All of the rituals listed below can generally be found in Xian at the prices given, barring any exception in the text. Ritual spellcasting is more prevalent in Xian than in some cities due to the Imperial tradition of arcane study, and it's not unknown for daifu otherwise ungifted in combat sorcery to be quite competent ritual spellcasters.
Conjuration of the Marrowless Bone
Level: 5
Cost: 250 koku to buy/special to cast
Time: 1 hour
Key Skill: Religion
Duration: Permanent
Effect: By use of this ritual, the caster can imbue a skeletal corpse with a semblance of life. The body in question must be stripped of all major portions of flesh and viscera, a process which is not included in the ritual casting time. Even very old and decayed bones will work for this ritual, provided that at least half the bones are intact. The ritual itself requires one hour per corpse to be animated, along with the usual array of aromatic incense and occult substances. Upon completion, the bones rise as either a level 1 Decrepit Skeleton minion, a level 3 Skeleton soldier, a level 5 Blazing Skeleton, or a level 5 Boneshard Skeleton. The type is determined by the caster, and the reagents for casting the spell cost the same amount in gold as the XP value of the skeleton- thus, 25 gold for a decrepit skeleton minion and 200 for a boneshard skeleton. Other, more sophisticated rituals exist for conjuring up stranger or more powerful forms of undead. Other rites may exist that allow for cheaper creation of undead servitors through assorted unwholesome means.
The resultant skeleton is loyal to its creator and will obey simple commands. It is incapable of understanding any speech but that of its creator, and cannot generally manage independent thought more sophisticated than killing or not killing someone else based on obvious physical characteristics or insignia. Skeletons raised by this spell can be useful as guards around the necromancer's lair, but other rituals are generally necessary to make the effective raiders or other military units, as they must be led to be effective and will recognize only their creator without further sorceries.
Should their creator die, undead created by this ritual tend to respond unpredictably. They will invariably attempt to kill any living creatures visible to them, pursuing them relentlessly until they or their victims are destroyed. Afterwards, some will return to the spot in which they stood at the moment of their creator's death, while others will wander restlessly or remain where they stand. As such, use of this ritual is forbidden in Xian save at the specific permission of the Mandarin. It is possible for necromancer-daifus to receive waivers for use of it to protect their homes, but few such scholars find it socially appropriate to admit to having used this ritual.
Pandect of Transversing
Level: 8
Cost: 680 koku to buy/500 koku to cast.
Time: 16 hours
Key Skill: Arcana
Duration: Permanent while the circle is unbroken.
Effect: This ritual is necessary to create a properly-attuned portal circle such as that targeted by the Linked Portal ritual. In addition to the components necessary for the ritual, a portal circle must be available. Designing such a circle requires an Arcana-trained ritualist to lay out the correct pattern of sigils and astrological signs appropriate for the location, whereupon the marks can be rendered in stone, metal, or any other substance by some mundane crafter. Circles are almost always carved out of rock floors for purposes of durability, but there's nothing preventing a caster from laying one down in chalk lines if desired. Defacing more than a quarter of the circle will ruin it, however, and require that this ritual be recast. The ritual itself requires sixteen hours of chanting, incense-burning, chalk markings, and other activity that can be disrupted by any violence done to the preparation. Furthermore, the powerful transplanar energies focused by this ritual are extremely "loud", mystically speaking. Any being trained in Arcana within a mile will be able to notice the disruption, though they will not be able to pinpoint its origin.
It is worth noting that it is absolutely forbidden to create a portal circle within the walls of any Xianese city or town without the permission of its ruler- a permission which is never ordinarily given.
Veil of Discretion
Level: 2
Cost: 100 koku to buy/25 to cast, plus a 100 koku focus.
Time: 1 hour
Key Skill: Arcana
Duration: Permanent while the focus is undisturbed.
Effect: Performing this ritual requires the use of a small golden disc inscribed with assorted occult symbols and tokens of deafness, the focus coming to a cost of 100 gold koku. The components for the ritual are powdered, formed into a circle one pace wide, and the disc and several other tokens are placed within. These tokens are generally small, wearable objects, such as necklaces, bracelets, pins, worry beads, or other trifles at least as large as a pea. When the ritual is complete, the area around the golden disc up to a range of Burst 4 is under the Veil of Discretion. The burst follows the usual rules for line of effect, and the disc loses its virtue if it is ever removed from the area originally described by the circle. The circle itself can be wiped away without harm, and most users of this ritual find it best to fix the disc to the ceiling above or embed it in the floor.
Within the Veil of Discretion, anyone holding or wearing one of the tokens originally part of the ritual cannot be heard by anyone standing outside of the Veil. Their speech is inaudible, as is any direct action they take. A thrown inkwell won't be heard crashing, nor a dropped book be heard to thud against the floor. Sounds made by others not under the Veil will be heard normally; a Veiled daifu busy stabbing a rival will be inaudible, but his victim's screams of pain will be heard… assuming the victim isn't wearing a token.
While this ritual is not especially expensive to cast, it is not a common feature of most delicate negotiations. Other rituals are said to exist which place assorted gruesome curses and misfortunes upon a victim who voluntarily accepts a gift from the ritualist, and so a certain level of trust is required to wear an offered token.