TBF - Generic Questions

[Gugudada]

HI!


I was wondering why the Heian period?

Also, is the setting permissive to "chanbara" style RPG (like Ninja Scroll/Inuyasha), or more akin to Shadow Warriors/Lone Wolf & Cub/Samurai Champloo/Blade of the Immortal?



Thanks-u

G-san

[Aramis]

Several threads recently have discussed the "power-level" of tBAF...

http://www.burningwheel.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=39
compares it to L5R, which is not quite chanbara (but can be pretty close)...

http://www.burningwheel.org/forum/showthread.php?t=5817
discusses tBAF in relation to several "Wire-Fu" movies (definitely Chanbarra)

http://www.burningwheel.org/forum/showthread.php?t=5318
discusses the Why of the Heian era.

[Thor]

Blossoms is largely inspired by The Tale of the Heike (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heike_monogatari).

[Gugudada]

Blossoms is largely inspired by The Tale of the Heike (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heike_monogatari).


Hi!

Dear Thor-san:

Thanks for the info!
From what I gather is that, basically, you guys wanted to design a setting about a "very interesting" time in Nihon's history which few knew about & bring it out in the open (sorta like when no one knew about EA Poe or cowboys).

I have several Japanese-styled RPGs & most of them focus on other, later eras, not the time when the code of the bushi was being fashioned. This also reminds me of my Star Wars campaign - done so far back the Republic wasn't even a key player & the Jedi were battling it out for their own interpretation of the Force - passionate or serene (not a very cool comparison I know, but).


G-san

[Thor]

We do very much like to explore interesting eras that few role-players touch. I will say, though, that the Heian period is very well known. Just not in role-playing circles.

Many of the great classics of Japanese literature -- the Heike Monogatari (Tale of the Heike), Genji Monogatari (Tale of Genji, which some consider the first novel ever written), Heiji Monogatari (Tale of the Heiji), Hogen Monogatari (Tale of the Hogen), and Makura no Soshi (The Pillowbook) -- were written during the Heian period.

It was also the height of Japanese poetry. The great collections -- the Manyoshu, Kokin Wakashu, and Shin Kokin Wakashu -- were all written in that period.

It is at the end of the Heian period that the samurai rise up, annihilate the Fujiwara Clan and the Taira Clan, and take power from the Emperor, establishing the first Shogunate. That's the story related in the Heike.

Additionally, the tale of the greatest samurai of legend, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, is related in the Heike.

The greatest Japanese sorcerer of legend, Abe no Seimei (the subject of the movies Onmyoji and Onmyoji II), is from the Heian period, though somewhat earlier than the Heike.

Kusanagi no Tsurugi, the Japanese Imperial sword that plays a role somewhat similar to Excalibur in the West, was lost in the final battles of the Genpei War (the subject of the Heike Monogatari).

There's really a lot to recommend the Heian period as a setting for a game.

[Gugudada]

Hello & thanks for the info!

& I thought I was pretty deft on Nihon culture - is my face red!

Was the Book of 5 Rings also written round this time? Is the Minamoto samurai you mentioned Minamoto Mushashi?

Tomoe Gozen's name:
Is her last name (family name) Tomoe or Gozen? Why isn't she named like her hubby? Maybe it's a nickname?


Thanks again, Thoru-Sama!
G-san

[stormsweeper]

Musashi wasn't born until 400 years after the rise of the shogunate, so no.

Gozen is an honorific. Tomoe is her given name. No one knows her family name, or if she even really existed.

[BobSlaughter]

The greatest Japanese sorcerer of legend, Abe no Seimei (the subject of the movies Onmyoji and Onmyoji II), is from the Heian period, though somewhat earlier than the Heike.


What manner and mode of sorcerer is he? Given the magic as presented in The Blossoms are Falling, and the admonition that traditional BW Sorcery is inappropriate, how could we represent him?

Now that the Magic Burner is out, is there any of those systems you would add into a TBAF game?

[Gugudada]

Gozen is an honorific. Tomoe is her given name. No one knows her family name, or if she even really existed.

HELLO!

Does Gozen mean anything? I can't find it... (feel like Mr Fingermann from Brazil) sobs.

I hope Tomoe Gozen isn't a Western invention (Salmonson's)!


Thanks again
G

[Thor]

What manner and mode of sorcerer is he? Given the magic as presented in The Blossoms are Falling, and the admonition that traditional BW Sorcery is inappropriate, how could we represent him?

Now that the Magic Burner is out, is there any of those systems you would add into a TBAF game?

Abe no Semei was an onmyoji. Onmyodo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onmyodo), as depicted in Blossoms, is the way to go to represent him.

I think Blossoms is pretty well described magically in its own book. There are lots of cool magical arts in there.

[Thor]

HELLO!

Does Gozen mean anything? I can't find it... (feel like Mr Fingermann from Brazil) sobs.

I hope Tomoe Gozen isn't a Western invention (Salmonson's)!


Thanks again
G

Tomoe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomoe_Gozen) was not invented by Jessica Amanda Salmonson, though that trilogy of novels is quite good and highly recommended.

Tomoe was especially beautiful, with white skin, long hair, and charming features. She was also a remarkably strong archer, and as a swordswoman she was a warrior worth a thousand, ready to confront a demon or a god, mounted or on foot. She handled unbroken horses with superb skill; she rode unscathed down perilous descents. Whenever a battle was imminent, Yoshinaka sent her out as his first captain, equipped with strong armor, an oversized sword, and a mighty bow; and she performed more deeds of valor than any of his other warriors. —Tale of the Heike, translated by Helen McCullough (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Craig_McCullough), page 291.

From what I can tell, Gozen is often translated as "Lady" though it was somewhat rarely applied to men as well.