A Xianxia (and specifically Forge of Destiny) inspired Quest, with the twist that its setting is derived from Heian-era Japan and Shinto rather than Chinese Taoism.
Tale of Shirakawa and Urabe (Shinto Xianxia)
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Chapter 0
End and Beginning
Shinichi took a moment to catch his breath and wipe the sweat off his forehead, thankful for the shade provided by the tree standing at the roadside. There was a small shrine built into the trunk, with a mostly empty bowl standing in front of it. Shinichi gave a small sigh as he drew out a small wineskin from his backpack, pouring a libation into the cup. It wouldn't do to offend one of the small gods so shortly before the end of his journey.
As the wine pooled at the bottom of the cup, there was a soft chime and the rustling of leaves above him, before a squirrel popped out the foliage covering the shrine. Its clear blue eyes regarded him placidly before it blinked once and, with a chitter, disappeared back into the leaves. The god approved it seemed.
Enjoying the brief respite, Shinichi took the time to look around for the first time since getting close to the capital. Before he had been concerned mostly with the road, putting one foot in front of the other without much thought, one field by the roadside looking much like the other. But now that he paid a bit more attention, he found the landscape had changed to something more developed. Back home, two days' march from the capital, fields were interspersed with fallow land, unsuited for growing rice and only used by those that could not afford to do better. Here it seemed, there were no such concerns, as the amber and verdant fields stretched far and wide broken only by hills and treelines, the domains of spirits.
Some part of Shinichi had expected the land around the capital to be barren, deadened by the searing heat that made the road shift and grow hazy in front of his eyes. But no such thing happened. Instead the grain grown here seemed to be healthier than any he had ever seen. He could swear that he even saw it glow softly when it rippled in a small breeze.
Truly, the capital was an amazing place, Shinichi thought to himself, shaking his head and taking his backpack up again. He bowed once more to the small shrine and was on his way down the road.
It took only another hour's march before the tall gates of the capital's outer wall came into sight. This was one of the smaller gates and roads, leading to no other great city of the empire, and so the outer districts did not extend far into the fields here. Most of them were oriented to the outlying farmsteads, craftsmen and labourers with too low a rank to ply their trade inside the confines of the city, but some of the usual buildings serving travellers like himself, a tea-house, an inn and a smattering of lodging houses, were also present. Shinichi would have to find a place to rest for the night later. The sky above him was still the amber-tinged blue of early morning however, so that time was far off. Perhaps he had not been walking so long after all. Close to the gate, high above the roofline was a white and red and gold pennant flying in the wind, marking the office of the gate-guard and it was there Shinichi went next.
With the formalities of his entry taken care of and directions to a reputable store selling the kind of ritual implements he had been sent to acquire, Shinichi found himself at a loss, standing in front of the closed store. He had thought the city was quieter than he expected, but in all honesty it had still been an overwhelming riot of smell and noise and movement to him. With a little bit of acclimation however, he had begun to notice a subtle current to the flow of people, and with nothing better to do, he let himself be dragged along. He was in the capital after all, why not see the sights? Drifting along the flow of people seemed to bring him deeper into the city, towards the rising sun in the east. Was it truly rising still? Had it not begun to do so hours ago? Perhaps the worsening heat was getting to his head. Twice now he had to sit down in the shade between two buildings to escape the oppressive radiance shining down onto the city. The people who lived here did not seem to care, walking with a spring in their step and a light in their eyes, but once or twice Shinichi had seen a fellow traveller, recognisable by their clothes and harried expression, who had also sought shelter from the sunlight.
Eventually the flow of people began to thicken, slowed down into a thronging crowd that was slowly making its way through a formidable gate into what Shinichi assumed must be the inner ring of the city. Where the outer wall had been tall and thick but mostly ordinary, this wall was much shorter and made of bleached white stone and clay. It cast no shadow that Shinichi could see, and after a time he realised that the wall itself glowed with soft sunlight, slowly fogging the eyes if one kept looking at it.
As he approached the gate he could feel its power too, the same oppressive force that lay over the city but intensified a thousand fold. A crushing regard making him instinctively hunch his shoulders, suppressing the urge to bow down. For the first time now, as he passed beyond the wall, he felt a direction to it, a source. He raised his eyes, looking towards the origin of the regard, and realised that he had not passed into the inner district at all, but rather into the palace itself. In front of him the crowd was milling about on a vast, open, white-pebbled courtyard. The open space was ringed by several raised buildings, constructed out of red lacquered wood and tightly cordoned off by a braided rope. At regular intervals, paper lightning bolts hung from the rope and above it in the air, he could feel more than see a separation. The place he was in was really nothing more than an antechamber or perhaps a viewing hall compared to the sacred space beyond.
At the far end of the courtyard beyond what Shinichi could see stood a small wooden dais. It was built right out of the wall to the palace beyond, and ringed by 8 concentric squares of fencing. Each fence was carved out of dark, lacquer-stained wood, intricate repeating yet shifting latticework running between the fence posts. At regular intervals stood thick fence posts with a hollow in their centre, holding a tall tree branch covered with streamers of white paper. The streamers themselves were inscribed with a pattern similar to that of the latticework between the fences. At each corner instead stood a small podium holding a polished mirror facing inward, sparkling dazzlingly in the sunlight. Around the outermost fence stood a row of guards, all in uniforms and armed with spears.
Shortly after Shinichi had passed beyond the gate and found a place in the growing crowd, the guards rapped their spears on the floor in unison, giving a sharp crack. The crowd quieted immediately, conversations trailing off into abortive whispers and at the far end of the dais a small side door opened.
The man that stepped out was small with short-cropped black hair and wearing a very traditionally cut robe of dark red with leaf-shaped tracery picked out in gold. The muted appearance was broken only by the bright vermillion chrysanthemum on each of his sleeves, marking him as a direct attendant of the Imperial family and a cultivator of the fifth rank. Behind him, he led a man bound tightly in ropes, winding around each of his limbs and binding them closely together and to his torso, giving him barely the room to walk. The man was tall and thin, every muscle in his body seemingly straining against the ropes, indeed every so often the ropes shivered as if he were slipping free in slow motion. However the most striking feature of the bound man was that he was drenched in filth. With every step he left behind black footprints which burned on the shining wood of the dais, leaving behind only a stench. With every shift of his torso, new substance seemed to squeeze from somewhere, trying to burn into the ropes holding him. Only his eyes seemed lucid, darkening every so often before he shook his head and cleared them again.
As they arrived in the centre of the dais, the smaller man cleared his throat with a soft but insistent noise that wiped all other sound from the courtyard.
"I speak in the name of her Imperial Majesty, The True Daughter of the Sun, Queen of the Sunrise, Jewel of the Empire, Blade of the Endless Heavens. Our protector who grants us light and life, the Banisher of shadows. Our Lady Kyougyou, blessed be her reign." The man turned to the prisoner now, looking sharply at him. "Koreharu Amazaro, son of Amahiro, I name you traitor. You have been found guilty of treason against the empire, breach of oath, wanton murder of loyal subjects and inviting of impurity. For such dereliction of your duties, not just as a subject of her Imperial Majesty, but as a cultivator, bound by honour and custom, the consequence can be only death." As the man quieted a ripple of horrified conversation went throughout the crowd. Treason and murder was one matter, but impurity another entirely. It was the poison of hubris, invited only by the most foolish of cultivators, a creeping rot existing chiefly in the realm of legend. Its consequences were terrible, slain gods, ruined countries, the fall of dynasties. Shinichi shuddered. He had always thought it a moral caution against lesser failings, but with the stuff so clearly dripping from the man. All went silent again as the short man on the dais began to speak again:
"Now citizens of the capital, rejoice. For her Majesty has chosen to grant the accused a great honour! A death of purity and flame! A chance to be cleansed so that he may join his ancestors beyond the grave in good standing. Now cast down your eyes and bow yourselves before the Empress." The last words were spoken with an added volume, ringing in Shinichi's head as he lowered his eyes to his feet. There was the sound of a door grinding open and then he was awash in heat. Like the gentle warmth of the sun shining down on skin but refined a thousand fold. An all-erasing pressure radiating off the dais.
Drawn by a force greater than his self-control, Shinichi raised his head, eyes drawn towards the stage. And there on the stage was the Empress herself. She was nothing like a mortal. Her clothes were barely even clothes. Instead they seemed to be fire and radiance itself, coruscating around her form as she stepped forth from the door, bound to her only by a deep purple ribbon floating on the light itself, each step a perfect measure. Her hair was done up elaborately, held up by a structure of gold thread, eight rays of the sun rising from behind her head shifting as her hair itself, though ink-black shone like the sun. Every part of her was light and flame, a thin shell covering over the radiance beneath.
The world itself seemed to still as she stepped towards the man, in awe of such beauty melded with such incandescent power. A single perfect hand slowly reached out to him, kneeling in front of her, motioning upwards. "Raise your head, Azamaro." Shinichi was not sure if she had spoken or if the words had simply been willed into his head. Distantly he was aware that his eyes had stopped streaming tears and instead began to itch dangerously. It mattered not at the sight before him.
The Empress cupped the man's chin, and there was a burst of black smoke as something burned away, for a moment showing a fierce and proud expression on the man's face. "You understand why this must happen, Azamaro?" She asked and he nodded in affirmation. "Then we wish you a peaceful rest."
There was a shifting in the world then, a sensation of freedom as some cage was torn open, for only a moment. A power more fundamental than all that Shinichi had ever, would ever, experience. There were no buildings, no people, no dais, only the Empress, the Sun itself, shining as the dawn. And then it ended and Shinichi sank down to the ground, no longer seeing anything at all.
Saionji Tsunehira was seated in the office granted to him on his arrival at the capital a week ago when he felt the release of the Empress power. He gave a small sigh and slumped imperceptibly. "At least that's over and done with…" he muttered, absently rubbing his lower arm. It still stung a little from where he had blocked that idiot Amazaro's sword when he had apprehended him. The whole affair had been a nasty business. Local rebellion wasn't exactly uncommon, but usually it was to extract some sort of concession from someone of equal rank or a usurpation of a higher posting. He couldn't remember the last time someone had been stupid enough to fly their banners against the throne itself. "Corpse taint… Really?!" The spike of anger was uncharacteristic for Tsunehira, but perhaps appropriate. The domain he had arrived at under imperial orders had been a disaster. All the towns burnt, spirits slain everywhere, forests chopped down. And in the middle this madman and his band, draining the life from the land itself. Thankfully he had arrived before they could reorder themselves and strike outwards, but the fight had been difficult and not left the land in better shape either. His enemy's giant sabre had cleaved the mountains himself. He wondered what divinity he had aspired to. Probably something petty like a peerless blade.
Well at least it was done now, he thought to himself. And he was glad that he didn't have to kill the man himself, as much as he had wanted to. Time to go back home and recenter himself. He resolved to finish his letter before packing his things when there was a knock at the door. "What is it now…" Tsunehira grumbled to himself before calling, "Enter."
"Lord Tsunehira!" The man that had entered wore the uniform of the guard, but the yellow chrysanthemum on his shoulder marked him as an officer. "Per order of the Empress, conveyed through her speaker.." Tsunehira waved the man into silence, another of the Nakatomi's games. Or perhaps a joke of the Empress. "Just tell me the order."
The officer motioned and another guard came in carrying an unconscious sack of a person over his shoulder, before unceremoniously dumping him on the floor. Tsunehira gave the man a look. Sack was perhaps more accurate a word than he thought. If nobody interfered he gave the man perhaps another thirty minutes before one of his souls came free and tore him to pieces. With a sigh, he poked the man with his foot, extending his divine soul ever so slightly to quieten the solar inferno ranging in the man's spiritual self. The smell of paper and ink briefly filled the air, washing away the slightly acrid smell of ash and burning tallow he had smelled before. "So what do you want me to do with him?"
The guard looked temporarily aghast at the display of power before him, "Her Majesty has said you should evaluate him and take him to the monastery if possible. It would not do to have someone be killed by her."
Tsunehira waved the guards away and gave the man before him a closer look. Indeed he might be suitable. Being in the empress' presence and enough of an idiot to look at her did not bode well for his future, but the flood of overwhelming power had boosted the man into the tenth rank. He would have to spend a lot of time mending before he could exert his spirit at all, but Tsunehira thought he might have a chance. And if nothing else the monastery could always use more clerks.
It was with those thoughts that Tsunehira began to prepare for his return to the monastery, now with one extra charge to transport home.
Shinichi took a moment to catch his breath and wipe the sweat off his forehead, thankful for the shade provided by the tree standing at the roadside. There was a small shrine built into the trunk, with a mostly empty bowl standing in front of it. Shinichi gave a small sigh as he drew out a small wineskin from his backpack, pouring a libation into the cup. It wouldn't do to offend one of the small gods so shortly before the end of his journey.
As the wine pooled at the bottom of the cup, there was a soft chime and the rustling of leaves above him, before a squirrel popped out the foliage covering the shrine. Its clear blue eyes regarded him placidly before it blinked once and, with a chitter, disappeared back into the leaves. The god approved it seemed.
Enjoying the brief respite, Shinichi took the time to look around for the first time since getting close to the capital. Before he had been concerned mostly with the road, putting one foot in front of the other without much thought, one field by the roadside looking much like the other. But now that he paid a bit more attention, he found the landscape had changed to something more developed. Back home, two days' march from the capital, fields were interspersed with fallow land, unsuited for growing rice and only used by those that could not afford to do better. Here it seemed, there were no such concerns, as the amber and verdant fields stretched far and wide broken only by hills and treelines, the domains of spirits.
Some part of Shinichi had expected the land around the capital to be barren, deadened by the searing heat that made the road shift and grow hazy in front of his eyes. But no such thing happened. Instead the grain grown here seemed to be healthier than any he had ever seen. He could swear that he even saw it glow softly when it rippled in a small breeze.
Truly, the capital was an amazing place, Shinichi thought to himself, shaking his head and taking his backpack up again. He bowed once more to the small shrine and was on his way down the road.
It took only another hour's march before the tall gates of the capital's outer wall came into sight. This was one of the smaller gates and roads, leading to no other great city of the empire, and so the outer districts did not extend far into the fields here. Most of them were oriented to the outlying farmsteads, craftsmen and labourers with too low a rank to ply their trade inside the confines of the city, but some of the usual buildings serving travellers like himself, a tea-house, an inn and a smattering of lodging houses, were also present. Shinichi would have to find a place to rest for the night later. The sky above him was still the amber-tinged blue of early morning however, so that time was far off. Perhaps he had not been walking so long after all. Close to the gate, high above the roofline was a white and red and gold pennant flying in the wind, marking the office of the gate-guard and it was there Shinichi went next.
With the formalities of his entry taken care of and directions to a reputable store selling the kind of ritual implements he had been sent to acquire, Shinichi found himself at a loss, standing in front of the closed store. He had thought the city was quieter than he expected, but in all honesty it had still been an overwhelming riot of smell and noise and movement to him. With a little bit of acclimation however, he had begun to notice a subtle current to the flow of people, and with nothing better to do, he let himself be dragged along. He was in the capital after all, why not see the sights? Drifting along the flow of people seemed to bring him deeper into the city, towards the rising sun in the east. Was it truly rising still? Had it not begun to do so hours ago? Perhaps the worsening heat was getting to his head. Twice now he had to sit down in the shade between two buildings to escape the oppressive radiance shining down onto the city. The people who lived here did not seem to care, walking with a spring in their step and a light in their eyes, but once or twice Shinichi had seen a fellow traveller, recognisable by their clothes and harried expression, who had also sought shelter from the sunlight.
Eventually the flow of people began to thicken, slowed down into a thronging crowd that was slowly making its way through a formidable gate into what Shinichi assumed must be the inner ring of the city. Where the outer wall had been tall and thick but mostly ordinary, this wall was much shorter and made of bleached white stone and clay. It cast no shadow that Shinichi could see, and after a time he realised that the wall itself glowed with soft sunlight, slowly fogging the eyes if one kept looking at it.
As he approached the gate he could feel its power too, the same oppressive force that lay over the city but intensified a thousand fold. A crushing regard making him instinctively hunch his shoulders, suppressing the urge to bow down. For the first time now, as he passed beyond the wall, he felt a direction to it, a source. He raised his eyes, looking towards the origin of the regard, and realised that he had not passed into the inner district at all, but rather into the palace itself. In front of him the crowd was milling about on a vast, open, white-pebbled courtyard. The open space was ringed by several raised buildings, constructed out of red lacquered wood and tightly cordoned off by a braided rope. At regular intervals, paper lightning bolts hung from the rope and above it in the air, he could feel more than see a separation. The place he was in was really nothing more than an antechamber or perhaps a viewing hall compared to the sacred space beyond.
At the far end of the courtyard beyond what Shinichi could see stood a small wooden dais. It was built right out of the wall to the palace beyond, and ringed by 8 concentric squares of fencing. Each fence was carved out of dark, lacquer-stained wood, intricate repeating yet shifting latticework running between the fence posts. At regular intervals stood thick fence posts with a hollow in their centre, holding a tall tree branch covered with streamers of white paper. The streamers themselves were inscribed with a pattern similar to that of the latticework between the fences. At each corner instead stood a small podium holding a polished mirror facing inward, sparkling dazzlingly in the sunlight. Around the outermost fence stood a row of guards, all in uniforms and armed with spears.
Shortly after Shinichi had passed beyond the gate and found a place in the growing crowd, the guards rapped their spears on the floor in unison, giving a sharp crack. The crowd quieted immediately, conversations trailing off into abortive whispers and at the far end of the dais a small side door opened.
The man that stepped out was small with short-cropped black hair and wearing a very traditionally cut robe of dark red with leaf-shaped tracery picked out in gold. The muted appearance was broken only by the bright vermillion chrysanthemum on each of his sleeves, marking him as a direct attendant of the Imperial family and a cultivator of the fifth rank. Behind him, he led a man bound tightly in ropes, winding around each of his limbs and binding them closely together and to his torso, giving him barely the room to walk. The man was tall and thin, every muscle in his body seemingly straining against the ropes, indeed every so often the ropes shivered as if he were slipping free in slow motion. However the most striking feature of the bound man was that he was drenched in filth. With every step he left behind black footprints which burned on the shining wood of the dais, leaving behind only a stench. With every shift of his torso, new substance seemed to squeeze from somewhere, trying to burn into the ropes holding him. Only his eyes seemed lucid, darkening every so often before he shook his head and cleared them again.
As they arrived in the centre of the dais, the smaller man cleared his throat with a soft but insistent noise that wiped all other sound from the courtyard.
"I speak in the name of her Imperial Majesty, The True Daughter of the Sun, Queen of the Sunrise, Jewel of the Empire, Blade of the Endless Heavens. Our protector who grants us light and life, the Banisher of shadows. Our Lady Kyougyou, blessed be her reign." The man turned to the prisoner now, looking sharply at him. "Koreharu Amazaro, son of Amahiro, I name you traitor. You have been found guilty of treason against the empire, breach of oath, wanton murder of loyal subjects and inviting of impurity. For such dereliction of your duties, not just as a subject of her Imperial Majesty, but as a cultivator, bound by honour and custom, the consequence can be only death." As the man quieted a ripple of horrified conversation went throughout the crowd. Treason and murder was one matter, but impurity another entirely. It was the poison of hubris, invited only by the most foolish of cultivators, a creeping rot existing chiefly in the realm of legend. Its consequences were terrible, slain gods, ruined countries, the fall of dynasties. Shinichi shuddered. He had always thought it a moral caution against lesser failings, but with the stuff so clearly dripping from the man. All went silent again as the short man on the dais began to speak again:
"Now citizens of the capital, rejoice. For her Majesty has chosen to grant the accused a great honour! A death of purity and flame! A chance to be cleansed so that he may join his ancestors beyond the grave in good standing. Now cast down your eyes and bow yourselves before the Empress." The last words were spoken with an added volume, ringing in Shinichi's head as he lowered his eyes to his feet. There was the sound of a door grinding open and then he was awash in heat. Like the gentle warmth of the sun shining down on skin but refined a thousand fold. An all-erasing pressure radiating off the dais.
Drawn by a force greater than his self-control, Shinichi raised his head, eyes drawn towards the stage. And there on the stage was the Empress herself. She was nothing like a mortal. Her clothes were barely even clothes. Instead they seemed to be fire and radiance itself, coruscating around her form as she stepped forth from the door, bound to her only by a deep purple ribbon floating on the light itself, each step a perfect measure. Her hair was done up elaborately, held up by a structure of gold thread, eight rays of the sun rising from behind her head shifting as her hair itself, though ink-black shone like the sun. Every part of her was light and flame, a thin shell covering over the radiance beneath.
The world itself seemed to still as she stepped towards the man, in awe of such beauty melded with such incandescent power. A single perfect hand slowly reached out to him, kneeling in front of her, motioning upwards. "Raise your head, Azamaro." Shinichi was not sure if she had spoken or if the words had simply been willed into his head. Distantly he was aware that his eyes had stopped streaming tears and instead began to itch dangerously. It mattered not at the sight before him.
The Empress cupped the man's chin, and there was a burst of black smoke as something burned away, for a moment showing a fierce and proud expression on the man's face. "You understand why this must happen, Azamaro?" She asked and he nodded in affirmation. "Then we wish you a peaceful rest."
There was a shifting in the world then, a sensation of freedom as some cage was torn open, for only a moment. A power more fundamental than all that Shinichi had ever, would ever, experience. There were no buildings, no people, no dais, only the Empress, the Sun itself, shining as the dawn. And then it ended and Shinichi sank down to the ground, no longer seeing anything at all.
Saionji Tsunehira was seated in the office granted to him on his arrival at the capital a week ago when he felt the release of the Empress power. He gave a small sigh and slumped imperceptibly. "At least that's over and done with…" he muttered, absently rubbing his lower arm. It still stung a little from where he had blocked that idiot Amazaro's sword when he had apprehended him. The whole affair had been a nasty business. Local rebellion wasn't exactly uncommon, but usually it was to extract some sort of concession from someone of equal rank or a usurpation of a higher posting. He couldn't remember the last time someone had been stupid enough to fly their banners against the throne itself. "Corpse taint… Really?!" The spike of anger was uncharacteristic for Tsunehira, but perhaps appropriate. The domain he had arrived at under imperial orders had been a disaster. All the towns burnt, spirits slain everywhere, forests chopped down. And in the middle this madman and his band, draining the life from the land itself. Thankfully he had arrived before they could reorder themselves and strike outwards, but the fight had been difficult and not left the land in better shape either. His enemy's giant sabre had cleaved the mountains himself. He wondered what divinity he had aspired to. Probably something petty like a peerless blade.
Well at least it was done now, he thought to himself. And he was glad that he didn't have to kill the man himself, as much as he had wanted to. Time to go back home and recenter himself. He resolved to finish his letter before packing his things when there was a knock at the door. "What is it now…" Tsunehira grumbled to himself before calling, "Enter."
"Lord Tsunehira!" The man that had entered wore the uniform of the guard, but the yellow chrysanthemum on his shoulder marked him as an officer. "Per order of the Empress, conveyed through her speaker.." Tsunehira waved the man into silence, another of the Nakatomi's games. Or perhaps a joke of the Empress. "Just tell me the order."
The officer motioned and another guard came in carrying an unconscious sack of a person over his shoulder, before unceremoniously dumping him on the floor. Tsunehira gave the man a look. Sack was perhaps more accurate a word than he thought. If nobody interfered he gave the man perhaps another thirty minutes before one of his souls came free and tore him to pieces. With a sigh, he poked the man with his foot, extending his divine soul ever so slightly to quieten the solar inferno ranging in the man's spiritual self. The smell of paper and ink briefly filled the air, washing away the slightly acrid smell of ash and burning tallow he had smelled before. "So what do you want me to do with him?"
The guard looked temporarily aghast at the display of power before him, "Her Majesty has said you should evaluate him and take him to the monastery if possible. It would not do to have someone be killed by her."
Tsunehira waved the guards away and gave the man before him a closer look. Indeed he might be suitable. Being in the empress' presence and enough of an idiot to look at her did not bode well for his future, but the flood of overwhelming power had boosted the man into the tenth rank. He would have to spend a lot of time mending before he could exert his spirit at all, but Tsunehira thought he might have a chance. And if nothing else the monastery could always use more clerks.
It was with those thoughts that Tsunehira began to prepare for his return to the monastery, now with one extra charge to transport home.
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Administrative
Tale of Shirakawa and Urabe
Introduction
The year is 1157 and tensions in the empire run high. For the first time in centuries the Nakatomi's grip on the imperial person is slipping and Shirakawa no Nobuzane has managed to entrench himself in the Ministry of State. But, as beaten as they are for the moment, the House of Urabe will not remain powerless for long and readies itself to assert its influence at court once more. Even as the various clans embroil the court in intrigue and political bickering, other troubles arise in the country. Tensions mount in the increasingly fierce debate over matters of religion, as the increasingly independent temples, sites of meditation and refinement of the self, clash with the Ministry of Divinities that seeks to restore its preeminence in dealing with the spirits of the land. And beyond the borders, old threats may take note of the chaos.
For now the empress, living deity and heir to the glorious sun, remains secure in her seat, but who knows what the future may bring.
It is into this time that you are born, and now, as a teenager, just recognized to have left childhood, have been sent to attend the venerable Sanctum of the Bountiful Fields, to further your development. Many choices lie open to you: will you seek political power, martial supremacy or delve into the strange ways of the Kami? Whichever you choose, you are sure to leave your mark on the future of this country.
Hello everyone,
The Tale of Shirakawa and Urabe will be a xianxia (and specifically Forge of Destiny) inspired forum quest, with the added twist that the setting has been changed to be one inspired by late medieval Japan. It is a contentious era of change and opportunity and you will be one young woman born into this world, to make your way and perhaps attain greater power than you ever could have expected. But along the way, many challenges and troubles will await you.
A note on the mechanics:
A note on the Cultivation System
Before our newly risen cultivator can embark on her path, she requires a name and backstory.
You will be able to choose on the following categories (vote by block, not by line), simply write down the tag in the brackets. Write-ins are welcome, but ignored at my discretion:
Template (delete as needed):
Backstory:
Additional Choices:
Introduction
The year is 1157 and tensions in the empire run high. For the first time in centuries the Nakatomi's grip on the imperial person is slipping and Shirakawa no Nobuzane has managed to entrench himself in the Ministry of State. But, as beaten as they are for the moment, the House of Urabe will not remain powerless for long and readies itself to assert its influence at court once more. Even as the various clans embroil the court in intrigue and political bickering, other troubles arise in the country. Tensions mount in the increasingly fierce debate over matters of religion, as the increasingly independent temples, sites of meditation and refinement of the self, clash with the Ministry of Divinities that seeks to restore its preeminence in dealing with the spirits of the land. And beyond the borders, old threats may take note of the chaos.
For now the empress, living deity and heir to the glorious sun, remains secure in her seat, but who knows what the future may bring.
It is into this time that you are born, and now, as a teenager, just recognized to have left childhood, have been sent to attend the venerable Sanctum of the Bountiful Fields, to further your development. Many choices lie open to you: will you seek political power, martial supremacy or delve into the strange ways of the Kami? Whichever you choose, you are sure to leave your mark on the future of this country.
Hello everyone,
The Tale of Shirakawa and Urabe will be a xianxia (and specifically Forge of Destiny) inspired forum quest, with the added twist that the setting has been changed to be one inspired by late medieval Japan. It is a contentious era of change and opportunity and you will be one young woman born into this world, to make your way and perhaps attain greater power than you ever could have expected. But along the way, many challenges and troubles will await you.
A note on the mechanics:
The mechanics of this quest will be narrative oriented. You may collect useful items, skills and connections, or accumulate injuries and hatred, but these will be tracked as factoids rather than elaborate systems. There will be no dice rolls, barring special circumstances. Instead choices will present you with a summary of results. This summary may be rather vague, if you would not be aware of what they entail. The possibility of negative consequences will be marked clearly however.
A note on the Cultivation System
Rather than based on Daoist principles, I have attempted to draw inspiration from the Ichirei Shikon system and the more general idea of apotheosis. Rather than attempt to become an immortal, you strive instead to become a Kami by refining your soul and spirit while alive. There are a total of 10 Cultivator Ranks (and 2 Mortal ones) and beyond those lies true divinity.
Before our newly risen cultivator can embark on her path, she requires a name and backstory.
You will be able to choose on the following categories (vote by block, not by line), simply write down the tag in the brackets. Write-ins are welcome, but ignored at my discretion:
Template (delete as needed):
Name:
[] Name
Backstory
Status of Parents:
[] Alive
[] Dead
[] Exiled
Ancestry:
[] Kanjin
[] Koumin
[] Shinabe
[] Zakko
Career:
[] Ministry of State
[] Ministry of Divinities
[] Military Officer
[] Merchant
[] Priest
Additional
Protag Trait:
[] Mind
[] Body
[] Kami
[] Charisma
[] Trust
[] Absence
Character:
[] Arrogant
[] Condescending
[] Prankster
[] Uncompromising
[] Esoteric
[] Name
Backstory
Status of Parents:
[] Alive
[] Dead
[] Exiled
Ancestry:
[] Kanjin
[] Koumin
[] Shinabe
[] Zakko
Career:
[] Ministry of State
[] Ministry of Divinities
[] Military Officer
[] Merchant
[] Priest
Additional
Protag Trait:
[] Mind
[] Body
[] Kami
[] Charisma
[] Trust
[] Absence
Character:
[] Arrogant
[] Condescending
[] Prankster
[] Uncompromising
[] Esoteric
Backstory:
- Status of Parents - Self explanatory. What happened to your parents.
- [Alive]
- [Dead]
- [Exiled]
- Ancestry - The caste system is defunct by this point in history, but your ancestry and familial connections still shape your perspectives. Has your family always held the position they hold now, or did they only recently rise to their post? Choose either an option aligning with the Career of your Parents or a diverging one, indicating a more recent rise to or fall from power.
- [Kanjin] (官人), government officials
- [Koumin] (公民), citizens (Farmers and Landowners)
- [Shinabe] (品部), professionals and tradesmen relevant to court functions
- [Zakko] (雑戸), tradesmen, especially those relevant to the military, considered of a lower class than the previous three
- Career of Parents - Similarly self explanatory. Your parents' career will determine your starting connections and fields of knowledge.
- [Ministry of State] Court Official under the Ministry of State
Well versed in courtly politics and social courtesies. Well connected to others of your rank. - [Ministry of Divinities] Court Official under the Ministry of Divinities
Well versed in the theory of the spiritual and the correct rites of court and nobility. Likely to be endowed with some authority among spirits, if only by matter of correct action. - [Military Officer]
Trained in martial virtue. Not as well connected perhaps, but more in tune with the up and coming powers. - [Merchant] Rich and well-connected merchant
A jack of all trades. Connections among the lower classes may sound less important than the favour of the court, but may prove more useful. A worldly upbringing also allows for competence in a great many situations. - [Priest] Priest of an established shrine (overrides family connections to be a sacerdotal lineage)
A bit of a wild card. Well versed in the matters of the practicalities of dealing with spirits, rather than the elaborate ritual of court practice. If you choose this option, consider writing in another strength you envision for this character.
- [Ministry of State] Court Official under the Ministry of State
Additional Choices:
- Protagonist Trait
There is, after all, a reason that you are the protagonist of our tale and no mere side-act. Something about you is greater than your peers. Choose what it is:- [Mind] Great Mind
A mind like a great prism, shining a rainbow of knowledge and information out into the world. Yours is the domain of scholars and planners. And do they not say that knowledge is power? - [Body] Great Body
A tall, stout body, blessed by the spirits, granting you ease in martial endeavours and allowing you to reach peaks your contemporaries can only dream of. - [Kami] Favour of the Kami
None know what it is about you, but the Kami have taken notice. Luck and attention of the great shapers of the immaterial are upon you. And for good or ill, your destiny will be worthy of a story. - [Charisma] Natural Charisma
A born leader. Your words strengthen hearts, focus minds and draw in focus and loyalty. See that you do not disappoint them and you may soon shape discussion in your faction openly, charting the course for the future. - [Trust] An aura of trustworthiness
While you are no natural leader, those in power and those not find it easy to trust you. You are quick with a smile and a bow and find it easy to make friends. Even disposable ones. - [Absence] An absence of aura
An inverse of the above, you have little presence at all. Even those that ought to know better may consider you beneath notice. A disadvantage to be overcome in trying to attain power, but making you all the more deadly once you have it.
- [Mind] Great Mind
- Personality
All these choices are somewhat less than pleasant. This is a deliberate meta choice, as I wanted to use this opportunity of writing a character controlled not only by me to try something new and have them be a bit of a dick. Final control however lies with your choices. And no matter how they start out, a person can always grow.- [Arrogant] Filled with the confidence of nobility
Yours is a position of power and respect, granted by the Kami, inviolate in its status. Those that are lesser than you concern you only as the pawn concerns the Shogi player. - [Condescending] Enthusiastic about their duty of shepherding their lessers
Your is a position of power and respect, granted by the Kami. But you can hardly blame those beneath you for their unfitness. It falls to you to guide them in their lot, so that they may better serve the divine order. And your designs. - [Prankster] Gleeful prankster, delighting in the chaos they caused
The world around you exists to delight you, plain and simple. Others dance in the palm of your hands as you fan the flames of discord around you. Then sit back and enjoy the result. - [Uncompromising] Upstanding and law-abiding citizen. And you better be too.
Law and morality are the things that order this world. And that is the only thing that matters. You endeavour to be never less than what they expect you to. And others should too, lest they earn your disdain. - [Esoteric] More concerned with the kami than with other people
People are simply lesser beings, scrabbling on this earth. It is the great spiritual matters that are important. Piety, awe and exaltation are the appropriate reaction to living in a world where gods are the land.
- [Arrogant] Filled with the confidence of nobility
Name:
[x] Akira (Last name pending)
Backstory
Status of Parents:
[x] Unknown (If I can vote for this, if not, then Dead)
Ancestry:
[x] Zakko
Career:
[x] Military Officer
Additional
Protag Trait:
[x] Trust
Character:
[x] Uncompromising
Edit: From a novice QM to a significantly more articulate QM, good luck on your Quest! Excited to see where this goes!
[x] Akira (Last name pending)
Backstory
Status of Parents:
[x] Unknown (If I can vote for this, if not, then Dead)
Ancestry:
[x] Zakko
Career:
[x] Military Officer
Additional
Protag Trait:
[x] Trust
Character:
[x] Uncompromising
Edit: From a novice QM to a significantly more articulate QM, good luck on your Quest! Excited to see where this goes!
Last edited:
- Location
- England
Name:
[x] Ken
Backstory
Status of Parents:
[x] Alive
Ancestry:
[x] Koumin
Career:
[x] Military Officer
Additional
Protag Trait:
[x] Body
Character:
[x] Esoteric
Hoping for a pc that explores most of the world and has the strength to wether the kamis attention
[x] Ken
Backstory
Status of Parents:
[x] Alive
Ancestry:
[x] Koumin
Career:
[x] Military Officer
Additional
Protag Trait:
[x] Body
Character:
[x] Esoteric
Hoping for a pc that explores most of the world and has the strength to wether the kamis attention
Thank you to everyone who replied!
I'll keep the vote open until Friday and then get on it.
I'll keep the vote open until Friday and then get on it.
WanderingTwix
Posting something good once in a full moon
- Location
- United Kingdom
I recommend adding more paragraphs/breakpoints/whatever they're called to break up the text. I don't know about others, but it's a bit too blocky for my comfort right now. Maybe add an extra line where you're doing just one enter to separate them. So something like this:
It would still be on the thicker side, but a lot more tolerable and within boundaries.
Last edited:
- Location
- Leeds
+ this.
I've very interested in what this setting turns out like but the wall of textyness is making this difficult to parse.
Thank you both for the feedback! I'll do my best to adjust future posts.
For Reference: Are you reading this on mobile or on a computer?
- Location
- Leeds
PC
WanderingTwix
Posting something good once in a full moon
- Location
- United Kingdom
Umm, you know you can edit posts that you've made, right? Just at the bottom left of the post. Trust me, it's worth putting in the very small amount of time to break up the text. It'll do wonders for readability, and first impression are very important.
Alright, I split it up a bit more. I hope this makes it more legible.
WanderingTwix
Posting something good once in a full moon
- Location
- United Kingdom
Hmm... I'd say it's still on the fatter side, but it's within tolerable levels now. I would still recommend making the bigger paragraphs a bit shorter or breaking them up, but it's not necessary.
sidenote, you can quote posts by either pressing on +quote at the bottom right of a post to quote the whole thing, or highlight a portion of text with the mouse and then click the +quote in the small box that pops up to quote that specific portion. It's what I've been doing to your posts and it alerts the user so they are made aware that you're replying to them. It doesn't alert on edits, though.
- Location
- United States
[X] Tenchi Asakura
Backstory
Status of Parents:
[X] Exiled
Ancestry:
[X] Koumin
Career:
[X] Priest
Protag Trait:
[X] Absence
Character:
[X] Esoteric
Backstory
Status of Parents:
[X] Exiled
Ancestry:
[X] Koumin
Career:
[X] Priest
Protag Trait:
[X] Absence
Character:
[X] Esoteric
Name: Tenchi Asakura
Status of Parents: Dead
Ancestry: Priestly Lineage (overrides Koumin)
Career: Priest
Protag Trait: Trust
Character: Esoteric
Status of Parents: Dead
Ancestry: Priestly Lineage (overrides Koumin)
Career: Priest
Protag Trait: Trust
Character: Esoteric
Courtesy of me not having quite figured out how to pre-format a vote, the results are a bit messy. Luckily there's no difference between "No division", "by line" and "by block" in this case anyway.
For the future I think "Plan" voting might be best? If you have feedback on a preferred voting system, let me know!
I'll have the next post out as soon as I can. Deadline is Sunday next week (22.5.22).
Last edited:
- Location
- Leeds
Plan probably would have been most coherent for this vote, however it might be overkill for future votes.