THE LAST REDOUBT: Kuromiyamonogatari 『黒宮物語』- When Burning Wheel Meets Japan

Thursday, April 4, 2019

Kuromiyamonogatari 『黒宮物語』- When Burning Wheel Meets Japan

Mitsutaka Furube

時は平安。

The time is Heian.

雪深い峠を越えた先に、黒宮の国はある。

Beyond the peaks of deep snow, lies the land of Kuromiya.

「剣聖」黒宮真が、わずか一代国盗りをして興一た北国の雄だる。

「Holy Sword」Kuromiya Shin, who but in a generation conquered the realm and begun the country in the Northern Regions.

だが、その黒宮はそんぼうの危機にあった。

But now that Kuromiya is in mortal danger.

The above is an intro spiel is for a game set in a fictional location in fantastical Japan, but most of the meat of this idea comes from history. History shouldn't be ignored when planning a game. Especially if said game is looking towards Japan. A melding of myths of the time with some degree of historical accuracy can provide a compelling game world that diverges from the standard Western caricature of feudal Japan (or even worse, the eastern cultural amalgam that is L5R). Especially if you look at the history outside of Sengoku and it's familiarity.

So when I look at setting a game in the 12th century during the Heian period, there are no super-cutting katanas, black-clad ninjas, geishas, oiran or ashigaru. All of those familiar things came much later in Japanese history. Instead, I can take my inspiration from stories such as the Tale of Genji, Tale of the Heike, and (even though they were made at a much later date) the heroic narratives set during this time such as the Ōeyama Emaki.

Instead of the conflicts common to the Sengoku period, I can focus on an era where two completely different value systems come into competition with one another. Nowhere is this clearer than the struggle between the centralized (and decadent!), imperial court in Heian-kyō where poetry and refined language are the way of things, against the rising power of the provincial warrior bands who adhere to martial prowess, sacrifice, and absolute loyalty.

I think that the Burning Wheel and it's supplement The Blossoms are Falling are perfect for telling a story like this. Due to the nature of the game, the prep for this will be more setting research and inspiration than anything else. Much of what the game will be, will be determined as a group in session 0. Until I get around to running this though, there's plenty of art to get in the mood!