(This is just something I''m thinking of at the moment. I''m kinda liking how this looks in my head, but I''m not sure how it''ll look to others.) Background Some time in the first quarter of the twenty-second century, the Guerilla Faction was formed somewhere in Europe or Asia and under unknown circumstances. The Guerilla Faction began a take-over of several small countries, then slightly larger countries. Eventually, the Guerilla Empire was formed. After three years, the Guerilla Empire managed to capture of all of Europe and Asia, with the exception of Britain, China, Japan, and Russia. Fearing the idea of being taken over, the remaining countries form an alliance with each other and with America. The collective military of the alliance is gathered and prepare to make an attack on the Guerilla Empire. Before the alliance military could launch an offensive, the Guerilla Empire sets of an EMP bomb, thus nullifying all electrical technology on and orbiting Earth. Chronicle One: Japan Without the use of modern technology, the Japanese reverted back to a state similar to the Shogunate. Clans were formed. Some began to revive the practices of ninjutsu and the ways of the samurai. Others used firearms instead of ancient practices. All of the clans, though, were united under one goal: The freedom of Japan from under Empira''s rule. Shalom Kitsune was a member of the Kitsune clan. His father was a Catholic missionary who felt led to come to Japan and help in the struggle. Once in Japan, Shalom''s father was inducted into the Kitsune clan and went on to marry a Japanese woman, who bore his son. Shalom was raised Catholic by his father, and even continued as a practitioner of the Catholic faith after the death of his father when he was thirteen. Shalom carries his father''s rosary, which he uses as his own, and weilds his father''s katana, which has the Tetragrammaton inscribed in it. Tensions were rising against the Empira Samurai, who were taking advantage of the weaker clans'' inability to defend themselves, and the stronger clans, who despised the disrespect Empira shows Japan. Hundreds of Japanese were being slaughtered, and the clans were joining forces to form a single unit of the best of each clan. This force would lead the battle against Empira in Japan. Shalom''s skill as a swordsman landed him a place on the anti-Empira front. This front was led by a friend of Shalom''s father, Kitashi, a man in his mid-fourties who was an excellent swordsman. Some thought that Shalom was a member of the team based on the connection between he and Kitashi; it was no secret that Kitashi watched over Shalom while he was a teenager. Shalom also made friends with Hotaru, a kunoichi, and Nanashi, a ninja, both from the Garou Clan. Hotaru''s father was great ninja in the Garou Clan. He adopted an abandoned baby boy, Nanashi, and raised him along side Hotaru as his own child. Hotaru and Nanashi considered each other siblings. Both became great in their skills, which was why they became members of the team. Shalom, Hotaru, and Nanashi became very good friends while preparing for the teams first battle. There was no doubt in Kitashi''s mind that they were the best of the team, save himself. The three were around the same age, with similar interests, and therefore found themselves being sparring parners for the training period. After months of training, the group launches their first attack on a samurai campsite. The campsite was nearly barren. Kitashi decided to have the group take any weaponry and food they could find. The samurai, who were patrolling, came back to find the rebel group stealing their goods. A fight broke out between the two groups, leading to a lot of bloodshed. The samurai were defeated, but not by much. There were only four remaining rebels: Shalom, Hotaru, Nanashi, and Kitashi. Being the last of the anti-Empira front, the group feels that they are still obligated to end the shogunate set up by Empira. They set off to Edo, former Tokyo and center of the Shogunate rule, to take down the government and to give Japan back to who it belongs to. (Positive feedback produces more ideas. Tell me: Do you like the idea? Do I have enough here to base an opinion on? What are some possibilities with this setting? Flame me, as long as your flame has basis in criticism.) Orion "Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own." -BRUCE LEE

I would flesh out the backstory. Formations of empires are usually haphazard or spontaneous. Most which have been forced into being have suffered from problems of cohension, cultural tensions, absence of central government. I think you ought to give better histories of these empires (some people just find it more interesting... I''m sad that way)

But besides that, is there any reason for the background except the EMP bomb which essentially is contained in the last sentence? That''s all that ties the background to the first chronicle. Or have you planned other parts of the overall story in relation to the background as well?

Is there a clear villan or antagonist (in person as opposed to a generic / type of person, e.g. the Empira samurai)

It seems very much like the Magnificent Seven. Good guys ride off to do battle against overwhelming odds. Perhaps to counter this I''d introduce some tensions, conflicts, rivalries between the four. They sound a lot like Ronin (leaderless samuari). Perhaps not all parts of the Kingdom/country appreciate ronin (possibly pillaging, raping, stealing etc).

Note: Japanese names are the reverse of European ones. [Clan name then the person''s name]. Not [Person then clan/family]. I think it should be Kitsune Shalom for example.

I think the use of Japanese samuari (whether good guys or bad) is original, certainly rarely used in games in the market at present.

quote: Original post by c-thru
Note: Japanese names are the reverse of European ones. [Clan name then the person''s name]. Not [Person then clan/family]. I think it should be Kitsune Shalom for example.

Usually it''s [surname][given name] in Japanese cultures. But, to be blunt, I''m Westernizing it a bit. It happens in dubbed anime a lot.

quote:
I think the use of Japanese samuari (whether good guys or bad) is original, certainly rarely used in games in the market at present.

Actually, there''s a game coming about called Seven Samurai 20XX, I believe it is. It''s based on a Japanese flick I thought was pretty boring.

Orion

"Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own."
-BRUCE LEE

One of the things that bother me about my story is the fact that it took us less than 500 years to get to where we are at now from where I have the people in the story at. Plus, right after the bomb, people could''ve began redoing everything immediately, since people had the knowledge at the time.

I thought about guns but, when it comes down to it, I just like katanas better. While guns are an efficient weapon, I like katanas and shurikens and things of that sort better because it''s hard to silent kill someone with a gun, but it''s not that hard when you have a blade.

I''m thinking, I either need to redo the history of the story, or I need to transplant the setting, Empira, and the characters into a story with a different history.

Orion

"Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own."
-BRUCE LEE