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Maho is blood magic. It is fueled by the power of fresh blood and sacrifice, and draws from the sixth element: corruption. The use of maho Taints the users forever linking them to Fu Leng and Jigoku. It calls upon kansen, evil spirits of corruption. [1]

History and Use

Maho was not originally a creation of Fu Leng, but of the Tribe of Isawa. Before the Dark Lord fell, the Isawa practiced blood magic that was clean, voluntary and pure. [2]

When Isawa's followers realized maho would no longer be free of Jigoku's influence once they allied with the Kami Shiba, they foreswore its use. [3]

It was centuries before the research of Kuni Nakanu elevated maho from a primitive arcane art to an evil, destructive force. [4]

Maho-tsukai generally believed that they bent the forces of the Shadowlands to their will, but they were mistaken. The use of maho served Fu Leng, regardless of the user's intent. Tsukai were generally greedy and impatient shugenja, hoping to find a quick, easy way to immense power. Many believed that they could use maho only when necessary, completely unaware of its addictive nature. [5]

Iuchiban

Centuries more passed after Nakanu's researches, when the sorcerer that would come to be known as Iuchiban unearthed the dark Kuni's notes. Iuchiban founded the Bloodspeakers, an organization of maho-tsukai and began making plans to raise an army of the undead to help him conquer Rokugan. [6]

His immediate plans were foiled, but Iuchiban had also learned the secrets of immortality from the heartless Khadi. He was imprisoned only because he could not be killed, but he escaped centuries later and tried again. Once again, his plans did not bear fruit and once again he was contained, presumably for all time. [7] Recently, he managed to escape once more, and the Bloodspeakers marched to battle throughout Rokugan and the Shadowlands, fighting for control of both until the Heartless was destroyed. [8]

Casting Maho

To cast a maho spell the sorcerer would invoke a prayer to the Dark God Fu Leng and, in order to gain his favour they would also have to spill blood. It did not however always have to be their own but the more blood spilled the better. Any who would call upon this power would became corrupted immediately, with the severity of the taint dependent upon the complexity of the spell.[9]

Maho Spells

Isawa's Blood

Isawa's Blood

The following is a list of known Maho Spells by mastery level.

Mastery Level 1

Mastery Level 2

Mastery Level 3

Mastery Level 4

Mastery Level 5

Mastery Level 6

Mastery Level 7

Mastery Level 8

Black Scrolls

All Black Scrolls were effectively Mastery 5 maho spells, though any shugenja might cast them. They radiated a quiet aura of menace, but those who touched them (opened or unopened) immediately became aware of the powers the scroll could grant, and were tempted to open them on the spot. They granted taint to those who carried them, and only encasing the scroll itself in jade or crystal would prevent the effect. [81]

Other Maho Spells

Mastery Levels

The mastery levels above are as listed in Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition and Prayers and Treasures. The mastery levels in Game Master's Pack; The Hare Clan appear to be approximately one level higher (as seen on Curse and Summon Oni).

See also

References

  1. Legend of the Five Rings: Third Edition, p. 267
  2. Blood Rite (Gold flavor)
  3. Fires of the Hidden City, Part Two, by Rich Wulf
  4. Way of the Phoenix, p. 19
  5. Way of the Phoenix, pp. 25-27
  6. Bloodspeakers, p. 4
  7. Bloodspeakers, p. 67
  8. Enemy of My Enemy, Part 4, by Rich Wulf
  9. Game Master's Pack; The Hare Clan, p. 12
  10. Bloodspeakers, p. 35
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 Prayers and Treasures, p. 102
  12. 12.0 12.1 Legend of the Five Rings: Third Edition, p. 268
  13. Legend of the Five Rings; Fourth Edition, p. 268
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Way of the Shadowlands, p. 133
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 Legend of the Five Rings; Fourth Edition, p. 269
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 Legend of the Five Rings: Third Edition, p. 269
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 Bloodspeakers, p. 38
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Prayers and Treasures, p. 105
  19. 19.0 19.1 Game Master's Guide; 2nd Ed, p. 127
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 Bloodspeakers, p. 42
  21. 21.0 21.1 Prayers and Treasures, p. 107
  22. 22.0 22.1 Enemies of the Empire, p. 27
  23. 23.0 23.1 Game Master's Guide; 2nd Ed, p. 126
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 Prayers and Treasures, p. 108
  25. 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 Prayers and Treasures, p. 109
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 Bearers of Jade, p. 146
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 Prayers and Treasures, p. 110
  28. 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4 Prayers and Treasures, p. 111
  29. 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 29.5 Enemies of the Empire, p. 28
  30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 30.3 Clan War: Shadowlands Army Expansion, p. 17
  31. 31.0 31.1 Bearers of Jade, p. 147
  32. 32.0 32.1 Bloodspeakers, p. 48
  33. 33.0 33.1 Prayers and Treasures, p. 112
  34. 34.0 34.1 34.2 34.3 34.4 Legend of the Five Rings; Fourth Edition, p. 270
  35. Art of the Duel, p. 134
  36. 36.0 36.1 Prayers and Treasures, p. 103
  37. 37.0 37.1 37.2 37.3 37.4 37.5 Way of the Shadowlands, p. 134
  38. 38.0 38.1 Descent into Darkness, p. 13
  39. 39.0 39.1 39.2 Bloodspeakers, p. 40
  40. 40.0 40.1 40.2 Secrets of the Shadowlands, p. 72
  41. 41.0 41.1 41.2 41.3 41.4 41.5 41.6 Legend of the Five Rings: Third Edition, p. 270
  42. Bloodspeakers, pp. 41-42
  43. 43.0 43.1 43.2 43.3 Prayers and Treasures, p. 106
  44. Great Clans, p. 282
  45. 45.0 45.1 45.2 Bloodspeakers, p. 43
  46. 46.0 46.1 46.2 46.3 Way of the Shadowlands, p. 135
  47. 47.0 47.1 47.2 47.3 47.4 Legend of the Five Rings: Third Edition, p. 271
  48. 48.0 48.1 48.2 48.3 48.4 Enemies of the Empire, p. 29
  49. 49.0 49.1 49.2 49.3 49.4 Legend of the Five Rings; Fourth Edition, p. 271
  50. 50.0 50.1 Bloodspeakers, p. 45
  51. Bearers of Jade, p. 130
  52. Clan War: Shadowlands Army Expansion, p. 16
  53. 53.0 53.1 53.2 Game Master's Pack; The Hare Clan, p. 13
  54. 54.0 54.1 54.2 Bloodspeakers, p. 36
  55. 55.0 55.1 55.2 55.3 55.4 Prayers and Treasures, p. 104
  56. 56.0 56.1 56.2 Bloodspeakers, p. 41
  57. 57.0 57.1 Game Master's Pack; The Hare Clan, p. 14
  58. 58.0 58.1 58.2 Legend of the Five Rings; Fourth Edition, p. 272
  59. 59.0 59.1 59.2 59.3 Way of the Shugenja, p. 92
  60. 60.0 60.1 60.2 60.3 Bloodspeakers, p. 47
  61. Bearers of Jade, p. 148
  62. Game Master's Pack; The Hare Clan, pp. 14-15
  63. Book of the Shadowlands, p. 96
  64. 64.0 64.1 Prayers and Treasures, p. 43
  65. 65.0 65.1 65.2 Bloodspeakers, p. 37
  66. 66.0 66.1 66.2 66.3 Enemies of the Empire, p. 30
  67. 67.0 67.1 67.2 67.3 Legend of the Five Rings; Fourth Edition, p. 273
  68. Game Master's Pack; The Hare Clan, pp. 13-14
  69. Bearers of Jade, p. 145
  70. 70.0 70.1 70.2 70.3 Game Master's Pack; The Hare Clan, p. 15
  71. 71.0 71.1 71.2 71.3 Bloodspeakers, p. 46
  72. Bearers of Jade, p. 144
  73. Time of the Void, p. 60
  74. Bearers of Jade, pp. 146-147
  75. 75.0 75.1 Game Master's Guide; 2nd Ed, p. 129
  76. Secrets of the Shadowlands, p. 35
  77. Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition, p. 372
  78. Secrets of the Shadowlands, p. 71
  79. 79.0 79.1 79.2 Legend of the Five Rings; Fourth Edition, p. 274
  80. The Four Winds, p. 136
  81. Time of the Void, pp. 121-122
  82. Lesser of Two Evils, p. 37
  83. Book of the Shadowlands, p. 97
  84. Wway of the Shadowlands, p. 41
  85. Secrets of the Shadowlands, p. 69
  86. Bloodspeakers, p. 39
  87. 87.0 87.1 Bloodspeakers, p. 44
  88. Isawa's Blood
  89. Bells of the Dead, p. 35
  90. Bloodspeakers, p. 49


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