Time passed and the Prince of Blossoms slept. He was vaguely aware of the passing seasons, of days and nights coming and going, but all of it was a dreamy haze. Eventually the heavy shroud of sleep lightened, then lifted. The first thing the Prince was aware of was the brush of a cool breeze and the gentle sensation of swaying. Stirring, the god roused to find himself resting on a tree branch. Moss had grown over him and leaves had grown round him. Hundreds of feet below was the earth. Cradled by the tree it had carried him aloft as the god slept.

Climbing down with an ease that would awe mortals, the Prince made his way down hand over hand and by lightly hopping from one branch to the next. Back on the ground, he viewed his realm. There was no signs of great black thorn bushes or dark flowers, so it seemed his rival had not visited during his absence. The Cascading Pools were the same, yet different. The shape of the forests was changed, old trees were gone and new ones appeared. The falling waters had carved new paths through the earth. Clearly centuries had passed. Yet, while the specifics were different, the realm as a whole was as he remembered it.

Returning to the Kitsune, the God of Blossoms found their ancestral grove was quite different. It had been three levels tall when he'd left, but it had been raised up to six now. It had also spread outward and the whole place was alive with vibrant flowers of all shapes and sizes, all carefully cultivated. The bouquet-knots that told stories through their flower arrangements had continued through the eras and grown in complexity. Now they were also arranged at different levels of the multi-level settlement and also at intersections of the dirt roads, clearly used as signs for navigation. The Kitsune were wearing cotton and hemp clothing and still denoted their status with their flower crowns.

The practice of schools seemed to have continued. There were several small amphitheater's scattered about the Kitsune settlement, clearly intended for holding presentations. One was currently packed and two kitsune at the front were speaking animatedly to one another.

"The sanctity of a law is strengthened and deepened through time. Changing laws undermines their entire establishment of rule entirely. How can a society respect order if they're being told contrary things from one year to the next? Once a law has been established it must be respected, this is the collective wisdom of our forefathers being passed down to us." Argued the first kitsune, an older woman with gray tipped ears who had several thorn vines woven prominently through her flower crown.

"Our forefathers also would fertilize their fruits with dung and not give the matter a second thought," scoffed the second member of the debate, a much younger kitsune who openly expressed his disdain. "And we all know that one should not shit where they eat. At least we do now. If we only followed the 'wisdom' of our forefather's we'd all still being beset by endless and 'mysterious' diarrhea. No, laws much be living things, they must change with out knowledge. By that logic not only should they be reassessed year to year, they must be! If that requires citizens to change, then so it must be to ensure that the laws properly reflect our modern times."

It seemed the practice of the liberal arts was still alive and well as the debate theater held this discussion on the underlying philosophy of law. In the coming days the Prince of Blossoms would learn that law had continued to develop to be a central tenet of the kitsune. Their lives were highly codified as year they continued to pass laws and refine their legal system. After several centuries there were now laws in place regarding nearly every aspect of their lives. So many in fact that kitsune had begun to debate the usefulness of laws overall as there was increasing resistance to such a litigated existence.

The Prince had drifted away, his thoughts a mixture of both worry over the discovery of his new nemesis but also of excitement and righteous anger at how he was going to handle it. Fealing of Fear and fearlessless. Of concern and boldness. But ultimately, as he drifted off, it was righteous indignation that dominated his opinions on the matter.

The false god of Blossoms would find himself snipped soon enough.

But for now, the Prince was becoming increasingly more aware of his realm changing around him. He was still a young deity, despite all his airs, and his "naps" were long and lengthy by mortal standards. This one was his longest yet. But he awoke suddenly, and felt how his realm had changed some in the meantime.

The Prince had drifted groggily into the main settlement area of the Kitsune. As he looked around and marveled at how high the main settlement was growing, he considered encouraging his people to begin exploring the province soon and eventually spreading out a bit. But for now this was ok. His meandering thoughts snapped into focus as he suddenly sensed the legalistic debate that was happening in one of the nearby amphitheaters.

And as if heralding his arrival, the nearly-groomed and landscaped amphitheater suddenly began to grow unkempt as trimmed grasses suddenly grw to be over a foot tall, and vines and roots grew and twisted around some of the wooden plans and stone slabs of the area, sometimes even twisting or deforming some of them. Flowers began to go from bulbs into full bloom in a matter of seconds, followed by many nearby trees. What was happening was obviously not natural.

"The problem with too many laws, especially ones made for the sake of law itself and without regard to the bigger picture, is that they are like grasses and flowers left untended and then suddenly all packed into the same flower pot. It all becomes a big, ugly tangle that no one can handle." the Prince said as his voice echoed regally across the open-air of the amphitheater.

"If laws don't serve the greater ethics and morals of society, or serve to honor my dignity and glorify my name, then they are just a tangle like these weeds."

As if to make his point, the plants that had suddenly began to unnaturally bloom and grow now...continued to do so. The grass was now over two feet tall and had begun to entangle the local Kitsune. Flowers grew into colorful, tangled masses of twisting stems and thorns and petals. Thankfully, none of this was harmful to any Kitsune but it was very much out of control and unkempt now.

"However, one must not disrespect nor dismiss the wisdom and the experience of your ancestors. Those very ancestors some of you are being dismissive of experienced very real problems, and very real issues. As the times change and you all grow the contact of those issues changes as you learn how to handle them. But those issues never really go away, but are merely dealt with from wisdom gained on the backs of your forefathers' toils and trial and error. To look back in retrospect and say, "I know the answer while my forefathers rolled in dung" is disrespectful and needlessly arrogant." the Prince continued, firmly and boldly chastising both sides of the debate essentially.

"Did you know that utilizing dung, when handled properly with wisdom and knowing of course, can have fantastic fertilizing properties in agriculture if applied correctly? Those men and women who rolled in dung, as you call it, actually helped build the basis for much of your current knowledge of soil and plants. You have grown complacent with the bounty of the land, but there may come a time when you need to supplement the land's natural bounty with the bounty grown from your own agricultural craft. I tell you now...you will not always enjoy such lush natural bounty from the land with so little effort and appreciation."

When the debate theater grew wild around them the flow of chatter fell away as the kitsune looked around wild eyed. None in this generation had ever beheld such a strange sight and many cried out in fear and surprise as everything they know about the slow and steady growth of plants was turned on its head. When the Prince of Blossoms made his way into the amphitheater to join the discourse there was no doubt as to who he was.

With half the audience now standing entangled in waist deep grass and with weeds, bushes and at least one small sapling filling up the theater grounds, the debate was impossible to continue. Freeing themselves from the overgrowth while also distracted by the shock of a god entering their midst, the crowd slowly filed out.

Outside the debate parlor the two debaters had not given up their point. If anything they seemed freshly invigorated by the sudden new perspective. "You see," said the older kitsune woman adorned in thorns, "You must honor the wisdom of ancestors."

The younger member pulled a face. "And your laws were compared to weeds, or did you miss the metaphor?" A pulled several burrs from his tail as if to drive the point home.

"I did not." The older kitsune said solemnly. "But it seems to me that both of our sides were supported, and both were chastised." The older kitsune turned to the Prince of Blossoms, some of their self-certainty draining away as they beheld a god, "It seems to me that a firm opinion would solve the matter. If both old and new are incorrect, then what is to be done?" Both of the debaters, and many kitsune who had remained nearby, looked expectantly towards the Prince of Blossoms, curious to hear his answer.

As the Kitsune began to move out, and having been sufficiently chasetised on all sides, the Prince relented.

In yet another miracle that defied physics, all of the overgrowth suddenly withered away until it was fine powder that blew away in the wind, sent off to be reclaimed by the realm itself. The plants that had merely blossomed early but were fairly normal remained blossomed though as a subtle reminder of the god's passing presence.

When the debaters asked the god outside of the amphitheater to stop a moment and adjudicate their debate, the Prince turned to them and spoke. As he did, the burs and prickly grass weedy bits on both of them dried up and fell off of both Kitsune right there during the conversation.

"The answer to your debate is so simple that I'm surprised you even have to ask, but you are still a young people and I am here to teach you. So come and listen to me, and I will give a detailed explanation. Still...using a dialectical rhetorical discourse to temper opposed ideas is far better than repressing them and having those ideas shrivel up and die without being addresses. It seems ideas are blossoming things too, apparently." he said with a soft sigh at the end as he momentarily remembered his monochrome nemesis. But his focus shifted back to the present at hand.

"So I tell you this: both sides should make sure to properly catalogue the wisdom of your ancestors, lest it be lost. You can not always expect me to appear and dispense wisdom should your people start to forget things. But even more import than that is the fact that all growth and development is built upon the foundation of learning, trial, and error that came from your forefathers similar to how a tree grows on the foundation of soil that holds up its roots." he said.

"And on top of making sure diligence is done in recording the lore of your ancestors, current laws as well as current knowledge must be assessed here in the present time by groups that consist both of progressive and traditionalist thinkers working in partnership for the very purpose of reviewing these things. Sort of like a committee reviewing various laws and topics relevant to society. And a question must be asked for any law that is being reviewed: what purpose does this law have, how does it help society (be it from a moral, ethical, or religious perspective), and is said law needed in its current state given current academic, scientific, and rhetorical knowledge? If the committee can not in good faith justify the continued existence of a particular law, then it must be documented why the law was either repealed or changed and what the original law was so that we don't forget the history behind it, but also any notes on why the old law made sense at the time of its initial creation should be documented as well. Because what made sense for your ancestors may not make full sense now in the present, but that doesn't mean the ancestors were wrong or totally wrong in their time when the law was created."

The Prince considered a moment in silence, then added a final thought.

"That was a lot to take in, so let me summarize. You need to create a library and start developing written books and records, and record not just information about academics and sciences but also about the laws and history of society over time. When a law is created, there should be notes with that law about the circumstances that warranted the creation of the law. This doesn't have to be the length of a book - heck even a paragraph or two would be fine. Just something for future generations to refer back to. And if the law gets changed or repealed it must be noted and the book's entry updated to remain accurate. And in the present, both academic colleges and legal institutions should have committees consisting of both traditionalist and progressive thinkers working in partnership to review laws and academic topics, and assess their practical relevance to the present but also their historical relevance as well. As you'll find many traditions have a lot more truth and nuance within them than their literal practices would have believe. Like what I told you about the ancestors using certain types of feces for fertilizer and how that advanced the craft and still has some modern applications even today, for instances." he said.

"If done right, you all could eventually have entire encyclopedias on laws and academics created that the people keep up to date, so wisdom is not lost. And various laws and academics alike can and should be reviewed by committees with the goal of both recording historical perspectives, and also making sure today's laws are relevant and serve a practical purpose and repealing or modifying ones that no longer make sense given your current level of wisdom. But always notating the changes and the why to those changes."

Listening dutifully to the wisdom passed along by the Prince of Blossoms, by the end the two nodded along. "A collection of all our laws sounds wonderful," the older kitsune woman said enthusiastically. "As long as they're being reassessed." The younger one relented. The matter seemed to be resolved to both their satisfaction for the time being.

+10% Law and Justice Advancement
+10% Liberal Arts advancement

With the debate settled the most pressing demand of the day seemed to be resolved. This new generation of kitsune were eager to refamiliarize themselves with their god. In the Prince of Blossoms absence they had continued to live much as they always had. Their multi-leveled settlement was the center of the kitsune world and this was evident in the lush plants, each of which had clearly taken decades to become so full. The kitsune were clearly quite adept at growing and nurturing plants. There were a few agricultural crops of fruiting trees and berry bushes, but these were mostly a token gesture, the bounty of Irani still provided almost everything they needed. Flowers were a more difficult plant to grow and clearly where most of the kitsune devoted their attention as status was still linked to the ability to nurture and maintain the most exotic of flowers.

Otherwise this was a peaceful age. The kitsune had grown, expanded their settlement, and continued to refine their teachings in relative tranquility. If there had been any worries of awaiting doom or malice from the Prince of Blossoms counterpart, they were put to rest. At least for the time being.

The Prince of Blossoms nodded affirmatively at the Kitsune, glad that the argument was cleared up and that both Traditionalist and Progressive thinkers agreed with his wisdom. The Kitsune held such a great capacity for learning and growth, and the Prince was pleased by their progress. Still, he knew that the idyllic times would not last indefinitely. Problems from the outside of the tree would eventually find a way inside, as if the monochrome eyes incident was any indication. And if gods like Serek walked the tree who were arrogant and unyielding in the face of constructive criticism, then it was only a matter of time before such beings began wars and vendettas with one another. Like how the god of fire was preparing to hunt its twin, although that was a bit different. The Prince understood that much.

And so it was time he began to push his people to grow in other areas besides idyllic ones. In this case, it was time to begin enacting a promise he had made to the Kitsune's ancestors.

The god had addressed his people in an assembled clearing.

"My chosen Stewards, the Kitsune, pay me heed! For I have something of great important to share with you today." he said aloud. His voice resounded across the clearing, carried unnaturally by the very wind of the realm itself.

"I had, generations ago in terms of your mortal time, planted the seeds of wisdom in your ancestors and encouraged them to grow. This is a large factor in why you all have grown so far in your lore of plants and earth, and of the liberal arts, and of the principles of justice and rhetoric. This alone makes you far evolved beyond mere animals. But your growth is not done. No, it is only just beginning!" he continued.

"Now...I believe you all have come far enough for me to grant you all a gift. Let me tell you a real story. Several generations ago, before my most recent slumber, your ancestors had presented me with the highest form of tribute one could gift me - essence left for me by the tree of life. They found it in the wilds for me so that I didn't have to search for it myself, and gave it to me as an offering and as a sign of reverence and gratitude for the many things I had done for the people and the realm up until that point. And in return, I promised your ancestors that I would grant their descendants an amazing boon as a reward for their piety." he said firmly.

"And I believe now is the right time to deliver on my promise. But I was born as a source of magical power, and I have the ability to share that power with you as my stewards. For you see, the world has spirits and little spirits within most things. The trees and leaves and rocks and wind and more. And these spirits have a hierarchy of connections and associations, with me at the top as the one who existed even before the land had finished forming and whose divine will fueled the creation of this realm and the Kitsune even before I myself emerged from the pool of water I walked out from when I first met your ancestors. And within these interconnected forces are other more subtle forces like karma, and sacred power, and the ebb and flow of the energy of the land and sky itself. And of foxfire, the personal inner fire - literal and personal - of those who pledge to be stewards of my garden." he said as he swept his arms wide in a wide sweeping gesture, to make his point.

"I talk about the power of magic, and as an original source of magic I can grant access to this power to those I choose. And so now I will grant the Kitsune the boon of magic, and maker good on the promise I made to your ancestors. But we must prepare, so that I can better teach you the basic principles! I need paper, ink, and quills brought out here into the clearing, and I will begin sharing the principles of my magic with you all!"

With the matter of law settled, at least for the time being, the Prince of Blossoms turned to more esoteric notions. He had been born with a sense of the mystic, but until now he'd focused on more present matters. Now though, he gave the matter of magic his full attention. As he began to speak, the kitsune gathered, eager to hear the secrets of the world.

The Prince of Blossoms spoke of spirits in all things, of a natural order. Unlike Irani and the kitsune, magic was not inherently part of him. It was something of the world tree itself, but he'd been born with a natural aptitude for it, even though he did not fully understand magic yet himself. Still, as he spoke, the words themselves seemed to influence the form of magic. Perhaps there had been truly been spirits in all things before but now... now it felt like perhaps there were. He spoke of inherent foxfire and connections between things. The Prince of Blossoms had a sense that all of this was possible, it was at the tip of his tongue, the tips of his fingers, but it remained just slightly out of reach.

+10% Magic Advancement

Still, the kitsune had no notion that what the Prince of Blossoms promised was more potential than reality. They whooped and cheered and practically down to the last they pledged themselves to the Prince of Blossoms anew, eager for a chance to experience even a fraction of what it was to be a god.

The Prince didn't understand, completely anyway, what he was saying. but he knew it was real. Intuitively. Thanks to the essence he had utilized from their ancestors. It had imparted wisdom beyond his own experience and that of the people. But still, there was much discovery and codifying to do despite his unnatural insight.

"My people. I am crafting a new art form for you, my chosen stewards. And while I understand the metaphysical underpinnings of it, this is the first time I have ever tried to apply this practically. So this will be a work in progress, my Kitsune. One we must both approach with patience and wisdom as a project. But by the end, I will make good on my promise to your forefathers to grant you all a wonderous boon as reward for their - and your - piety." he continued as he considered.

He then considered.

"There is a reason I did not grant the boon immediately to your ancestors, for I had granted them the foundation of liberal arts instead and elevated them above normal animals. You all have helped grow their initial discoveries, and I feel you are ready mentally and spiritually. So let's work on a way to focus magic. The magic style I am creating will have several different types of magic, that will be channeled differently. But some will require material preparation." he said.

"And I believe with the liberal arts you are ready to begin designing talismans and sigils. Go and bring me some paper, and quill and ink. Bring several, and we can begin creating art."

There was palpable excitement as the kitsune learned they were being given a gift. The Prince caught a few whispered as the curious people guessed at what this new gift may look like, the idea of magic itself was not one they grasped, but these whispers fell into silence as the god continued his speech. When the call came for materials a few hurried off and returned moments later with papyrus and quills. There was a charge in the air, not just the energy of the kitsune, but a great anticipation, as though the sky itself was leaning down and taking notice. It was becoming clear now, it wasn't so much that The Prince of Blossoms was learning how to use magic, his attention to magic had actually changed it and shaped it. This World Tree was new and so was the arcane powers. Now of that magic was being tamed and defined. This was a permanent mark, a legacy that the Prince of Blossoms was passing down through time immemorial.

Magic: Rank 1 Obtained

Magical School: You may now define your school of magic. Give it a name and describe what it encompasses. It can now be properly taught to others. This is only the first step however, this magic is a fledgling craft, it has a great deal more growth to come!

Magic school details coming soon in a PM near you! I the player am still brewing over some details but want to not stop the game from progressing in the meantime!

"The magic I am going to impart will have different components to it, and you could say it is like the branch of a tree in that it has one common source - myself and my connection to the tree of life in this case - but with several different applications." The Prince said to the people as they gathered things for him.

"The magic school as a whole will be called "Kamihana." It's core principle is that true divine power originated from the Tree of Life, and as a true Prince of the Tree I have my own self-sustaining font of divine power that was gifted to me by my parent. In a very literal sense I am a small, baby tree of life. And from my own power, I share life and vibrancy with Irani and all living things here - including the Kitsune. And due to this downward flow of shared power and life there is a deeper metaphysical underpinning to all of reality. For while reality itself is not divine like I am, it was born by the divine and every living thing and even the soil and trees have an animus. A spirit if you will." he continued. "And most importantly, this magic governs the relationships between things and authority over reality granted by calling upon my divine authority in turn."

"There are three paths within Kamihana. The first is Omamori, the lore of talismans and sigils. The second is Kitsunebi, or the lore of Foxfire. And finally the third is Seishin, or the lore of spirits and anima. And if you call upon my name, you gain the power to interact with anima and the world around you. Some lesser magic will be usable by anyone, but more potent effects will require the proper obeisance to myself and world around you to be used properly, and Foxfire especially will be more restricted in terms of general use. But more on that will be discussed later." he said.

"Come - we will begin practicing drawing sigils with the paper and ink you brought me. It will be a very basic sigil - one to create a soft light for a short time. Super basic, but all good art starts with the basics!"

Through the Prince of Blossoms will, the power of Kamihana was etched into the magic of the World Tree. This new domain of magic was structured so that all its power flowed through the Prince of Blossoms, just as it taught that while magic stemmed from the World Tree, Kamihana flowed through the God of Blossoms. This was quite a different arcane structure than most magical schools that would come later as those arcane powers relied upon the magic which was naturally present, instead Kamihana flowed through the god that founded it. In this way any mortal, whether they had an aptitude for magic or not, could practice it if the power was granted to them by their god, but this also came with a number of hinderances.

As all power flowed through the Prince of Blossoms, Kamihana grew far weaker when the god was not present. In his periods of dormancy, so too would this power be dormant. At times that the Prince of Blossoms was not present in a realm the power would quickly fade. These limitations were trade offs which allowed the Prince of Blossoms unrivaled control over this arcane power, allowing the magic to flow freely or be stymied based on the whim of the god.

But the nuances of Kamihana were of little concern to the kitsune who set themselves to inscribing the sigils onto paper as the Prince showed them. They were delighted as these symbols suddenly started to glow. It was a wonderous, impossible, thing. A display of the power of the divine. In time the magic would be developed and specialized, its various intricacies explored and defined, but today these glowing sigils were miracle enough.

The Prince wasn't 100% sure what was going to happen. Despite the unnatural enlightenment he received from the essence, as well as the hands-on practice they were doing and his own self-exploration of the magical source with in him, the actual outcome was still something new and exciting to him! And as he practiced making very basic paper talismans with his chosen people, and saw them begin emitting light, he looked on and was pleased. Truly pleased. This was the first moment that all of his several generations of guidance and work with the Kitsune were truly bearing fruit. Fruit from very purposeful preparation and guidance, starting from their ancestors digging in mud to lean about the lore of the soil to writing and culture and more. It was all to help prepare them for now, among other things of course.

""Very good, my children. Excellent! I am most pleased! And this is only the very tip of the iceberg. Only the very beginning. This boon is very much a work in progress, but let it be known in the history books that at that time and day I have honored my pledge to your ancestors to grant a wonderous mystical boon in exchange for the monumental tribute they once offered me in return." the god exclaimed as he held aloft his own glowing light-emitting talisman.

"But know that the power flows from me downward, and so will ebb and flow as my presence becomes stronger or weaker over time. In the times I need to hibernate, I am unsure if the power will function at all or at a reduced potency. But I have some ideas that can help with this regardless. But for now, let us revel in this new art. For this will become a great tool to help ensure your survival in the future. For as I have warned your ancestors...things will not always be this peaceful. There are forces beyond even Irani that will most likely one day interfere with life here, be it for good or ill. And it has always been my intention to try and help prepare you not only to be my stewards but also to prepare you to weather future challenges." he continued.

"Practice more with writing sigils to generate light, and concentrate on sustaining the light they generate with your inner power as long as you can. Like not all living things are born equal in ability and talent, so too will there be some of you who are naturally better at channeling my power than others. But all Kitsune who supplicate properly will have access to my gifts though. So focus not on what others can do but on gauging your own growth against your individual selfs over time. Like learning and studying and exercise, using magic is a mixture of skill and talent. However...unlike most magic and things in general even those with little to no natural talent will be able to still use my magic gift due to the nature of how my power flows downward from on high...as long as proper respect is paid and mindfulness practiced. My grace will fill in the gaps somewhat, for that is the nature of a god sharing his grace with you after all, but after a point your own inner strength and piety will be what carry you forward in this art."

The kitsune listened and they obeyed. The truth of the Prince's words could be seen firsthand as the kitsune were able to replicate the miracles with their own hand. There was no room for doubt in the face of such immediate results. It was with fervor and enthusiasm that they the fox-folk were inscribing this new light glyph everywhere they could find. The Prince could feel the magic flow through him as they did so, it was curious new sensation. It must be what the bed of a river feels like and for now that river flowed freely.

Kamihana - Added to the World Information

For now there is only a single branch of Kamihana. The foundation for the magical art is centered on inscribing symbols onto a surface, preferably paper. Creating light is a simple and easily created glyph, but in time and with practice others will be uncovered. Even new branches of this magic can be developed over time.

Current Spells of Kamihana: Create Light

But for now, there was another matter. The Prince of Blossoms had dedicated significant effort to developing the laws and justice system for the kitsune. These efforts reverberated through the World Tree. They left a mark, one that would carry on through the history of this world tree until its end. This was a legacy that the Prince of Blossoms passed along to those that would come after. A legacy of law.

OOC: For being the first to achieve a skill rank in Law and Justice in the World Tree you are able to establish a Legacy of the Law. You may choose one of the following.

Universal Law: The Prince of Blossoms may devise a law and it will be recognized all throughout the World Tree. This does not mean it will always be followed or enforced, but every Realm will recognize that this law exists.

Karmic Enforcement: Weight could be added to support the morality of the realms. Those that upheld the ideals of their realms would find good things generally happeend to them, those that shirked these morals would find ill luck befalling them. This karma would be based upon the individual world and so would vary from Realm to Realm. In a world whose god held peace as the ideal, those who committed violence would receive ill karma. In a world whose god had established violence as the ideal, those who promoted peace would be the victims of karma.

The Yet-To-Be-Written Legacy: Or devise your own legacy. This will impact every realm of this world tree. It must relate to the Law and Justice in some manner. Discuss the specifics with the GM first.

With the Legacy being writ, the Prince of Blossoms had a sense that in its current state there were no more great surprises that Irani could offer. He could certainly continue to inhabit the realm and pass along guidance to the kitsune, there would be slow and steady progress in this and their society would advance, but the God of Blossoms had a sense there would be no more surprises with Essence to be uncovered and no other looming dangers lurking in the shadows. The Realm was still small and it had now been fully established by kitsune.

For new surprises, those would have to be sought outside its borders.

As the Originator of law and order on the Tree of Life, the Prince declared a Universal Law that would have such metaphysical weight that it would ripple across all of the branches and roots of the World Tree. This was the Sakura Mandate. The details of the Sakura Mandate are as follows:

The Sakura Mandate: This law defines the creation of "Sacred Mandated Spaces" as being any space dedicated to the Prince of Blossoms in both form and function.

-Sacred Mandated spaces are considered, on a political level, legitimate embassies whose bounds count as a part of Irani's authority, even if they are in another god's territory or some other special locale. Violating this is considered an atrocious and dishonorable act, even in the eyes of the tree itself.
-These spaces can only be created in areas that are dedicated to the Prince in both form and function, and cannot be created flippantly or off-handedly. To even joke about doing so is a faux pas.
-Violence and persecution not mandated by the Prince of Blossoms is considered universally crass, disrespectful, and atrocious to all cultures and beings. One is to restrain their impulses and reign in their tempers and act with respect and decorum in such places, not only towards other people but also towards the space itself. Theft is also absolutely prohibited in these spaces at all times.
-Religious sites dedicated primarily to the Prince of Blossoms (from small roadside shrines to entire temple-cities), sites made from Souls or Essence by the Prince, and any tea houses no matter the owner are always considered Mandated Sacred Spaces. Other spaces can be created on a need-to basis by anyone on the tree, but never flippantly or disrespectfully.
-It is considered an embarrassment and a disgrace for the False God of Blossoms to infringe upon a Sacred Mandated Space. Anyone is free to act violently and impulsively against this god and any of its agents at all times, even within Mandated Sacred Spaces. Only an edict by the Prince of Blossoms himself can change this. Otherwise, the false god and his agents are to be excluded at all times from all Mandated Sacred Spaces!

The Prince of Blossoms inked out the Sakura Mandate. Where he had been given one law to implement across the World Tree, the Prince of Blossoms stretched his authority by rolling a number of stipulations under a single title. They were as thus:

-Sacred Spaces in other realms were considered embassies of Irani
   -Subsection A: Violating these embassies is considered an atrocious Act, even to the world tree
-Sacred Spaces are a special rule that only applies to places dedicated to the Prince of Blossoms. (The unspoken part of this rule is that other gods cannot create Sacred Spaces for themselves)
-Violence and persecution is viewed as disrespectful and atrocious to other cultures
   -Subsection B: Unless this violence or persecution is authorized by the Prince of Blossoms
-All tea houses are considered sacred spaces
-It is considered disgraceful to allow the False God of Blossoms to enter such a space

While the Legacy had allowed the Prince of Blossoms to create one rule, he'd created seven. This sent an echo through the World Tree. These laws did indeed come into effect, but now laws and legal systems all throughout the World Tree would have a tendency towards self-serving bias. This meant legal systems would naturally tend towards overreach and they'd be prone to following the letter of the law, but not the spirit. In this way the World Tree emulated the first Law created for it.

This new collection of Laws, bundled under the title of the Sakura Mandate, spread throughout the World Tree. As they did the Prince of Blossoms felt a prickle. The sense of another god taking notice and being displeased. Quite displeased. Somewhere the Prince of Blossoms had just created another enemy.

But back in Irani there was no issue with these rules. The kitsune were not aware of the specific terms of the Mandate, but seemed aware on an unconscious level. They had never created tea houses before, the idea wasn't one they seemed to have had previously, but within a few short weeks several of them had been started within their ancestral home.

The Prince of Blossoms had much to ponder as he felt the effects of his first universal law echo across the tree. He had much to ponder.

He returned to his people, and decided to look at how they were doing with the sigils.

"My Kitsune! The gift I have shared with you is a glorious one, but it is still an art form in its infancy. The art of this magic is something that will be developed over time. Just like you and this realm will develop over time." he said.

"And for that...I have more miracles in store. But for now let us try practicing another sigil. Besides light, the sigil and talismans also have other possible uses as well. Let us try to create a sigil together that will allow one to call on the elements and create water. This could itself become the basis for other more complex spells, but for now we must establish a practical groundwork and foundation!" the god said as he went amongst the Kistune and took up some paper and a quill, and dipped it in ink.

"Let us see see how we can gather elemental power with a talisman, and channel it. In this case...by creating some water. Go and bring forth empty vases and urns and cups, and bring them outside here with us. And let us attempt to use talismans to create water in our cups and vases and urns!" he declared.

Gathering the kitsune, the lessons in magic continued as the Prince of Blossoms and his people pushed at the boundaries of this fledgling craft. Gathering up more paper, they put ink to the page and worked on inscribing new shapes. Quickly they discovered that creating something from nothing was quite a challenging task. The Prince of Blossoms felt the draw on the magic running through his increase immensely given what they were attempting. Trying different shapes, different colors of pigments, they worked to create air. After months of efforts it seemed for a moment they had succeeded, but it turned out they had created a sigil that stirred the air and created wind. Not quite what they had attempted, but an achievement nonetheless.

The attempts with water were similar. Conjuring up water from nothing was a monumental task, however drawing moisture from the air and simulating the appearance of water from nothing was far easier. Soon the delighted kitsune were confidently inscribing both these sigils, manufacturing their own cool breezes and making jugs of water fill, then overflow, with water.  Fine tuning would come next.

This affinity for written magic were helping to better define Kamihana. Inscribing the magic onto surfaces was coming more easily as both the mortals grew practiced at it and the magic itself grew familiar with this practice. But all things took time.

Spells Added to Kamihana
Conjure Water
Conjure Air

The Prince of Blossoms took delight in creating these minor magical marvels with his people. He knew the Souls of his peoples' ancestors would be pleased to see the results of their paying tribute to him in the past with raw essence. And this was truly an art form that could be expanded upon over time too.

And speaking of expanding...there was a barely contained fiery potential within the Prince that was about to Blossom as well. But in the meantime, he had to put a plan of his into place that could Help Kamihana!

"My people! I have an announcement to make!" the Prince declared as he put down his quill and paper, and stood up and walked amongst his people. His voice echoed across the growing and sprawling Village.

"Kamihana will have its power reduced when I'm not around, and when I am in divine hibernation it will either weaken severely or possibly be unusable until I wake up, for the power flows from me downward to all of you. But I have an idea, for one of the fundamental principles of Kamihana is that power and blessings can be granted if proper obeisance and piety are paid to me, and through me to the land and ancestors. So I will Expend a great deal of power and attempt to create a mystical and never-before-seen large-scale Sacred Space. It is my theory that the Sakura Mandate Holds the key to spreading Kamihana across realms and branches of the tree, but this will take time. But for now...we can start small here, at home." he said.

"And Irani is not going to stay the size it is now. Like me, and you, and like a flower it will grow and blossom outward more and more with time. And I beleive if I can network several super-Sacred-Spaces together that we can potentially spread Kamihana beyond Irani even if I slumber. But for now...we must start with one thing at a time." he continued.

"I am going to create areas of mystical significance that are also the equivalent of Cathedrals dedicated in my name. They will be the epitome of the Sakura Mandate's Sacred Space, and beyond just a space dedicated to me I am infusing a large chunk of power into it to grant it lasting mystical significance! If you all pray to me there periodically, and hold true proper piety for the Prince of Blossoms, then the effect should create a Kamihana resonance that I believe will expand to fill this entire province with Kamihana. And the good thing is I believe this will work even whilst I hibernate in a deep slumber, among other things! And so let it be known that I intend to sanctify a Cathedral of Blossoms in each province of Irani. As Irani grows, so too shall I sanctify a new Cathedral within it. Let these places be centers of religious, reflection, magic, culture, and wonder!" he said.

"And the site of the first Cathedral of Blossoms will be none other than the sacred pool where I first emerged into Irani, during the lives of the very first amongst your ancestors.  Come with me and bear witness!" the Prince said as he walked from the village down strands of vines to the ground, and from there strode into the forests and jungles of Irani. He headed for the pool that he first emerged from, during the time he met the first of the Kitsune.

The Prince gathered a great deal of his power to himself, as disembodied animus energy swirled around him a moment as he held out his hands and gestured boldly in the air. The swirling, glowing power streamed from his divine aura and flowed directly into the land! As the Prince channeled his power, the water and the plants and really the whole general area but with the pool as a central point began to glow with soft, pearly-green light that was visible both during the day and during the night time! The place radiated a sense of true Sacredness from it as the Prince stamped the place of his origin with his power! Even after he was done, the place would always have its mystical glow and atmosphere to it!

The Prince spends 300 souls and creates the first Cathedral of Blossoms within the central province of Irani! It is the first truly Sacred Space on the World tree and has the ability to help amplify Kamihana, even if the Prince is not present or is hibernating! Of course, it takes something to get something and a Kamihana practitioner can benefit from the Cathedral by performing periodic worship there (think roughly like that given at a real life Shinto Temple). And In theory, large scale festivals and ceremonies and such may be able to provide power spikes to Kamihana in the province as well but this remains yet to be seen.



The Prince then sighed after the exertion was over, and he withdrew two things from his robes. A black rose flower and a white one. These were the remnants of the idea-power that his doppelganger had once unleashed onto two of his people, and that he had purified and trounced with his own power in return. He flowers looked a bit withered, which was intentional - the Prince let these two ideas wither over time but wouldn't let them totally die. For he was actually maturing them into the very embodiments of his metaphysical victory over his first contest of wills with the False God of Blossoms. And soon, they would be withered no longer but bloom into something new and exciting. Into living testaments of this victory of the Prince over his nemesis.

"And these are relics of the time of your ancestors, when the False god of Blossoms tried to poison their minds with his foul power only for that power to crumble under my purifying light! And now...they will become the finest of guardians!" he said as he tossed the two blossoms to the ground, and held a hand out at them. Streaming energy similar to that which created the Cathedral channeled into the blossoms, which suddenly began to grow into something new and very much alive and vibrant!

The Blossoms merged together into one large flower, and blended their black and white colors - yet another stab at the false god as the Prince rejected his nemesis' monochrome themes, although the flowers still were black and white as a reminder of their origins. They grew larger and larger until they grew into two unnaturally large tigers! They had white fur with deep black strikes and eyes and were a perfect blend of the monochrome colors of the false god, but blended and subordinated and perfected under the power of the True Prince. Their eyes gleamed with unnatural intelligence as they surveyed their surroundings!

"These are guardians of the Cathedral and of the central Province in general. Let them be living testaments to the victory of vibrant Blossoms over that of Monochrome sterility."

The Prince Creates 2 Special Units (Free from 4th of July, and yes they are loud and bold!).


This message was last edited by the player at 04:42, Thu 21 July 2022.

While the word cathedral may have made one think of constructed buildings, the Prince of Blossoms chose to imbue this quality upon a natural setting. The pool in which he'd originally manifested was imbued with a soft glow and had divine energy poured into it. The air gained a hushed quality and the air gained a stillness to it. There was a sense of the holy that hung about the boughs of these trees now and new sparkle to the spray coming off the falls. Even if this place were left to grow wild, it tend towards wild flowers and bright fresh blooms rather than weeds and scrub brush.

300 Souls Spent to create the Cathedral of Blossoms

Along with the christening of the Cathedral of Blossoms, the Prince of Blossoms bore two new entities into existence. A pair of black and white tigers born from the blossoms he'd held for the last several centuries. The top of kitsune's head would only brush the upper shoulder of one of these elegant beasts. These were the Cathedral Guardians.

This new Cathedral, aside from simply the aura of divinity it possessed, had another quality. It provided a bridge to the arcane power of Kamihana. In this place, regardless of the Prince of Blossoms presence, it would serve as a conduit to the arcane power. Here a practioner of Kamihana could engage with the power and find it fully empowered. While Kamihana's arcane power was currently not connected to the level of a mortals religious fervor, but Kamihana was still linked to the Prince of Blossoms favor, by engaging in religious services at a cathedral mortals can earn this connection to Kamihana, even when the god is not present.

This new Sacred Space ensured that during times of dormancy of absence on behalf of its god, Kamihana would still remain practicable. This effect was limited to the area of the Cathedral, beyond its borders the effect rapidly diminished, but it was still an invaluable resource.

A great deal had been accomplished since the Prince of Blossoms had returned. He's given new focus to the legality of the systems that the kitsune were establishing. He'd also connected to the arcane power of the tree and defined the magic school of Kamihana. A legacy of law had been established that echoed out through the World Tree. Now with the formation of the Cathedral the Prince of Blossoms felt himself growing weary. But before he rested again there was a matter of providing guidance to the kitsune in his coming absence.

Focus on Agriculture: The kitsune's connection to the Irani flora could be reinforced. This would ensure they continue to innovate and develop the ways in which they engaged with agriculture and nurturing plant growth.

Focus on Magic: Kamihana was a young magic, barely established. Guiding the kitsune to focus on it and develop this power would ensure it would continue to advance. Now that was possible even in the Prince of Blossoms absence with the Cathedral of Blossoms serving as a gateway to that arcane power in his absence.

Focus on Culture: Or the Prince of Blossoms could encourage the kitsune to develop those things related to the liberal arts. They would be encouraged to put thoughts to paper, to hold debates, develop plays, and the thousand other little things that went into creating a cultural identity.

The Prince had accomplished a lot in a little time in this new Age. He had essentially Created magic, witnessed the death of a god, bore witness to a gathering of his siblings, and helped bring sacred law to the tree of life itself! He knew his works weren't perfect - he had over-reached with his laws, although his intentions in doing so were not bad. And his fledgling magic was a new developing art more than a science. And he mourned the loss of Jannik, who had taken responsibility for his over-estimation of his abilities and had died with honor. A lot weighed on the Prince's mind, and perhaps a good long rest was needed after all.

Still...he had to decide a focus to leave his people. With the gift of the Cathedral, his people would always have some access to magic even while he slumbered. He had plans to spread the range of influence of Kamihana, but the journey of 1000 miles began with the first step. And it was his hope that Kamihana could help his Kitsune weather unforeseeable circumstances yet to come, as well as turn the tables should aggressors and others of bad intent somehow made their way into Iranai while he was unable to protect it. As Stewards...he  was grooming his chosen people to be able to protect him and the land and themselves one day, in the future.

But for now...he had a few remaining miracles up his sleeve still for this Era, before his youthful need for rest triumphed over his own intention to remain awake.

"My people, the Kitsune!" the Prince said from within the depths of the new Cathedral of Blossoms. He was treading across the water in defiance of physics as he did so, his steps either buoyed by invisible plants or perhaps by the waters of the realm itself combined with his godlike grace.

"I have accomplished a lot, and have honored the pact I have made with your ancestors and granted you multiple boons! Use these as the foundation of your task of Stewardship over Irani! So that you can watch over and preserve the land and the magic flowing throughout it. so that you can guard and protect the land whilst I slumber in the bosom of my parent. So that you can serve, protect, and nurture Irani!" he continued, his voice carried across the province by the air itself.

"I have one more miracle to perform for you, before I slumber in the depths of the pools of the Cathedral of Blossoms. I have recently acquired a piece of primordial fire. The same fire from the time Irani itself was still forming. From then the tree itself was still forming. From when I was still forming! I shall breath the life-giving power of the domain of Blossoms into the primordial flame..." he said as he held his hands out, and within them a single flame appeared while his divine aura began to ripple with barely-contained fire. He raised his hands to the sky, and the flame went with it.

Petals sormed and solidified in his divine aura, and they were quickly set ablaze...but did not burn out! Instead, they became living flaming flower petals that swirled furiously around his aura. Green pearly light from the Cathedral flowed into the fire he held skyward while his eyes blazed with pearly power, shining something like the sun. This was similar to when his ancestors had found him essence - it was raw, primordial power filtered through a lens of blossoms and tinged with an affinity for flame.

"Kamihana, and the domain of Blossoms in general, contains the potential to bloom into something fiery and beautiful. And I shall now forge a new leaf. A new petal. A whole new province as I use my power and the fuel of primordial fire to help Irani begin to blossom outward as well. Kamihana possesses the potential for fiery secrets and inner strength, as well as outwardly direct manifestations of blossoming fiery power! THIS, I tell you, is the true essence of Kitsunebi FOXFIRE! And as Omamori, the lore of talismans and sigils, was originated here in the central province so too will the secrets of Foxfire be inspired by the new province I am forging myself for you all. But this place will be a wild and untamed place, and will not be as gentle and yielding the center is. But it would please me greatly if you, my people, managed to tame it and even thrive there as well as here! It is time you all pushed yourselves to grow, lest you become mired and stagnant!"

As he said that, the flames he held aloft surged upward with a loud explosive roar as light channeled skyward, piercing even the clouds of Irani itself! And then, after a long dramatic moment, the earth began to shutter noticeably although not dangerously as the very branch that held Irani upon it began to expand and grow, upon which a new fire-aspected province sprang into being!

The Prince Expands The Borders with the Primordial Flame he acquired from the Elemental Labyrinth! He creates a new Province: The Burning Pools. This is terrain that is somewhere in between full out volcanic and the lush pools of the central province. Some parts of the province are a lot more dangerous than others, and as a whole the place was not as forgiving and much more rugged than the central province was, but things like geysers, hot springs, and so on could be found there along with more fiery geological displays. And the soil was very fertile and held riches of its own.

As the display of power died down and the land grew, the Prince looked visibly weary from the shear exertion of what he just did. However, if there was any doubt as to the Prince's divinity then surely this would be dispelled in all onlookers after such an obvious display of divine puissance.

"My children. I will rest in the pools of my birth soon. Go now, and flourish and continue to learn and take care of each other and the land. But especially...continue to work on the Art of Kamihana! I did not grant this gift to you lightly. Go and expand the lore of talismans and sigils, but also meditate in your inner fire until you can manifest it externally, without the aid of a talisman or sigil. This is a root of Foxfire, and its different from Omamori although still very much a part of Kamihana." he said.

"So go forth, and explore not only this central province but also the new fiery one that I have created. Go there, and reflect on Fox fire, but also learn about the land and its plants and animals and dangers and boonful natural resources. Explore the provinces, and create maps and add to the history books and the lore scrolls. But know this: it will not be easy. But the fruits of your explorations will be bountiful."

He considered.

"I shall declare a grand contest, that all Kitsune are eligible to take part in. I will wake from my slumber once again, sometime in the future, and at that time I shall judge how well you all have advanced the art of Kamihana and explored into the new province! And if I am pleased in a general sense, then I shall grant a boon of Creating a second Cathedral of Blossoms...but this time, at the center  of the new province!  And in doing so your magic shall spread even further!" he said.

"But there will also be another contest; I shall judge the progress of Kamihana as a craft itself by throwing a tournament of skill and power, that I will personally oversee and be the judge of. And to the winner of this tournament I shall grant a great deal of power to, and elevate into a true hero among men whose legend will go down through the history books. So practice long and hard, for you never know when I will awake and if it is not in your time, then it will be in the life of one of your descendants. And at that time I will pass judgement...so do what you can to make sure the children of tomorrow are prepared. And know that if I am sorely disappointed in what I see...I may punish your children with a curse instead. So work hard, and be diligent!"

The Prince Chooses to Focus on Magic.

Irani shuddered and quaked as a new landmass formed to the east. A hot wind blew across the Cascading Pools of Irani. Molten plains rolled out and cooled to harden into jagged and unforgiving rock. Where water bubbled to the surface it rose up hot, the lakes and rivers boiled and bubbled and geysers and hot springs would be common. This new vista in Irani was quite different from the lush heartland. This untouched new land would present a formidable danger to the kitsune. It was one that the Prince of Blossoms would not be present to watch them partake in as sleep was coming soon now.

Giving his final guidance, the Prince of Blossoms instructed that the kitsune devote themselves to fostering magic, ensuring that Kamihana was nurtured and developed during the gods absence. And then the Prince of Blossoms slept once more.

OOC: Closing the thread to start preparing to open a new Age. You can continue to interact in the Feast thread or return to the Astral Lounge in the meantime.