D
Dooley
Guest
Original poster
Ronin: Setting Sun
It is the year 679AC. More than six centuries have passed since the collapse of modernity. The ravages of time bringing about their change, the world revealed a foreign place when the dust settled. Bedlam reigned sovereign in this new land's formative years. The primeval drive of man forcing out his baser self in order to survive. It could not be helped to stain one's hands with the blood of the guiltless, not then. Yet as years eked by this age of wanton despair did too fall away. Fortune would smile on the bold, and the next chapter of mankind's history would be written.
Surrounded by the Sea of Dragons is Nippon. The island-nation has remained chiefly isolated from the rest of the world for all these long years. Yet in it's seclusion it has born again a people resolved in an era of uncertainty. The clans that rule here trace their roots back to birth of Nippon. It was in the early 280's that the clans came together and named their Emperor, finally unifying the nation and bringing about an age of relative peace. The Yukatama line ruled as sovereigns of Nippon for three centuries before the seat was vacated in mid 500's. With the seat of power empty starving eyes turned upon the throne. The Age of Warlords had begun.
As chiefs and lords made bids for power most simply hoped to live. There were few outside the nobility that wished for battle. The average soldier fought only because his lord bade him to. Yet amidst the dregs of militia and conscripts a sect of fighters existed. A mindset from a bygone era given life anew through Nippon's rich culture and history. These warriors were the Samurai.
The winter of 678AC marked the closing of one of the bloodiest campaigns recorded in current history. Takegami Jourai mustered his forces and marched from his lands in Hifu Province into Singui. The Baraka Clan, led by Baraka Shinsuru, met Jourai in the field. Vastly outnumber the Baraka suffered innumerable losses and retreated further into their lands. The Takegami advanced sacking villages, burning castles, and displacing the citizenry as they marched. Jourai's forces finally caught the remaining Baraka resulting in a short battle in which Shinsuru was reportedly killed. With this victory the Takegami clan seized Singui province and increased their power in the west.
Bred from these atrocities are the vagabonds, the derelicts. People with no home to return to or lacking a cause to fight for. Where the flames of war touch more come to be. Yet no heed is given to these leftovers, to those that remain when the embers go cold. So strange the irony is, that people of this sort would play a key role in changing the fate of Nippon once more.
It is the year 679AC. More than six centuries have passed since the collapse of modernity. The ravages of time bringing about their change, the world revealed a foreign place when the dust settled. Bedlam reigned sovereign in this new land's formative years. The primeval drive of man forcing out his baser self in order to survive. It could not be helped to stain one's hands with the blood of the guiltless, not then. Yet as years eked by this age of wanton despair did too fall away. Fortune would smile on the bold, and the next chapter of mankind's history would be written.
Surrounded by the Sea of Dragons is Nippon. The island-nation has remained chiefly isolated from the rest of the world for all these long years. Yet in it's seclusion it has born again a people resolved in an era of uncertainty. The clans that rule here trace their roots back to birth of Nippon. It was in the early 280's that the clans came together and named their Emperor, finally unifying the nation and bringing about an age of relative peace. The Yukatama line ruled as sovereigns of Nippon for three centuries before the seat was vacated in mid 500's. With the seat of power empty starving eyes turned upon the throne. The Age of Warlords had begun.
As chiefs and lords made bids for power most simply hoped to live. There were few outside the nobility that wished for battle. The average soldier fought only because his lord bade him to. Yet amidst the dregs of militia and conscripts a sect of fighters existed. A mindset from a bygone era given life anew through Nippon's rich culture and history. These warriors were the Samurai.
The winter of 678AC marked the closing of one of the bloodiest campaigns recorded in current history. Takegami Jourai mustered his forces and marched from his lands in Hifu Province into Singui. The Baraka Clan, led by Baraka Shinsuru, met Jourai in the field. Vastly outnumber the Baraka suffered innumerable losses and retreated further into their lands. The Takegami advanced sacking villages, burning castles, and displacing the citizenry as they marched. Jourai's forces finally caught the remaining Baraka resulting in a short battle in which Shinsuru was reportedly killed. With this victory the Takegami clan seized Singui province and increased their power in the west.
Bred from these atrocities are the vagabonds, the derelicts. People with no home to return to or lacking a cause to fight for. Where the flames of war touch more come to be. Yet no heed is given to these leftovers, to those that remain when the embers go cold. So strange the irony is, that people of this sort would play a key role in changing the fate of Nippon once more.
Hey guys! So this is an idea I've had for a while now. I left it sort of ambiguous in the narrative, but the setting is essentially a Post-Apocalyptic Japan where the inhabitants have reverted back to the Feudal Era. A global event known only as "The Collapse" brought about the downfall of modern society, leading eventually to the world at the start of the RP.
Plot
The main story will follow a group of characters somehow connected to Jourai's conquest of Singui Province. The first arc will revolve around the conflict between the Takegami presence in the area and the people still loyal to Baraka. After that, depending on how the first arc ends, we'll branch out slowly into the greater plot.
I like to do Character Specific Chapters, usually at least one per character in each story arc. What that means is as I GM the story, taking into account everyone's actions and decisions, I try to alternate who the "Protagonist" is. That doesn't mean I favor one particular character over another in any given chapter, just that I try to weave together a cohesive story by incorporating a character directly into the story.
So, for example: In your character history you've written that your sister has been missing since So-and-So battle at X location. I'll look at that and write her into the story. Maybe she's dead and we find her body. Maybe she is alive and hiding with rebels. Maybe she became a prostitute addicted to opium. It's usually a little more complicated than all that, but I try to work in sub-plots for each and every character if it's natural and viable. Depending on how impactful it might be to a character I may DM you and ask permission.
Setting
As I said, the setting is essentially a Post-Apocalyptic Japan. It isn't all doom and gloom though. The Collapse wasn't like a nuclear holocaust or the like. Plant-life and greenery are fine, water is drinkable, animals are abundant. In fact the only thing it seemed to effect is people, somehow thrusting us back into the dark ages.
Now here is where things start to take a turn. There exists in this world what people refer to as "Ancient Technology". The remnants of society before the collapse. To the common man the feats performed by these devices could only be considered magic. Therefore the people that study and manipulate these devices have come to be referred to as Sages.
Foot and by horse are the main commonly used means of travel. The sea around Nippon, known as the Sea of Dragons, is highly unstable so ships are rarer and tend to stick to the shallows.
Larger cities do have electricity which is powered by Ancient Technology called Nodes.
It is important to note that the collapse did not happen 600 years from our present. It came about sometime in our distant future.
Characters
I'm pretty open to character design. As long as it fits into Japanese culture and you use an anime Play-By I'm happy. You can be anything from a Samurai or displaced bandit, to a widowed housewife or farmer. Let your imagination run wild. I'm gonna post a rough Character-Skelly just to give you an idea of what I want to see. You don't have to follow it perfectly, just make sure all the fields can be found somewhere on your Character-Sheet.
Plot
The main story will follow a group of characters somehow connected to Jourai's conquest of Singui Province. The first arc will revolve around the conflict between the Takegami presence in the area and the people still loyal to Baraka. After that, depending on how the first arc ends, we'll branch out slowly into the greater plot.
I like to do Character Specific Chapters, usually at least one per character in each story arc. What that means is as I GM the story, taking into account everyone's actions and decisions, I try to alternate who the "Protagonist" is. That doesn't mean I favor one particular character over another in any given chapter, just that I try to weave together a cohesive story by incorporating a character directly into the story.
So, for example: In your character history you've written that your sister has been missing since So-and-So battle at X location. I'll look at that and write her into the story. Maybe she's dead and we find her body. Maybe she is alive and hiding with rebels. Maybe she became a prostitute addicted to opium. It's usually a little more complicated than all that, but I try to work in sub-plots for each and every character if it's natural and viable. Depending on how impactful it might be to a character I may DM you and ask permission.
Setting
As I said, the setting is essentially a Post-Apocalyptic Japan. It isn't all doom and gloom though. The Collapse wasn't like a nuclear holocaust or the like. Plant-life and greenery are fine, water is drinkable, animals are abundant. In fact the only thing it seemed to effect is people, somehow thrusting us back into the dark ages.
Now here is where things start to take a turn. There exists in this world what people refer to as "Ancient Technology". The remnants of society before the collapse. To the common man the feats performed by these devices could only be considered magic. Therefore the people that study and manipulate these devices have come to be referred to as Sages.
Foot and by horse are the main commonly used means of travel. The sea around Nippon, known as the Sea of Dragons, is highly unstable so ships are rarer and tend to stick to the shallows.
Larger cities do have electricity which is powered by Ancient Technology called Nodes.
It is important to note that the collapse did not happen 600 years from our present. It came about sometime in our distant future.
Characters
I'm pretty open to character design. As long as it fits into Japanese culture and you use an anime Play-By I'm happy. You can be anything from a Samurai or displaced bandit, to a widowed housewife or farmer. Let your imagination run wild. I'm gonna post a rough Character-Skelly just to give you an idea of what I want to see. You don't have to follow it perfectly, just make sure all the fields can be found somewhere on your Character-Sheet.
Code:
Name: [Japanese style name: Lastname, Firstname]
Age: [18+ only]
Gender: [Male/Female Only]
Sexuality:
Height:
Weight:
Hair Color:
Eyes Color:
Possessions: [Anything important to your character that you feel you should list. You do not have to write down generic clothes of weapons unless you wish to. If you have something that may be plot relevant, or you wish to include in the plot put it here. This can be amended late if you obtain an item during the story.]
Appearance: [At least a paragraph]
Personality: [At least a paragraph]
Biography: [At least three paragraphs]
