Geisha, the (missing) Asian Bard

[Aikuchi]

I hope the "Sleeping Dictionary" wasnt renamed / re-titled for American release or something.

I guess you can ImdB Jessica Alba and check ...

 

[ivocaliban]

I hope the "Sleeping Dictionary" wasnt renamed / re-titled for American release or something.

I guess you can ImdB Jessica Alba and check ...

It's still The Sleeping Dictionary here in the States.

And...there is a body double for Miss Alba.

 

[smootrk]

Ah, finally tracked down a copy and will get a chance to watch sometime in the next few days. Rather busy lately... doing some job hunting.

Is there a Malay term that would make a good name for a Sleeping Dictionary Class, maybe something from one of the dialects/regional languages? My Malaysian-foo is not so good.

Same thing happens when I do stuff for the Philippines... a lot of regional languages. I think over 50 Pinoy Languages and I never know what is appropriate to the majority. I pick up a word and my wife says 'whats that?', even though she speaks at least 4 separate dialects (for a total of about 7 different languages - and she does not think she is smart?!?!).

 

[Aikuchi]

---
yea ... guess i forget to mention the body double. Didn't think that was important.

Oh dear ... a specific malay term ... uhmmm ... thats gonna be hard to pin down coz there are a lot, dialect or otherwise. I'd have to know more about the specifics of the PrC because quite a number have specialized skills (skill sets) for different purposes.
---

(lol) --- a lot of us here don't consider ourselves as knowing a lot of languages coz we dont really count dialects I suppose. i think i know, English, Malay, Chinese (3 dialects) and does sign language count
---

 

[Sound of Azure]

Smootrk,

Any chance of seeing the new Geisha document? I'm kinda curious about how it turned out....

Do you want any discussion of Geisha items or organisations?

 

[smootrk]

I will see about posting up the revisions that I have so far, but realistically the changes are not too apparent. It is mostly unchanged from what is already up, with a few edits, a couple of exchanged abilities, and a couple of re-arrangements of stuff (in preparation for some additions). On a cursory look, you might not even notice the difference.

I did notice that my tables were wonky (some sort of mis-alignment) and that needs fixing.

Any thoughts on gear or magic is certainly appreciated. I have a few ideas, but magic items are not my forte. I hesitate to put them down, as I am sure the pricing/production portions will not be accurate.

Additionally, I had wanted to build an Organization/Affiliation per PHB2 rules to add in, but opted not to (lack of familiarity on those rules, never used those rules yet). The text does note that it would be very ideal way to deal with the Okiya aspect (if desired). If you have some thoughts on those rules, feel free to share. Maybe 2 organizations are in order now. One for an example Okiya, and another for the Official Crimson Sakura (Okiya).

All in all, I have been sidetracked lately. Doing a little job-hunting last few days, and it is interfering with my time and my creative juices. Hopefully when something is accomplished with this real world necessity, I can get back on track.

 

[Sound of Azure]

Cool, don't worry about it then, if you're not satisfied there are enough changes.

As for Affiliations, I don't have a PHB2 yet, so I'm not familiar with those either. I was just thinking of writeups like those in the Complete books.

"Official Crimson Sakura" I like the sound of that....

 

[smootrk]

Well I uploaded what I have (see post #1), but I have not made changes to the minimalistic version in post #2 of this thread.

Those PHB2 affiliations seem like interesting mechanics. I had wanted to write up the class with the most current concepts taken into account, but thats a bit work to get right. I have not read through the Complete books lately, so I am unsure about how they did the organizations there - might be similar.. I just don't remember.

 

[ivocaliban]

Additionally, I had wanted to build an Organization/Affiliation per PHB2 rules to add in, but opted not to (lack of familiarity on those rules, never used those rules yet). The text does note that it would be very ideal way to deal with the Okiya aspect (if desired). If you have some thoughts on those rules, feel free to share. Maybe 2 organizations are in order now. One for an example Okiya, and another for the Official Crimson Sakura (Okiya).

I prefer Affiliations (PHBII) to Organizations (Complete Adventurer) simply because they provide means to directly connect crunch and fluff. That said...




Yaezaki Okiya

Symbol: The symbol of the Yaezaki Okiya is a pink double blossom of the peach tree.

Background, Goals, and Dreams: The Yaezaki family okiya has a long-standing reputation for training the most beautiful and gifted geisha in the land. Okasan ("Mother") Akiko oversees the okiya with a stern hand and a bitter heart, but she is very protective of her "children". As far as Akiko is concerned her only goal is to continue to produce the highest quality geisha possible, but she is always open to new avenues for expanding and strengthening the Yaezaki Okiya. Stunningly attractive despite her age, Akiko is a gifted manipulator who tends to view everything (and everyone) as means to an end. Some whisper in the teahouses and inns that Akiko's bitterness stems from her unrequited love for a samurai lord when she was a young girl.

Enemies and Allies: Despite what one might imagine, the okiya of the Yaezaki family has quite a few enemies. From the envious Okasan of rival okiya to paranoid samurai who fear their secrets may not be kept, trouble is always a stone's throw away for the paragon of geisha houses. Nonetheless, the strength of Okasan Akiko's allies far surpasses that of her foes. The Yaezaki Okiya's best protection is its patrons, many of whom rank among the most influencial citizens of the empire.

Members: Nearly all members are geisha, but a few ninja and rogues may choose to live and learn the ways of a geisha for a variety of reasons.

Secrets: Those who reach the rank of Atotori and manage to remain there for some time may eventually gain Akiko's trust. (There can be only one true Atotori at a time, but others might arise to the same rank and court Akiko's favor hoping to unseat her chosen heir. Of course, there are always those who might take even more drastic measures to become Atotori of this most renowned of okiya.) Once Akiko is certain of her choice she will invite her Atotori to learn the truth behind the Yaezaki family's famed okiya. Akiko is not only a geisha, but a master spy, having accumulated enough information on various nobles and wealthy patrons to earn a fortune in blackmailing alone. Akiko guards this information very carefully and almost never uses any of it directly. Nonetheless, almost every secret whispered to one of her former students is written down in Akiko's own code and stashed away for further use. Despite all this, Akiko will not reveal any of the information or the location of the scrolls the information is stored on to her Atotori as of yet. The wise Okasan has made the proper arrangements for her successor to inherit and continue adding to the collection if and when anything might happen to Akiko herself.

Type: Business.

Scale: 11 (multiregional/duchy).

Affiliation Score Criteria: To be accepted at the Yaezaki Okiya one must simply gain the approval of Okasan Akiko.

Criterion/Affiliation Score Modifier
Character level +1/2 PC's level
Charisma 13 or higher +1
5 or more ranks in (geisha appropriate) Craft, Perform, or Profession +1 per skill
10 or more ranks in Knowledge (local) +2
Can cast charm person +1
Gains influencial client +2
Acquires valuable secret from a client +1 per secret
Has no ranks in Diplomacy or Gather Information -2 per skill
Attempts to use secret information obtained from a client for personal gain (blackmail, etc.) -4
Refuses to divulge secret information obtained from a client to the Okasan -8

Titles, Benefits, and Duties: Advancement in the Yaezaki Okiya follows a strict heirarchy, starting with the lowly Shikomi (novice) and ending with the Okasan (Mother). Shikomi are given the thankless and difficult task of attending to the household chores of the okiya. They are also introduced to the various arts praticed by accomplished geisha. A Shikomi who shows promise eventually becomes a Maiko (apprentice). Maiko begin their training as geisha in ernest, learning nearly everything of their profession at the feet of their Onesan (Older Sister). This stage can last from a few months to several years until eventually the Maiko becomes a full-fledged Geiko. Most geisha will live out the rest of their lives as Geiko, but one who shows great promise and loyalty to the okiya may eventually be chosen as the Okasan's (Mother's) Atotori (heir). While there can be only one geisha who will eventually inherit the okiya, it is not uncommon for several Geiko to vie with one another for the honor of being declared Atotori. Upon the death or retirement of the Okasan as the head of the okiya, the Atotori will become the new Okasan and, in time, will choose an Atotori of her own.

Affiliation Score/Title: Benefits and Duties:
3 or lower: Not affiliated or junior member (Shikomi) with no benefits.
4-10: Maiko: The Yaezaki Okiya recognizes your burgeoning talent but you gain no special status.
11-20: Geiko: +2 circumstance bonus on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks with clientele from the province (region).
21-29: Geiko/Atotori:* Communications network lets you use the Gather Information skill across the province (region) without requiring you to move from your hometown. You must uncover one valuable secret per month or reduce affiliation score by 1.
30 or higher: Okasan: Whispered Truths - Your chronicles of the secret lives of powerful people allow you great influence should you choose to put this information to use. Three times per day you can use your collection of information to gain a +6 insight bonus on any Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge or Sense Motive check regarding a client or anyone intimately familiar with a client.

*While any Geiko can rise to the affiliation score of Atotori and receive the benefits and duties described here, technically there is only one member of the okiya actually referred to as the Atotori.

Executive Powers: Gift, Pariah, Research



Notes:


1. The symbol is optional. I know that samurai and noble families have mons, but I don't know if geisha would use such. Nonetheless, the symbol is there if you want it.

2. I'm not certain about the scale for this affiliation. Scale ranges from 1 (neighborhood) to 20 (cosmos). One the one hand, I think 11 is a bit too high for a geisha affiliation, but as stated in the description this is the premiere okiya in the empire and its geisha are in high demand at the moment. Add to this Akiko's appetite for information and the okiya's influence could certainly reach 11 (multiregional/duchy) affecting the nobility. It's still far below 15 (continental/empire) so it's unlikely to reach the Emperor himself, but it can still affect daimyo and the like in a given campaign. Hopefully making for some interesting roleplaying regardless of which end of the stick you find yourself on (samurai with a worried daimyo OR geisha with said daimyo's big secret).

3. I wasn't sure how to handle the Criterion/Affiliation Score Modifiers because of the skill point requirements of Geisha class. For instance, it seems a bit like cheating to say: 5 or more ranks in (geisha appropriate) Craft +1 per skill or 10 or more ranks in Knowledge (local) +2 when geisha are required to put points in those skills at each level. On the other hand, it seems unnatural to withold those particular bonuses when they are such an important part of a geisha's nature. Go figure.

4. Deciding on Executive Powers was a difficult matter. There are several powers that deal with trade goods and items, but none that seemed exactly appropriate for services rendered. Perhaps a new Executive Power should be created specifically for okiya, but I decided to use what was on hand. I considered Assassinate, Craft, and Shadow War as well as the three I eventually decided on (Gift, Pariah, and Research). Here's the reasoning behind my choices:

a. I eliminated Assassinate because it went beyond the scope of this particular okiya. An okiya that secretly trains assassins or just about any okiya in Scorpion lands (L5R/Rokugan) would probably have Assassinate. Instead I chose Pariah. The Yaekazi Okiya is far more likely to use information to attack one's repuation and discredit them than to have them killed.

b. Craft seemed like a good choice at first because so much of the Geisha class centers on the Craft skill. Nonetheless, the benefits didn't seem appropriate for this okiya. I've always viewed Geisha as more centered in the Perform/Profession area than that of Craft. I found Gift more appealing because of the diplomatic powers provided. It seems more likely to me that geisha would trade their high quality goods and services in return for favors rather than manufacturing items to sell on the market. But, I could easily be mistaken.

c. Shadow War seemed a bit too hardcore and militant for an okiya, but I could certainly see it as an option. I found Research better because it fit the information collecting mindset of the Yaezaki Okiya's Okasan. Not only would it allow for spell research but also the researching of opponents and rivals.

 

[smootrk]

That is very good. I like it a lot.

Do you mind if I place this directly into the Geisha Document when/if you finish the tables for Affiliation Score? It is exactly the sort of thing I wanted to slip into the Okiya section as an example.