Ideas for an astral quest in medieval japan? Options

[Raén]

I'm mastering in a few days, and the players will be going on an astral quest to see a spell link that was hidden in there by their ennemy.

The quest is in the metaplane of Spirits of Man, rating 7, and i thought about making it look like medieval japan. But beside that, i don't have much ideas to make a good plot.

Anyone has a good idea i could use?
Thx :)

[Kagetenshi]

"Medieval" is a pretty vague term, that can apply pretty much anywhere from 500 AD to 1500 AD. Depending on how much of the real-world political movements you're going to include you might want to focus on the time around the Gempei War, since most of the Heian period was almost boringly peaceful (though there's some milage to be gained by the advancing economic collapse later during the period, including a marked rise in banditry).

~J

[Ancient History]

Heads.

Unfortunately, it's not one of the online Hellboy comics, but the adaptation for Hellboy: Sword of Storms.

[Snow_Fox]

DLN knows this stuff better than I do but yeah, what time period? Prior to 1600 you had warning lords lots of classic stuff we thin of. 1600-1850's it was under the Shogun and pretty stable-lots of political maneuvering AND interestingly no fire arms after 1620.

You could go for honor and combat (earlier stuff) or honor and diplomacy- later stuff. What are you looking for? It really depends on how the players see the world there. A corporate magical item might be more diplomatic with short bursts of violence. more general magical might be more combat oriented. or you could do mid 20th century- the ultra nationalist wack jobs that took their nation into WW2.

[Raén]

Don't the metaplane depends on how the caster who first hid the link there see the world, more than the way of the PCs?
The PC are more like fighters, killing what's in their way, whereas the caster who hid the link is much more subtle. So i guess it should be more diplomacy (they will love that! :vegm: ). So from what you say, i guess the Shogun period would be best.

But as it is a metaplane, it's not necessary to strictly follow japan's history (but if there's a real event i can use, why not)

BTW, the players know nothing of japan's history too, so i don't have to worry they may know the plot :)

[Wounded Ronin]

If you want elegant court refinery go for the Tokugawa period. This is also probably the backdrop you'd want for masturbatory Eric Van Lustbaeder ninja stuff.

If you want gore and death just go with Sengoku Jidai.

Use the following line for great effect: "Sonny Chiba grimaces and chamber punches you in the nuts."

It could be an astral test of fortitude or something.

[Daddy's Litt...]

For the history impaired, the Tokugawa period is what Snow Fox refered to as the "shogun" period after 1600. Named for its first Shogun. As she pointed out, no fire arms allowed then. At the battle where he became Shogun some lords were made very unhappy by the ease with which musket armed peasants could kill Samurai. Rather than do what the europeans did and adjust tactics, the Lords declared "no fire arms" and the weapons skill regressed.

There is also a very courtly period, the Heian Period, from around 794- 1185 Where there was very little violence and it is seen as indulgent and self absorbed and full of poetry and sex. It saw a big influx of Chinese philosophies. Like a whole nation doing an Oscar Wilde play.

It was followed by the Kamakura period 1192-1333 where a Shogun did rule but he was eventually overthrown.

An interesting idea might be the Meiji period 1864-1912 This is when the Emperor regained domiance of his government and the nation was opened up to western ideas and industrialism. The Last Samurai with Ken Watanabe and Tom Cruise was set in this period.

I really like this for a quest. See the modern world start to push into traditional Japan. See the man in the western suit as the opposition etc.

(I've got to find some outlet for the classes my parents forced on me and my daughter is too young!)

[Daddy's Litt...]

I keep thinking of Meiji japna as a good time. That could be the real moral question. who are the good guys? Romance like The Last Samurai has the honorable lords against the evil money grubbers, but it could also be the Lords holding back modern, democratic reform. Until the Meiji restoration, Samurai had the power of life and death over peasant and there was no way for a peasant to move out of their class. so which way the quest goes, could depend on how the person who shaped the quest see's that period in japanese history.

[Raén]

From reading all you said, i think i got an idea:

The PC arrive in the plane as samourai not affiliated to any faction, but they will have to choose either defending the actual lord, who promotes tradition (no firearm, etc.), or remove him from power by helping the "new way" partisans (firearms, occidental ways).
To success, they will have to protect the plane as it is, that means to protect the actual lord (who is in fact the personnification of their ennemy), who will as a reward show them his most beloved treasure, a painting (which will in fact be the spell the PC are looking to assense).
If they side with the occidentals, they will have their beloved guns (well, not theirs, but at least they will use Firearm skill :P ), but the palace will be destroyed in the final attack, and what they were looking for will be impossible to find anymore.

Of course i will "help" them choose side by describing the terrors of the townsfolk, the killings, etc. (as the person who shaped the quest see the occidental ways much like an invasion).

What do you think about that general plot?

[Daddy's Litt...]

Neat, but the moderns do not have to be oxidental. They can be Japanese as well. defend a samurai in Japan from the white guys is pretty obvious. ancient Japanese vs. Victorian Japanese becomes more ambiguous.

[Raén]

I didn't mean they were occidentals, but they are using occidental ways, in opposition to traditional japan.

[Adarael]

[Simon May]

Are all your PCs magic users? I'm curious to know how they're getting to the metaplanes.

[Raén]

One of them is a full mage, the two others are physical adepts. They managed through the last scenario to find a free spirit willing of using his astral portal power for them. So they will all be able to come :)

[Daddy's Litt...]

[Wounded Ronin]

[hyzmarca]

How many PC do you have playing Samurai. If there are Seven of them, there is a movie that you could watch to get some ideas.

[Snow_Fox]

we could go off on a big tangent here. I like DLN's idea thought. a real moral delima