by Chad Underkoffler [chadu@yahoo.com]
(Minor Ritual)
Wang Chi: "My mind and spirit are one!"
This is a simple ritual that allows one to calm one's mind to a state of utter placidity and mellow groovin'.
The first involves collecting six fresh water chestnuts by hand. A tear of pain must be dripped onto each chestnut. They must be submerged in rice vinegar and buried in a clay pot at the new moon. The pot should be disinterred and decanted at the height of the full moon. The water chestnuts must then be dried over a fire of sandalwood in the open air. When completely dry, the chestnuts will be pulverized along with one handful of jasmine blossoms, a pinch of saffron, one drop of soy, and a single tear of joy. The mixture must then be added to rice wine and be boiled down to one fifth of it's previous volume over a smith's forge. The fluid turns a bright red at this point. (If it's not red, you may as well throw it out and start over.) After removing the viscous reddish oil from the heat but while it still steams, a sheet of fine white paper should be added to the oil. The oil will coat the paper, impregnating it, and become a fine glaze. A handful of green dots (less than 6) will appear on the paper after the oil dries.
Ingesting one of these green dots after a minumum of one hour of peaceful meditation places the the consumer in a state of dreamy relaxation, while allowing wakeful activity and readiness. In game terms, performing this ritual will allow a character to automatically succeed at his next-- and only his next-- Stress Check.