Identifying the Long Distance Communication Spells

Question

When I was listening to the Court Games podcast, episode "Heroes of Legend, Part 1", during a train ride, the hosts discussed the story of the same name. One of the main lore tidbits they discuss in the episode is this sentence:

“It is winter,” Kachiko said. “Couriers are likely on their way, but they may be days yet.” She sighed. “This news first came to me from a trusted source in Otosan Uchi, borne by the winds. I have since had the truth of the message corroborated by augury.”¹

During the discussion of augury and options to send a message within less than a day from one end of the empire to the other, they mentioned passingly two spells:

• In the 4th Edition, there was a long-distance communication spell, which allegedly would send a messenger bird from the Shugenja to its target flying through Rokugan at top speed.
• The 5th edition would instead use any animal and have it use a shortcut through the realm of animals to deliver the message.

In either case, animals are used, while the story used most likely a wind Kami, which would be unusual as the hosts noted.

However, there is no mention of the name or which book the spell is from for either edition and only giving a general description of the spell's effect or description. As I would like to add the messenger spell to a character I am tinkering with for a game that isn't yet decided on the edition we want to play, and failing to find it, I need to figure out: What are the names of these long-distance message spells and from which books are they?

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1 - Laderoute, D.G.: Heroes of Legend - Chapter One

Answer 1

The Request to Hato-no-Kami is the 4e spell that sends a bird to deliver your message (Book of Air 187), though with a range of 150 +50 per raise it would require a relay system of shugenja to pass the message along the length of the empire if done in game.

Messenger of Chikushō-dō (Celestial Realms 106) is the 5e version. It has no range restrictions but is limited to [20 +10 per Opportunity] words.

However; In 4e there is an ability that comes much closer to the effect described in the story: the Komori Shugenja School ability allows them to spend a spell slot to have the kami 'ferry whispered messages to another individual' (Core, 217). with a range of [School Rank x100 miles] I believe it is the longest range communication ability there is.