The Monogatari mountains cut a swath through the center of the country. They are home to various monastaries and the Monogatari clanhouses. The mountains and valleys cradled within them are home to various gold and jewel mines, herds of animals, monastaries that control them, and the clanhouses that control access to and defend the roads that provide the livelyhood of everyone in the mountains. The mountains are a wild place, with riches to be had and great festering evils guarding them.
To the west, there are the rice paddies of Gokukoku. The high mountains cause the clouds from the ocean to build up, making Gokoku a land of eternal rain.
To the south, there is the great desert below the mountains called Shinkuni. There are many wild and vicious spirits in the desert who have vowed revenge on the great clans for driving them out of the mountains the spirits called paradise. The desert is also said to be where the punished dead are tormented. There are rumours of a great city buried deep within the heart of the desert, but no one has gone into the desert and lived.
In the center of the country, just southeast of the mountains, is the cosmopolitan port-capital Kookyo of Monogatari. It is home to merchants, monks, rogues, nobles, sailors, foreigners, and adventurers. Most of the wheeling and dealing will go on here -- this is also where the majority of adventurers will start on their way. All of the clanhouses have offices here, as to be close to the capital.
One characteristic of all of Monogatari proper is the rain. It is nearly always raining, misting, snowing, sleeting, drizzling or fogging. The flora, fauna, and human culture have evolved to allow for the more or less constant damp. Human settlements have steeply pitched roofs -- often made of bronze or copper for nobles, to resist leakage and rust. Staple foods are water-tolerant crops, such as rice, soy, and sorghum (a sugary black or red grain with a taste similar to molasses or low-grade maple syrup). There is an abundance of seafood. In the mountains, people often herd goats and yak and hunt wild game.
In the east of Okuni, near the Jade Temple, is an abandoned tunnel that leads to the Ancient ghost city of Ceylon in the east. The tunnel was the greatest acheivement of Ceylon's long lost civilization. The cause of its desertion has been speculated upon by many scholars, but some say that the darkest of undead spirits, the vampire clan, became jealous of Ceylon's glory. They descended on the city and destroyed it from the inside out in only a few generations. Now the city is a white columned sepulcher full of the undead vampires, their pets, and their spawn.
The Monogatari mountains are for the most part a vast and uninhabited wilderness. Countless expiditions are sent out by the monastaries and the clanhouses in search of new caches of jewels or artifacts left by the ancients. Many of these incursions into the wilderness end in the survivors running home in the nick of time. Others are lost altogether. There are, however, a few brave bands of hardy and well organized adventurers that make a profit off of coming back from these adventures alive.
The Shinkuni desert is said to be the place where spirits who die in dishonor are sent for their punishment. It is a hot, desolate swath of hard, flat, baked red clay littered with the occasional clump of eucalyptus trees and dry bracken. Here with the doomed live the angry spirits driven from the mountains by the rise of the Monogatari clans. These angry spirits execute and devour any person who strays far enough into the desert. They know thier day of return is soon...
The swamps in the north of Gokukoku are home to most of the many spices and medicines that are prized throughout Monogatari. Of course, the native flora and fauna are very protective of their home and many an adventurer has been swallowed by the swamp.
Human, Half-elf, Elf, Dwarf, Halfling, Half-Orc, Gnome, Korobokuru, Hengeyokai, Nezumi, Spirit Folk*. No others, including Vanara, will be allowed, for any reason. No template PCs. There will be no PC monsters, as well. Be advised that races with balancing factors in Oriental adventures, such as the Hengeyokai may progress more slowly in levels than the standard races.
All players start at first level. Player characters follow a 32 point buy system. Points are bought according to the table in the DMG. In addition to the "standard package" of equipment, all PCs start out with 50 feet of ordinary hemp rope.
Characters who are native to Monogatari should have names of Japanese origin. A list of common Japanese family and given names can be found at http://localhost.org/nihonjin-no-namae.html. Clans are not neccesarily family oriented and therefore races may mix within clans. There are no "elf" clans versus "human" clans or "dwarf" clans. Similarly, rivalry between the races of Monogatari is often (but not always) overshadowed by the interclan rivalries.
The politics of Monogatari are intricate and subtle and often hard for foreigners to understand. Moving up ranks in the imperial court is a task that requires patience and Herculean feats of networking. Understandably, most ranking officials originate from a clan or a guild. Foreigners, even of longstanding, are rarely (but not never) high ranking officials. Smugglers' guilds are more egalitarian, focusing on individual reputation and acheivement rather than the backing of clan power and courtly manners.
Aristocrat, Barbarian, Fighter, Samurai, Paladin, Rogue, Monk, Sohei, Bard, Cleric, Shugenja*, and Wu Jen. Prestige classes allowed with DM consent. One does not have to be an aristocrat to be a noble or rise in the court. Monks are allowed to multiclass, as per Oriental Adventures. Prestige classes will be allowed on DMs consent.
Japanese consonants are pronounced like English. Doubled consonants are held for twice as long. Vowels are pronounced like Spanish or Italian.
The Amada clan controls the food supply in Monogatari. They are little respected, but very powerful nonetheless, since they hold the only fertile land in Monogatari. They administer Gokukoku and even partially own the roads therin.
Head of clan: Her Grace, Counsellor General Amada Fujiko. Samurai 6.
Founder: Amawara Fujiko. Domains: Water, Plant, Earth, Sun.
Amawara Fujiko is the mother of agriculture. 1000 years ago, she dove into the ocean and stole three enchanted pearls from the Dragon Lord of the Sea. She polished them and buried them in the ground and created the three staple crops of Monogatari: soy, rice, and sorghum.
The Hisuizoku clan members are traders of rare gems found in the Jade Valley. Monastaries attached to this clan specialize in gem cutting, coining, and the distilling and forging of rare metals and magics. Hisuizoku is in charge of guarding the gate to Ceylon.
Head of clan: His Highness of War, Novice Munemori Akira. Sorceror 5/Monk 3
Founder: Oomori Tetsuo. Domains: Life, Knowledge, Magic, War.
Oomori enslaved a mountain dragon to dig the first jade mine in Monogatari. Using techniques that have now been lost, he devised a great suit of armour from the jade in the mine that made him immortal. He grew arrogant, however, and the dragon rebelled and tricked him one day into removing the suit. Oomori was struck down and is forever searching for his jade suit which would return him to life.
The Kinushoga are traders in finery and antiquity. They hold the key to medicines and medical practice in Monogatari. They are the rivals of the Yamada clan, whose swamps provide much of the raw materials for the medicines. The Kinushoga also consider foriegners their particular specialty and are often the only people to ask about items made outside of Monogatari.
Head of clan: Grand Controller of the Right Fujimori Hirose. Aristocrat 11.
Founder: Hayata Kiriko. Domains: Knowledge, Luck, Healing, Animal
The "daughter of the blade" Hayata Kiriko had her name given to her in later life, when her father, a great Samurai general, suffered a grave wound in battle. She took his wakizashi from him, shattered the tempered steel against a rock and fashioned a needle from one of the shards. She then used the needle perform the first surgery in Monogatari, saving her father's life.
The Rengazoku are perhaps the closest contestant to the Sakurai in the constant struggle to hold the top seat in Monogatari. They own the roads and charge toll to all passers. Their most closely guarded secrets are explosives and the unique brick and mortar that makes up roads and houses of Monogatari. Singularly resistant to fire and the harsh and constant rain in Monogatari, these materials and the clans masonry skills are sought by members of the gentry throughout the land. Their formulae are extremely well guarded and no members of other clans have seen them and lived.
Head of clan: The Heir Apparent, Prince Kato. Aristocrat 4.
Founder: Takade Rinpo. Domains: Earth, War, Travel, Protection
Takade drove the spirits from the mountains into the desert with a great army of warriors made from the red clay of the desert itself. He is recognized as the founder of Monogatari.
The Sakurai clan is the current power broker of Monogatari. They hold a central position between the roads that connect the mountain clanhouses and the City. Their place in Monogatari is fiercly contested both in the imperial court and in the field and many scuffles and feuds have been fought between the Sakurai and the other clans.
Head of clan: The Lady of Falling Flowers, Haven Murasaki. Samurai 6/Iaijutsu Master 2.
Founder: Sakamune Umeko. Domains: Trickery, Luck, Death, Destruction
Sakamune was the first Haven. She put one thousand men under the spell of her beauty and instructed them to build the capital city to her design.
In addition to the clans, there are two competing theives'/smugglers' guilds that provide the transportation and security along the roads throughout Monogatari. These are called Wakizashi and Hikari. They are both ruthless and discrete. Every clan pays their toll to them, and they each consider themself the true master of Monogatari. They have constant, often bloody battles. Each is rumored to be controled by a powerful shogun from somewhere high in the clans' ranks.
Many monastaries are scattered throughout the lands of Monogatari. There are two principle monastic orders, which are centered around the two buddhas that tame the dragons in Tenkoku (heaven).
In the heavens are four angry dragons caught in an eternal struggle. Two encircle the moon and two encircle the sun. The dragons of the moon chase each other in an eternal battle between good and evil. The ones of the sun fight between law and chaos. In the center of each enraged circle sits a neutral Buddha, calling the dragons towards the calm center of Enlightenment.
Each clan has a patron, the founder, who walks between the world of the dragons and the material world to deliver prayers to followers of the dragons and the buddhas. These patrons give the clerics their domains, rather than the gods themselves. In addition to the domains the patrons give, the dragon that a cleric calls upon gives her the good/evil/law/chaos domain.
Monks don't so much rank as have roles. Many outsiders prefer to think of Abbots being above the Dharma Seals, which are above the Dharma Eyes, etcetera. But in practice, monks are very egalitarian. Each monk recongnizes where he or she fits within the monastary and considers her station as important, but not more so, than anyone else. The only exception to this is the sohei, which are less monks than devoted learners and fighters, who have charged themselves with protecting the monastary and its interests. They think of themselves as subservient to the monks, even though the monastary monks as a general rule do not think of themselves as above the sohei.
Abbot -- The monk in charge of all daily affairs. All monks who deal with the outside world report to the abbot. Also oversees and plans construction on monastaries and gardens.
Dharma Seal -- A judge-monk who is charged with knowing the material in all sacred scrolls and verifying all copies made.
Dharma Eye -- A monk charged with protecting, copying, and understanding a scroll that is sacred to the order.
Monk -- A general monk in the monastary
Novice -- A beginner monk who may also pursue worldly power or hold political office. Many novices live outside the monastaries for a number of years. Because of this, it is often the case that a novice will, like the sohei, entertain wrong ideas about the importance of rank within the monastic order. This is not always the case, however.
Sohei -- Defender semi-monk.
Every two weeks, player exploits will be reviewed and experience and levels assigned. Experience points will be based on adventuring and role-playing. Players wishing to avoid adventuring altogether can progress along a different path. Players following this path can progress in rank within the court and, while this means that a player may have considerable clout and perhaps even make the orders that lead to an adventure for someone else, that player may not progress quickly in their specified character class unless they are actively practicing. Player clout will work according to the nobility rank they attain. A PC may attain any rank, even Emperor. Despite the titles, nobility rank will be gender neutral.
PCs at levels 1-4 are eligible for level reviews every two weeks, although this does not mean that every PC will neccesarily level up then. PCs above level 4 will be eligible for level reviews every n weeks on the following scale, barring extenuating circumstance.
This is a campaign setting based on Yamato and feudal Japan. That said, this is neither of those. This is a fantasy setting, and as such may or may not follow any particular point of Japanese culture or history at the GMs' whim. A player cannot argue that a GM is being unrealistic in his or her actions based on that player's knowledge, however extensive, of Japanese history, literature, or culture.
All actions by the GMs are final. That said, the head GM (Jefferson) may arbitrate in player/GM disputes and may edit and change any post. The head GM's (Jefferson) decision is final. That said, if the head GM makes a real mistake, call him on it. He will fix mistakes. The email address for any dispute is speaker2machines at yahoo dot com. Be advised that flaming or bombing this address will result in a PC's immediate removal from the game. At any time, unless otherwise agreed upon by all GMs, no more than 10 PCs will play in Monogatari per active GM.
All players must read the rules thread and the code-of-conduct thread before playing. All players must post character descriptions to the Character Descriptions thread. If there is a waiting list, players must post to the waiting list thread and will be allowed to play in order of posting. Full character sheets should be mailed to speaker2machines at yahoo dot com for approval. All characters wishing to play nobility should have a suitable back story.
All players are highly encouraged to be creative with their in-character situations. Please do not hang around on the OOC thread complaining that you are bored and have nothing to do. If you are truly stuck in character and have nothing to do, come back later, when a GM is on. If you are left unattended with nothing to do for more than 3 days, email your GM and find out what is going on.
Rules will be 3rd edition D&D rules. Anything not specifically covered in the errata thread will work according to Oriental Adventures, its errata, and the 3 Core rulebooks and their errata. Books will take precedence as follows: OA, DMs guide, PHB, Monster Manual. This is not a Rokugan campaign, so Rokugan specific rules and regulations will not be used unless deemed appropriate by a DM and added to the game specific errata. Situations that Rokugan rules would normally cover will be arbitrated by the PHB, DMs manual, and the DM.
All rules specific to Rokugan, Taint, and the Shadowlands are void in this game unless otherwise specified. Also, all prestige classes specific to Rokugan do not exist unless otherwise specified. Oni exist, even Shadowlands Oni, but they are not considered to have a Taint score.
GMs, If Taint is a major factor in a monster, consider not using that monster or replacing the taint with temporary or permanent Constitution damage, depending on the CR of the monster. All arbitrations of this nature have to be approved by the head GM before the monster is used in the game. As far as monsters who list their terrain as Shadowlands, they will instead be normally found in Ceylon or the tunnel to Ceylon if undead or in the desert if not undead. Swamp specific Shadowlands monsters can occasionally be found in the far north of the swamps in the northwest.
All weapons and rules specific to the demon subtype in the core rulebooks also affect Oni. Weapons incorporating jade are priced like silver weapons and have a natural +1 enhancement bonus with respect to undead.
© 2002 Jefferson and Sarah Heard. This document and the rules, world, characters, and other ideas contained therin, hereafter called the Module, are solely the intellectual property of the authors. Dungeons and Dragons, Oriental Adventures, the d20 gaming system, and their respective trademarks are property of Wizards of the Coast. The Module is covered under the GNU General Public License. All changes to this document must be detailed in the section marked Changelog with their respective authors listed. This module may be freely redistributed and modified so long as this license agreement is followed, included, distributed unmodified, and all authors are credited. Violations of this agreement are prosecutable under federal law and international treaty. All rights reserved.
Jefferson & Sarah Heard (original authors).