Daily History Lessons III (Day 3, Late Morning)

[Otomo Tenzo]

"Reichin-dono is not of the kami, Moto-san," the Otomo lightly corrects. "You might wish to ask my dear cousins among the Seppun here that question, for they are shugenja I believe. The method by which they might make their prayers and invoke them has been described to me in various ways, but none which I might understand or make sense of for the kami do not speak to me."

[Shinjo Monkhbaatar]

"Reichin-no-shiryo may not be a kami, but he is a fortune. I am guessing he has some sway over the mortal realm would he not? I mean, I doubt he'd be helping with crops and rain because he's the Fortune of Heroes, but there are lots of prayers and celebrations for the other fortunes to ask for their blessings," Monkhbaatar says, a bit unsure.

[Otomo Tenzo]

"Indeed, Shinjo-san, there are all sorts of prayers and celebrations, festivals and offerings, and all sorts of other things made to the various Fortunes in request for their blessings, and the shugenja play an integral role in those ceremonies. What I speak more of, however, are spirits of another kind, ones in which the shugenja are able to speak with as they read upon their sacred scrolls on the day-to-day: that is how their magics come to fruition, or again, that is how it was explained to me by my Seppun cousins in a way that I might understand it. Without having the eyes and ears that they have, I cannot say anymore on such things," the Otomo attempted to explain with the little information he had to offer.

[Shinjo Monkhbaatar]

"Yeah, the elemental kami. I spoke with Kakita Nanami about them a few times. They represent the four elements and prayers to them are what make the more spectacular effects that a priest can accomplish," he says with a nod.

[Moto Baatar]

"So fortunes aren't kami?" Baatar asked. "I... didn't know that. I guess there's a lot more kinds of spirits than I realized." He looked thoughtful.

[Iuchi Yukarin]

"Well... as I am to understand it, the word 'kami' merely refers to any ageless spirit. The least kami are those that the Shugenja call on, spirits of the elements that infuse everything. And the greatest ones are the Celestial court of Lord Moon and Lady Sun, which is why we also refer to their sons and daughters as Kami... like Lady Shinjo-Okami and Lord Hantei-Okami. The Fortunes are also greater kami too of course, which is why they also receive the Okami honorific, okami an honorific that means 'great god' or 'great spirit'."

She pauses a moment.

"At least, that is how I was taught it."

[Otomo Tenzo]

"... an apt description, actually, Iuchi-san, a much better phrasing than this one might offer," Tenzo said, offering Yukarin a humble nod.

"But indeed, Moto-san, there are spirits of many kinds - the 'Kami' in reference to the blessed children of Lord Sun and Lady Moon, the 'kami' as in those of the elements, the Fortunes, and spirits from other realms at that. That, I am afraid, is another subject for which I am much limited in understanding - it is my understanding, however, that your distant cousins among the Fox, should you have opportunity to meet them, have quite a bit of experience with those that call the Kitsune Mori home."