•HAGAKURE•
Both the victor
and the vanquished are
but drops of dew,
but bolts of lightning,
thus should we view the world.
- The death poem of Ôuchi Yoshitaka
The Plot
The Grand Empire has ruled Tsukishima for thousands of years, maintaining the Bakuhatsu dynasty for generations. Their current ruler, Emperor Kaoru Bakuhatsu, has recently brought the empire to new heights by accepting the trade agreements of a foreign baron, focusing newfound imperial funds on developing technology such as the steam drill, gatling gun, and zeppelin. This is believed to have extended man's domain and power further than it had been intended to be by the gods, which has caused a recent uprising of demons taking corporeal forms and killing villagers in scores.
Though this supernatural insurrection has been all but denied by shoguns and other government officials, the Grand Imperial Military has been stationed in many villages for seemingly no reason, though many suspect Emperor Kaoru has begun to take notice. Although areas occupied by the Grand Imperial Military are kept safe from demons and spirits, the soldiers and samurai employed by the government are essentially immune to most laws, and are known for their wanton cruelty, stealing goods and women alike from villages with impunity. This lack of transparency on the empire's part and anger towards the occupying army has caused a rift in Tsukishima's society, with more and more citizens fed up with the empire and turning to bandit groups to protect them. However, as the bandit groups usually require extortion payments and are oftentimes as bad as the occupying soldiers, the lives of peasants are currently much harder than they ever have been.
Our characters have all recently been imprisoned, and have nothing in common but being in the same place at the same time -- A wagon currently on its way to Okinakabe prison. They are Marasaru Hisao, a homeless vagrant arrested for attempting to rob a nobleman, Bokkon Ibiki, a swordsman mistaken for his political insurgent twin, and your character(s).
The World
Our story takes place in Tsukishima, a crescent-shaped continent about the size of Europe, ruled by The Grand Empire, which is as faceless and evil as it sounds. As is the case with many anime settings, the country is ambiguously Japanese without actually being set in Japan -- Characters and locations have Japanese names, spirituality is divided by nameless Buddhist and Shinto religions, and concepts like honor and filial piety have a place in everyday life. The setting will be split between rural and urban villages, with smaller villages having hand-pumped water and traditional architecture (Rice paper walls, tatami mats, squat toilets) while more urban villages have electricity, plumbing, and western-style beds.
Though one of the themes of the RP is the world's rapid industrialization, keep in mind that there aren't any crazy cyberpunk neon cities. At most, the level of the tech in our world is the same as that of the Naruto universe; In the most urban areas, Electricity, pre-packaged food, plastic, gunpowder, and steam-powered machinery are commonplace. Gatling guns and cannons exist, though only the highest order of the Grand Imperial Army, the Royal Guard, have access to them. Aside from the setting's vaguely steampunk technology, Tsukishima has a few other anachronisms -- Borrowing from inspirations like Samurai Champloo and Afro Samurai, hip hop exists in our world, although it is rudimentary and played with the setting's available instruments. Graffiti is common in urban districts, though it is done with calligraphy brushes and paint brushes alike, and big cities usually have a few warrior-poets reciting lyrics into the butt of their katana at sake houses and brothels, if you know where to find them. Otherwise, culture in Tsukishima is a more or less that of Edo era Japan.
In terms of realism, try to consider our world low-fantasy -- Onis, Kappas, Yokai, and all other mythical creatures are still mythical, and dragons are only ever seen in papery forms at parades. Only recently have supernatural occurrences started happening, and that's limited to demons and other vengeful spirits like that. Magic is performed by the highest-ranking priests and monks, and is usually limited to healing wounds, ki strikes, and that cool levitating meditation trick. Otherwise, if you want to kill somebody, you're going to use a sword and not a magic missile.
Our RP will be about as dark as the average 90's anime, and will borrow from a few (Most notably, Ninja Scroll). Graphic, if unrealistic violence will be the norm, whereas other dark themes will mostly take the side stage, or be balanced out to make the world less of a complete crapsack. A member of the group is an alcoholic, but he's the goofy kind. Soldiers are said to rape peasants, but it is never shown in the RP. The group encounters a drug-addicted prostitute, but she turns out to be a man in drag with a deep voice, and so on.
Additionally, though the RP will have realistic occurrences and consequences, I'll admit that the main group will have a level of plot armor. Feel free to be a bit more brave or outspoken in your actions, as I guarantee you won't die. I won't guarantee nobody's getting maimed or psychologically damaged if they take unnecessary risks, but know from here on out that your character won't die, which seems a good segway to mention all the lighter elements of the RP -- As with the thematic sources, comedic relief will be fairly frequent, so don't worry about the world getting too depressing. Anime themes like the The Power of Friendship® and defiance against an evil authority will be invoked, and we may pick up a cute animal sidekick or two on the way.
The Rules
They're more like guidelines, really.
1. Aside from just being an RP, I want this to be a long term group of homies we can all get to know and talk to about character development, plot arcs, and just general shit-shooting. In other words, don't join this RP if you're not looking for some cool pals to talk to on the internet, or if you're gonna be rude.
2. Try to not use a well-known anime character as your character's image. In the same vein, try not to go with tropes other characters hit, or having a similar backstory to the other characters. I guess rule two is just "Be original".
3. Be cool like the Fonz. There's only three of us, so it's unlikely there'll be any in-fighting, but in the event that there is, try to be mature and respectful to one another. I created this RP with having a tight-knit group of friends, so always assume the best of one another, try to give criticism in a polite fashion, etc. Don't be a dick.
4. This RP is about character development first and foremost, while the other half is plot advancement. Your character should slowly change over time, for better or worse. This can include cool new abilities, but should also be psychological in nature. Delve deep into personalities and experiences.
5. Last but not least, have fun!
The Setting
Most countries date their founding on the arrival of foreign invaders -- Not Tsukishima. For thousands upon thousands of years, the Tsukihito have met every invading force with the same swords that they pass down through generations. The island nation has had their ruling family, the Bakuhatsu family, for as long as they have recorded their history through paintings and the written word -- which they had developed sooner than other cultures -- and most likely longer than even that. In the same vein, Tsukishima has only ever had two religions, which have both simply been called The Sacred Path and The Holy Path for as long as anyone remembers.
Although the Bakuhatsu family rules by way of divine right, daimyō and shoguns are technically elected positions, though it is common knowledge that they are systematically kept in place through filial ties, bribery, and self-serving laws. Before every election, the victor is already common knowledge. There are many shoguns, with the title being about equivalent to a lord, though there are only four daimyō and obviously, one emperor. Each shogun has control of a few thousand, sometimes up to ten thousand, citizens. Each daimyō controls a few hundred thousand citizens, whereas the emperor controls the country, which has approximately one million citizens.
Tsukishima has two neighboring countries -- Goristan and Seung Yua. Goristan is the larger of the two, spanning further than Tsukishima's fleet has sailed. Goristan has a generally cold relationship with Tsukishima -- they have no trade or immigration with Tsukishima, having a mountainous coast, though there are very rare immigrants who are mostly fleeing persecution for various crimes. They are called Goristi, and have appearances ranging from European to Eurasian. Aside from this, little is known about their country other than that they are seen as inferior to Tsukihito, having tried to invade unsuccessfully three times. They are thought to be loud, rude, and greedy. It is the setting's equivalent to China and Russia.
Seung Yua is a small island nation near Tsukishima's southeastern coast. It is largely comprised of its own ethnic group, the Seungyo, though its eastern coast has a thriving population of immigrants from Tsukishima. It is a relatively poor country, and its people are generally seen as dirty, unintelligent, and clearly inferior to Tsukishima. It is believed that the founder of The Sacred Path was born in Seung Yua and came by way of raft. It is the setting's equivalent to India, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
The Rest
Are you still accepting?
Yes! Currently two positions are filled, I'd like either three or four, so there are 1-2 slots available.
What are the thematic inspirations?
Thank you for asking, italicized text! Samurai Champloo is the biggest inspiration, as most of the RP planning revolved around the episodic adventures of a small group of outlaws. Afro Samurai's unrealistically skilled eccentric swordsmen also play a big part in Hagakure, and so does Naruto's identity-based-on-fighting-style aspect. Hagakure will hopefully evolve past its inspirations and into its own thing depending on which way everybody wants to take it.
Where's the character sheet?
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