What is a Goho-M? It’s an item that lets you leave a dungeon. That...doesn’t explain what it looks like. We know it is made of cloth and oil, due to being crafted using linen and plant balm. But why?
Here’s some hot takes for it:
-Ofuda, with the balm being consecration oil
-Flying carpet piece, the balm can be to hide your scent (alcohol, it’s what Stealthanol is, concentrated rubbing alcohol, put into spray or spritz bottles and used similar to deodorant or Febreeze), consecrate the cloth, or could even be flying ointment.
-Escape Rope. The balm is for consecration.
So, here’s my simple recipe for consecration-based Plant Balm.
1) Moon water. The moon is often times used for magic, especially mystic travel.
2) Bay leaves. Used to protect oneself while it’s in use.
3) Rose leaf, for protection and to “open the door to another realm” (old source, essentially implying the Goho-M sends you through another plane of existence to keep you safe).
4) Parsley. Represents Apollo, god of the Sun and travel. Don’t worry about the moon water and this clashing, remember, the sun and moon are siblings and feed off each other to work together. Yin and Yang kind of thing.
5) Gardenia oil. Used for protection from outside sources.
6) Optional: Rubbing alcohol. Great to apply that balm-like effect without removing any parts.
Mix the ingredients together. After they soak for a bit, filter it out, then dilute with either water or rubbing alcohol. You can also use olive oil or lotion, since there is an essential oil in the mix. Because the ingredients are so basic (protection, mostly), the balm can actually be used for other items.
So, here’s how I personally designed my Goho-M’s. They are ofuda based.
1) Unfold an alcohol wipe. Let dry.
2) Draw the kanji for exit ( 出 ) in the center. I used red marker because red is often used to denote a spell.
3) Fold the alcohol wipe back up, until nothing of the kanji remains.
4) Tape the loose end down. Leave some of the tape at the end, folded in on itself, so you can open it when you want to use it.
5) Anoint the back (untaped) side with the plant balm.
