[D9 LM] the end is neigh

[Matsu Kogo]

She nods, her face serious. "I consulted with another diviner in town, Moshi-san. You may have met her. She gave me...quite a positive reading. It gave me hope for several days." Her face becomes a little flatter. "But I have not see how it shall come about. We shall see what occurs. The Fortunes have it in their hands now."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Yes, I've met Moshi-san. She is as devout as she is wise." And small. At least the the Lion seemed to have enough food to feed their girls. "She helped us with an arcane experiment as well." All in all, it seemed that the young Iuchi had a good opinion of the littlest priestess. "I hope someone will make a wife out of her. She would do well among us."

"Thanks to the Crane, neh." he reminded her of the clan that had the bright idea of holding the miai.

[Matsu Kogo]

Kogo's face is slightly tense when he reminds her of the Crane, but it fades quickly. "An arcane experiment? That sounds intriguing." Her ears tinge at his words on someone making a wife of the Moshi. "There is much to recommend in the Unicorn clan. I suspect many would thrive within it."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Well, it was. I am not sure Matsu-san hears to more, but I can explain if she does." he offered. "I am glad to hear Matsu-san thinks like that." he offered her a careful bow. "We are, as some might say, a mixed bunch, all united under one banner. We shall see how those who join us will manage. I have high hopes for some, though."

[Matsu Kogo]

Kogo returns the bow. "I am sure they will not be bored. That is assuredly the truth." She thinks on his offer. "I am unsure if there is much I will understand, not being a shugenja. But if Iuchi-san wishes to share, then I am all ears."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"I'll try to make is as understandable as possible." Dong-Ha nodded to the Lion. "So, as Matsu-san might know, the shuganja of Rokugan, that is your priests, call upon the spirits to work their magicks. Now, the Iuchi way, hailing from Iuchi-shiryo himself uses talismans." his fingers brushed against the amulets hanging from his belt. "Now, our talismans do not call upon the spirits of the land, for we know they don't exist beyond the Rokugan... where the land, if you may, is godless. Instead our amulets command the elements themselves."

"See the earth..." Dong-Ha tapped to ground with his foot."Is just that, earth. However, in Rokugan the spirits of the land are attuned.. tied to these elements." He brought his hands together as if to explain this union. "Your shuganja cannot command the one, without commanding the other. That is, they ask request the spirits and they compel the elements to obey. Our magic, however, bypasses this calling for the elements themselves." the young mystic paused, hoping she was following.

"We were debating whether the spirits of the land took offense to our magicks." Relevant question, all things considered. "So I devised an experiment with Isawa Nonin-san and Moshi Asakiko-san. It was Moshi-san who communed with the spirits... and it turns out that they....actually do not feel our powers. They are connected to the elements, and can cause them to move, but they are not the elements, and don't sense what others might do with the elements."

[Matsu Kogo]

Kogo listens intently, realizing she is in quite over her head. Still, it is fascinating none the less. "So...in your experiment. You determined that you were not offending the Kami?" She asks, obviously a little unsure of her conclusion.

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Basically. Would have been all kinds of awkward if that was the case." he quipped in return. "Your shuganja have enough hard time accepting strange foreign magics. At least this way, we were able to prove that we are not harming the balance of the lands." Dong-Ha sounded rather relieved by the fact. "At least they cannot call us blasphemers." the young man chuckled dryly, fondling the dangling stones between his fingers.

[Matsu Kogo]

Kogo nods, thinking of the likely fallout that would have occurred if it had been otherwise. "I am glad it turned out well. That would have been a difficult thing to resolve." She looks at the stones in his fingers. "So those are what you use for magic?"

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Yeah. Well, actually, these are only reminders, in a way." he lifts one of the charms on his palm, showing it to Kogo. The amulet was perhaps a thumb sized piece of amber, polished smooth and covered with small characters she could not read. "See, the power is actually in the words written on the stones." Dong-Ha ran a calloused finger over the charm. "Anyone who has a stone to focus on... and knows the right word, can use them."

[Matsu Kogo]

Kogo looks surprised at this knowledge. "Anyone? Even if they were not a shugenja? They could call on the elements?"

What could be done with such a thing? I suspect many warriors would be glad of such stones....I wonder if the Lion would be interested in such a thing.

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Anyone who's studied the language of lost Laramun." Dong-Ha affirmed what she had assumed. " Mind you, it's not a matter of merely speaking the word, you have to understand how the loci, the stones help you set your mind. But that is not impossible. 2-3 years with a good teacher, I'd wager."

[Matsu Kogo]

Kogo listened intently, unsure if she is relieved or disappointed that it is not as simple as she assumed. "Ahh, that makes a great deal of sense. Some tutelage is obviously necessary." She looks at the stones intently. "I think, whatever occurs after this, I will attempt a greater study of languages. This miai has shown me that I have been remiss in my studies."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Yes, that would be the case." he nodded slowly, letting go of the amulet and allowing to fall dangling from his belt. "But, anyone can do it." Hearing her note that the Rokugani might be curious about the Iuchi magics, he huffed softly. "Some, I am certain. Most will find the topic too alien for their liking. Who would abandon the ways of their ancestors just because something new shows up."

[Matsu Kogo]

Kogo thinks for a moment. "There is something to what you say. But some might see the possibilities within or the flexibility of a new approach. Akodo-no-kami was a great believer in the art of surprise and tactics." She pauses. "But then again, you are correct. Many will find it odd or too different. But then again, they are not here." She smiles, a friendly one with some sympathy to it.