[D&D-5e] Empire of the Setting Sun

[Menzo]

To Daendil (and Noquarter19, Thesandwichking and Arthilian01). Sorry to see you withdraw, but I understand that not every game is for everyone. Best of luck with other games on the site!

[Menzo]

Hi all! I've officially extended the deadline to 15th November for personal reasons. I've just been accepted into Wynamoinen's game, and working on the 'Session 0' stuff for that game would've clashed with the original 8th November deadline for Empire of the Setting Sun. (Also, I'm trying to organize replacement air-conditioning for my unit.)

I apologize to everyone that that leaves on tenterhooks.

[Arkaon]

Oh my gosh all the yes. Place-holding my interest whilst I concoct a concept!

[rhaiber]

Application Moriko Name: Moriko (Meaning: child of the forest. As a foundling, Moriko has no family or clan name.森子) Race: Human Class: Monk (山伏: Yamabushi) Gender: Female Age: 17 Background: Acolyte Personality Traits: Nothing can shake my optimistic attitude. I am utterly serene, even in the face of disaster. I'm oblivious to etiquette and social expectations. Ideal: Charity. I always try to help those in need, no matter what the personal cost. (Good) Bond: I owe my life to the monk who took me in when my parents died. Flaw: I cannot fathom why anyone would ever say something other than what they mean. Personality: Moriko is deeply naive due to her sheltered existence in the monastery. She is guileless herself and cannot fathom why anyone would ever say something other than what they mean. She is incurably optimistic. Having never encountered evil within the confines of the monastery, she truly believes that all people are good at heart. She realizes that there is much she does not know about the outside world, and therefore attributes any conflict to a basic misunderstanding that must be resolved. Moriko is also insatiably curious. She knows it is her duty for now to explore and learn more of the outside world, and she hopes to do so. She looks upon all the unfamiliar minutia around here with a sense of awe and wonder. Despite her intense martial arts training, Moriko is actually something of a pacifist. The belief system instilled upon her at the monastery centered around seeking harmony with nature. To her, all living things are worthy of respect and deserving of their lives. The thought of intentionally taking the life of another is appalling to her. When she must fight, she will always seek to disarm and/or incapacitate before doing lethal harm. Appearance: Everything about Moriko’s appearance exudes a childlike innocence. Her short stature causes many to believe that she is younger than her years. Combined with the slightness of her frame, this often leads others to underestimate her. Certainly few would ever suspect the strength that lies behind her seemingly delicate and lithe limbs. Moriko dresses simply and modestly in the unadorned robes of the ascetic. This mode of dress and her smoothly shaven head might almost cause one to mistake her for a young boy, were it not for the simple beauty in the soft, round features of her face and her piercing ice-blue eyes. While nearly everything else about her appearance seems common and unimpressive, those eyes draw focus in a startlingly captivating manner, at once conveying both wide-eyed naive wonder and a penetrating wisdom beyond her years. Backstory:   Background: This is the story of Moriko, but it begins with Moriko’s mother. There was once a young priestess, a miko in her village. She performed the rites to honor the ancestors and to appease the spirits. She tended to the needs of the villagers and oversaw important ceremonies. She was honored and adored by the villagers … perhaps adored too much. The priestess was beautiful and she had many suitors, but she refused all suitors who came before her. Soon the villagers began to talk. How could it be that the beautiful young priestess had not taken a husband? Rumors spread that she had lain with a spirit. When the young priestess grew large with child and no man of the village claimed responsibility, the villagers decided that their suspicions were confirmed. For laying with a spirit, the young priestess was driven out of the village with little more than the clothes on her back. Friendless and penniless, the young priestess began the long trek up Mt. Nagareru, hoping to seek sanctuary in the monastery at its peak. Sadly, the young girl was greatly weakened in her condition and the winds atop the mountain were harsh and cruel. One morning, as Master Chien walked along the path from the monastery, something caught his eye, something out of place. A flash of bright scarlet cut across the winter white of the snow, like a fresh wound gouged into the face of the mountain. As he approached, he immediately recognized the ceremonial robes of the miko, though he did not recognize the girl within them, slumped as she was against the side of a tree. He also recognized that there was nothing he could do for her; her light had clearly left to walk among the spirits of her ancestors. His heart ached for a moment when he observed the bitter irony: had she walked but 50 yards more, she would have seen the monastery, half a league and she could have lain her hands upon its gates. Master Chien was just reminding himself that this was the way of nature, that all lives must pass in their way, when he was startled by a tiny sound not unlike the cooing of a dove. Drawing near, he caught sight of what he had missed before - cradled in the arms of the frozen priestess was the tiny infant she had borne, her last breath becoming the child’s first. Master Chien’s heart wept as he lifted the babe into his arms. “You shall be called Moriko,” he said, “for you are a child of the forest.” Moriko was taken back to the monastery where she was raised, the only girl among a compound of men. Moriko quickly learned the ways of the monks, mastering their teachings and their arts. It came easily to her, having never known any other way. Moriko never knew anything of her true parentage. Not only did it never occur to her to ask, it never even occurred to her that there was anything to ask. Having lived her entire life in the monastery under the tutelage of the monks, she remained blissfully unaware of the outside world ... that is, until the day that High Master Shiro told her she must leave.   RP Sample: “Mori-chan, please sit.” Moriko sank to her knees upon the floor to sit on her heels, her body descending as smoothly and gracefully as the snowfall on the mountain. “Mori-chan, please pour the tea.” Moriko nodded and reached for the kettle on the low table before her. Balancing the handle of the kettle in the crook of the fingers of one hand, she gently cupped her other hand under the kettle’s spout, applying just enough pressure to tilt it, sending a smooth stream pouring out, first into High Master Shiro’s cup, then into her own. “You are, perhaps, wondering why I have summoned you before me today,” High Master Shiro began. It was true. Moriko’s eyes briefly met those of the High Master. She was usually able to sense the feeling that lay behind another’s eyes, but today the High Master was inscrutable. Aware that others often found the penetrating gaze of her ice-blue eyes to be unsettling, Moriko glanced downward so as not to show disrespect to the High Master. “I have met with your teachers. Master Kai speaks very highly of your progress in your exercises. He tells me that you have mastered forms which elude Masters with twice your years. He also tells me …” Moriko truly meant to listen to all that High Master Shiro had to say, but as the ancient master continued to speak, his words began to blend together in her ears until they resolved into a dull but persistent drone, not unlike the buzzing of the cicadas in summer. Her attention was irresistibly drawn to the details of her surroundings. She watched the ripples form on the surface of High Master Shiro’s teacup as he set it down upon the low table. She watched the sunlight that reflected off of those ripple to form dappled patterns upon the ceiling. Out across the courtyard, she watched as a young squirrel danced upon the limb of a cherry tree. There was much to be learned from the grace of the squirrel as he delicately leapt along the tree branch, never once disturbing the soft blanket of snow that lay heavily on the ends of the same branch. Moriko began to wonder if she too could move with the light steps of the squirrel. She watched intently, committing ever move of its muscles to her memory. Suddenly the squirrel stopped and raised its head, its ears twitching back and forth. Had it felt her gaze, or was it simply scanning for dangers, ever alert to its surroundings, always attentive to … “Moriko! Are you even listening to me?!?” The young monk sat bolt-upright, her spine straight as a bamboo pole and her eyes snapping forward, locking on a point directly ahead of her. She did not dare to answer the question. To say no would be a grave sign of disrespect, yet to answer yes would not be entirely truthful, and therefore disrespectful in itself. After a brief pause, the ancient master continued, “As I was saying, it comes as no surprise that Master Chien speaks well of you. However, Master Kazé has expressed some concerns. While he acknowledges your ability to articulate the teachings is satisfactory, he tells me that your focus on your studies can at times be …” Moriko tried desperately to keep her focus directed on the ancient master’s words, but could not help noticing the squirrel once again. Even as it sat perfectly still, only its ears darting back and forth alert for signs of potential predators, it was unaware of its brother squirrel - equally silent though clearly not as light-footed - climbing along the branch above, his less careful tread dislodging a clump of snow. Moriko struggled to suppress her laughter as the soft pillow of snow landed squarely on the first squirrel’s unsuspecting head. “Mo-ri-ko.” High Master Shiro spoke firmly, but calmly, snapping the young monk from her reverie and pulling attention back to the conversation, hoping she had missed nothing important, “It is time for you to leave the monastery.” “What?” Moriko blurted out, the sudden revelation hitting her exactly as a lump of cold snow might strike an unsuspecting squirrel upon the head. Unlike many of the other monks who had come to the monastery at their own time and of their own choosing, Moriko had spent her entire life within its walls. Her only knowledge of the outside world came from the books which Master Kazé insisted she read and transcribe, and which could never truly hold her attention. “I don’t understand.” “I know,” the aged master replied, “and that is why you must go.” Moriko paused to absorb this and weighed her next question more carefully before replying. “If it pleases the venerable master, will this one be returning?” “Perhaps.” “And may this one have knowledge of when she may return?” Master Shiro paused. This time it was he he gazed deeply into Moriko’s eyes. “When Mori-chan understands why she must go, then, perhaps, she may return.” Moriko nodded silently. She had pondered enough of them in her time at the monastery to know a riddle when she was presented with one. “Moriko will have many more questions, more than even she realizes at this time, but the answers will not come from this one. It is time for her to go and seek the answers herself.” “Thank you, venerable ancient master,” Moriko intoned as she bowed her head solemnly. In a single, smooth movement she rose nimbly to her feet, any rustle her robes may have made muffled as a whisper lost on the back of a hurricane. “One more thing, Mori-chan,” Master Shiro interrupted Moriko as she made to leave. The young girl turned back to see the aged master holding out a long shakujo staff. As Moriko grasped the shaft of the staff, its four brass rings released a gentle jingling that carried softly across the open courtyard. “My last gift to to you, so that the squirrels will know that you are coming.” Why are you interested in this game? Love the setting. Love hearing that this is an LGBTQI-friendly game, as I think that bodes well for the atmosphere of the game in general, regardless of whether the players or characters themselves are queer. And honestly, this is a character I've played before so her voice is already developed in my head (the last game I had her in kind of fizzled out, so I would really like to breathe new life into her).

[Menzo]

Hi guys. I would again like to apologise for the lack of progress on this game. Had a number of long shifts at work recently. Also, I got into Wynamoinen's Uncaged: Found Families game, and I just got informed I'll be the switch DM for my home game on Sunday (our regular DM is recuperating from elective surgery). So... a bit rushed off my feet.

However, all should be back on track from Monday onwards, and the application deadline of Sunday, 15th November is still good.

As compensation, I bring you the amazing Joe Hisaishi and the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra:

[Mindsiege]

I think my application is finally ready for review.

Special thanks to Oghain, for his help in fleshing out this character to fit even more into this setting!

[rhaiber]

I know I got my app in a bit later than some others, but is it still possible to get a review?

[Menzo]

Absolutely. I've just been a little busy. DMed the first session of Lost Mine of Phandelver for my home game on Sunday, and I'm working on various stuff (including a first post) for Wynamoinen's game.

In the meantime, I have been (slowly) building up the database on the Culture of Shikoku and the Weapons and Armor of Shikoku. The kusarigama proved particularly challenging, since it couldn't simply be reskinned. It's a pretty unique weapon.

I haven't run out of topics yet, and will probably create a third thread dealing with religion and the kami. But are there any specific topics that people would like me to cover?

[Mindsiege]

I for one am worried if my character is refined enough to be eligible for adventure hook creation.

[Bretel]

I'm actually more curious about how gambling works. I noticed in the culture section there was something called a Bakuto as an itinerant gambler. It's probably not something that my character knows enough about but I am a sucker for minigames. I know there are Japanese games that I enjoy, but if taking let's say a tool proficiency, how much would that cover?

[Menzo]

Actually, I already included a brief description of the main gambling game, Cho-Han, at the beginning of the dice rolling thread, but I can include information about some of the games of skill too.

[MoonZar]

Look nice, good luck all!

[Menzo]

Hiya. Just a reminder that only two days remain to the deadline.

I have already issued invites for three players, but the remaining slots in the game are still genuinely up for grabs, so don't read too much into it if you haven't received an invite yet.

[Arthilian01]

If you're still recruiting and you'll have me, I'm thinking about overhauling my character.

[Menzo]

By all means. Still 2-4 spots up for grabs!