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20:02, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Freeform Fantasy in feudal Japan?

Posted by Angara
Angara
member, 19 posts
Tue 23 May 2017
at 22:49
  • msg #1

Freeform Fantasy in feudal Japan?

Just looking to gauge player interest in a Freeform RP set in a fantasy feudal Japan. Some concepts would include Samurai and Ninjas (of course), monsters from Japanese folklore (oni, yokai, kaiju), and maybe even some feudal politics.
CaesarCV
member, 248 posts
Tue 23 May 2017
at 23:33
  • msg #2

Freeform Fantasy in feudal Japan?

I would be super duper up for this!
gladiusdei
member, 540 posts
Tue 23 May 2017
at 23:41
  • msg #3

Freeform Fantasy in feudal Japan?

Would love to deal with courtly etiquette and the darker side of the Japanese mystical world.
This message was last edited by a moderator, as it was against the forum rules, at 02:24, Wed 24 May 2017.
CaesarCV
member, 249 posts
Tue 23 May 2017
at 23:56
  • msg #4

Freeform Fantasy in feudal Japan?

What sort of era were you thinking of setting it in?
This message was last edited by a moderator, as it was against the forum rules, at 03:56, Wed 24 May 2017.
Angara
member, 20 posts
Wed 24 May 2017
at 01:49
  • msg #5

Freeform Fantasy in feudal Japan?

The beginning of Japan's medieval structure, when powered shifted from the Emperor and the nobles to the Samurai and the Shogun. Btw, if we're being historically accurate, Onmyodo practitioners would be ostricized on account of Buddhism being prevalent within Japan. However, this will be a fantasy rendition of medieval Japan, so we can do what we want with it.
gladiusdei
member, 541 posts
Wed 24 May 2017
at 01:52
  • msg #6

Freeform Fantasy in feudal Japan?

Didn't the imperial court during the heian period have a court onmyoji?
Ramidel
member, 1338 posts
Err on the side
of awesome.
Wed 24 May 2017
at 02:01
  • msg #7

Freeform Fantasy in feudal Japan?

In reply to Angara (msg # 5):

Why would they be ostracized? Onmyoji were a perfectly respected and licensed government profession in this time period.
This message was last edited by the user at 02:04, Wed 24 May 2017.
Angara
member, 21 posts
Wed 24 May 2017
at 02:51
  • msg #8

Freeform Fantasy in feudal Japan?

I apologize, it was really more of a guess than a statement of fact. I was assuming based on other examples of differing religions in close proximity. I confess to not being a scholar on Japan's history, which is part of the reason I chose a more fantasy setting.
CaesarCV
member, 250 posts
Wed 24 May 2017
at 03:02
  • msg #9

Freeform Fantasy in feudal Japan?

The confusion is understandable. One of the important (and often confusing) things about Japanese culture/history is the rather syncretic nature of their belief structures. While Buddhism moved into the islands at a rapid pace, it did not entirely uproot or destroy the Shinto faith. Instead it created a strange syncretic blend where most citizens believed in both, albeit in different ways. This is also before you get into the dizzying amount of different branches of Buddhism of course, along with the other cultural divisions and the like. And yeah, setting it in a fantastic version of the setting is certainly useful.

Not to mention the matter of Onmyouji gets considerably more complex in how the role somewhat survived in the Shinto faith after the official role was eliminated.
This message was last edited by the user at 03:02, Wed 24 May 2017.
biskits
member, 69 posts
Thu 1 Jun 2017
at 15:06
  • msg #10

Freeform Fantasy in feudal Japan?

I'd be up for this.
GreyGriffin
member, 88 posts
Portal Expat
Game System Polyglot
Thu 1 Jun 2017
at 19:18
  • msg #11

Freeform Fantasy in feudal Japan?

I might be interested, depending on the blend of history and fantasy.  I'm not terribly well-researched.
horus
member, 153 posts
Wayfarer of the
Western Wastes
Fri 2 Jun 2017
at 02:59
  • msg #12

Re: Freeform Fantasy in feudal Japan?

gladiusdei:
Didn't the imperial court during the heian period have a court onmyoji?


In the height of the Heian-kyo, yes.  As things edged toward the Kamakura, (late in the tenth century) the Ministry of Onmyo-do became dominated by two major families:  Abe and Kamo, as exemplified by Abe no Seimei and Kamo no Yasunori.  Onmyo-do and Onmyoji came to be a syncretic fusion of Taoist, esoteric Buddhist, and Shinto elements (just to mention a few).  Abe-sensei eventually became a prominent and respected figure at court but I'm not certain he was ever recognized as the "official" court onmyoji despite his clan having official control of the Ministry of Onmyo-do from the late tenth century onward.

It sounds from the original post as if the milieu would actually be closer to the Warring States (Sengoku) period, or even the Edo period (both somewhat later than the Heian or Kamakura).

I should probably also state I'm interested.  Yes, please.
This message was last edited by the user at 03:14, Fri 02 June 2017.
Ramidel
member, 1342 posts
Err on the side
of awesome.
Fri 2 Jun 2017
at 04:11
  • msg #13

Re: Freeform Fantasy in feudal Japan?

In a later post, she said "the beginning of the feudal structure," which implies the late Heian/Genpei War era.
BadCatMan
member, 284 posts
Fri 2 Jun 2017
at 06:09
  • msg #14

Re: Freeform Fantasy in feudal Japan?

If actual historical Japan is too difficult, then how about a more overtly fantasy setting, either homebrew or an existing one like Kara-Tur or Rokugan? That way you could mix up aspects to whatever's needed and have things like yakuza before they'd historically appear.
horus
member, 154 posts
Wayfarer of the
Western Wastes
Sat 3 Jun 2017
at 08:26
  • msg #15

Re: Freeform Fantasy in feudal Japan?

Ramidel:
In a later post, she said "the beginning of the feudal structure," which implies the late Heian/Genpei War era.


I suppose that's true.  Moshiage-gozaimasen. ("I have no excuse").
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