#Chapter 5 Act 2 — Preparation for Each Branch

Contents

1 session. The chapter where the PCs manually satisfy the conditions for each of the 3 ending branches. A chapter of emotion. The moment before resolve.

Core references

- Required: Three Ways and Six Hearts · 10th-dan Renown Title

- Reference: Romance Endings

- In this supplement: Retired Onmyoji · Young Lord · Act 1 · Ending Resolution

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#Act 2 Summary

After receiving the door and the question in Act 1, the PCs manually prepare the conditions needed to answer that question in Act 2. This is not an exploration chapter, but a chapter of emotion. Most scenes are quiet scenes inside the domain, and external expeditions are limited.

At the end of Act 2, each PC decides a tentative preference among the 3 branches (not yet final). The GM secretly tracks whether the conditions required for each ending have been met, and endings whose conditions are not met may close during the Act 3 climax.

Act 2 final question (posed by the GM at the end of the session): "What are you prepared to lose?"

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#Act 2 Structure

Act 2 proceeds in parallel across 4 tracks. Not every PC needs to participate in every track. Based on Tasks A~E received at the end of Act 1, each PC focuses on their own track.

Session flow: The GM runs these 4 tracks in rotation according to PC actions. In the middle of the session, there is one "domain communal rite" (Scene 2.5).

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#Track 1 — Onmyoji Final Preparation

#Participating PCs

PCs who took Act 1 Task A. Mainly onmyoji, shugenja, scholars, and PCs with the Medicine skill. PCs with a deep personal bond to Gensho may also participate first.

#Location

The domain shrine. Gensho's dwelling and the ritual site for Barrier maintenance. With weakening 7~9, Gensho can now barely leave the inner room of the shrine. Participating PCs enter the shrine and sit beside Gensho.

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#Scene 2.1A — Checking Gensho's Condition

Opening description:

"The air of the shrine has settled. Like the place autumn leaves behind after it passes. Old Gensho lies on a mat in the inner room. Buried in a white quilt, he spends 4 beats on a single breath."

"Prayer beads are still held in his hand. Of the 108 beads, half have already worn down and lost their shine."

#Gensho States His Will

Gensho is conscious. He speaks. But with every sentence, he draws in breath.

"...You have come. Counting it, this seems to be our twelfth meeting."

"My weakening... passed 9 this morning. The days I have left... are not very many."

If a PC asks, "How much time is left?":

"It may be ten days, or it may be three... I cannot know. But — before I go, there is something you must do. That is why you have come this time, I suppose."

#Learning the Rite Procedures — Presenting the Choices

Gensho officially presents three final choices to the PCs. These choices are executed during the Act 3 climax, and Act 2 is only for preparation.

Choice A — Seal Reinstallation After Natural Exhaustion (Return Ending route)

• After Gensho dies from natural exhaustion, a surviving 10th-dan Renown Title declarer (PC or retainer) casts the seal reinstallation in his place.
• Condition: At least 1 10th-dan Renown Title declarer in the party.
• Required preparation: Learn the sealing rite sutra(經文). Wisdom check, Target Number 13 × 3 times (on success, the rite can be performed).

Choice B — Voluntary Renown Title Declaration (most reliable Return Ending route)

• Gensho himself declares a 10th-dan Renown Title. After casting the seal reinstallation, he dies instantly.
• Condition: Gensho remains conscious (weakening ≤9).
• Required preparation: Hear Gensho's will. State Akihisa's consent explicitly.

Choice C — Pact Proposal (Settlement Ending route)

• Gensho lives to see the Settlement Ending. In exchange, the Barrier itself is replaced by a Spirit Realm pact.
• Condition: Prior negotiation with a higher Spirit Realm intelligence (negotiation with the Avici guardian "Mumyo").
• Required preparation: Draft the Spirit Realm pact wording. Negotiation check, Target Number 13 + Wisdom check, Target Number 11.

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#Scene 2.1B — Recording Gensho's Will

If the PCs prefer Choice B, or if the GM expects the natural-exit route, perform the recording of Gensho's will.

Gensho dictates the will, and a scholar PC (or volunteer record keeper) transcribes it. Contents of the will:

"To young Master Akihisa... When you hear this will, I will already be gone. My work is finished. You are now... not a lord, but the head of the household(家長). Carry the domain on your back. Place my prayer beads beside your pillow. Every morning, bead by bead... there will be no one left to pray for you, so you must do it yourself."

"To the expedition... You were not my disciples. Yet the people I taught last were you. Live, and do not forget my name. This old man's name was... Hoshino Gensho."

"To the residents of the domain... Give my teapot to Jori. That child makes the best tea."

"To myself... What I was before I came to this world, I still have no answer. But — in this world, I was the onmyoji who guarded the Barrier. That is enough."

Leave both a written copy and an oral record of the will. In Act 3, this will can be used as dialogue for a decisive scene.

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#Scene 2.1C — Inheriting the Prayer Beads

Gensho tries to pass his 108-bead prayer beads to someone. This moment occurs once during Act 2.

Candidates:

• Akihisa (most natural)
• Onmyoji or shugenja PC (for maintaining the function)
• PC with an especially deep bond to Gensho (emotion first)
• External successor (an onmyoji recruited from the Spirit Realm, a rare route)

Scene where Gensho hands over the prayer beads:

"...These... are what my hands touched until they wore down. 108 beads, maple. I now give them to you. Accept them."

The recipient gains one of the following:

• Prayer bead owner effect (permanent): Barrier maintenance checks +1. However, in the campaign ending, the prayer bead owner must inherit Gensho's memory (emotional burden).
• If refused: Gensho is not saddened. The prayer beads are enshrined on the shrine altar. Special epilogue at the ending (the prayer beads are permanently dedicated to the shrine).

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#Track 1 Final State

Ending condition satisfaction check (GM tracking):

• Choice A preparation complete → Return Ending +2
• Choice B preparation complete → Return Ending +3
• Choice C preparation complete → Settlement Ending +3
• Will recording complete → all endings +1 (emotion score)
• Prayer beads inheritance succeeds → Return and Settlement Endings +1, Transformation Ending +0 (Humanity-preserving route)

The GM should not reveal these scores directly to the players. For internal tracking.

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#Track 2 — Domain Delegation

#Participating PCs

PCs who took Act 1 Task B. Negotiation, Command, and leadership-skill PCs have priority. PCs with a deep bond to Lord Akihisa may also participate.

#Location

The lord's residence(領主館). Akihisa's office. The Kamijo family's generational archive.

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#Scene 2.2A — Akihisa's Decision

At the start of Act 2, Akihisa has already decided his own preference internally. But he does not force that preference on the PCs. He listens to the PCs' views and decides the domain's path together with them.

Akihisa's basic tendency (GM reference):

• In Chapters 1~3, Akihisa was "the boy to be protected."
• After Chapter 4, he gradually grew into "the lord who decides."
• In Chapter 5 Act 2, Akihisa is — ready to accept any ending.

His weak preferences (hidden):

• If Gensho has naturally exhausted himself: slightly prefers the Return Ending (the direction of respecting Gensho's will).
• If someone has a romance arc in progress: slightly prefers the Settlement Ending.
• If one of the PCs has "fallen deeply into the Spirit Realm": also open to the Transformation Ending.

This tendency is GM-internal information. Akihisa agrees according to the direction the PCs persuade him toward.

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#Scene 2.2B — Writing the Lord's Testament

Akihisa writes a testament for every ending. This testament has a different use depending on the ending.

Testament A — for the Return Ending

"Kamijo Akihisa, lord of the domain that drifted on Keicho 12, 3rd month, 14th day, leaves this writing. If we return to the land of the core world and this record remains, I ask the next generation of House Kamijo(家) to do the following: Guard Mirror Pond. Inspect the seal once every 100 years. And — do not forget the name of old Hoshino Gensho. He was my grandfather and my 2nd father."

Testament B — for the Settlement Ending

"Kamijo Akihisa, first lord of Kagamiyama Domain in the Spirit Realm, leaves this writing. We remained in the Spirit Realm. We cannot return to the land of the core world. But we will live here as well. I ask the lords of later generations: Do not forget the land of the core world. But do not try to return. Our land is now here."

Testament C — for the Transformation Ending

"Kamijo Akihisa, lord of Kagamiyama Domain, leaves this writing. We return to the land of the core world. But some of the expedition remained in the Spirit Realm. I write their names here: (n PC names). They became guardians of the Spirit Realm. Call their names 1 time a year, on 3rd month, 14th day, at the domain shrine. Not so they can return — but so they are not forgotten."

All three testaments can be written. The PCs prepare all three versions before the ending is confirmed. (Writing time: 1 hour each.)

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#Scene 2.2C — Naming Resident Representatives

In Act 2, Akihisa names resident representatives. The representative's role differs by ending:

• Return Ending: The representative presides over the first village council after returning to the core world.
• Settlement Ending: The representative becomes vice lord(副領主) of the Spirit Realm domain. The practical human leader after Akihisa is renamed.
• Transformation Ending: The representative is the link to the transformed PCs. Presides over the annual 3rd month, 14th day rite.

Candidate NPCs (from among resident NPCs):

• Jori (elder, in his 70s): Most stable choice. Suitable for both Return and Settlement. Also suitable for Transformation, but age is an issue.
• Hana (young female farmer, in her 30s): Most suitable for the Settlement Ending. Highly adaptable to the Spirit Realm.
• Akimoto (middle-aged samurai, in his 40s): Suitable for the Return Ending. Maintains the warrior hierarchy.
• Sachiko (middle-aged miko, in her 50s): Most suitable for the Transformation Ending. Strong spiritual sense.

The PCs review the candidates with Akihisa and name one. The named representative appears as a minor role in the Act 3 climax scene.

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#Scene 2.2D — Renaming Rite (Settlement Ending advance preparation)

If the party consensus leans toward the Settlement Ending, they prepare the renaming rite in Act 2.

Akihisa's new name: This document leaves it to GM free setting (agreement between the players and whoever handles Akihisa's RP).

Basic suggestions:

• Kamijo Akikami(神) — Means "bright god." A new name as a Spirit Realm lord.
• Kagamiyama Akihisa(鏡山 昭久) — Changes the surname to the domain name, symbolizing assimilation with the domain itself.
• Nameless(無名) Lord — A path that intentionally erases the name. Influence of the Mugen Path.

This preparation includes crafting ritual tools. Resident artisans spend 1 week making the mirror-surface(鏡面) mirror for the renaming rite. It is completed during Act 2.

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#Track 2 Final State

• All 3 testament versions written → all endings +1
• Resident representative named → all endings +1
• Renaming rite preparation complete → Settlement Ending +3
• Akihisa awakening rite preparation → Return Ending +2 (separate rite in Act 4)

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#Track 3 — Settling the Romance Ending

#Participating PCs

PCs currently in a romance arc. Based on the Romance System and Romance Endings documents.

#Location (by partner)

• Human partner: Partner's place in the domain (resident house, lord's residence, shrine, and so on).
• Yoma partner: Barrier border or promised place inside the Spirit Realm.

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#Scene 2.3 — Final Conversation with the Partner

An individual scene of 1~2 hours with each partner. The direction of the conversation differs by ending type.

Human partner + Return Ending:

• Promise life after return. Marriage promise or official courtship declaration.
• Epilogue: They live together in the core world.

Human partner + Settlement Ending:

• Choose to live together in the Spirit Realm. The human partner also accepts Spirit Realm settlement.
• Epilogue: They build a household in the Spirit Realm domain.
• Refusal branch: The partner refuses settlement → separation. Tearful scene.

Human partner + Transformation Ending:

• If the PC transforms, the partner returns to the core world. Permanent separation.
• Alternative branch: The partner also chooses transformation (rare route) → remains together as a guest of the Spirit Realm.

Yoma partner + Return Ending:

• Permanent separation is the default. A yoma cannot follow into the core world.
• Alternative branch: The yoma takes on human flesh and follows (only certain yoma, very special).

Yoma partner + Settlement Ending:

• They can live together in the Spirit Realm domain. Marriage is possible.
• Epilogue: A hybrid family of the Spirit Realm is born.

Yoma partner + Transformation Ending:

• If the PC transforms, they bind permanently with the yoma partner in the Spirit Realm. The most "romantic" route.
• Epilogue: A guardian couple of the Spirit Realm.

#Final Gift Exchange

Each partner gives the PC a "gift of memory." The reverse is also possible. Follow the guidelines in Romance Endings for the content of the gift.

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#Track 3 Final State

• Romance ending confirmed → +1~+2 depending on ending partner type
• If refusal branch is chosen → no ending bonus, but emotional weight added (a richly emotional epilogue).

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#Track 4 — Securing Final Arms

#Participating PCs

PCs who took Act 1 Task D. Combat-specialized. A senior retainer among the 6 retainers accompanies them.

#Location

Three choices:

(a) Domain armory: Relics of previous generations of the Kamijo family. "Absolutely dedicated arms" sealed in ordinary times. Opened only with Akihisa's permission.

(b) Ruins near the domain: Hidden ruins on the Shonetsu border or in the Reviving wasteland. Hidden danju(短拄) or Sorcery weapons may be sealed there. GM judgment.

(c) Spirit Realm merchant trade: The final trade with a special merchant (yoma). Pay 2~3 Elite-grade yoma cores to obtain special arms.

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#Scene 2.4A — Opening the Kamijo Family Relics

Akihisa unseals the family armory and gives the expedition one relic from earlier generations.

Candidate relics (GM choice or player preference):

• Previous Lord's tachi "Reishi(霊枝)": +2 damage against Lord-grade yoma. Resonates with the Barrier maintenance functionary.
• Kamijo bloodline armor "Kyogen(鏡玄)": Reduces Barrier Erosion effects by 50%. Side effect if the Transformation Ending is chosen (Transformation fails due to the Humanity-fixing effect).
• Sealing fan "Shinsui(心水)": Use 1 time when facing the sealing stone in Act 3. Resealing rite +3.
• Onmyoji Great Shikigami Unsealing Rite Manual: Can release Gensho's sealed shikigami "White Fox" 1 time. +1 allied summon in the Act 3 battle.

Only 1 relic is opened. Akihisa does not permit two or more (the family cannot consume all its relics at once).

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#Scene 2.4B — External Expedition (Optional)

If the PCs wish, they may make 1 short external expedition during Act 2. Purpose: secure hidden arms, ritual materials, or yoma cores outside the domain.

Expedition site options:

• Mirror Pond: Inside the domain. Directly above the surface of the sealing stone. If the PCs pray here, a 2nd encounter with Saigo's soul is possible (rare expansion scene).
• Revisit the Reviving Wasteland: Confirm clues missed in Chapters 1~2. Unearth the names of previous drifters.
• Spirit Realm market: Temporary market opened at the end of Chapter 3. Buy final consumables.

This expedition takes only half a day~1 day. It can be omitted for Act 2 session pacing.

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#Track 4 Final State

• Secure 1 family relic → all endings +1 (advantage in Act 3 combat)
• External expedition bonus → separate +1 to each ending depending on encounter results

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#Scene 2.5 — Domain Communal Rite (All PCs Participate)

#Location

The central plaza of the domain. Near sunset. All residents attend.

#Rite — "Memorial Rite"

Akihisa presides. Gensho also attends with support (weakening 9). The rite follows these steps:

1. Lighting the fire — A small brazier fire in the center of the plaza. The resident representative (the named one) lights it.
2. Reading the names — In a trembling voice, Gensho reads "the names of those who went before." The dead from the domain's history. Names of residents who died in Chapters 1~4 are also included. About 2~3 minutes.
3. One cup of tea — Resident Jori brews tea in a large teapot. One cup for everyone. The PCs receive it too. (Completion of the promised tea left at departure in Act 1.)
4. Silence — 3 minutes of silence. Each person's prayer or thought.
5. Akihisa's one sentence — End of the rite.

#Akihisa's Closing Words

"We gathered today and called the names of those who went before. Tomorrow — someone's name among us may be added to that list. That is all right. To say to each other that it is all right, we gathered."

"Whatever this land becomes, we will not forget this evening. This fire, this tea, these faces."

"...Rest in peace, old one. Rest in peace, everyone."

#System Effects of This Rite

• When the rite is complete, the whole party gains emotional bond +1 (allows 1 reroll during an Act 3 combat check).
• Resident Morale +3 (maintained until Act 3 begins).
• On ending checks, +2 emotion bonus (applies to any ending).

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#Scene 2.6 — Tentative Preference Declaration

#Timing

The final scene of Session 2 (Act 2). After the memorial rite, when the night has deepened. The PCs gather in the great hall of the lord's residence.

#Procedure

Akihisa asks the PCs for their tentative preference. This is not final. It can change depending on the situation during Act 3. However, the GM tracks this tentative preference internally.

Each PC answers 1 at a time. The answer is one of the following:

• "I want Return."
• "I want Settlement."
• "I want Transformation."
• "I do not know my answer yet. I will decide in Act 3."

The whole party does not need to agree. Division of opinion within the party is not rare. Akihisa answers, "I will hear it," and does not say much.

#Akihisa's Last One Sentence

"Whatever your answer is, tomorrow I will go with you to the door. As your representative — Kamijo Akihisa."

"...Sleep well."

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#Act 2 Check Summary

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#Act 2 Accumulated Ending Score Tracking

Managed internally by the GM. Total scores at the end of Act 2:

[Ending Condition Satisfaction Score Sheet]

Return Ending: ___ points
 (+2) Choice A/B preparation (onmyoji final)
 (+2) Akihisa awakening rite preparation
 (+2) Number of PCs who drank tea at departure × 1
 (+3) Ruin sealing rite secured (Chapter 4)
 (+1) Family relic suited to Return
 (+2) Memorial rite complete
 (+1) Tentative preference "Return" × count

Settlement Ending: ___ points
 (+3) Choice C preparation (Spirit Realm pact)
 (+3) Renaming rite preparation
 (+1) Mirror city records (Chapter 4)
 (+2) Number of PCs who left tea at departure × 1
 (+2) Romance Settlement route
 (+2) Memorial rite complete
 (+1) Tentative preference "Settlement" × count

Transformation Ending: ___ points
 (+2) Guarantee no 10th-dan Renown Title is declared
 (+2) Successful negotiation with Saigo (Act 1)
 (+2) Romance Transformation route
 (+2) Number of PCs who left tea at departure × 1
 (+2) Memorial rite complete
 (+1) Tentative preference "Transformation" × count
 (-3) If a 10th-dan Renown Title declarer appears

The ending with the highest score is the **default ending**. It can change based on Act 3 results.

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#Act 2 GM Operating Principles

#Principle 1 — Make Emotion the Subject

Act 2 is not a chapter of action, but a chapter of emotion. Minimize system checks and run it around RP and dialogue. Checks are only for confirming "condition satisfaction."

#Principle 2 — Rhythm of 4 Parallel Tracks

Do not run the 4 tracks simultaneously. Shift naturally according to PC actions. Stay in one track for 30 minutes, then move to the next. The Scene 2.5 communal rite is the point where all tracks converge.

#Principle 3 — Differentiating Akihisa and Gensho

In Chapters 1~4, the two appeared as a pair. In Chapter 5 Act 2, they differentiate for the first time. Akihisa decides in the place of day, and Gensho prepares in the place of night. This differentiation is the campaign's emotional axis.

#Principle 4 — Respect Tentative Preference

Clearly state that the tentative preference at the end of Act 2 has no binding force. Players have the right to change it later. The GM reflects this preference secretly in Act 3, but should not over-account for it.

#Principle 5 — The Night Before Act 3

At the end of Act 2, before the PCs go to bed, the GM may provide short individual scenes (30 seconds~1 minute per 1 person). Examples: a PC hesitating before Gensho's room, a PC standing alone on the domain tower, and so on. These short scenes create the weight of Act 3.

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#Scene 2.7 — Space Before Sleep (Optional)

#A Small Scene of 30 Seconds~1 Minute for Each PC

GM free setting. Examples:

• PC passing before the shrine: They hear Gensho's breathing. They hesitate over whether to enter. They do not enter.
• PC on top of the domain tower: They see the faint light of the Barrier. The Barrier is thin today. They take one breath.
• PC in their room: They set the mirror shard gained in Act 1 on the desk. They look into it. Only their own face is reflected in the mirror. But their eyes are already seeing something else.
• PC with their partner: A wordless night. Only each other's breathing.

#Meaning of This Scene

Act 3 is an intense chapter. Deepening the silence immediately before it gives life to Act 3's polarity.

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#End of Act 2

The PCs go to bed. Dawn. The GM previews the next session opening:

"Tomorrow morning, you go before the door. Tonight may not be the last night. But — remember the feeling of tonight. Tomorrow's selves will need today's selves."

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#Linked Documents

• Chapter Overview
• Act 1
• Act 3
• Act 4
• NPC — resident representative candidate details
• Ending Resolution — condition check table details
• Retired Onmyoji — Gensho final route
• Young Lord — Akihisa testament and renaming
• Romance Endings

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"Tonight exists for tomorrow's daylight. But tonight itself must also have meaning in itself." — Hoshino Gensho, auditory hallucination on the last night of Act 2.