[shatner]

When I first started that post you hadn't yet written your "H:2, F:1, A:1, W:1, E:1, N:1 + FAWEN x 110%" version of the Saigu yet; my linked paths version was meant to be a response to your linked paths version.

I think if this caster is going to be a flimsy human stat-wise than she should by roughly the same as the Imperial Alchemist as far as cost and total paths. The two fill a similar conceptual space (cap-only AEFWN mage with healing)... but that's just my take on it. This is your mod, it's your vision/design that determines what is appropriate for the capstone caster and, as we can tell from my table of MA capstone mages, the cost and power of a mage can be way over or way under the average based on the nation's design (Shinuyama's super cheap and awesome Sorcerer, Ermor's slow, old, magically average but undead spawning Grand Thaumaturge, etc., etc.).

Based on what you've said, I'm guessing the theme for MA Jomon is "expensive, diverse but magically powerful mages". Every single mage of theirs is rockin' at least one pick off of a AEFNW random. The Onmyo-ji is a really solid mid-tier mage so I don't think they need another diversity caster, I think they need something that costs less than the Ryujin (5 paths for 500gp... ouch!) but can still reliably get a 3 in one or more paths. Linked paths are a good way to do that.