Treatise on Armament Technology

The Incantation

Heaven is tranquil, Earth is tranquil. Let the spirits of the Solitary and Void original: "孤虛" (Guxu). A concept in ancient Chinese chronomancy referring to specific directional voids in the sexagenary cycle. In ritual and warfare, occupying these positions was thought to make one invisible or invincible to enemies. act according to my will. May the spirits never leave my side. Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances! original: "急急如律令" (jiji ru lüling). A standard closing formula in Taoist talismans and incantations, mimicking the urgent tone of official Han dynasty government decrees to command spirits to act immediately. By Command!

The Poem of Solitary and Void

Face the spirits of the Void and lean your back against the Solitary;
A single soldier, like a fierce tiger, shall then overcome a thousand men.
If one can truly master the method of the Solitary and Void,
In a single battle, they shall cause a million foes to face defeat.

Yearly Solitary and Void Correspondences

The following list determines the directional spirits based on the current year of the twelve-year cycleKnown as the Earthly Branches, these correspond to the animals of the Chinese Zodiac. The "Solitary" and "Void" positions shift each year according to this cycle.:

• In the Year of the Rat (Zi): the Solitary is the Pig (Hai); the Void is the Snake (Si).
• In the Year of the Ox (Chou): the Solitary is the Rat (Zi); the Void is the Horse (Wu).
• In the Year of the Tiger (Yin): the Solitary is the Ox (Chou); the Void is the Goat (Wei).
• In the Year of the Rabbit (Mao): the Solitary is the Tiger (Yin); the Void is the Monkey (Shen).