Torii

A torii , a prayer gate, Roleplaying in the Emerald Empire, p. 204 was a kind of symbolic portal, a tall, red wooden arch placed before temples and holy sites. Rokugani believed that passing under them cleansed the spirit. Roleplaying in the Emerald Empire, p. 11 They marked the entrance to a civilized area. GM's Survival Guide, p. 105
== Shrine ==
Made of wood, more rarely stone, it was normally two vertical beams with one or two horizontal beams above each other. A torii could be the entrance to a shrine, or open on nothing at all, being the shrine itself. It symbolized the passage between the physical and spiritual worlds. Region 50, Sacred Hillside Strike At Midnight: The Twenty-seven Days of Darkness; Day 21 - Mountain of the Seven Thunders Scenes from the Empire, Part 11
== Building a torii ==
They were made to petition the blessing of a god, as payment to a god aid or a debt owed to a temple, or to honor a recently deceased and esteemed person. A ritual was first performed to sanctify the ground purify and the materials. Sacrifices were made during construction and placed inside the foundations of the torii, and it was believed that they stood guard over the pathway. They were mostly made out of common wood, but more lavish ones were made out of rare materials or plated in metal or shells. It was believed that the more rich the torii the more likely the prayers were received favorably. 
== Gate between Realms ==
Some portals between Ningen-do and other realms of reality, permanent or not, were also shaped as torii (such as the one in Volturnum). Fire and Shadow rulebook story Defenders, by Nancy Sauer
== See Also ==
* Torii tattoo
== External Links ==
* Torii Arch (Spirit Wars)
* Torii Shrine (Hidden Emperor 3)
Category:Rokugani Language
Category:Culture
Category:Articles with Pictures