"Japanese folklore is not especially interested in fitting itself into tidy categories. Gods resemble spirits. Spirits become monsters. Animals become people. People become considerably worse things. And an object that exists long enough may well develop awareness, resentment, and maybe a grievance about how often it has been used to boil socks. Some of these tales are terrifying. Some are ridiculous. Quite a few are both at once. There are umbrella monsters, lamp monsters, haunted tools. There are foxes with very, very complicated private lives. There are creatures whose principal supernatural power appears to just be scaring you and running away. Such is Japanese mythology."
And:
"Ninja are not being treated as a separate species of magical black-pajamaed elf -- or anything. There aren't really ninja. There are shinobi, but the legend of the ninja is always useful. Espionage, infiltration, sabotage, disguise, and assassination are things that characters can learn to do regardless. The black trousers are optional, and they don't cause a class transformation."
I love everything Jim Desborough is saying about Stray Crows and I'm backing it to the katana hilt. If a Japanese RPG designed with real love for the subject matter appeals, you'll probably want to jump over to Kickstarter and join me. The game was fully funded within a couple of hours of launch and Jim has written all the books already, so you can be sure that this is one of those Kickstarter campaigns that really will deliver.
First, I'm going to send the link to the Kickstarter to a friend of mine who adores all things Japanese, so I expect he'll appreciate the RPG. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteSecond, I attempted to contact you through the website listed in your profile. But I think my message got lost in the void. I was wondering if I could make blog and forum posts sharing my character(s) ' progress through my current run of Fabled Lands.
I do not intend to copy what was written directly from the books, except for character stats, place and character names, and skill difficulties. This will be a creative writing exercise for me that I'd like to share with my RPG friends as I play through the seven books I purchased. I will happily share any Publishing Information that's printed in the books, so credit rightly goes where it is due, along with any other information you deem necessary.
Thank you!
I hope your friend likes the game, Sara. I have a feeling that Stray Crows will become the new generation Bushido, in the sense of the default choice for roleplayers who want a Japan-set game.
DeleteBy all means share your character's adventures on your blog and anywhere else you like. Jamie and I feel flattered, and I still remember the genius of Pace's Journal, a very funny account of travels in the Fabled Lands from fifteen or twenty years back. And do please let us know the link to your blog so we can enjoy your characters' experiences.