Soul Energy, most commonly referred to as 'Reiki' is the sole essential energy in this world. Spirits produce it themselves and it becomes the fuel that keeps them alive in this world as well as source of their powers. Reiki spent using spells or activating Reigen, or using Reiki in order to heal, move, so on so forth, replenishes in a matter of approximately a full day's cycle. If, however, one overexpends their Reiki with overclocking their techniques it might end up doing actual physical damage to them, placing great strain on them. In such situations Reiki might take a while to recover, the amount of time needed varying accordingly.

There are artificial ways to boost Reiki momentarily by making use of special pills issued by DEUS only to the highest seats of the eleven Divisions but this method is extremely dangerous and may be fatal should one not be able to handle them -which is also the reason why they are so sparingly given out-. Of course, should you be desperate enough to get hold of some you could always direct your attention to the Nekonogetsu. Given that you can pay what Kariya requires you to pay it is entirely possible he can find some for you.

Anyway, sidetracking again, besides the Reiki produced by Spirits there is an amount of it in every thing as well. You can say that the particles that form Reiki are what everything is created from in this world, including all solid matter, Spirits and the Oni. Because of this, abnormal weather conditions, besides wind, which is mostly unpredictable, have to do with Reiki as well.

Rain falls because Reiki emanates into the air after it is used to obtain a certain result -such as a spell, for example- so once it gathers up it has to be returned down to the earth and 'living' things. The mist that clouds the vicinity from time to time is also the same, but it consists mostly of 'heavy' Reiki, the amount of Reiki spent to keep things alive which, because it doesn't evaporate all at once, stays lower, thus forming the fog. Snow is linked to and associated with destruction and tragedy. It's the rarest of all conditions to encounter since it's Reiki in far larger concentrations than both the mist and rain that becomes released in the same way the Reiki causing Rain does. In other words, if you didn't understand this, snow falls when a large battle has taken place in which many died. The particles that formed their spiritual bodies dissolve into nothingness and rise to the sky along with the Reiki released in the battle before. The Reiki concentration becomes high and the need to have it returned becomes greater so it falls upon the world like snow.

Grim matters aside... a while back, DEUS TD. developed Reiki Chanellers, machines that gather Reiki then redistribute it around the City to be used as means of lighting and heating. In a sense, it's much like the real world's electricity but far less in amounts, so only the two upper levels of each district get it and that in small amounts, just enough to light a single lamp, for an instance or warm some water without the use of coals and fire. It should be noted that both coals and fire are still essentially made of Reiki in this world, however because names have power themselves, as we previously discussed, they get to keep their qualities and everything.


{{ SPELLS, TECHNIQUES AND ABILLITIES }}
and a guide to creating your own

As mentioned many a time before Reiki can be used in many a way. Once invented, a particular way to use Reiki becomes a technique that it's inventor may teach -or may not-. However, anyone can possibly learn any technique as long as they have the appropriate amount of Reiki, observe carefully and train hard to achieve results. There are some quite useful, broadly known techniques and then there are also more scarce ones. Spells used for offence also fall in this category as they are pretty much adaptations in regards to their user's style and abilities.

Bellow, we shall discuss some very basic techniques taught in the Academy and some others requested by the Divisions as well as some else you might want to look out for.

Horyou (Ghost Step): Ghost Stepping is taught in the Academy as a reference for soldiers to start training in order to achieve at some point later in time. That being said... no regular trainee has a Reiki level high enough to successfully pull off Horyou without killing themselves in the process. Ghost Stepping is a technique that allows the user to move faster than what the eye can follow boosted by Reiki concentrated under a person's feet; it is based on the concept of covering the greatest distance at the shortest amount of time using the less movements possible. This means that not all people that can Ghost Step move in the same speed -it all depends to a person's personal ability in using it. This can also cause someone who is used in countering his sparring partner's Horyou to miss when attempting to do the same when fighting a different person.


Kazenoru (Wind Ride): Wind Riding implements a whole different aspect in the theory of Ghost Stepping, which is hovering instead of actually walking. While it is quite more stressful on the user, Kazenoru can help one travel from one place to another in a greater than normal speed while also bypassing obstacles in the way and still keeping their physical condition at its best. Kazenoru is often regarded as an 'easy' technique for high-ranking Shugenja that can use it without breaking a sweat.


Shibaru no Jutsu (Binding Art): A technique taught generally in the fifth and seventh Divisions and also a requirement for entering the fourth Division. Shibaru no Jutsu is a technique of using Reiki in order to hold another and/or keep them under control, restraining the actions that they can take. The strain on the user varies according to the captured subject's spiritual strength. If the subject's strength exceeds a certain level they can manage to break the Kizuna -bonds generated by the spell- the user placed on them and escape their hold.


dairokkan (sixth sense): Every sentient creature in this world, including the Oni, possesses this natural ability called 'dairokkan', or Sixth Sense. Dairokkan can be sharpened via training but it general appears in different strength levels from person to person, often regardless of the rest of their abilities. Dairokkan is the ability of sensing another creature's or person's Reisatsu, their Soul Print which grows stronger or weaker in regards to their Reiki. Dairokkan also acts as a warning mechanism against potentially powerful enemies creating an unsettling sensation.


Reiki (Spirit Track): (Different from Soul Energy- Reiki which is written 霊気 ) Spirit Tracking is a technique that enhances a person's dairokkan so that they can expand the radius of its effectiveness and become aware of the -at least approximate- locations of people in its vicinity. There are also people that can take this to the next level either because they are used to a certain person's Reisatsu or because they've sharpened they dairokkan in such a great extent that they can tell the difference in quality of their Reisatsu from the rest. This way, the user can accurately identify the presence he senses as a certain person, and thus keep track of their movements. This kind of Spirit Tracking is most appreciated by D5 and its members are urged to practice in order to be able to use it.


Hei (Spirit Cloak): Spirit Cloaking is a difficult technique to perfect and use as it requires to completely contain one's own Reiki from emanating from their body in order to hide their presence from other people and also keep from being Tracked. It is a technique anyone can teach to themselves but the stronger one's Reiki is the hardest it gets to master it completely. Knowledge of this technique is required in order to join Division 7.


Seirin (Voice Link): Taught by the seventh Division and also a handy skill to most soldiers besides them, Voice Linking is an ability that allows two people to communicate without talking while exchanging their 'thoughts' between their minds. No extraordinary amount of Reiki is needed to perform this task, however one needs to have grown familiar with the person they attempt to communicate with, otherwise the thought transition might not connect well or a connection between the two minds may fail altogether.


Reiseki (Spirit Repel): Reiseki is a guarding technique that practically anyone with basic training can use. Soul Repelling requires one to materialize their Reiki in order to create a protective shield that repels incoming attacks. Its size and duration have to do with the Reiki expended to create and maintain them which means that the technique can prove to greatly strain even the most adept Shugenja if used for long and it can even prove fatal if one runs out of Reiki in the meantime.


Reijin (Soul Feeding): This is basically what the oni do when praying on other Spirits. By consuming their souls they boost their own Reiki and subsequently their strength. This means that an Oni's strength is analogous to the people it kills and devours. Once this strength has reached a certain point, Oni ascend a level. However the need to regularly perform Reijin to quell their hunger is also a good way to catch a Sixth Level in its human guise as it will inevitably have to hunt other spirits to feed on them.

[Note, that those are basic techniques only. Any person can make their own techniques as well as variations of the above skills. Those will have to be submitted in the appropriate guild forum as suggestions to become accepted. The suggestion should include the skill's name, its use and the workings behind it. Meaning you'll have to explain how exactly it does what it does. For example, if you want to create a fire-based spell you'll have to name it, f.e. 'Dragontongue' -no it doesn't have to have a corresponding Japanese name- say what it does, f.e. 'burn enemies' and then proceed to elaborate on the how it does that, let's say 'by igniting Reiki on a trail directly in front of the user thus creating a line of scorching flame that sets ablaze all that come in contact with it. The severity of the damage varies regarding to the amount of Reiki spent' Then, the suggested skill will be reviewed and okayed by the staff at which point it is henceforth usable by the character and other people that may train to learn it. Note that learning skills requires either mimicking other characters in an RP in order to find out how to use it, or an entry in your journal where it describes how they learned it and/or the process of learning it. Once okayed it can be added in that character's pool of available moves. Reigen-specific abilities also need to go through this phase to be approved, however they aren't available to other characters. ]


{{GEISHU AND ITS USES}}

Ah... let's take a step to the forbidden arts, shall we?
Geishu is a foreign form of spell-binding (it hails from the Irish binding technique called Geis) that was brought here by means unknown. In all actuality its function is quite similar to the way a pact works. The user is granted something under conditions, however if the conditions are not met -or something that wasn't supposed to happen happens- then the contractor has to pay a price which is usually as high as their life. Geishu is an absolutely forbidden technique to use, regardless of the benefits it can grant because of the extremely high danger levels involved in it.

To commence the Geishu one must toll a 'Jigokunorin' -an artifact called a 'hell's bell' - which can be created via a process known only to but a few people working for DEUS. Constructing jigokunorin is also forbidden so you'll have to be one hell of convincing to get someone to make you one. After the Jigokunorin has been used the person must announce the one thing he wishes to receive. There is no turning back -you should have thought better before even creating that bell anyway- At this point the jigokunorin will produce a single slip of paper appearing blank to everyone but the one who used the bell. On it the terms of the contract are carefully described and cannot be influenced or changed by the user.

What kind of infernal entity actually grants the Geishu is unknown to us. The only thing sure is that it has a knack for ridiculous -or not so ridiculous- requests which usually lead to the downfall of the people that asked for it. For example a person who asked to become the most beautiful person so everybody would like him was forbidden to act nice towards anyone who would approach him, and another person who asked for power in order to avenge his family was refused the right to use it for any reason other than that.

It's a fact that no one who ever received a Geishu lived more than a year after that. So let us not go there.