The Temple of Listening Ghosts was situated less than a day away from the ancestral home of the Kitsu family in the original lands of the kitsu race, and was dedicated to the atonement for the massacre of the kitsu. All Kitsu family members were expected to make a pilgrimage to the temple at least once in their lives, and only members of the Kitsu family were allowed to enter this monastery. Outsiders who wished to visit had to obtain permission from the Kitsu Daimyo. [1]
Appearance
The temple lay between two mountain peaks in the lush valleys that were formerly kitsu territory, and a series of staircases led to it from the mountain village far below. The temple had the faces of the kitsu looking in all four cardinal directions to guard the lands. The front was protected like any Lion holding, but the back was open to the mountainside so that the Kitsu could enter as they like.[1]
Observances
Along with praying, fasting, and meditating, there were many unique observances to appease the kitsu spirits. Shugenja were asked to not cast spells anywhere in the area, and all monks were expected to shave their hair and burn it in offering. Upon taking their oaths, they were required to find the valley that was the first home of the kitsu and spend a day and night communing with the spirits there. If the spirits did not lead the monk to the valley, they were not accepted by the temple. Three times per day, the monks would gather to beg the kitsu to return. Some of them even bore scars that looked like the marks of giant cat claws. Some members would occasionally leave on journeys at the requests of the kitsu spirits. These included such tasks as fetching a specific plant seed to be planted in the mountains or stopping a war between clans. Other monks journeyed into the Spirit Realms to converse with the creatures. [1]
Studies
Along with the greatest repository of information on the kitsu, there was a great store of naga lore as well. While the naga were awake, the monks would ask them for any and all information they had on the cat-spirits. In gratitude, they stored information on the naga and even some of their artifacts. Many of the monks even learned to speak the language of the naga. [1]
References
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