Awakening to find a vast swath of time had passed was not so jarring for a second time. The Prince of Blossoms arose much as he had when he was first born unto Irani, he found himself standing in the same pool of water with the cascading mists of the falls behind him. Before his slumber he'd ordained this place the Cathedral of Blossoms and it was much changed since the God of Blossoms had gone to slumber.

The natural setting of the Cathedral was unchanged, each tree was just as he'd left it. The smaller plant life about the edge of the pool and the trees was carefully cultivated. What was different was that great scrolls as long as three kitsune end to end were tumbled down the side of each tree trunk and covered in flowing script. Small pages were papered across the trunks between these grand papyrus tapestries. The Prince of Blossoms could feel the magic of Kamihana flowing through him to empower each of these papers.

There were a number of kitsune in attendance at the Cathdral. They wore carefully woven vine robes that had a hem of dirt from which the vines grew from, making the garment a living plant in an impressive display. They hurried to the edge of the pool and fell to their knees in a litany of prayers at the sight of their returning god.

"Oh great and mighty God of Blossoms, the Children of the Petals welcome you back to your world," greeted the foremost kitsune, a woman whose vine robe had a burst of white flowers adorning each shoulder. "I am Iktye, the Spring Bearer and we are your Children." The Children of the Petals, she explained shortly, was the name of the organized religion that had formed over the last several centuries. They dwelled within the Cathedral of Blossoms, maintaining it and studying the Sacred Mysteries, as they referred to Kamihana. They were the body which was responsible for leading the worship and faith of the God of Blossoms and had also become the judges of the land to emulate the way in which their god passed laws.

"During your time of rest we have dutifully done everything we could to follow your will. We have a hundred acolytes who dedicate themselves to understanding your Sacred Mysteries, our Holy Judges oversee the courts in the villages across the realm and we have sent out settlers to Easfyre to settle those harsh lands as you have commanded. We hope all has pleased you my lord!" Ikyte shared with the glow of religious fervor in her eyes.

True to Ikyte's word, just outside the Cathedral could be found a scriptorium where a hundred kitsune bent over desks doggedly toiled away at scrolls. These were Kamihana devotees. They were working to fulfill the Prince of Blossoms command to expand upon his magic. In his absence they had done just that and they had accomplished some truly impressive things. The great scrolls outside, they explained were defensive wards, for since the Prince of Blossoms had left every few years beasts would set upon the kitsune for one night of the year, but now the Cathedral was as safe haven for all those who gathered there on those dangerous nights. The smaller papered glyphs did a variety of other things, keeping weeds from sprouting, encouraging healthy growth of the flowers in the area. The kitsune were a creative people and this was evident in the variety of arcane glyphs they'd come up with. But they hadn't managed to establish a new branch of Kamihana yet.

Beyond the Cathedral of Blossoms, the Prince of Blossoms found the old home of the kitsune a ghost of its former self. "As you commanded, the kitsune had spread across the province as a whole. Now a dozen small villages can be found across the realm," Ikyte explained regarding why the formerly bustling city center now had large sections that were left overgrown and unattended.

To the east and several days traveling, Ikyte led the Prince of Blossoms to the borderlands of Easfyre there the rolling heat increasingly stunted and scorched the plant life until the  plant life gave away entirely and only barren rocks could be found. A trail had been carved through the jagged stones and marked out to lead the way to a plateau that overlooked a great boiling lake. Here a struggling village of one hundred and fifty kitsune dwelled. The lived in caves they'd carved out in the cliff side as building homes was not something they'd ever had to learn to do in the temperate heartland of Irani. A few scraggly plants were growing in till gardens, only begrudgingly alive due to the skills that kitsune possessed to nurture plants, and even then it took all their skills to keep this withered garden alive. "It has been a hard journey, but we've ensured we kept a foothold here as you instructed," Ikyte shared. This turned out to be an understatement. Over the next ridge on the far side of the crag they'd settled there were hundreds upon hundreds of stone pyres, each marking a grave. It seemed a great number of lives had been spent to inhabit that anemic village in this hostile land.

This new age was quite different than the previous era. In that time that kitsune had hardly a care in the world and they'd lacked direction. Now the Children of Petals had formed during the Prince of Blossoms absence and strove determinedly to fulfill his every wish and, in some sense, had succeeded in every regard.

The Prince had woken from his slumber, and could once again sense that a great deal of time had passed in Irani. He could feel the Kamihana flowing throughout the Cathedral, and far stronger than it had when he first went to sleep. The magic spiked further with his own awakening, but the Kitsune had obviously listened to his final edict in the previous age given what he was seeing. Trees wrapped with sacred ropes and tumbling talismanic ritual-scrolls, and the development of an actual religion! They Kitsune had always honored him, but this was definitely a step up beyond his expectations. And the god was pleased at what he beheld.

"I am most pleased with what I see, and what I can feel." the Prince replied as they walked through the Cathedral, out to the central village.

"I had warned your ancestors that times would be changing, and it seems the Night of the Hunt rippled across the branches, even to Irani. I feared this, among other things, which is one of the reasons I pushed your ancestors so hard to try and grow so suddenly. The Night of the hunt is an event that happens outside of my control, for its origins originate with the tree itself and not Irani. But I still wanted to prepare you for it and other dangers as best I could. I knew it would be a challenge, but the fact you all were able to discover Kimihana wards and talismanic barriers before I even had to tell you about them pleases me greatly. Much more than you know. But I believe you all have seen the reasons for my worries. And I suspect that there are further dangers yet to some, although I know not when. Which is why we must do our best in the meantime." the Prince said as he looked at the central village.

A part of him was sad to see the central multi-tiered village had only a fraction of its population left. It was a reminder that in a way, the Kitsune had lost some of their innocence. And he could tell, even before he saw it, that more innocence had been lost as he felt the struggling kitsune the the souls of their dead out Eastward, in what they called Easfyre. But he remained stoically silent about the matter and let Ikyte and the procession show him to Easfyre properly.

The Prince looked around. He was at first disappointed that no one broke into the hypothetical Foxfire branch of magic, but then it occurred to him that without a Cathedral here the Kamihana may have been too weak this far from the central province to sustain itself while he was asleep, and perhaps he had set a slightly unreasonable demand of them. But the Slumber was approaching and he had done what he could with the time he had. But equally...Foxfire could only begun to be discovered once the Kitsune had understood fire and its trials.

The prince turned to Ikyte and the procession, and spoke after surveying the foothold they had maintained.

"Hear me Kitsune! I walk the land once more, and great changes and miracles will follow in my footsteps." he said. As he walked, flowers sprang from the earth despite the terrain, full and in vibrant bloom. With every step the god made, the harshness of the land gave way to his power as flowers continued to appear in his wake.

"First of all, know that I am most pleased. I did tell your ancestors that I wanted them to learn about Foxfire - the art of inner and outer flame fueled by Kamihana - along with improving the lore of sigils and talismans. The complexity and variety of the sigils and scrolls I have bore witness to were beyond my expectations. Wards and barriers are an advanced application of magic, and are one I thought I'd reveal to you this age only to find you beat me to it. And this pleases me. Where as for Foxfire...there has been no improvement in the art on that front." the god said.

As he did, he could see many of the Kitsune's faces lit up at the praise only to turn to frowns as he mentioned foxfire, but they looked at him with bated breath waiting for what he'd say and do next.

"But do NOT look crestfallen, and do not despair. For I am actually quite pleased despite what you may think!" he continued, smirking a moment as he saw the puzzled looks on the fazes of the people. Why would the god be pleased when they thought they failed?

"For you see...Foxfire is different from the lore of sigils and talismanic spells. It is all about the concept of both inner fire and outer fire, fueled by the Kamihana. And in order to even begin the journey of fiery enlightenment one must understand fire. Both literally, but also figuratively and metaphorically. And as several centuries had passed, your ancestors and you yourselves have struggled and toiled with the heat. Coped with various emotions ranging between hope and despair and everything in between. Have worked the land and learned about the geography of a part of Irani intimately touched by an aspect of primordial fire. You carved into the cliffs, grew plants in the soil and in doing so learned about the soil here, suffered and adapted gradually over time to the heat and the environment. You all may think this foothold is weak and feeble, but I think it's marvelous! That you have held on until now shows the inner strength you have all cultivated over the centuries I've slumbered. For only when you have begun to understand fire and its trials can further enlightenment be had." the Prince exclaimed excitedly.

He considered, and looked at Iktye.

"Spring Bearer? Show me to a place as close to the center of the province of Easfyre as the Kitsune have explored and ventured. For there, I shall raise another Cathedral of Blossoms to honor and reward the trial of fire the Kitsune had endured."

Completing his tour to refamliarize himself with the realm, the Prince of Blossoms addressed the malnourished and heat scorched kitsune. They gathered close to hear their god deliver his verdict on how they had done. Iktye was overjoyed the pronouncement. The kitsune inhabiting the outpost just seemed to have a weary relief.

"Beyond the Cathedral magic has not been possible while you slept," Iktye shared, "But now that you've returned, we shall ensure that everyone practies this... 'foxfire' now that magic has again spread across the land. In fact," Iktye turned to address the gathered kitsune. "It is now a law, each person must spend an hour at the end of their day meditating on 'foxfire' to shirk this most sacred duty is to received two lashes of the thorn!"

At the Prince of Blossoms request, the Spring Bearer led their god from the meager village and out past the miles of graves beyond. There they came to the shore of a boiling river. They were still quite far from the center of the province, but that wide river had evidently stopped their progress. "This is as far as we were able to go, at least before. Now that Kamihana works beyond the temple we shall of course call for more settlers to be sent out here and use our powers to word to cross the river."

But something else drew the Prince of Blossoms attention. There was a great pressure somewhere. Kneeling down and placing a hand on the ground. The Prince didn't have a connection to this land yet, but even without it, this power could not be missed. There was a volcano beneath Easfyre, a mighty one. One so great that when it erupted it would wash the whole province in fire and the devastation would carry over to the heartland. That pressure was still brewing, it would not erupt immediately, but it would eventually. Within the next one to three Ages of Irani. That allowed time to address this impending calamity, which was fortunate since there was no easy or immediate solution, but precisely how long was a question whose answer could spell the difference between salvation and calamity.

The Prince of Blossoms nodded in assent. "I hate being so strict about it, but I am not jesting when I say that danger lies in the future for Irani. It won't be immediate, but it is an escalating amount of danger that I can no longer completely insulate the realm from. The Night of the Hunt is a prime example of this. I also know that the fiery energy of Easfyre is slowly building, and one day - not soon but within the next few ages at most - it will erupt with volcanic force. And other dangers on the tree are slowly rearing their heads too, like the False god from the time of your ancestors. This is why I am so adamant about preparing you all for the future." the god said firmly.

"However...there is hope in all this. You all now have access to a potent supernatural power whose potential still is largely untapped. If Foxfire can be broken into along with further exploration of wards and sigils from Talismanic practices, you all stand a much higher chance of turning the tide. It's a gift I granted to the Kitsune to be the ultimate trump card, and is proof I am on your side." he said, more kindly.

He turned and surveyed the river of fire, before turning back to look at the village outpost some miles away. His eyes were exceptionally sharp, although his divine senses made keeping track of their progress easier than anything else.

"I believe the Kitsune have suffered the trials of fire and heat long enough. Now, this doesn't mean you all can go soft and rest on your laurels. However...it does mean that it's time to turn the tide a bit, and start being proactive instead of reactive. To start having some victories in this seemingly hostile land too, and not just losses. I grant a small gift to you and the land..." the god said as he pointed his hand back toward the direction of the village, and suddenly the kitsune procession and villagers alike could feel the earth rumble while those before the Prince saw his eyes glow with power!

*Boomp. Bump. Shudder. Burst!* went various parts of the soil and terrain. Strange and never-before-seen plants started erupting from the ground in various places! From between the location of the Kitsune procession near the river of lava, back to parts of the Easfyre village outpost back near the border strange and wonderous plants burst from the soil! The plants didn't cover the whole province by any means, but they certainly filled a swath of several miles worth under the Unleashed Manifested Power of the god! Cacti like saguarro and prickly pear, interesting bushy weed fuzzy things like Mesquite, Colorful, tall shrubs like Chia, tall stalks of fruit-laden agave, and even some types of trees not seen before like  the desert-tier heat resistant Pinion Pine Trees burst from the ground, and under the God's power they bloomed and blossomed to full maturity in a matter of minutes rather than seasons or years!

OOC: Please reference https://www.plantsnap.com/blog/5-edible-desert-plants/ to see some inspiration for extremely heat-resistant plants that can even grow in a desert, and Easfyre isn't a true desert. Some patches of it are more barren than others but it also has patches of water, and fertile ash and other cool volcanic soil elements to it but its oppressive climate makes me think heatr and desert resistant plants would do best. But I looked this up and there's a lot more heat and desert tier plants in real life than I thought. And not just shrubs and moss lol.

The Prince turned to the Kitsune Procession, and spoke.

"Behold! Even Easfyre can blossom forth beautiful and majestic flora! And many of these plants are actually quite edible, and quite healthy! The cancti, aloe, and succulent plants are great at storing water too. But don't forget...Easfyre is not a desert. Yes, swathes of it are more barren-seeming than others, but overall this land has pockets and pools of water and other things spread across it along with the lava and rock. The earth here holds more bounty than you'd think on a first glance!" he said.

"But use some of these plants to help you, and those back at the outpost village, to sate their hunger and thirst and grow strong. To feed themselves and their children, and nurse the strength you'll need to start truly taming this wild land! And use all that lore of agriculture and the arts I helped teach your ancestors and till the land. Gather water - hotspring water can irrigate just as well if not better than normal water after all - and make proper gardens! Not just pretty flower patches, but now is the time for the Kitsune to apply the wisdom of your ancestors and your god practically and in a hands-on way. And You will find this land will slowly bow before you, acre by acre."

He turned to the river.

"And about THAT..." he said as he snapped his fingers in the direction of the lava river. Suddenly, the side of the cliff-like bank facing the fiery river exploded outward ad large red bark-covered wood surged outward! It kept unnaturally growing and erupting from the bank and soared across the open air above the river before it dived and drilled into the rock on the bank on the other side. Parts of the ground on the other side had skyward branches poking out of the ground on the sides with leaves on! It was like several sequioa redwoods grew horizontally from the rock and spanned the river in a solid twist of wood that, in a matter of moments, formed a living bridge of thick, solid wood that was thicker than a car and made of one of the most fire-resistant plants in the world.

"...THAT ought to resolve the issue of exploration across that river, yes? Send messengers back to the Village Outpost and to the Central province and let the changes and my wishes for the future be known to all the Kitsune." he said.

"As for the rest of us? It is time we explore deeper in and find the approximate center of the Easfyre province. That would be practically and geomantically the best place for a second Cathedral. Gather some edible plants to take with us, and armed with the Kamihana we shall proceed toward the center!"




This message was last edited by the player at 04:32, Tue 26 July 2022.

The Prince of Blossoms noted the danger of the pressure growing underfoot, but that was a secondary concern for the time being. Instead he drew upon his divine powers to help alleviate the more immediate problem.

Calling upon his dominion over nature, the Prince of Blossoms set the hillside awash in a wave of greenery. Plants that had never existed before in Irani were coaxed into being from the gods divine powers. Spiked cacti, leathery leafed plants, deep rooted vines and a variety of flowering bushes and shrubs, they spread to add life to the barren hills of Easfyre. Many of these may not survive the tests of this new land, but a great many others would.

This miracle, more so than the speech the Prince had made, drew an enthusiastic response from those kitsune who had been eking out an existence on the plateau. Running about and grabbing fistfuls of the new plants, some were smelling them, others were eating them. All of them were relieved to see other life spring up in this harsh waste. Now they had materials to work with! None of the native Irani plants had been capable of surviving this place previously.

Using that power of plants to manifest tough roots, the Prince of Blossoms sent them across the boiling river to bridge the gap. The radiant heat rising up would kill the living vines in a few short days, but they'd remain strong for several years after, even dead. In the meantime they made for a sturdy bridge. The god, accompanied by the Spring Bearer and a few other curious kitsune, set across to explore the lands that had not yet been explored.

Several days of walking followed. The plants that had been brought were carefully rationed, but still hunger and thirst were a perpetual companion. Everyone was coated in a layer of sweat, soot and grime. Still they pressed on.

Nearing the center of the province, up ahead opened up a massive hole. Perfectly round, it dropped down and into the earth. A hundred feet below a pool of lava could be spotted. This was the center of the growing pressure and here at the focal point the Prince of Blossoms felt options arrayed before him.

Vent the Pressure: The growing explosion underfoot could be vented by giving it a release. Dozens upon dozens upon volcanos would open up across the region and transform the landscape into a molten hellscape. The province had been harsh before, but it would be rendered all but inhospitable to life for several Ages. When it passed the volcanic activity of the area would be permanently quieted and a great many natural minerals would be freed upon the surface, but until then the province would be all but useless.

Allow the Cataclysm: Or the Prince of Blossoms could do nothing. There was immense power feeding this coming explosion. Allowing it naturally culminate would free this power. In a wave of ash, fire and searing heat Easfyre and much of the Irani heartland would be showered in searing flames, but when it passed that power would be left for the taking. The Prince of Blossoms sensed Essence down there.

Redirect the Fires: Or, for a costly sum of souls and his own innate ability to summon portals as a god, the Prince of Blossoms sensed he could redirect those fiery depths. They'd be transported... somewhere else. Where precisely he couldn't say, but the coming devastation would be someone elses's problem. The region could then be immediately settled and secured.

Or perhaps another solution could be found. There was time before the cataclysm exploded on its own. Perhaps another solution could be found in the intervening years. It was just a question of how long the decision could be postponed.

The Prince felt the slowly rising pressure and fire aspected energy growing in the depths of the land, and grew concerned. He debated on using various methods to stop it or alter it, but then decided against it in the end. The slow build up of fiery essence leading to an explosive, albeit natural, eruption was almost the very definition of Blossoming! How could he vent the fire elsewhere, or cause it to be vented by putting many pin pricks into it and basically screwing up the province for several ages? So no, he would Allow the Cataclysm to culminate once it was time, within the next one to three ages, and then he would harvest the primordial essence left behind. It was as if the land itself was offering a tribute to him, if only he'd allow it to Blossom in its natural state. And in this he judged it to be fair and part of his divine domain.

However, he had to make sure the Kitsune would be prepared. For if they were not vigilant, the Cataclysm could do serious damage to their population. However...was he not preparing them for such a disaster with all of his various lessons over the ages? with the gift of magic itself?! This was yet another trial the Kitsune had to endure to help cultivate and blossom their potential as a race.

The Prince surveyed the massive volcanic hole in the center of the province, and nodded in satisfaction. The Easfyre truly embodied the bit of primordial fire he had acquired in the previous age, but yet it wasn't of the labyrinth anymore. It was clearly the product of mixing the geography and themes of Irani with a fire affinity, and the Prince would not deny this side of Blossoming but embrace it instead!

He turned to the Kitsune procession, and spoke.

"My kitstune! Use the lore of the sigils and talismans and create water for yourselves, to banish your thirst and cleanse the sweat from your bodies. And of air to dry yourselves and promote better heat management. And if the food runs low, only beseech me with piety and I shall provide fruits for you to eat. You will not starve whilst you walk with me. Not even in a land like this." he said as he took a hand and reached for a nearby pebble off the ground. He used it and etched a rune for water, followed by a rune for wind, and then stood upward and clasped his hands together to call upon the Kamihana. A large ball of water formed in the air, some from the steam in the air and some from streams of droplets from the ground (everyone always forgot that Easfyre held more water than it appeared).

The watery ball grew in size to an unnatural degree, fueled by the Prince's legendary will and focus, before to released it in staggered bits...causing a firm rain of clean water to suddenly rain on himself and the procession! The rain washed away sweat and grime, before suddenly stopping only to be followed up with a brisk breeze that began to dry hem off. It wasn't the heat of Easfyre, but fresh air created by Kamihana. This all happened over some minutes of time before being done.

"Remember? While talismans are an ideal medium for this craft given you can prepare them ahead of time for easier use later, they are not the only way to do it. The sigils and scripts can be placed on other surfaces. This is more of an art than a science, after all." he said.

He then considered.

"I shall issue a warning, one of both weal and woe. Of impending doom but also of hope. So heed me! The Land of Easfyre is but another aspect of Blossoming, albeit one tinged with a fiery affinity. And as such, there is a great fiery power slowly building deep within the earth that will one day erupt explosively and spectacularly, raining fire down all across Easfyre and - I fear - some parts of the central province as well. This will not happen in your lifetime though, although it will happen somewhere from one to three ages from now. I cannot pinpoint the exact time, but it will happen in the time of your descendants. And the Kistune must weather this trial in order to further cultivate their own Blossoming." he said boldly.

"The way to survive this trial is to have piety and knowledge. The lore and knowledge you've cultivated up to this point to help you retain clarity of thought and action in the face of this cataclysm, while your piety and faith and spirituality will help you further plumb the secrets of magic and the supernatural to resist even the elements that would try and destroy you! And ideally...perhaps even turn this into potential opportunities in the future." he continued.

"As such, more than ever, you must begin trying to discover Foxfire. The art of communing and channeling both your inner fire and literal outer fire. Imagine...combining Kamihana wards with fire magic when the cataclysm comes! When you take this bigger picture to mind...surviving the cataclysm seems a lot more doable, doesn't it?" he said with a grin.

He turned to face the volcanic chute at the center of the province.

"And so I gift the Realm and the Kitsune a marvelous boon, to better help you begin to meditate on the secrets of Foxfire and to spread Kamihana across two provinces instead of one. If the Cathedral of the central province is a mecca of talismanic and sigil-based learning, then let the Cathedral of Easfyre become a mecca of outer flame and inner strength! In the honor of the newly formed Children of Petals, I present to you all the Cathedral of Petals! This is a sister Cathedral to the Cathedral of Blossoms back in the central province, and while it will have a fiery aspect it will enable all styles of Kamihana in exchange for your piety!"

After the Prince spoke, power suddenly began to blaze forth from him similar to how it was inscribed in the history books detailing the previous age, when the first Cathedral was created. Swirling animus, divine power, and disembodied raw soul energy swirled around the god before being channeled into the local surroundings on a geographical scope. Multiple sakura trees burst forth from the earth at the edges of the Cathedral's radius, although they were mingled with the fiery affinity of the Easfyre itself which caused them to be immune to the heat and even actual fire of the land, while the Prince's affinity kept them vivacious and forever-blooming. The petals on the trees sometimes burst into flames, only to never burn, which created flaming sakura petals! The entire geographical area of the Cathedral glowed with a continuous ambient light, although unlike the green light of the first cathedral this was a soft, ambient fiery colored light that suffused the earth and air itself!

The Prince spends 300 souls to Create the Cathedral of Petals, the second of his growing series of Kamihana Cathedrals! He places it near the center of the Easfyre (not over the chute of course lol).

Resolving to let the eruption of Easfyre resolve itself, the Prince of Blossoms turned his attention to the task he'd originally come here for. Drawing on his reserves of power, he called forth a second sacred space. This one was the Cathedral of Petals. The ground quaked and rumbled and it rose from the earth fully formed. This one was a structure, a wide slopped roof covered a large structure below that would provide some protection from the searing wind and constant rain of ash. Sakura trees decorated the front courtyard, their leaves a vibrant crimsons to match the look of Easfyre.

Ikyte was overjoyed. She fell to her knees and bowed till her living robe of ivy was black across the front. "Of miracle of miracles, and I have the privilege of living to see it! I should command that two score of priests are sent here to meditate on their most holy of places! I will have a village from the heartland send half its people here so they can start to meditate on 'foxfire.'" Ikyte shared enthusiastically.

That left the immediate concerns of waking resolved. True to her word, in a few short weeks Ikyte would have the Cathedral of Petals inhabited by a number of Petal devotees while laypeople from the villages were brought into Easfyre to be inducted into a more theocratic existence. While at the Cathedral of Blossosm scriptorium continued to be filled with adherents practicing the written form of Kamihana, now the Cathedral of Blossoms had many who spent hours in meditation at the direction of the Children of Petals.

+10% Kamihana Advancement

The Prince was pleased with his work, and he wouldn't let the Kitsune expanson further into Easfyre go without some support. After he created the Cathedral of Petals, The Prince quickly went to work using his manifest power to seed the area in a several mile radius around the new Cathedral with all manner of heat-resistant and adapted plantlife similar to the ones he put around the outpost village. Many edible! The Kitsune would need to be diligent and utilize their agriculture and other techniques to fully utilize the gift the god had given them, but it could be done. Life could now be sustained, if the Kitsune were diligent enough at it.

"Kitsune! You must now apply the lore of agriculture and the soil that you have developed through the ages, and make proper use of the gifts I've given you. While some of this land is apparently rugged and fiery, remember that other parts of water practically welling to the surface for you and soil that's rich in minerals and nutrients. Your ancestors once asked me why they thought they'd ever need to learn about the soil and the plants, when the jungles had such bounty. And I told then ' it was to prepare them for the future, and to ensure they could face the future when it became the present." he said. "And here you are now. Now is the time to apply both the magic and science I have given you over the literal ages, and that you have grown whilst I slumbered. Harvest the plants for their seeds, and till the land properly. Irrigate it with Kamihana water and water from natural underground springs and hot springs, so that the plants can outlast the heat. Spread more seeds far and wide, and let Easfyre slowly begin to bloom with flora. Settle the parts of it you need to, and civilize it and order it while living in harmony with the rest." the god said. "It will be hard work, but not harder than you've already endured in my name. And this good work will only strengthen your inner spirits, which in turn will only strengthen your magic and make life here become more and more bearable."

He then considered.

"My people. Rest and refresh yourselves for a moment, and drink water purified with the Kamihana sigil of water. Then, come to me in the Cathedral of Petals. It is time that we try and break into discovering Foxfire, yes?" he said with a smile as he drifted with ethereal grace across the ground, petals falling in his wake, as he headed into the Cathedral's geographical boundaries. He found some empty space near the outside of the shrine-structure, and sat down. He held out a hand, and in front of him some vines suddenly erupted from the ground and swirled in a circular pattern like a coil, before being covered in sequoia-like bark and solidifying. He god had essentially made a makeshift firepit. He created several logs of timber of various sorts, and placed them into the firepit. He gestured a hand at one of the sacred sakura trees with the perpetually burning petals, and several flaming petals drifted over through the air and landed into the fire pit, causing the logs to burst into flame and a bonfire to be formed.

The Prince sat in front of the fire pit, and meditated on the fire and the Kamihana flowing within and around him.

"My children. Fire is the one element that cannot be contained or created by the sigils of the Omamori art of sigils and talismans. This is because fire exists both within and without, and the Kamihana flows between it all as it fuels and ignites it and watches it dance. Instead, fire inner and outer must be directed with ones' sheer will and focused and refined with one's spirit. Let us try and grasp a small bit of flame for now, and try and manipulate it. Start small for now. Nothing more than the size of a candle." the Prince said as he held a hand out at the bonfire and began to try and will a wisp of fire to separate from the bonfire, and hover in the air without either burning him nor dying out (but instead fueled by Kamihana). He practiced making mudras with his hands - sacred hand signs - of various types to see if that helped the magic flow easier and the flames to Gather.

"Come Keeper of Spring and Kitsune procession. come meditate on the fire with me, and try and gather wisps of flame unto yourselves as well. We're going for focus and control, not size and power. We can fan the flames later, but for now let us gather flames to ourselves and keep them held by your will and focused by our spirits!"

The Prince Attempts to create a Kamihana spell, in a new discipline called Foxfire, to GATHER FLAME.


This message was last edited by the player at 01:54, Fri 29 July 2022.

Adorning the rocky lands around the Cathedral of Petals with new blanket of plants, this ensured that those settling in this rugged new landscape would have materials with which to work. Now that Kamihana had awakened across the land the priests were able to bring to bear the different sigils they'd been utilizing in the Cathedral of Blossoms for decades. Sigils to ward off weeds, sigils to promote plant growth, these were laid out lands surrounding the Cathedral of Petals. In a few short years the landscape was bursting with the plants that the kitsune had chosen to cultivate.

Taking pupils on, the Prince of Blossoms set himself to trying to untangle another branch of Kamihana. With the students gathered around, they set to work. The results were... unimpressive. Students would sit for hours staring at their palms with nary a spark to show for it. The Prince could feel a difference though, the way in which they drew at the magic was different than when they practiced the written form of magic.

Kamihana, as it was gated through the Prince of Blossoms, was less about the mortals own affinity for magic but rather their allowance. The Prince of Blossoms had the inkling that they were not succeeding in manifesting foxfire because he himself did not understand. When he finally did, they would be able to call up the fires. Whether or not they had a gift for magic was a moot point, they could only accomplish as much as their god could because all Kamihana flowed through him. So the years of practice and contemplation passed. There were little external signs of success, but gradually there was coming to be understanding.

+10% Kamihana Advancement

The Prince had overestimated himself and underestimated the scope of his magic. But this was a lesson for him too, and as he was forced to temper his own impatience he found his own inner spirit strengthening as a result as enlightenment came bit by fiery bit.

"My Kitsune. Discovering Foxfire as a proper second branch to Kamihana is going to be a momentous undertaking, but we can and will do it! As I have told your ancestors...this magic I've gifted you is more of an art than a science, and while I have many innate understandings about it the truth is that some wisdom can only be gained from direct experience. Which means I must also push myself to grow along with you all." he said to his Kitsune.

"You have seen how effective the talismans and sigils are, so you know I do not just. So I will tell you this: in this age, I shall committ to working alongside you all on trying to break into Foxfire. I will stay here, in this land of fire and water and toil and possibility,  for as long as I can this age to help you all break through. For I have come to a realization - I cannot grant a gift of something I myself don't have the wisdom to fully grasp. But I feel myself edging closer and closer to the next level. You all have seen sparks flying from your fingertips now and then, which means you can feel this as much as I can!" he continued.

"And as such I will dedicate all of my time to helping you with Foxfire. I believe it will make or break everything once Easfyre erupts in a future age, and so I am committed to helping you all expand your magic if in turn you all remain committed to me. We will grow our inner strength together, by having patience and faith in the face of toil and frustration. And by rising above such negativity will be break into Foxfire!"

The God sequestered himself inside the Cathedral of Petals. He occasionally ventured outside, although only to occasionally survey the land and its energies or to smite down anything impetuous enough to dare infringe on his meditation during the Nights of the Hunt. But otherwise he continued to practice channeling Kamihana through himself and trying to coax its influence over flames - both within and without.

The Prince continues practicing Kamihana and trying to better understand Foxfire and the nature of fire.

Decades passed. Nights of the Hunt came and went. The kitsune who had originally made the journey to the Cathedral of Petals aged, many died younger than expected, the harsh hot wind and occasional gasses that vented from the earth were not kind to long term health. Yet on the whole the newly established religious outpost survived. How events unfolded across the rest of Irani the Prince of Blossoms only heard second when from messengers and visits from Ikyte, but the news was always positive.

That allowed the Prince of Blossoms to wholly dedicate himself to Kamihana. Locked away for days at a time he would meditate and study on his magic. More specifically, his desire to bring into being a different version of Kamihana, what he called Foxfire. Whereas the magic of script writing was about writing intent onto paper, a sort of arcane command. Foxfire being an internal source meant that power had to spring from the user. This meant one had to open themselves up to magic, allow it to permeate them, then release it again. It was akin to taking a deep breath. The fire still remained elusive, but steps were being made towards it.

+10% Kamihana Advancement

The god could feel himself getting closer to a breakthrough, but he had a ways to go still. Diligence would be the key to this. But it was his goal to achieve a breakthrough during the current age he was in, so that when he eventually slumbered again the Kitsune would the ability and time to prepare countermeasures using both Omamori and Foxfire Kamihana. That was why this was so important to his focus.

On one of the days he took a break from his magical meditations and practicing, he walked forth among the Kistune and gave a command.

"My Kitsune. I can feel that I'm about half way to cracking the puzzle of Foxfire. I will continue to be diligent and focused on this, and overall remain committed to helping unlock this boon for you all. I thank you for your patience and faith, and for keeping Irani functioning despite my mono-focus on this project. It's just if we succeed, this will give you all the tools to best increase your chances at weathering the eventual cataclysm. We may not be able to fully stop it, but we certainly can use magic and wisdom to mitigate and even enact counter measures so that your descendants can weather this trial as well." he said.

"I promise, that in a future age when the cataclysm happens...if your descendants can survive I will continue to grant miracles unto the Kitsune as a reward for your piety, just as I did when I granted magic to your ancestors. Even now, you Kitsune of the present are building something beyond what your ancestors had. But we must nurture these projects like gradually opening blossom."

He considered a moment, then continued,

"With that said, though, while I am working with the mystics at the Cathedral of Petals on discovering Foxfire, other preparations must take place too. I want crops and irrigation further developed here in Easfyre around both of the outposts here, but I also want trees planted and totems made in both outposts to be used as foci for ward-formations, with the new Cathedral of Petals getting as good of wards as the Cathedral of Blossoms has for sure. But let's get some enchantments and sigils going on the outposts too. Wards for sure, but also creative uses of the water and air sigils to help further resist the environment, making living here easier, and also to supplement farming. Combine this with the gradual spreading of flora around the Easfyre and these outposts will be truly self-sufficient, and life truly bearable here."

And with his general command for focusing the Kitsune's efforts given, the god retreated back into the Cathedral of Petals to meditate on the nature of fire, and try to infuse Kamihana energy into his own efforts to do more than create some sparks at his fingertips.

The prince continues to take action to develop kamihana.

Implementing magic across Easfyre was making the region far more tenable for existence. The new plantlife that the God of Blossoms had coaxed into existence was particularly well suited for the environment which helped immensely. While the kitsune experimented with irrigation, the water sigils they used did not create water but rather pulled it from the air and focused it into a certain point. There just wasn't enough humidity in Easfyre, water would always be scarce in this place. With the help of the sigils there would be enough for drinking, but it was not within the kitsune's power to make this place a lush utopia.

But these were external matters. The Prince of Blossoms still mainly secluded himself and spent his time in meditation and contemplation. Decades passed and Ikyte continued to visit, though now her fox ears had grown gray and her skin wrinkled. On one of her yearly visits the Spring Bearer brought along a younger kitsune, he took wore a robe of living ivy which marked him as a priest. "I wanted to introduce you to Kenderis," the aging matron of the faith shared, "I wished the acolyte to look upon the face of their god." The kitsune was young and he bowed with an eagerness of youth as he prostrated himself before the god and sang a litany of blessings. She then dismissed him and when the Spring Bearer was alone with her god she shared. "I intend for Kenderis to take up my mantle. He is young, but he possesses a zeal that is unrivaled. He will make a dedicated carrier of the faith."

And still time carried on. The Prince of Blossoms was learning to draw magic into himself and hold it like a reservoir. For most magical practices this wouldn't be something they'd need to do as magic was innately everywhere. But as Kamihana was gated and the Prince desired for Foxfire to be an internal power, it meant that a mortal would need to hold a reserve of this energy to dole it out. Thus progress continued.

+15% Kamihana Advancement

Note: At this time the kitsune have obtained Rank 1 with Kamihana. This is reflected in their society as the ability to use the magic is more widely spread and their base level of mastery is higher.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:07, Sun 31 July 2022.

The Prince of Blossoms saw the Kitsune struggling a bit with water. The water sigil spell had proven to be of immense help, but they weren't utilizing the land to its full extent.

"Kitsune." he said to some assembled followers.

"The land is not as arid as it seems. Mind you, it will never be quite like the lushness of the central province but remember I mixed primordial fire with Irani to create this province. So there certainly is water to be had here. However, much of it is underground more than in the surface pools and falls you're used to." he said. "But you have seen the occasional hot springs scattered here and there, and the geysers of water and such yes? Hot spring water has a lot of beneficial nutrients and minerals in it that are great for plant life and Fox-life alike. Obviously the waters in some springs is hotter than others, which is why I want some of you to work on irrigation projects using some of the local springs in the area. You have the agricultural and liberal arts knowledge to do this. But with the Kamihana, you can use water sigil arrays and rituals to help you pull water up from underground to fill irrigation ditches, and air sigils to help control temperature. I will leave you to your efforts, but merely wishes to impart this perspective on you all." The god said, before dismissing those onlookers to return to their projects while he continued mediating.

And he was making great progress. He could feel he was over half way there, and just had to remain patient and diligent. Haste makes waste. And so the god continued to further experiment with gathering and retaining magic energy and seeing if he could feed it to the sparks that sometimes erupted from his fingertips like gasoline or oil. But as he was still in development this was rudimentary at best but all great works started on a simple foundation.

Then, later when Ikyte came and request an audience he stopped and addressed her.

"Greetings Ikyte. Keeper of Spring. I welcome you to my presence. If you are parched or hungry let me know and I will provide for you and anyone else suffering right now. But I did relay some perspectives on irrigation for agriculture practitioners but it is up to you all to take my wisdom or disregard it." he said.

He turned and faced Ikyte's acolyte, Kenderis.

"Greeting young Kenderis. I am the Prince of Blossoms, the god of Irani. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, and my pleasure and blessing of goodwill is with you." the god said to the young man in a kind and polite tone. "I expect great things from you. I am most pleased with Ikyte and she has set a high bar for you to follow, but I have faith in you like you have faith in me." he added.

He turned to Ikyte.

"I am edging closer than ever to a breakthrough. I can sense I'm now over half way, but still have some bits to go. I am learning about kamihana along with the rest of you, despite being its creator. As I've told your ancestors it is an art more than a science, but it is coming along nicely." he said.

"I am glad that you are nurturing a successor. My hope is to have a Keeper from the Children of Petals based out of each Cathedral. It is my intention to gift the Kitsune a Cathedral in each province as Irani continues to grow, and perhaps each Cathedral will be a mecca for a branch of Kamihana although the power will flow across all cathedrals. But as The Cathedral of Blossoms is the capital of Omamori talismanic arts, it is my hope for this Cathedral of Petals to become a mecca for Foxfire." he said.

He then continued after a moments reflection.

"This means that I would like another Keeper to eventually be instated for this cathedral. As Irani grows and the Kitsune grow, the burden of leadership will have to be shouldered by more than one Keeper. As you are the Keeper of Spring, Ikyte, I intend for there to one day be a Keeper of Summer based here, helping spur along the arts of Foxfire. And as the realm grows there will be a Keeper of Autumn and eventually one of winter - a season that is unfamiliar to you but one day, in the far future, the kitsune will learn about ice and cold.  But for now Ikyte...know that I am most pleased with you! But I thought you'd take pleasure in my wishes for the Religion you have spearheaded to grow over time."

He turned to the barziers and the bonfires.

"Would you like to take some time and practice a bit with gathering your inner spiritual energy with me? I have discovered this will be a key to making Foxfire work. all my talk about inner fire leading to outer fire was not just allegorical, it would seem." he said as he held his hands toward a nearby brazier and focused. Sparks flared from his fingertips, but noting more yet. But the sparks were becoming more numerous and pronounced now compared to when he first build the new cathedral.

"It would be an honor to study with you!" Ikyte accepted, taking a seat across from the god. The future development of the Children of Petals could wait for the time being. For now the Prince of Blossoms meditated on his magic and Ikyte tried to mimic the divinity. Steadying her breathing the aging kitsune breathed in and out. At the Prince of Blossoms urging she tried to take in the magic, to become a reservoir of the power as the god did. The Prince of Blossoms felt her attempt, it was akin to when he allowed those writing arcane script to draw upon Kamihana. In this case he felt he could allow or disallow this deep drawing on the power, though once she possessed the Kamihana it was no longer at the gods discretion. Once the power had been drawn into a mortal reservoir it had passed the gate on the magic and was fully theirs until they expended the power. This meant that granting mortals these reservoirs of power came with the risk that they could then use it as they saw fit, though they would eventually run out.

It was new information and offered a glimpse of how foxfire would work once it was out in the world. Allowing a mortal to draw upon a reservoir of the power meant giving them a certain degree of trust, for once it was given the power couldn't be cut off like it could with the script. The mortal could be barred from replenishing the power, but it couldn't be taken back.

+10% Kamihana Advancement

The discovery about how the Kamihana was flowing differently with Omamori versis Foxfire was an interesting one. While Kamihana was gated by its nature as an almost clerical style magic, Foxfire allowed practitioners to store a finite reserve of power even if he would wish to cut them off for some reason. So this meant all Foxfire users would require some degree of trust from the god to be allowed to use the magic long-term. However, on the other hand if they could store the magic in themselves he wondered if this would allow his practitioners to use magic away from Cathedrals while he slumbered, or in areas he wasn't very present in?

Like portal mana batteries, essentially?

While the trust thing was an element, the battery prospects were a benefit in many ways. and really...were all exchanges of power between a god and man not some sort of relationship of trust? It felt fitting that Foxfire would work like this, given its themes and nature.

"Interesting. I can feel the Kamihana being granted from me and stored within both of you as we practice. For Foxfire, this inner reserve of power would be a gift from me to you, which means I wouldn't have as direct control over its flow as I do for Omamori. Although if I cut the source it would eventually run out of course. But essentially...to use Foxfire would not require just my favor, but my trust as well. This will be important over time, as I can see trust rituals and even compacts between Kitsune and non-Kitsune wielders of my magic forming." the god said.

"And it will take experimentation, but this may also allow a limited amount of Foxfire to be used outside the Cathedrals as well, which will be a powerful asset while I slumber. The Kitsune could re-charge at the cathedrals with meditation and obeisance, and then venture beyond them and be able to enjoy the protection of my magic even from afar or afield. This pleases me, for right now the Kitsune have a great deal of my trust."

He continued to [ractice the magical arts with them. He was almost three quarters to a break through. But there was still a bit of this and that that eluded him, but not for long. The picture was becoming clearer over time.

"Come...let us stop trying to fan the flames for a moment, and meditate together on the nature of Kamihana and on trying to absorb and hold within yourselves my gifted power. Slowly now...breath in, and out. In, and out. Feel the Kamihana around you, flowing from me into you and into the land. Feel it flowing through you, and try and cycle it throughout your body while trying to prevent it from dissipating. But if you feel "full" of power then stop, and try to expel gently the Kamihana energy into the nearby fire. And rinse and repeat. The flow of magic is one of the final pieces of the puzzle!"

"I... I think I can feel the power." Ikyte said as she drew upon the force of Kamihana. The suspicions that the Prince of Blossoms held seemed to be true, that one who practiced foxfire and drew upon the power could then use it freely even beyond the Cathedral grounds. This granted them a level of freedom that Omamori would not possess during those times of dormancy.

Glowing with the power, the aged Ikyte looked at the fire that the Prince of Blossoms had pointed out. "Yes, I can feel it," she said excitedly. Standing up, she extended a hand Ikyte released the energy forwards the fire. It all flowed out at once, a great outpouring. The Spring Bearer's arm erupted into flame. With a shriek as her flesh melted the fire poured free. It lasted only a few seconds as the unrestrained magical energy was released, then it was gone. Ikyte's right arm had been reduced to blackened bone. With a sound something between a howl and gurgle she fell to her knees clutching what scorched flesh remained at the top of her shoulder, then she slumped forward unconscious, the small of burnt meat hanging in the air.

There was concerned banging at the doors to the divine chambers. "Lord? Spring Bearer? Is everything alright?" called out the concerned attendants of the temple.

Todays experiments had proven fruitful. It seemed that managing the flow of power would be important.

+10% Kamihana advancement

The Prince was pleased with the progress they were making. The missing piece of the puzzle all along was manipulating the kamihana energy and storing it and using that to help ignite the magic. Really, was finding he was so correct about Foxfire's tenets of inner and outer fire.

"Slowly now, Ikyte. Draw it into yourself slowly, and maintain it slowly. Yes, like that..." he said as he could feel the power building up in here. But then all of a sudden, she got excited and he could feel her excitement as well as her grip of the magic loosen in her excitement as the magic began to flood her inner self rather than be drawn in properly.

"..yes, like that, but...no, wait! I said slowly you're going too fast! If you draw it all in that fast and all out that fast at once, you won't be able to handle..." he cried in warning before her arm exploded in fire and incinerated her arm to the bone before the flames died, having expended the released energy as suddenly as throwing gasoline on a grill causes the coals to flare up for a moment then die down.

"No, everything is not alright for the Keeper has injured herself in her own excitement. But yet it is alright, for she still has my favor. The frailties of the mortal body and mortal will are merely fertile soil for future growth to take place that can lead to success." the God said loudly for the attendants to hear.

"Attendants, go fetch a basin of water with a rag, for the Keeper of Spring will need to be bathed. And prepare a clean blouse for her as well for her current one has become frayed beyond what is appropriate to her station. And bring more attendants, for she will need to be moved to a rest chamber to recuperate after I heal her." the god said firmly.

He turned to the young Kenderis.

"Behold...wielding my power is not without its dangers, but it becomes smooth with practice, diligence, and patience. She brought you here not merely to meet me, but to behold miracles yes? Then bear witness not only to us being on the very cusp of Foxfire, but to the power of blossoms itself." he said as he pointed at the blackened boney arm with one of his fingers.

Suddenly, the blackened arm began to twitch on its own despite Ikyte being unconscious as the dark bones began to at first sparkle with glittering motes of greenish energy. After about 10 or 20 seconds, small cracks began to appear on the black bones of her arm! Occasionally, Kenderis would see bits of sakura-petal colored light shine out from beneath the bones through the cracks. After another 10-20 seconds, parts of the black bone began to...fall off? Shed? Crumble away? Something like that, to his senses, was happening. And the parts of the blackened bone that shed and crumbled away revealed new white bone beneath! By the time the attendants came into the room, they would see the last just a small amount of burnt bone that crumbled away into revealed white beneath, and then charred flash began to fall off only to suddenly be replaced with new regenerated flesh that grew in moments, while at the same time the white new bones began to turn reddish as new blood vessels swirled around it like a web, before being covered by cords of sinew and muscle that was slowly being covered by a layer of newly grown skin that was spreading from her upper arm down toward her hand. Within minutes at most, her arm would be fully regenerated and it was all happening in real time.

"Kenderis? Go and bring multiple Kitsune to us here, and let us all practice slowly and steadily gathering and releasing Kamihana energy. Not in one huge burst like Ikyte erred in doing, but in incremental steps. Without true spell techniques to channel it properly doing what she did will only result in more blasted and burnt limbs. But if you all can gather and release the magic from me and from the Cathedral like respiring air instead...then I believe we will have solved the final piece of the puzzle and broken into Foxfire fully."

He turned to face one of the larger sacred bonfires, and began to breath in and out slowly. He could control Kamihana freely, so he was doing this more for the benefit of the Kitsune so that they could follow his example of temperance and patience with gathering the power.

"Go now, Kenderis, and bring others here and let us respire the magic in and out and slowly fan our inner fires. Attendants? Go and take the recovering Keeper of Spring to her quarters and bathe her and set her to bed."

The Prince then turned to the fires, and began to mediate and breath the magic in and out slowly.

Drawing on his divine powers, the Prince of Blossoms made Ikyte whole again. Bone mended and flesh restored. The newly recreated arm was not entirely as it had been originally. The skin now had a texture of delicate scarring that looked akin to flower petals. Aside from the small trace of the divine left by the markings, the Spring Bearer was otherwise whole. Kenedris and the attendants who had arrived at the screams watched in awe as the divine healing unfolded. Gently picking up the still unconscious leader of their faith, they carried her from the room.

"I.. will gather others." Kenderis said, shock still written upon his feature. He returned a half hour later looking far more composed and with a half dozen acolytes in tow. They gathered and sat to form a circle around the Prince of Blossoms, then at his direction they started to practice.

Drawing upon the magic seemed to be simple enough. So long as their god gave permission it flowed freely into them. Controlling said magic... that proved to be more difficult. It became apparent that Ikyte's failure was not so much her own but just a reflection of how inherently difficult the task was. Some attendants were not able to release any of the power, some of the others released their own torrents of power and received grevious scars of their own. A great deal of this difficult, the Prince of Blossoms suspected, stemmed from the fact that he himself did not fully grasp the power of the magic yet. As his form of magic was bestowed upon mortals rather than really mastered by them, until he fully grasped it mortals had little chance of utilizing it properly.

+10% Kamihana Advancement
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:55, Sat 06 Aug 2022.

The Prince of Blossoms finally discovered a fundamental truth about his magic style - as it was more clerical in nature int erms of how it was granted and shared with others, his own mastery of the magic provided a metaphysical cap to what sorts of things the Kitsune would be able to pull off, even with him directly helping them train. This last tidbit of practice finalized his understanding of the flow and feedback loop between him and his followers of Kamihana mana energy, and it helped him reach a breakthrough in his metaphysical understanding of magic!

The Prince cut off the flow of power from the attendants and Kenderis temporarily, to prevent them from drawing any more magic and accidentally injuring themselves. He then graced those who received injuries due to the magical technique refinement with some regeneration from his godly power so that they would not be maimed either. It was the least he could do to reward them for taking the risk to help him break into Foxfire.

"That's it! I now understand the way the flow of power between myself and the Kitsune works, and that if a kitsune over-reaches beyond where the overall art itself has progressed they risk injury from not being able to handle power they aren't ready for yet. It also means I need to, perhaps, be more vigilant or at least issue more caution to those I gift the magic to so they don't hurt themselves either...but I believe as the craft is developed further, more ways to channel and expel power will be learned and injury will happen less and less." he said.

"I will give everyone a moment to recover and rest, and have temporarily cut off the flow of power to you guys so no one accidentally over-loads but will restore it soon. If anyone has injuries that need tending let me know and I will heal you myself as a reward for your diligence. But after we re-convene, let us use the stored power you currently have and let us try to practice Gathering flame and see if we cannot get our first true focused and controlled Foxfire effect going!"

The pieces fell into place and intricacies of the spellcraft revealed themselves to the Prince of Blossoms. With that understanding Kamihana could be expanded upon as the God of Blossoms had desired. A new branch of his magic had sprouted.

Kamihana Rank 2: You may define a new branch of Kamihana or empower an existing branch.

The cathedral attendants did not know entirely what had transpired, but they were pleased that their god was pleased. Shuffling back out, some of them sporting newly healed flesh with now bore blossom-lattice scarring, they left to await to be called upon again.

Now that the Prince of Blossoms had reached a new plateau in understanding he would be able to bequeath a wider range of powers upon his mortals. Nearly a century had passed since he'd returned to Irani and much of that had been spent in seclusion as he'd meditated on his magic gifts.

The efforts had taken their toll, he could feel weariness settling upon him again. There was always more to do and never quite enough time, even for a god. He would have to choose his last actions carefully, they would set the course for the kitsune for potentially centuries more to come.

Way of Magic: The Prince of Blossoms could continue to have the kitsune dedicate themselves to expanding upon magic. They would dedicate themselves to advancing Kamihana and work to better understand and implement it.

Way of Culture: Or the Prince of Blossoms could set them back on the path of higher learning and advancement. These concepts had receded over the last few centuries, overshadowed as they were by the Children of Petals and their push for the arcane.

Way of Plants: Agriculture and the skills for promoting growth of plants had also largely stagnated over the passing centuries. The methods used by kitsune of this area were little different than what they had been centuries ago. Promoting them to focus on the natural world would help them discover new ways to foster and grow plants.

The Prince of Blossoms defines a new branch of the Kamihana Tradition called Foxfire. See PMs about expanded magic description as I didn't want to clutter the game thread here.

The Prince was growing weary - he had invested a great deal of his time and energy into it, but he finally was able to fully honor his promise to his people to grant them this boon of an expansion to Kamihana. It was time for him to emerge.

And so he left his chambers and walked amongst the Kistune outside of the Cathedral of Petals.

"My chosen stewards! I have finally perfected the foundation of Foxfire, and declare that its use is now open to all of you Kistune who have my trust. Which currently, is each and everyone one of you. You must work to develop and refine the branch of Foxfire, while also not forgetting the precepts of Omamori talismanic lore. Both Branches used in synergetic unison will be the best way that you all will survive the eventual Easfyre cataclysm. Not to mention...this will be the start of when you all can turn the tables against outer threats, including the creatures from the nights of the hunt. Those are no creatures of mine, but they will burn and perish like any other." he said.

"I have labored for nearly a century now, and have expended a great deal of my vitality in doing so. But I have now fully honored my word to grant this generation a great boon, in the form of foxfire. It will work differently than omamori - you can use it outside Cathedrals if you store energy first, and it requires no little to no preparation. On the flipside, it is less mana-efficient and if you do not practice and meditate on your spiritual limits and try to over-reach with the power beyond what you are currently ready for it will backfire, although generally not as badly as it did to the Keeper of Spring unless you let your hubris run severely wild. But like a muscle, this limit can be grown with time and practice, and to some degree sheer talent will play a role. But all Kitsune are in their very flesh made to be able to use some amount of Foxfire, for I named this branch after all of you after all." he said with a smile.

"I have several requests for before I pass into Slumber. First, I name Kenderis as the New Keeper of Summer although he shall be considered an apprentice subordinated to the Keeper of Spring until his 100th year of life. At that time, then the two shall be equal in status  but both must always be working in my name and for my dignity. I assign the Keeper of Spring to the Cathedral of Blossoms and the Keeper of Summer to the Cathedral of Petals, but both Cathedrals are to be considered a part of the same overall group of the Children of Petals and are to work together and not against each other in order to honor me, protect the realm and its people, and help be patrons to all Kistune wishing to learn the Kamihana and commune with me." the Prince declared.

"The second request I have is that the Kistune, as a species and as a cross-collaboration between the Cathedrals, work on perfecting Kamihana Omamori ward magic as well as Foxfire resistances to fire, smoke, and ash. My hope is that you will then blend these branch principles together to create the art of an even grander-than-normal ward that is placed around both cathedrals that will become an Aegis against the fiery cataclysm that will happen in a future age of your descendants. If you spread them around other settlements and such too that will be good but begin with perfect the wards of the cathedrals, so that even if I slumber you all will have some protection should things erupt earlier than I expect." he continued.

"And finally...the Way of Magic must remain our path. While I don't want agricultural and liberal arts to be forgotten, magic and piety must be a priority so that I know you all have the tools to protect yourselves whilst I slumber, and eventually during the cataclysm when it happens in the future. And to do this, I will grant a final boon this age to you all as a reward for your piety and immense honoring of the ancestors and the gods. I shall grant the Keepers of Spring and Summer my divine favor so that they the Kistune will always have the support of the Cathedral leaders, even in my absence. Ikyte will be restored to her prime, and both she and Keneris will not age and will enjoy unusual power as one of my Keepers. But know that their responsibility is great, and what I can give I can take back if I ever deem them unworthy. So I bid you all...both Keepers and normal Kitsune alike: live up to my expectations. Survive, and then prosper. Honor your ancestors and my person, and your role as stewards of Irani."

And at that, the Prince had Ikyte brought forth to him outside, before the masses, and laid hands on her. He filled her with divine power, and she returned to the prime of her adult youth and was filled with power! Her fur turned a color that was as verdantly green as the pearly light that emanated from the Cathedral of Blossoms back in the central province as she was obviously imbued with his power and the Power of Spring!

He then turned and also laid hands on Keneris, filling the young wide-eyed man with his power as well. His fur, in turn, turned into a deep reddish-orange color that was different from normal fox fur, but was more reminiscent of the fiery-looking light that emanated from the Cathedral of Petals. This indicated he was obviously imbued with the power of Summer!

He then turned to face the Cathedral and the Volcanic hole beyond it. He held out his hands, and streams of fire flowed from the depths of the fiery pit upward and splashed onto the ground near the prince. They solidified into two tigers that had the same general build as the 2 Cathedral Tigers from the central province, but these ones were wreathed in flames both blue and orange, as they were imbued with the fire affinity of Easfyre itself. The heat of this province would not deter these guardians, but merely spur them into action!

"And these are the two Cathedral Tigers for the Cathedral of Petals. They will help make sure the Cathedrals remain a sanctuary for the Kitsune now and into the future. Treat them with kindness and respect, and they shall do the same for you."

The Prince chooses the Way of Magic for his next slumber.

The Prince turns Ikyte and Kenderis into divine Seconds!

The Prince Spends 100 Souls to create 2 new special unit Cathedral Tigers for the Cathedral of Petals.

In the twilight hours of the Age of Piety, the Prince of Blossoms worked to wrap up the loose ends before sleep overtook him. On the ash swept steps of the Cathedral of Petals he made his proclamations to the kitsune who now attended this temple.

Ikyte and Kenedris came forward and were bathed in divine light as they were marked as Seconds of Irani, mortals who had been elevated by divine appointment to lead the realm. This power restored Ikyte back to youth and ensured that Kenderis would never know the ravages of time. They would carry forward into the ages yet to come. "Thank you, my lord," Ikyte praised. "We will ensure your glory is upheld," Kenderis solemnly declared with eyes full of glimmering devotion.

The dedication to studying magic would continue. Under the organized religion of the Children of the Petals the dedicated and devotion to advancement magic would remain central to the kitsune way of life.

Raising up a pair of blazing tigers to guard the gates of the Cathedral of Petals as there were as the Cathedral of Blossoms, the two great tigers took up their posts. Serving as guardians and sentinels, they remained to ensure the sanctity of the cathedral.

100 souls spent

And thus the Prince of Blossoms slept once more.

The Prince nodded, and entered the deepest depths of the Cathedral of Petals. He figured he would rest in Easfyre this time, in an attempt to grow closer to the land here and help cement its connection to Irani as a whole.

In the central Chamber of the Cathedral, the Prince went and stood. From the ground, inexplicably, tendrils of vines and bark began to rise up and twist around him until he became completely and entirely enveloped! The twisting plants swirled together and formed the trunk of a large sacred Sakura, before fiery essence (small e) was drawn from the ground and flowed through the tree. Its pink petals ignited like those Sakuras outside at the Cathedral's boundaries, although like the others they never truly burned. It was here the Prince would rest.

The Prince slumbers inside the Cathedral of Petals, and attempts to grow closer to the land.