kill a kami, but ti requires effort and willfulness to do so. Merely discarding it will not work, but destroying the object it is associated with would harm and perhaps kill them. Greater Kami have died, of course, and sometimes they are reborn. Kamuy as well, can reincarnate, and the resurgence of Koshinto has made it even more probable rather than possible!

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>>37881867
That does not mean there can be no destruction of a religion, or deities, or a pantheon. In the World of Ryukuza it is simply much harder to do so – even Buddhism and Christianity have survived in Japan, despite all our best efforts!

>>May I ask what kind of corruption Ryukusa's Mikoto had sustained, or what kinds of corruption there are?

As for the corruption of Ryukusa's mikoto....the venom of a thousand youkai will leave it's mark, even in yomi, and Shinto is very much a religion of purification and rightful living. A death leaves stains, upon the killer and upon the killed, which is why it is so dangerous to murder others in Shinto. A righteous death deserved is less of an issue, but it too leaves stains. Ryukusa-chan does need to take care of herself soon, but that is coming soon, when she visits the ocean.

There are many kinds of corruption – actions, spiritual, taint from sources, poisons of sorcery and power. The main thing to remember is that purification is needed to counter them all. Being a creature of Water, Ryukusa-san is less prone to corruption of her body, but her mind is another matter entirely. Unfortunately, because she is lacking her full mikoto, she is also prone to spiritual corruption from powerful spirit children, especially in Barrier Combat. Inau-san might have more insight into that than a mere kami like myself, but truly, Kiku-chan can explain in much better detail.

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>>37881895
The main thing is that corruption of the mikoto can only be caused by spiritual poisons, be it self inflicted or inflicted by others. The body and mind are more easily corrupted, but also more easily cleansed and purified. Much of Shinto and Koshinto is dependent upon purification of the body and soul and mind, and all spirit children are affected by this to an extent. It is worth nothing some are more prone to corrupting influences than others – youkai-children and demon-children are especially vulnerable, while demigods and kami-children are less so by their very nature. Dragon-children run the gamut, depending on their elemental nature.

This humble rice goddess has time for one more question, or can finish the explanation of how the Five Elements influences Ryukusa-san's world in a more mechanical manner.

>>37881925
I'd enjoy some continued explanation of the elements!

>>37881925
Elements.

>>37881925
Please continue your explanation from earlier, if you can, and thank you for explaining these things to us.

Also, thank you for bringing up Weapons of the Gods and Amber Diceless, I'm always interested in narrative systems.

>>37881925
Please, do Continue tlling us about the Elements, Dame XS.

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>Karma is very important to Ryukusa, it ties into her previous incarnation and into her feud with Obaa-san, after all.

This would be an example of gimu – an obligation based on the injury and insult done to Horobi and the enforced payment on the part of Oba-san....though whether or not that payment is her life is a very hard to answer question! Likewise the injury of not being taught what she truly was and the effects it is having on her life is another debt that payment should be exacted upon. Of course Ryukusa-san might forgive that debt in favor of fufilling the more deeply involved karmic debt.

>The Elements and their Mechanical effects in the World of Ryukuza

Such an important and overlooked question!

There are two mechanics that are at work in the five Elements of the Spirit Children. The first is the one that is understood in the world - each element controlling, creating, destroying, or insulting another, and each one having specific effects upon the bodies and minds of those whom are associated with them. We see the powers of the elements as the powers of nature and life working and manifesting in various energies, leading to different abilities and talents. Those creatures who are not attuned to a specific element are affected equally by all of them, and protected equally from all of them, and their powers tend to be those not associated with the elements.

While in China Metal replaces the Japanese Void, they represent the same phenomena - that of the mind and the spirit, which is evident in the spiritual qualities of the katana as the exemplar of the void in the legends and stories of samurai; the daisho is the soul of the samurai.

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>>37882926
There is a practical side this: each individual has a rating in every element. Having a higher rank means that they power of the element can overwhelm, and that is modified by the nature of the compared elements. The system would be similar to that of Weapons of the Gods, except implemented through Amber Diceless mechanics. Ryukusa, of course, has a heavy dose of Good Stuff, meaning luck and fortune smile upon her. A Curse can be considered Bad Stuff overwhelming her Good stuff temporarily, while most others have Neutral Stuff. There are exceptions among the family of course!

The basis of the Five Element system is simple on the surface. Each element has two elements, one which opposes it and one which creates it. Under the surface this is complicated by three things: one, each element can be affected by the element that it normally has absolute power over; two, the physiological and mental effects of each element has an effect on how vulnerable/powerful it is to the others; three, the ranking of the element the person has influences their level of resistance and power.

It goes without saying that Water overpowers Fire. It also goes without saying that Void is the force that creates Water. What is less remarked upon but also important is that Fire can affect Water – the term is called 'insult' but the actuality is that Fire can boil Water and even cause it to revert back to Void if it completely overwhelms the Water. Likewise, while Water is the ultimate adaptive element in that it can conform and cope with it's environment totally, Fire is the swifter of the two, and can disrupt or change the environment radically and swiftly enough to remove that advantage. While Water mentality is clever and deep, Fire mentality is by far faster and even more intuitive than Water is. Likewise while Water generates Wood, it can also overwhelm Wood by Wood's own nature – overacting the element, and making it go wild with its own power.

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So, while one element is often completely helpless to another, being 'helpless' does not mean being 'unable to affect' another element. Underestimating the vulnerability of an element to another is often the last mistake one makes before a defeat.

What does this have to do with the game mechanics?

While each element is represented in a person, they are never perfectly balanced in anyone-not even in demigods. There is always a ranking system in place, and while demigods have a more balanced ranking array, they will always be vulnerable in two places instead of just one. A low ranking element isn't necessarily the most vulnerable element; a low ranked Fire element is still incredibly destructive and still very difficult to affect via Void and Stone.

In addition to the elemental system, there are two others – the aforementioned Ranking system, and the presence of what is called “Stuff.” The Ranking system is very simply a grouping of numbers that reflect the level of power placed in any given element slot. In Ryukusa's case there is a high set of Ranks in Water and Fire, and a low ones in Wood and Stone, with Void being her median. The important thing to remember is that there are Tiers of Ranks (reflected in the Tiers of Barrier Combat) and most importantly, ~there is no such thing as an equal ranking~. That is where Stuff comes into play.

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>>37883007
As an example, Ryukusa is First Ranked in Water. That means no other spirit child in her Tier can be first ranked in water. They must all be lower or higher, and since she's first ranked, they have to be lower. The critical difference is Stuff. Stuff refers to unspent Rank points. Stuff is how Ryukusa gains items, tools, equipment, toys, followers, and is a measure of her luck and fortune in combat ~at the same time~. If Ryukusa spends stuff to get a toy, her luck gets worse. If she loses a toy, her Stuff goes up, she gets luckier. If she takes on a Curse as a result of Barrier Combat, she gains temporary Bad Stuff, making her luck even worse and trouble more prone to find her (this is actually a condition of having a negative Stuff total).

Stuff can also be used to negate someone's ranking advantage. For instance, the tru Oni had a higher Water Rank than Ryukusa because he was in a higher Tier. Ryukusa 'spent Stuff' to negate his advantage – which made her more prone to take hits and receive injuries, but made their power levels equal when normally the oni should have curb-stomped her. Being the MC Ryukusa has more stuff banked than the enemy did. Likewise, Demigods always have high Stuff values, while youkai-born and demon-children have negative Stuff values but more powers, toys, and tools (or minions, as Ryukusa discovered).

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>>37883043
That's the mechanics of how Ryukusa's world works around her. That said, worrying too much over it won't really help you or harm you – I have all the numbers and you never will have access to them....but it isn't as 'arbitrary' as it seems. Also, the thread where the storyline was discussed is what gave Ryukusa much of her backgrounds and tools – essentially the thread was treated as a set of Lore Sheets for Ryukusa. The Lore defined what was going to happen to her in a vague way, and between the players choices and the situations that develop, the storyteller must make those Lores all work out for her, leading her to the best end possible as allowed by the player choices. Fortunately her players like her and love her family.

I hope you have found this interesting, if not entirely useful, and hopefully a little educational.

Thank you for reading and playing, and Ryukusa should hopefully continue on Tuesday morning PST if all goes well.

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>>37883094
>To Be Continued....

Forgot this.

>>37883094
I found a lot of it interesting for sure. Always nice with more setting stuff. Thanks for the thread, XS!

>>37883094
It was most a most enlightening thread, XS. T'was an honor to participate.

>>37883176
Thanks for giving us so much info, XS. Although, there's one more thing I'm really curious about. How does the whole Ryukusa's family =Inari thing work?

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>>37883094

Thanks for the thread!

>>37883176
Is that Ammy without her face markings?
Have a good night and a pleasant weekend, Questmistress

>>37883246
That I cannot reveal at this time. There's a favor floating around out there - namely, that Ryukusa can call upon the power of Inari once.

Yuo're all very welcome, and I am glad you enjoyed it.

>>37883266
And no, that's a pipe fox, a kuda-gitsune; they're familiars for normal kitsune, and are seers and information gatherers.

>>37883094
Thanks for running (well, 'running')! Looking forward to Tuesday!

>>37883330
And I presume his favor is not to be invoked lightly.
It'll certainly take some time for us to use it, it must be a very dangerous situation fpr Ryukusa to even consider calling for the help of an aspect of Amaterasu, not to mention Anon's propensity to hoard it's valuable items like... a dragon, I guess.

>>37883392
Ah. at first I thought it was Rie when she was in the mood to act like royalty, as cats are tend to, but them I noticed the fluffy tail and since the color didn't seem right for a fox, I went with Wolf Girl, then Okami then Ammy.
Maybe I should read through Japanese folklore again.

>>37883450

Best Sun told us it was to be invoked when Ryukuza faced her darkest hour.

>not to mention Anon's propensity to hoard it's valuable items like... a dragon, I guess.

A dragon hoard what is valuable, and what is valuable to Ryukuza is her family.

Speaking of which, I have to ask: what do you guys want to do concerning Inau ?

>>37883582
Easy. A Threesome with Chisato.
Now, speaking seriously, I think of her as an Advisor of sorts, as well as a Medic and a Scout, as befits her status as daughter of the Kamuy of Hunt and Childbirth.

>>37883582
She's obviously a huntress, scout, and possibly a tactician in the ways of hunting/sneaking. Clearly she'll have experience with the home and hearth, and possibly will know quite a bit about proper child-care, something that will be useful for Akari's child.

I really think we'll have to talk to her to see just what she can do...