TEXT:  
   
  
  2  
  ASPECTS OF THE RUINED EMPIRE –  RYAN MACKLIN 
   
  CONTENTS 
  ASPECTS OF THE RUINED EMPIRE.........................2 
   
  PRINCESS OF AZUMI: A HEROINE SETTING FOR THE 
  RUINED EMPIRE..........................................16 
   
  RUINED EMPIRE: THE ‘‘COMMENTARY 
  TRACK’’………………………………………….............26 
  Part 1: RPGs and Cultural Context………………………........27 
  Part 2: Thoughtful Game Development Does Not Preclude 
  Awesome……………………………………………………………35 
  Part 3: An Aside on Japanese Doll Culture.……………........40 
   
  
  3  
  ASPECTS OF THE RUINED EMPIRE –  RYAN MACKLIN 
   
   
  ASPECTS OF THE 
  RUINED EMPIRE 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  FATE COMPANION FOR ANNA KREIDER’S THE 
  RUINED EMPIRE BY RYAN MACKLIN 
   
   
  This work is based on Fate Core System and Fate Accelerated 
  Edition (found at http://www.faterpg.com/), products of Evil Hat 
  Productions, LLC, developed, authored, and edited by Leonard 
  Balsera, Brian Engard, Jeremy Keller, Ryan Macklin, Mike Olson, 
  Clark Valentine, Amanda Valentine, Fred Hicks, and Rob 
  Donoghue, and licensed for our use under the Creative Commons 
  Attribution 3.0 Unported license 
  (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). 
   
  The Ruined Empire campaign setting only has been released 
  Creative Commons, Share and Share Alike. 
   
  Ruined Empire Copyright 2012 & 2014 Anna Kreider—Peach Pants 
  Press 
   
   
  
  4  
  ASPECTS OF THE RUINED EMPIRE –  RYAN MACKLIN 
   
  INTRODUCTION 
   
  When I saw that Anna Kreider had a Kickstarter going for a Final 
  Fantasy-inspired setting, I instantly backed it. I love the inspired 
  vibe that happens when you mix magical themes with 
  technology, and the Final Fantasy games kept reblending those 
  two ideas. I told her that I’d love to do a mini-supplement that 
  turns the ideas in her setting into Fate aspects, to make it easy 
  for Fate players to pick it up. 
   
  Let’s just say that she didn’t expect me to write more than that, 
  and I got carried away. Enjoy the read! 
   
  —Ryan 
   
  WHAT THIS IS 
   
  This is the Fate companion for Anna Kreider’s excellent The 
  Ruined Empire—an anime-inspired campaign setting. Though it 
  was originally created for the Tenra Bansho Zero roleplaying 
  game, The Ruined Empire is a setting not specifically tied to a 
  system. This companion, Aspects of the Ruined Empire, takes the 
  ideas in the setting and turns them into aspects for any flavor of 
  Fate. 
   
  This is a small companion that works for Fate Core, Fate 
  Accelerated, and other flavors of Fate. It doesn’t give you a 
  bunch of new rules or greater detail than in Kreider’s original 
  work; this companion is about getting you diving into play, 
  letting you figure out the specific details of your world together 
  as a group. 
   
  Each of the five big empires and regions in The Ruined Empire 
  have their own unifying themes and troubles, which make for 
  excellent aspects. The three settings aspects come  
  
  5  
  ASPECTS OF THE RUINED EMPIRE –  RYAN MACKLIN 
   
  What to Read 
   
  I assume you’ve  
  read (or at least have) 
  The Ruined Empire, 
  and you’ll need it to 
  use this companion. 
  You don’t need to 
  read the Tenra Bansho 
  Zero roleplaying 
  game, but I 
  recommend it—for 
  further context about 
  general enjoyment. 
   
  This also assumes 
  you’re playing with 
  Fate Core or Fate 
  Accelerated (easy to 
  get at FateRPG.com or 
  Fate-SRD.com), or with 
  some other Fate 
  variant. You’ll also get 
  more out of working 
  with aspects by 
  reading Fateful 
  Concepts: Character 
  Aspects 
  (RyanMacklin.com/fat
  eful-concepts) 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  with notes for GMs on compels or 
  framing interesting moments. 
   
  Setting aspects—whether as game 
  aspects or aspect on a broad 
  location—work best when they can 
  propel the protagonists into action or 
  press them into tough or dramatic 
  situations. In other words, they’re 
  meant to be compelled. So while The 
  Mechanical Realm might seem like a 
  good aspect for Azumi, it’s not because 
  it doesn’t present ways to push the 
  story forward. When tailoring these 
  aspects to your game, ask yourself: is 
  it still filled with implied action or 
  pressure? If so, excellent! 
   
  Don’t use all three of a location’s 
  aspects at once! Pick one that suits the 
  theme or issues of your game at the 
  time, treating it as an overall game 
  aspect while you’re dealing with that 
  story element. Juxtapose it with 
  another game aspect to create a rich 
  playspace. 
   
  Along with setting aspects, each 
  personage detailed in The Ruined 
  Empire has three aspects listed: a high 
  concept, a trouble, and a third aspect 
  generally relating to competence. 
  These work as seeds for NPCs or even 
  for PCs, with the skills or approaches, 
  other aspects, and further details left 
  to you to fill in for whatever variant of 
  Fate you’re playing. 
   
   
  
  6  
  ASPECTS OF THE RUINED EMPIRE –  RYAN MACKLIN 
   
  THE IMPERIAL DYNASTY OF 
  AZUMI: THE MECHANICAL REALM 
   
  ASPECTS 
  OPPRESSIVE AUTHORITARIAN REGIME 
  Azumi is a place where even voicing concerns or disagreement 
  about the empire is treason. Agents of the emperor’s intelligence 
  service could come at a most inconvenient time. Rebels could 
  accost you, afraid you’re a spy for the government. 
   
  ALL SERVE THE MILITARY 
  The empire is heavily militarized, and all aspects of life are 
  dedicated to this cause. Art and other “trivialities” are seen as 
  wasteful. For example, upon hearing where your ship is going, an 
  Azumi colonel “requests” passage for his and his soldiers. 
   
  REGIMENTED SOCIETY 
  The citizens of Azumi have their roles in society prescribed. 
  While there’s the possibility of some social movement, the 
  machine that is the empire needs its cogs to turn and its society 
  to be well oiled. 
   
   
   
  
  7  
  ASPECTS OF THE RUINED EMPIRE –  RYAN MACKLIN 
   
  PERSONAGES 
  EMPEROR AMABERAN 
  • 
  High concept: Emperor of Azumi—being kami is part of 
  this aspect 
  • 
  Trouble: Recluse—this is a placeholder for what has 
  made the emperor turn inward, whatever that is in your 
  game 
  • 
  Ruthless, Even to His Own 
   
  MARIS THE SILENCE 
  • 
  High concept: Charismatic Head of the Emperor’s 
  Intelligence Service 
  • 
  Trouble: Young for This Post—though none would dare 
  openly defy her, many are waiting for her to make a 
  critical mistake 
  • 
  Informants Everywhere 
   
  KENROH KARETSU 
  • 
  High concept: Preeminent Artisan in the Empire 
  • 
  Trouble: Pained to See Her Beauty Used for War—yet 
  she must create, because of her duty and because she 
  cannot envision not creating 
  • 
  Master of Deceit 
   
   
   
  
  8  
  ASPECTS OF THE RUINED EMPIRE –  RYAN MACKLIN 
   
  JAHGA REPUBLIC OF 
  ENLIGHTED PEOPLES: 
  THE NAMESAKE REALM 
   
  ASPECTS 
  ENLIGHTENMENT WILL BE DELIVERED TO ALL 
  The idea of bringing a better way of life to “backwards, barbaric” 
  people makes the constant war palatable to the citizens, and is a 
  banner that the military proudly hangs. It doesn’t stop at war, 
  though; to full be of the republic, vassal states must adopt 
  Jahgan ways. Any complications arising from the war or of 
  cultural assimilation works as compels. 
   
  GREAT STRUGGLE OVER POWER 
  The political dance between the Senate and the Empress in 
  intricate, especially when the emperor-consort complicates it. 
  This aspect works for highly political storylines, where being a 
  pawn in a great game is expected. 
   
  SHINTO PRIESTHOOD LOOKED DOWN UPON For 
  their pacifist view (and because of certain political 
  machinations), Shinto priests are not as warmly regarded as in 
  past days. But still, the Senate is careful to never officially 
  express disapproval, so the priesthood dances a fine line. This 
  aspect should only be in play for Shinto priests or those engaged 
  in the politics.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  9  
  ASPECTS OF THE RUINED EMPIRE –  RYAN MACKLIN 
   
  PERSONAGES 
  EMPRESS REINA 
  • 
  High concept: Beloved Empress or the Jahga Republic 
  • 
  Trouble: “There Will Be Peace in My Lifetime”—this 
  expresses itself in the clash between her idealism and the 
  harsh realities of rule, and the irony of using conquering 
  as a tool to achieve peace 
  • 
  Equally Cunning and Compassionate 
   
  EMPEROR-CONSORT DAHJ-EN 
  • 
  High concept: Oni Emperor-Consort of the Jahga 
  Republic 
  • 
  Trouble: Outspoken Revolutionary Views 
  • 
  Powerful Combat Sorcerer 
   
  Reina and Dahj-en could easily have aspects about their love and 
  devotion to one another, in a game centered on romance 
  alongside political intrigue 
   
  MYO-ON 
  • 
  High concept: Matronly Abbess of the Phoenix Sect 
  • 
  Trouble: Truly Committed to My Mission 
  • 
  Will of Tempered Steel 
   
   
   
  
  10  
  ASPECTS OF THE RUINED EMPIRE –  RYAN MACKLIN 
   
  THE RINDEN KINGDOM: 
  A PROVINCIAL 
  MONARCHY UNDER 
  OCCUPATION 
   
   
  ASPECTS 
  UNDER OCCUPATION BY JAHGA 
  The empire’s forces are ever-present in cities and patrol the 
  country. The people of Rinden are expected to bow to the cultural 
  might and beneficence of Jahga. This aspect covers 
  complications from the new ruling power and complications 
  from the resistance force; it works for either side of the struggle 
  and for those caught in the middle. 
   
  BATTLEGROUND OF EMPIRES 
  Rinden is a borderland, with Azumi’s forces ever challenging. 
  This aspect covers stories about military life and the struggle 
  between great powers, and those impacted by the border clashes. 
  There are similarities with Under Occupation by Jahga, but the 
  differences lie in power dynamics and what those in powerless 
  situations have to expect or fear. 
   
  UNSAFE FOR ONI 
  This aspect is narrowed in focus, but great for stories of a 
  magically powerful but underrepresented people are hated by 
  those conquered through their aid. Oni may be safe in the capital, 
  but if there are any Oni PCs or prominent NPCs, this aspect is 
  compel-worthy when traveling within the kingdom. 
   
   
   
  
  11  
  ASPECTS OF THE RUINED EMPIRE –  RYAN MACKLIN 
   
  PERSONAGES 
  GOVERNOR FEIGON MAROWN 
  • 
  High concept: Stressed Governor of Rinden 
  • 
  Trouble: “Why Don’t They See the Good We Do?” 
  • 
  Skilled, Determined Diplomat 
   
  MARUIHANA 
  • 
  High concept: Leader of the Resistance, Royalty in 
  Hiding 
  • 
  Trouble: Young and Angry 
  • 
  Brilliant Tactical Mind 
   
  LOKUS REGONA 
  • 
  High concept: Veteran Commander of the Republican 
  Garrison 
  • 
  Trouble: “The Governor is a Fool!” 
  • 
  Hardened by a Life of War 
   
   
   
  
  12  
  ASPECTS OF THE RUINED EMPIRE –  RYAN MACKLIN 
   
  THE INDEPENDENT STATE 
  OF HOROM: 
  COSMOPOLITAN 
  TRADING NATION AND 
  VASSAL STATE 
   
   
  ASPECTS 
  UNDER OCCUPATION BY AZUMI 
  The Horomii want to preserve their culture. The Azumi way is to 
  subsume a conquered land’s workforce and resources at the 
  expense of the local’s frivolous pursuits. The power is in the 
  hands of the Azumi occupational army overall, but people find 
  ways to hold onto what they can, at least for a little while. 
   
  MERCHANTS, SMUGGLERS, AND THIEVES 
  EVERYWHERE 
  If you want a place that screams “hive of scum and villainy,” the 
  grand trading ports of Horom are for you. That also means 
  people out to scam you, sell you out, or worse rub elbows with 
  people you might hope to gain the support of or hire. 
   
  PLIGHT OF THE UNDERCLASS 
  This covers stories of those that the wealthy and middle class 
  step on—the people that the Thieves’ Guild and especially Ken 
  the Black Wind fight to give hope and moments of reprieve to. 
  This aspect is definitely in play when in the capital’s necropolis. 
   
   
   
  
  13  
  ASPECTS OF THE RUINED EMPIRE –  RYAN MACKLIN 
   
  PERSONAGES 
  LINA TANATO 
  • 
  High concept: Nominal Head of the Merchants Guild 
  • 
  Trouble: Worried of the Future Under Imperial Rule—
  and equally worried of the cost of war if Azumi is refused 
  • 
  Canny, Shrewd Businesswoman 
   
  KEN THE BLACK WIND 
  • 
  High concept: Infamous Head of the Thieves’ Guild 
  • 
  Trouble: Committed to the Needy and Destitute 
  • 
  Friends Everywhere Among the Downtrodden 
   
   
   
  
  14  
  ASPECTS OF THE RUINED EMPIRE –  RYAN MACKLIN 
   
  NIL: THE DESOLATE 
  WASTE 
   
   
  ASPECTS 
  LAWLESS, DESOLATE RUINS 
  The origin of the cataclysm that broke the Dangoro Trading State 
  is still unknown, but its effects are lasting. Any sort of post-
  apocalyptic dangers you can imagine fall under this aspect, 
  especially far away from what pockets of civilization exist in Nil. 
   
  REFUGEES OF ALL KINDS 
  People from many walks of life and desperate situations—
  criminals, slaves, those who have lost homes thanks to war—
  come to Nil. It’s certainly no safe haven, but it’s haven 
  nonetheless for those who have nowhere else. But as a melting 
  pot of the poor and the crooked, there are altogether different 
  perils in the shantytowns that arise. 
   
  A SHINTO PRIEST’S DESPERATION 
  Metasanduro’s decision to employ ronin to bring some order to 
  Nil is a mixed blessed to some, and a powder keg to others. This 
  aspect covers the social and political tensions in Nil, such as 
  they are, between the priesthood, the samurai corps, and the 
  people they together serve. 
   
   
   
  
  15  
  ASPECTS OF THE RUINED EMPIRE –  RYAN MACKLIN 
   
  PERSONAGES 
  METASANDURO 
  • 
  High concept: First Priest of Dangoro 
  • 
  Trouble: The Impossible Task of Rebuilding 
  • 
  Will Do What’s Needed—which is a nicer and more 
  thematic way of saying Cold as Ice 
   
  BLACK GLOVE MOL 
  • 
  High concept: Commander of the Desecrated Land 
  Samurai Corps 
  • 
  Trouble: Secret Stained Past 
  • 
  Honorable Warrior 
   
  metis 
  • 
  High concept: Reluctant Leader of the Kugutsu 
  Refugees 
  • 
  Trouble: Target of Admiration… and of Reprisal 
  • 
  Graceful Beyond Compare—with or without a 
  sword in hand
  
  16  
  PRINCESS OF AZUMI –  JOSH T. JORDAN 
   
  PRINCESS OF AZUMI 
  A HEROINE SETTING FOR THE RUINED 
  EMPIRE BY JOSH T. JORDAN 
   
  Suiko had known for years that her mother was lying. Of course, 
  she would never confront her mother, but there’s no way that 
  someone with handwriting that nice was a merchant’s 
  daughter. She had the perfect skin of a noble and the gently 
  sloping forehead of a member of the royal family. Now her 
  mother was missing and imperial soldiers had been spotted on 
  the roads near where Suiko and her mother lived, two days 
  outside the border of the empire! 
  When Suiko was eight, she had discovered a book of poems 
  dedicated to the last emperor in her mother’s room. Since then, 
  she had assumed that her mother was a “royal cousin,” the 
  illegitimate child of one of the princes. Suiko assumed that her 
  mother had stolen the book of poetry when she fled the capital, 
  an unwanted bastard. 
  Now that Suiko was alone, she began to doubt her assumptions. 
  Her mother rarely spoke of her father, but she was clearly fond 
  of him. And no one would send soldiers this far for a simple 
  book of poetry. Maybe they were here for Suiko’s mother. Maybe 
  her mother wasn’t a royal cousin. Which would mean that Suiko 
  was… 
   
   
  
  17  
  PRINCESS OF AZUMI –  JOSH T. JORDAN 
   
  INSPIRATION 
   
  This setting for Heroine or Dangers Untold takes place in Anna 
  Kreider’s Ruined Empire, a setting originally designed for the 
  game, Tenra Bansho Zero. Ruined Empire is Final Fantasy-esque 
  world full of several anime tropes. It combines magic and 
  technology in an interesting way, and it is chock full of 
  fascinating characters. 
   
  HEROINE PLAYER 
  The following rules changes affect the Heroine Player. The 
  Heroine is a princess in the Azumi Empire. She has been raised in 
  secret so that other members of the royal family could not 
  assassinate her. 
  BE HEROIC 
  In a standard Heroine setting, the heroine uses the Be Heroic 
  move to do something daring, clever, or kind. In Ruined Empire, 
  she uses this move to do something pure and honest, clever and 
  educated, or kind and democratic. 
  PURE AND HONEST 
  She cuts through the lies and subterfuge surrounding her and 
  takes a straightforward, moral action.  
  CLEVER AND EDUCATED 
  She finds a solution that others have overlooked or that someone 
  is trying to hide from her.  
  
  18  
  PRINCESS OF AZUMI –  JOSH T. JORDAN 
   
  KIND AND DEMOCRATIC 
  She chooses to care for a person or people who are suffering and 
  in need.  
   
  INTRODUCTION TYPES 
  When the Heroine's mother realized that she was pregnant with 
  the Emperor's child, she fled to the borders of the Empire to raise 
  the Heroine in secret so that the other heirs wouldn't have her 
  killed out of hand. Choose one of the following. 
  MOTHER DIED 
  Since then her mother has died and she is now old enough to 
  hunt down answers about how and why she died. 
  SECRET DISCOVERED 
  Some of her relatives have discovered her identity, and she must 
  now leave her adopted home before they find her. 
  ENGAGEMENT REQUEST 
  A noble from another family has discovered the Heroine’s 
  identity and has just publicly proposed marriage to her. 
  
  19  
  PRINCESS OF AZUMI –  JOSH T. JORDAN 
   
  NARRATOR 
  The following rules affect the Narrator. 
  THEMES 
  In the standard Heroine setting, the Narrator tries to build 
  conflict with the themes Confusion, Temptation, and Fear. In this 
  setting, the Narrator instead uses themes of Confusion, 
  Corruption, and Subjugation. 
  CONFUSION 
  Create conflicts based on lies, misunderstandings, lack of 
  information, and people in hiding. Show the players a world 
  filled with fog, shadows, mazes, liars, and con men. 
  CORRUPTION 
  Create conflicts based on sickness, waste, nepotism, and 
  bureaucracy. Show the players a world filled with poison, curses, 
  embezzlement, and cheating. 
  SUBJUGATION 
  Create conflicts based on poverty, slavery, brute strength, and 
  aristocracy. Show the players a world filled with slave owners, 
  brawlers, generals, and prisons. 
   
  INJURIES 
  The Narrator is always free to create unique Injuries to harm a 
  character. In Princess of Azumi these special injuries are 
  particularly likely.  
  
  20  
  PRINCESS OF AZUMI –  JOSH T. JORDAN 
   
  CURSED 
  You cannot directly harm the magic user who cursed you. 
  SECURITY LOCKED 
   None of the local technology responds to your commands 
  IMBALANCED 
  You focus all of your attention on only one of your problems. You 
  ignore an important secondary problem. 
  OBLIGED 
  You cannot leave your current location until you pay back the 
  debt of honor you owe.  
  UNKEMPT 
  You can’t enter someone else’s home or place of business until 
  you change into different clothes.  
   
  ANTAGONISTS 
  The Narrator may use one of the following sample Antagonists. 
  THE BOY OF IMUN-DA 
  Once a human being, the Boy suffered a horse-riding accident 
  who was given an supernatural insect symbiote in order to save 
  his life. Twelve years later, the Boy is a full-blown Annelidist, 
  host to dozens of the insects. Though he still appears to be an 
  eight-year-old child, he is no longer human. The insects are in 
  control, and they have a plan to move all humanity south so that 
  they will live in warmer climates. 
  
  21  
  PRINCESS OF AZUMI –  JOSH T. JORDAN 
   
  THE CORRUPTED ARMOR 
  Colonel Fang is a veteran soldier and commander of the 
  Armoured Corps in the Imperial Army. He command his team of 
  giant robot pilots from inside his own robot, Spinetickler. He also 
  obsessed with collecting heart gems and other rare treasures. He 
  is obsessed to the point of insanity. He will not waste his 
  soldiers’ lives, but he will spend them all to acquire more 
  treasures. 
   
   
   
  
  22  
  PRINCESS OF AZUMI –  JOSH T. JORDAN 
   
  CHALLENGES 
   
  GILDED CAGE 
  A high-ranking member of the Azumi Imperial court sends a 
  messenger to you with a proposal of marriage. Upon asking the 
  messenger about his employer, you discover he is wealthy and 
  polite, but he plans to keep you from making any important 
  decisions. 
  KIDNAPPERS 
  A band of rebels with a political agenda has kidnapped one of 
  your companions. They are uneducated, unpleasant, but not 
  totally unreasonable. 
  DISHONEST AMBASSADOR 
  Things would go a lot faster if you bribe this ambassador. He 
  promises not only to lie to the guards, but to give you official 
  documents to help you reach your goal. 
  IMPERIAL SECRET POLICE 
  Spies discover your location, and you have one chance to keep 
  them from leaving town and reporting back to the head of the 
  Secret Police. 
  UNREASONABLE DEMAND BY GATEKEEPER 
  In order to pass through the gate, over the bridge, or around the 
  army, you must satisfy the Gatekeeper’s demand. 
  MISCOMMUNICATION WITH THE GOVERNOR 
  The governor is clearly trying to keep peace, but for some reason, 
  he believes you represent a danger to the community. What is the 
  source of the miscommunication?  
  
  23  
  PRINCESS OF AZUMI –  JOSH T. JORDAN 
   
  COMPANION PLAYER 
  The following rules affect the Companion Players. 
  SAMPLE COMPANIONS 
  STARLEAF 
  Starleaf is a living doll, a Kugutsu. Unlike most Kugutsu has been 
  freed from slavery and has been working to become a restaurant 
  owner and local politician. 
  ABBESS MYO-ON 
  Myo-on is a kind, motherly woman who is also ruthlessly 
  democratic. As the leader of the Phoenix Sect Buddhists, she 
  fights to prove that the Shinto priesthood is a deeply corrupt, 
  anti-republic organization. 
  JORUJIKA 
  An Oni (a horned magical humanoid) and a forester, Jorujika 
  cares for sick and injured plants, especially magical trees. 
  SIXTEEN-SILENCES-TOGETHER 
  A Konghoki (a weaponized android) who is a practicing Shinto 
  priest and friend of the above. He has a special love for animals 
  and small robots. His friends call him “Sota.” 
  UMEKO 
  Umeko is a Kijin, an Azumi veteran who was involuntarily turned 
  into a cyborg. Umeko escaped the Empire after being 
  involuntarily converted into a cyborg. Now a local sheriff’s 
  deputy, she has a lot of vacation time accrued, because she 
  usually works seven days a week. 
  
  24  
  PRINCESS OF AZUMI –  JOSH T. JORDAN 
   
  LOCATIONS 
  PROTEST 
  Dozens of people, including several Kugutsu and a few Kijin, are 
  demonstrating outside of a Shinto Shrine. The protestors want 
  the local leader to be arrested for mismanagement and 
  embezzlement. The shrine itself is quite small, but it is 
  surrounded by a luxurious garden, which itself is surrounded by 
  a tall iron fence. 
  MANY DROPS 
  Many Drops is a waterfall considered sacred to Taoist magicians. 
  It is also a popular romantic spot for newly married couples. 
  Young, impetuous magicians often challenge each other to duels 
  near the top of the waterfall. 
  BOOKS WITHOUT SUFFERING 
  Books without suffering is a printing press owned by Phoenix 
  Sect Buddhists. They publish many well-known religious texts. It 
  is an open secret that they also publish anti-Shinto propaganda 
  and other iconoclastic pamphlets.  
  DABO’S FOOD STICKS 
  Dabo’s Food Sticks is a food cart that sells delicious but 
  unidentifiable meat on a stick. Rumor has it that they sell 
  veggies on a stick as well, but that the veggies are mostly rabbit 
  meat. If Dabo himself is minding the cart, you may also buy 
  gossip and secrets. He knows more about what goes on inside 
  various noble’s bedrooms than they do. 
  STATION 57 EAST 
  This police station is technical outside the borders of the Azumi 
  Empire. However, its police chief is a powerful Armour and his 
  “secretary” is a trained assassin. They are the most powerful 
  
  25  
  PRINCESS OF AZUMI –  JOSH T. JORDAN 
   
  members of the local community, so everyone has silently agreed 
  to police the town as if it were inside the Empire. 
   
   
  
  26  
  COMMENTARY –  ANNA KREIDER/ANDY KITKOWSKI 
   
  RUINED EMPIRE: THE 
  “COMMENTARY TRACK” 
   
  When Andy hired me to write an alternate campaign 
  setting as a backer reward for his KickStarter of the English 
  translation of Tenra Bansho Zero, I didn’t make any secret of the 
  fact that there were elements of Tenra that I really wasn’t a fan 
  of. Thankfully, Andy was very understanding about that and was 
  enthusiastic about my desire to write a setting that would 
  subvert the most problematic bits. He was also very willing to 
  talk honestly about his thoughts on the matter, and helpfully 
  provided insight into the uniquely Japanese cultural tropes that 
  wouldn’t be familiar to most Western readers. 
  What follows is taken from that email conversation 
  between Andy Kitkowski and I, which was turned into a series of 
  blog posts over at Gaming as Women. It focuses mainly on a 
  critical comparison of Japanese gaming culture versus North 
  American gaming culture, as well as social justice concerns as 
  applied to game publishing. That might make it sound very dry, 
  but it’s really quite interesting - I promise. 
   
   
   
   
   
  
  27  
  COMMENTARY –  ANNA KREIDER/ANDY KITKOWSKI 
   
  PART 1: RPGS AND 
  CULTURAL CONTEXT 
  Tenra Bansho Zero is a hugely popular anime-themed 
  tabletop roleplaying system first released in Japan. For many 
  years, Andy Kitkowski had been working on translating the 
  material and getting it ready to publish for North American 
  audiences. When Andy was getting the Kickstarter together 
  earlier this year, he wound up contacting me about doing an 
  alternate campaign setting to be used as part of the higher 
  reward levels. I had some pretty mixed feelings about Tenra, 
  mostly because so much of the art had such gratuitous boobs and 
  butts, and lots of crotch thrown in for good measure. 
  Ultimately, I wound up doing the project and writing the 
  Ruined Empire campaign setting for Andy's Kickstarter 
  campaign. I didn't do it just for a paycheck (although I'm not 
  going to lie - paying work is always nice) - I used it as an 
  opportunity to "fix" the things that had always bothered me 
  about Tenra's default setting. And the result is something I'm 
  really proud of! It's a super-grabby, dense campaign setting 
  that's as social justice fail-free as I could make it. 
  I wanted to write about the thought process that went 
  into the creation of the Ruined Empire setting, as a way of 
  highlighting that thoughtful game development can still be 
  socially conscious and produce interesting material, but I felt 
  like that would be missing an important part of the picture. 
  Tenra isn't a Western game written for Western audiences. It's 
  been translated and adapted for Western audiences, true, but it 
  was initially created for Japanese gamers and anime fans. As 
  such the cultural issues and context surrounding this game are 
  different than what Western audiences are used to dealing with. 
  As a somewhat casual anime and manga fan, I have a 
  base level of familiarity with some of these issues. But I thought 
  it would be good to get Andy to comment a bit more in depth on 
  the Japanese gaming/anime culture before delving into my own 
  thoughts on Tenra as a cultural artifact. The following is taken 
  
  28  
  COMMENTARY –  ANNA KREIDER/ANDY KITKOWSKI 
   
  from an email exchange I had with Andy, edited only slightly for 
  formatting. 
   
  ANNA: 
   
  So I'll admit that I fall into the category of people who 
  would be reluctant to be seen in public reading a book with 
  this cover, but that's a reaction I want to take a moment to 
  examine. In talking about Tenra, you've mentioned that the 
  Tenra cover art isn't "as bad" as it could be, and as a former 
  manga collector (it's just too expensive a hobby to maintain) I 
  totally get what you're saying. There's so much manga that 
  really is worse in terms of cover art.  
  But by Western standards, the cover art is pretty damn 
  extreme. That's a LOT of crotch right on the cover. So could 
  you comment on the cultural differences at work there? 
  Because it seems like that "I don't want to get seen reading 
  this in public" is a very Western reaction. 
   
  ANDY: 
  Yeah, it's kinda weird. I mean, in the west, we have 
  games like "all of the Vampire the requiem book line", where the 
  covers are artistic and abstract; but each of them inside actually 
  features at least one or more pictures of female full frontal 
  nudity. I found the clause that lets them get away with it in our 
  hearts: "It's okay to depict full frontal nudity, as long as the 
  woman is screaming and covered in blood" (all of the nudity in 
  Vampire actually hit that mark. It's kinda creepy, actually). 
  Meanwhile, in Japan there's little compunction about 
  putting it on the cover... In General. I mean, it's still a flag to 
  people, like "be careful here if you don't like fanservice". In a 
  way, making covers more marketable would of course net a wider 
  market, but at the same time allows the reader to judge (a book 
  by its cover) what the manga might contain without opening it. 
  So I say "in general" because while eye-rolling is distinctly not a 
  
  29  
  COMMENTARY –  ANNA KREIDER/ANDY KITKOWSKI 
   
  Japanese gesture, a normal (casual manga reader with an adult 
  temperance) woman might still 'roll her eyes' internally upon 
  seeing such a cover, and move right along. 
  It's interesting, though: At the same time, nudity (for men 
  and women) isn't as much of a big deal as it is over here: Little 
  kids still go with their moms and dads to the sex-segregated 
  public baths (little boys in the women's bath; little girls in the 
  mens' bath, etc), cartoons or commercials might feature naked 
  children (in a totally non-sexual way), until very recently Ama-
  san (Japanese pearl-drivers, usually women) were topless... until 
  exactly after WW2, when westerners would come by to watch 
  point, take pictures, leer, etc; then that tradition ended almost 
  overnight. Families (fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters) bathe 
  together until the child is well late into elementary school. 
  There's a lot of sexualization of the human body in Asia, but 
  there's a not of non-sexual nudity and casualness that can be 
  strange (and frightening!) to foreigners. 
  At the same time, modesty and shame (especially Shame, 
  oh god) are huge in Japan. Incidentally, most bookstores will, for 
  general privacy, offer to make [plain, unillustrated book jackets 
  with just the book title]. So if someone is reading something that 
  they think might get them looks, they'll opt for that book cover 
  when buying the latest Princess Panty Pirate manga or whatever. 
  In the case of Tenra, specifically, I think the author at 
  that time just wasn't aware of the possible misrepresentation 
  that featuring "ninja crotch" on the cover of the book could cause. 
  He was kinda in his own little puzzle palace at the time, and 
  unless someone said "Hey *smack* you can't draw this!" he didn't 
  consider it. At the time, he was very insular and reserved, and I 
  think that definitely led up to some choices in art. You might say 
  that even working with his friends and peers, he didn't have the 
  spoons to look at his work from all angles. 
  But again, it's very interesting to see his art now: He's 
  completely shelved his near-pornographic line of pose-able 
  figurines (and replaced them with a line of cute figurines of 
  people 
  that 
  appear 
  in 
  his 
  new 
  and 
  widely 
  popular 
  autobiographical manga), and his art has become more reserved. 
  He's definitely more aware of what's around him now that he's 
  happily married, and successful enough to be, well, *loved* by 
  people. It definitely returned him in part to a real world with real 
  
  30  
  COMMENTARY –  ANNA KREIDER/ANDY KITKOWSKI 
   
  people, pulled him in part out of his otakuhood, smoothed over 
  some issues he likely didn't know he had, and now his art lacks 
  most of the "gooeyness" of the past. 
   
  ANNA: 
   
  In talking about doing this interview, you mentioned 
  that you aren't going to do any future work translating games 
  with cheesecake art that you don't have any editorial control 
  over. I'd really like you to provide a little expanded 
  commentary on your reasons for that. This is a hugely 
  important thing to hear from a male publisher and I 
  absolutely want to hear you say more about this. 
   
  ANDY: 
  Well, in short, it makes me feel uncomfortable. 
  I run games all the time where sex and sexualization is 
  not a factor at all. I run and play in games as deadly serious as 
  Stalker to light comedy action games, from wacky maids to 
  bloody body-horror demon hunting with blunt weapons, from 
  traditional to independent; and aside from perhaps seduction, 
  descriptions of pretty/sexy/etc characters, there's really not any 
  gratuitous sex. 
  A cover, and the art inside usually sets the tone or mood 
  of a game. Especially to a very visually-oriented person like me: I 
  get more out of art books than setting descriptions. And if the art 
  is primarily sexualized art, that alludes to a game that plays off 
  of that. "You can play this game however you like, but this is 
  what the author expects you to put into your sessions. You can 
  choose not to, but by default it should be there" is kind of the 
  message that art sends to a visually-oriented person like me. 
  So the sense of being uncomfortable comes from me 
  wanting to tell people, "Look, this is what the game is about! 
  Well, mind you this piece here is just the artist's kink, you don't 
  have to have bowling ball tits on your character. But aside from 
  
  31  
  COMMENTARY –  ANNA KREIDER/ANDY KITKOWSKI 
   
  that, this art here tells you everything you need to know about 
  this game. Oh, that girl that looks like she's wearing a diaper? 
  Well, it's a long story. See, traditional Japanese outfits from that 
  period... (a long discussion of garb, body-issues, and culture 
  commences). That's... complicated! I have to present material full 
  of contradictions, require a lot of clarification that I have to be 
  present for, and ultimately requires for me to say things like "The 
  author doesn't care what you play, and the games can totally be 
  'rated PG', it's just... well... this is what he does, so he did it. And 
  they published it. But you shouldn't judge the book because three 
  out of three hundred pieces of art involve weird body images..." 
  I mean, in the end, isn't it just *easier*, and more 
  comfortable, to present a book of art wordlessly to people, 
  without feeling the need to jump in and clarify, to explain? That 
  would just erase that discomfort I feel at contradiction. 
  Some might see this as an attack on sexy art, but I don't 
  think so. Take a look at the art for the French version of 
  Barbarians of Lemura (which was folded back into the English 
  version of the game later): There's sexy characters, nudity, etc. 
  It's very comical, very cool, not weird/gross, and it really sets the 
  mood for the game: The game is seeped in this sexy imagery. I 
  can pass someone a copy of Barbarians of Lemuria and not have 
  to clarify anything: Either they'll get it or they don't. Then again, 
  France and the Americas aren't separated by an extreme cultural 
  gulf, so that might be a thing in play. 
  And to carry the point, I have to clarify a lot when I hand 
  someone a copy of "Apocalypse World" (a great game, which I 
  love) as well: It has very little art, and the art it has is stylistic 
  and thematic of a post-apocalypse game. Nothing about the cover 
  says "The characters all have to fuck each other. A lot. It's on the 
  top of the character sheet. It's a requirement of this game that 
  you, as a player, have to consider who your character fucks, in 
  almost every scene or session of this game." That's not very clear 
  by the art, so if you line it up on a shelf next to a copy of "Book of 
  Eli" and "Fallout 3", people are going to assume the game is one 
  thing by the cover, when it actually is another. 
  So in the end, whether you put sex scenes into your game 
  of Doublecross or Shinobigami or Ryuutama or whatever will be 
  up to the group, the book doesn't indicate at all that it's part of 
  
  32  
  COMMENTARY –  ANNA KREIDER/ANDY KITKOWSKI 
   
  the central experience of playing the game. Going forward, 
  there's not going to be an issue, though: 
  * Both primary Ryuutama artists are female, and there's 
  no cheesecake. There's a sexy merchant, but it's sexy in the "1001 
  Nights" Claudia C-style art sense, and not "generic fanservice 
  anime" sense. 
  * The art in Shinobigami has no fanservice (the artist 
  writes in a pseudonym; I heard that the artist was a woman but I 
  am not positive). 
  Those games are not from FEAR, but from other 
  companies. After Shinobigami we might work to translate 1-2 
  more FEAR games but again the art is simply devoid of 
  fanservice. 
   
  ANNA: 
   
  I've often noticed that there's a lot of shoujo ("girls" 
  anime/manga) out there with a LOT of fanservice. Not the 
  stuff with super super young protagonists, like Card Captor 
  Sakura. (Because, um, yuck. She's like 12.) But even stuff 
  where the protagonists are like 14 is just full of gratuitous 
  outline nudity, beach/hot springs episodes, and panty shots - 
  which always seemed weird to me considering that shoujo is 
  aimed at a female audience. 
  Do you have any thoughts to offer on why it is that 
  such extreme fanservice doesn't seem to alienate Japanese 
  women the way it would alienate Western women? 
   
  ANDY: 
  Hmmm. I think a lot of it goes back to the statements 
  above regarding being more accustomed to nudity in general. But 
  also note that not all women *like* it. It's becoming one of those 
  staples that folks are starting to get tired of, the "fanservice 
  dropped just to make sure you're still watching, that has nothing 
  to do with anything going on". I'd wager that in another 10 years 
  
  33  
  COMMENTARY –  ANNA KREIDER/ANDY KITKOWSKI 
   
  we'll see less of it in mainstream anime, with perhaps those 
  anime taking more of a sideline. 
  The other thing is that me and many of my friends who 
  are into Japanese culture pretty much treat meaningless 
  fanservice with derision: Like, we note it and move on ("Oh, it's 
  one of *those*. Nevermind, next!"). However, there are a lot of 
  folks with a better, more qualified voice who think and talk 
  about it far better than I can. I found a plethora of interesting 
  articles and blogposts on searches for "women and fanservice", 
  "feminism and fanservice" and the like. 
  (This is a cute article which shows what the author finds 
  to be classifiable fanservice types (and I agree with most of the 
  ones he lists, even if many of them are not so common, while 
  others are).) 
   
  A side issue, but one of importance to me: There are many 
  respected female manga artists, it's totally not a boy's club by 
  any means (unfortunately, those bales and bales of shojo and 
  romance manga (like all manga, a lot of it admittedly throw-away 
  and dull) aren't picked up for translation in the west as fast as 
  Dumb Egregious Shit is). But a lot of the discussion of manga (in 
  particular) kinda glosses over that fact. In short, I see a lot of 
  disparaging of Japanese visual culture in general, thinking that 
  it's all a wash of misogynistic crap. There are so many women 
  manga authors, it does them a real disservice to lump folks like 
  Saibara Rieko, Takinami Yukari, Takaya Natsuki and hundreds 
  more. Unfortunately, their stuff doesn't seem to be picked up by 
  the west as fast as other things, but I think that's far more our 
  fault (whomever makes decisions as to what to license) than 
  Japan's. 
   
  And perhaps a more complicated issue: There are many women 
  who are famous for making their living writing and selling 
  pornographic manga: A friend-of-a-friend of mine is Yonekura 
  Kengo (and apparently she's actually pretty famous, likely 
  because her art is so excellent). She alternates between writing 
  volumes of hardcore pornography and then non-pornographic 
  
  34  
  COMMENTARY –  ANNA KREIDER/ANDY KITKOWSKI 
   
  interesting tales of obsession, youth and sexuality ("Fire Candy"). 
  I've seen a lot of Western slut shaming of the women who write 
  for porn, in much the same way we do over here for alternate 
  sexuality, kink culture, etc. It's... well, expected I guess, but it's 
  disappointing. 
  However, 
  pornography 
  is 
  a 
  much 
  more 
  complicated subject than for example the works of the women as 
  per the paragraph above. 
   
   
   
  
  35  
  COMMENTARY –  ANNA KREIDER/ANDY KITKOWSKI 
   
  PART 2: THOUGHTFUL 
  GAME DEVELOPMENT 
  DOES NOT PRECLUDE 
  AWESOME 
   
   
  ANNA: 
   
  Very early on in the process of translating Tenra into 
  English, Andy had posted some of the "gooier" (as he calls them) 
  art pieces on a forum and asked for opinions, and I was pretty 
  strident in voicing my dislike of the style. Now, yes, It's easy to 
  pick out Tenra's art as being pretty fail-worthy; turn to pretty 
  much any page with a woman on it and you’ll see awful sphere 
  boobs, broken spines, and all other sorts of sins against human 
  anatomy in the name of sexiness. 
  But there were other problematic aspects to the default 
  setting than just the boobular art. I think a lot of the time it's 
  easy to focus on game art that gratuitously sexualizes women, 
  because that's the low-hanging fruit of fail that's easiest to go 
  after. But let's face it, game settings can be another huge source 
  of fail in gaming. Case in point: the recent Kickstarter for a game 
  called "Going Native" about Native American tribes fighting each 
  other. Because nothing says "sorry about that one time we 
  committed genocide against you" like cultural appropriation. 
  Many gamers tend to hand-wave and think that "it's just 
  fantasy" will excuse the problematic bits of their favorite game 
  settings. So I thought it was worth picking out a few things that 
  had particularly bothered me about the Tenra setting and talking 
  about how I "fixed" them in my new setting. 
  
  36  
  COMMENTARY –  ANNA KREIDER/ANDY KITKOWSKI 
   
  THE DILEMMA: BEAUTIFUL SLAVE WOMEN AND 
  CRYPTO-NATIVES 
   
  The first major thing that bothered me about the default 
  Tenra setting is the description of the Kugutsu - living dolls that 
  are brought to life by their creators. Kugutsu are bought and sold 
  like pieces of artwork, despite the fact that the setting is explicit 
  that Kugutsu are alive and sentient. This rang a number of alarm 
  bells for me. Yes it's possible that you could have a pretty 
  interesting character arc about the conflict between ownership 
  and personal freedom. But Tenra is designed to be a game that 
  lets you throw a bunch of anime tropes in a blender. 
  There's nothing saying that you can't use it to tell such 
  nuanced stories, but the system (or what I know of it) doesn't 
  support it enough that I felt comfortable with that as a setting 
  element. Especially given that their status as property is 
  mentioned mostly as an aside, something that is secondary to 
  what's really important about the kugutsu: they're really, really 
  pretty. 
  What made me even more uncomfortable is the fact that 
  the setting text specifies that male Kugutsu exist, but they're 
  pretty rare. Most Kugutsu are female. (Because, you know, who'd 
  want a pretty MALE slave?) And did we mention that Kugutsu are 
  highly sought after as nighttime companions? Oh but don't 
  worry! It's because they can go into your head and give you nice 
  dreams, all Inception-style. Yeah. Not at all because they're 
  super-hot and don't get to have any say in how their owners use 
  them. 
  Now I'll give the creator some credit; I don't think that 
  the implications of this really occured to him. I think he was just 
  jamming on some familiar anime tropes (they're kind of like 
  "superhuman robot" meets "sword princess") and didn't really 
  stop to examine what he wrote past "hey that sounds cool". But 
  still, I was giving that portion of the game text major side-eye as 
  I was reading through it. Maybe that's not what the creator 
  intended, but I've got enough baggage that it definitely made me 
  uncomfortable. 
   
  
  37  
  COMMENTARY –  ANNA KREIDER/ANDY KITKOWSKI 
   
  The other major problem as I saw it were the oni - 
  essentially crypto-Natives who used to be the dominant 
  population on Tenra before humans came. The game text goes on 
  to paint them as what sounds suspiciously close to the "Noble 
  Savage", citing how gentle they are and how well adjusted their 
  society is and how they live in close harmony with nature - 
  yadda yadda yadda. And then it takes a left turn into horrifying 
  genocide. As it turns out, the oni are being hunted to extinction 
  by the humans because they have "heart gems" that can be used 
  to power the giant robot armors that are used as the dominant 
  method of warfare on Tenra. So you have a peaceful race of noble 
  savages who are being oppressed and killed by a colonial 
  aggressor in order to take their resources. 
   
  ... yeah. 
   
  Again, I come back to the intent of the system. Were 
  Tenra a game about nuanced social commentary, I might not 
  have such a problem with this. But this, too, seems like a case of 
  "the author thought this was cool" and not a whole lot of real 
  examination of the implications. 
   
  THE FIX: BAKE THAT CONFLICT INTO THE SETTING 
   
  The challenge I was left with in addressing these two real 
  difficulties is that with the oni, the central nature of their 
  conflict was baked into the rules. There are endless rules 
  governing mecha characters, and those require oni heart gems to 
  make. No getting around that. (The matter of the Kugutsu was a 
  bit easier, since that was more an issue of description rather 
  than rules.) So I got to thinking. If I'm going to get stuck with this 
  awful conflict, is there a way I can bake that into the setting in 
  such a way that makes it a central issue? 
   
  And that was how I came up with the concept for my 
  Final Fantasy-inspired take on the Tenra universe. Instead of a 
  
  38  
  COMMENTARY –  ANNA KREIDER/ANDY KITKOWSKI 
   
  multitude of small nations fighting each other, as exists in the 
  default setting, my new Tenra was dominated by two huge 
  empires fighting for supremacy - one a nation based on 
  technology and one a nation based on magic. 
  Because it was hugely important to me to fit the oni into 
  the setting in such a way that did not re-victimize them or paint 
  them as noble savages, I took great pains to incorporate them in 
  such a way so as to not adhere to either stereotype. In the past 
  era in my setting, when the techno-empire began to rise to power, 
  the oni made an alliance with the magic-empire and eventually 
  became part of the ruling class, thanks to their inherent magical 
  powers. So instead of victims or cardboard cutouts, they get to be 
  sophisticated elites with complex motivations. 
  Making the oni's story one of the central elements of the 
  setting also made it very easy to address the problem of the 
  Kugutsu in a satisfactory manner as well by dropping a Kugutsu 
  rebellion into the middle of my magic-using empire. My new oni 
  were a people who rose from the status of hunted outcasts to 
  ruling elite, so given that past how would they reconcile their 
  laws that kept Kugutsu in bondage? It's a small change, but it 
  took the most problematic aspect of the Kugutsu - their status as 
  property - and made it an intentional jumping-off point for story 
  to happen. 
  Now I didn't want this to be a story about a monolithic 
  evil empire versus an opposing good empire, because that would 
  be boring. So I made the magic-using empire dogmatically 
  Imperialistic - an aggressively colonial force who conquered 
  their neighbors to spread their brand of "enlightenment". And 
  there you have the bare bones of a setting that can make some 
  pointed social commentary and provide a rich and complex 
  sandbox for groups looking to start a campaign off with a bang. 
   
   
   
   
  
  39  
  COMMENTARY –  ANNA KREIDER/ANDY KITKOWSKI 
   
  FINAL THOUGHTS 
   
  Being socially conscious isn't something that just 
  happens. I don't mean to make this all sound easy, because it can 
  be hard sometimes. I'll be the first to admit that I have my share 
  of privilege. In developing this setting I had to make a real effort 
  to examine my motives and the implications of what I was 
  writing. Getting friends with different perspectives to look over 
  your work is vital! Because inevitably, they point out things that 
  you didn't mean to get wrong but did. 
  But taking the extra effort is worth it, because your 
  product will appeal to a wider audience than just Straight White 
  Male Gamers. This is great from a social angle - not alienating 
  people is always a great thing. But it's great from a commercial 
  angle too, since you're netting yourself a much larger potential 
  pool of buyers. 
   
   
   
  
  40  
  COMMENTARY –  ANNA KREIDER/ANDY KITKOWSKI 
   
  PART 3: AN ASIDE ON 
  JAPANESE DOLL 
  CULTURE 
   
  [The following is an emailed response from Andy that he sent 
  after I put up the post in Part 2. I meant to post Andy’s 
  comments as a follow-up blog post but never got around to it. 
  However, they were interesting, and so I offer them here.] 
   
  ANDY: 
  Heya, the clarification parts on the Kugutsu (note, I talk 
  about misrepresentation below; I am not alluding to the idea that 
  you are misrepresenting them, I think you've got a solid 
  deconstruction. I was indicating that it might be a natural 
  conclusion to some folks upon looking at them, and thus the 
  misrepresentation would be there): 
  So, it's really easy for Westerners to look at the result of 
  what they are and think of them like the fantasy game equivalent 
  of Realdolls or something. There's certainly material there to 
  deconstruct and understand. However, I think a pure "living sex 
  doll" interpretation would be a cold misrepresentation and at 
  worst a western monocultural attempt to judge an asian culture. 
  Japan has a rich and long history of doll culture, from 
  ancient doguu statues to classic kokeshi dolls, to classic 
  princess/royalty dolls, to modern ball-joint dolls, and of course 
  the steampunkish karakuri dolls of the 18th and 19th century. So 
  it's really not that much of a leap to understand why they might 
  appear in a Japan-themed game, dolls have been a huge part of 
  the culture since at least a thousand years before Christ. 
  Likewise, magical "doll comes to life" stories and folklore are 
  present as well (like our Pinocchio, for example). 
  
  41  
  COMMENTARY –  ANNA KREIDER/ANDY KITKOWSKI 
   
   
  One of the interesting focuses that Tenra has, aside from 
  the dolls (in this case, kugutsu) themselves, is the relationship 
  between the doll craftsperson and the doll. In Japan, there's the 
  tradition of the shokunin, or craftsperson, complete with 
  apprenticeship and living one's life focused on honing one's 
  craft. This is explored in the movie "Jiro Dreams of Sushi": 
  Potters, weavers, doll-makers, all who basically live their life 
  doing one traditional craft and over again, in order to perfect the 
  art. In bunraku plays, it's said that it takes 10 years to learn to 
  manipulate the legs. Then you graduate to spend the next 10 
  years learning the left arm. Finally, after ten years of that some 
  schools will let you manipulate the right arm and head. Spending 
  30 years learning a craft before calling someone a "master" is 
  kind of a big thing in this shokunin culture, and that piece also 
  comes out in Tenra as well. In fact, in the earlier version of the 
  game, "kugutsu craftsman" was a standard skill, as the author 
  expected not only kugutsu characters but also kugutsu 
  craftsperson characters as well... but ultimately players found 
  the 
  kugutsu 
  themselves 
  more 
  compelling, 
  the 
  kugutsu 
  craftspeople best left to be NPCs, and thus the game went that 
  way. 
  A recent development in Japan is a hobby culture of doll 
  crafting with ball-join dolls, especially Super Dollfie. This is a 
  highly expressive culture that both women and men participate 
  in (including my cousin, who has made two when he became 
  temporarily interested in that hobby culture: He even sewed the 
  clothing they wore by hand). The cost, care and craftsmanship 
  make them as much an "otaku" culture item as building elaborate 
  plastic model mecha or highly customizable RC car kits. They are 
  very lifelike, and limited edition dolls or dolls made by talented 
  shokunin can even cost $2000-$5000 USD sometimes. Doll culture 
  has really exploded in Japan since particularly the mid-90s, and 
  I'd say that most folks who are into deep visual culture like 
  manga and anime have dipped their toe into the BJD/Dollfie 
  culture (be it pricing them out or looking at them on display at 
  stores, if not actually buying or crafting one). Including, well, 
  both female and male game designers. 
  
  42  
  COMMENTARY –  ANNA KREIDER/ANDY KITKOWSKI 
   
   
  Now, to combine the above statements on shokunin 
  culture and contemporary doll culture back into the game: It's 
  often the case that the story of a kugutsu becomes inter-twined 
  with the story of their craftsperson, the person who gave them 
  life. For example, in the setting, the undisputed master 
  craftsman on the planet is a woman named Sho-Un, whose works 
  are so beautiful that people fight wars over them. In Japan, many 
  games of Tenra that involve Sho-Un aren't just about the kugutsu 
  herself, but about her connection to Sho-Un: Why did she create 
  me? Why did she craft me so that I age like a human, or 
  alternately not age like a human does? Why did she make me a 
  master swordsman? Why did she make me blind, but give me the 
  ability to tell the future? Why did she hide me, releasing me "into 
  the wild" rather than risk a war being fought over me, wouldn't it 
  have been better not to make me at all? In many ways, the story 
  of a kugutsu is the story of a doll and her maker/god, with rich 
  questions of personal existence that actually might be answered 
  in game (not to mention the whole idea of "does my character try 
  to become human? It's rumored that such miracles can happen" 
  ala Pinocchio).  
   
  I hope that adds depth of understanding to this discussion. 
   
  However! Now that kugutsu have been clarified in more 
  depth, I definitely agree with much of your deconstruction of the 
  kugutsu: It's plain that there are elements in play in the game 
  that feature the fact that they are not treated as people, that they 
  are basically the luxury items and slaves of human lords. There 
  are many kugutsu stories which are less "philosophical 
  discussion of what it means to be made, and to be human", and 
  more "get revenge upon a cruel former lord" or "escape from 
  slavery and hide while the lord scours the land for his 'property' 
  ", and other tales which are more along the lines of "kidnapped 
  princess" or "runaway Replicant" narratives. And yet, even in 
  those reports, there always seems to be a point at which the 
  kugutsu's player explores those issues of humanity.  
   
  
  43  
  COMMENTARY –  ANNA KREIDER/ANDY KITKOWSKI 
   
  The issue is deeper than it appears when you take into 
  consideration the cultural background components of the 
  kugutsu... and yet, that doesn't change the fact that the 
  narratives are what they are, or where a deconstruction of the 
  kugutsu from another cultural context (in our case, Western) 
  might make them that much more palatable (or even more 
  interesting)! 
   
   
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/FATE (fudge) [multi]/Ruined Empire Extras.pdf