Duplicating Paper

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The goal of this ritual is to create a pair of pieces of paper, each of which will duplicate whatever is written on the other. (One message, all written at once.) I think this is power 3 effect, and once-ever, for a total ritual power of 3.

Given that we have an example of this (Ming Fen's gift), we may be able to leverage it for a couple of points of experiment.

Shen-Ji's initial thought is to model the ritual on a series of actions:

  • Make paper
  • Make ink
  • Write on paper
  • Clean paper

That allows various creation/transformation/destruction actions on various elements

Various bits I have thought of:

  • Transformation of Earth: Converting ingredients into ink (also could involve boiling of water: Creation of Fire and Destruction of Water)
  • Transformation of Wood: Creating the paper (also could involve Destruction of Water (drying out the paper))

From Cai Wen--what's a suitable imbalance for this? A couple of theories:

  • Transformation or control of wood, since paper is made of wood. (Or seeking wood, since the written message is seeking the other page?)
  • Creation, transformation, or control of earth, since we're making a written message (written in ink, which seems mostly earthy) appear somewhere else.

Some other ritual bit ideas:

  • Seeking and destruction of metal, possibly also transformation of water: Find a small and somewhat-flat metal object that has rusted. Dampen it and imprint both pages (leaving an identical rust stain on each), and then melt down the object. (Ensures that the imprint pair is unique. It sounds to me like melting down a metal object counts as destruction--a transformation where the result is less.)
  • Control of Fire: Careful use of fire to dry out the paper, either during the paper-creation process, or after the rust imprint.

Shen-Ji isn't sure what the right imbalance for this is offhand. I suspect we'll need a Magic Ritual skill roll or a use of my Tweak Ritual schtick to get a hint. Remind me to use my Tweak Ritual schtick on this in the future; the period from 3/6-3/20 is being used for Takanata's ritual, but as that will likely happen soon, I'll start using it on this ritual when his is over.


Ritual Outline: (4/27/10, mods 5/10, 6/10)

Before the ritual starts, start a small fire over which a pot can be hung/placed.

Invoking the Tao:

  • Start with a brush (writing instrument) and two pieces of paper.
  • Lay the two pieces of paper on top of each other and hold them up vertically
  • Use the brush to puncture a hole that goes through both pieces of paper and holds the brush midway after puncturing.
  • When puncturing the paper, make an Accuracy roll and a Yang roll, 3 successes each required. This links the papers via the actions of the brush.
  • Then, gently twirl the brush so that the papers slip off of it and land on the surface below next to each other, but not touching.
  • This requires a Dex roll and a Yin roll, 3 successes each required. This provides a separation of the papers after they have been linked.

Invoking the elements:

  • Grind up a set of earth-based pigments for ink (transformation of earth), 3 successes on an Int roll with Calligraphy needed.
  • Mix the ground pigment into water and place the mixture in the pot over the fire.
  • Boil down the results to form the ink (destruction of water, control of fire), 3 successes on a Cooking roll needed.
  • Take a metal die and inscribe a chop on it with the characters for "Communicate" (creation of metal), 3 successes of Metalworking needed. Also will require an art/design/calligraphy roll, in order to make it firmly "creation" and not "transformation".

Closing the Ritual:

  • Use the chop and the ink to place a seal on both pieces of paper, closing the ritual.
  • The Yang energy is soaked as damage and the Yin is channeled towards Seeking of Wood.

Hints we have been given:

  • "Being a brush" and "being paper" are not very strong for Yang or Yin. You probably need to do something Yangy with the brush, and something Yiny with the paper. (April 27)
  • To avoid Creating Fire in the ritual, light the fire before the ritual starts.