Tea Ceremony Ritual

The Tea Ceremony Ritual was a Rank 2 Rokugani traditional ritual influenced by the teachings of Shinsei and incorporated many of its basic principles in the simplistic, yet elegant, motions that made up the ceremony. Legend of the Five Rings - Roleplaying, p. 213 Chaji was the formal tea ceremony, while chakai was the informal tea ceremony. Courts of Stone, p. 116
== Creation ==
The Tea Ceremony Ritual was created when Lady Doji served tea for the very first Emperor. Since then, the ceremony had been passed down through generations, finding a wider audience and incorporating Shinseist teachings into its practice. 
== Spreading ==
In the first centuries of the Empire the ritual spread beyond the Crane Clan. It caught on among the Phoenix and Dragon Clans first, as they both appreciated the calm, meditative state it fostered. The tea ceremony also became highly popular in the
Imperial Court, where courtiers of the Lion and Scorpion Clans learned it and took it back to their home provinces. The Crab Clan remained as the only clan which did not adopt it. In the fifth century the Brotherhood taught the tea ceremony to anyone who showed interest. Geisha learned the art as well, so as to perform the ceremony with their clients. Emerald Empire: The Essential Guide to Rokugan, pp. 14-15
== Ceremony ==
The tea represents all five elements: the fire used to heat the water, the earth from which the tea powder was grown, and the air that carried the aroma of the tea. Finally, void held all four elements together, and brought in the mysterious fifth element, the moment of harmony and tranquility as one sips the tea. The chakai, or casual tea gathering, was a less formal version and includes sweets, thin tea, and a few courses of light but beautifully prepared food, if there is any meal served at all. Guests were escorted to site of the tea ceremony, ideally a tea house specially designed for this function or another place of elegant simplicity. There, they were asked to cleanse their mouths and hands—and also their souls—much in the same way purification is performed at shrines. They guests sat in a prescribed order based on status and are offered sweets. The host made the tea in front of them in a series of elaborate, meticulous steps, each gesture or position passed down to them from tea masters through the ages. Finally, the host served the tea to the guests, who partaked of the same bowl one after another. The guest of honor was expected to participate in the ceremony and appreciated the host by remarking upon the quality and seasonal details of the tea and decor. After the tea had been finished, and the utensils cleaned and put away, the guests left the tea house in the order they arrived, and the host's final bow signified the end of the ceremony. 
Category:Culture (TCG)
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Category:Rituals