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overfedvenison · 2 years

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I’ve been pushing through a blind unfair playthrough of Wrath of the Righteous... Still chaotic evil. I’m finally done Chapter 1! Lets see... My unusual actions have put me on a few strange paths, I think. Among other things:

After the intro, the goal of the first chapter is to retake the Grey Garrison. Interestingly, you get a bit of a preview of this area at the start of the chapter, as you fight your way out of it. I lost the paladin you get, Seelah, here. As in-narrative, she would have had her body lost, I elected to leave her dead for the foreseeable future. You end up held out around a tavern, which serves as the base of operations. From there, I had to go out and recruit allies and become powerful... There was also notably a recruitable Tiefling Thief locked up in the basement. But, I figured... I get the vibes of a petty thief and general troublemaker from this guy. I don’t need him right away... Lets let him rot for a bit :3c I began exploring to the south, to an abandoned tower I learned about, and then to the old market square. I believe at the time, I mostly went out with myself (Kitsune Nine-tailed Heritor, going into Assassin) and Wenduag (A spider girl focused on single, powerful shots.) I also had Camelia, but brought her back only once my party began to fill out. There is a character, Ember, you can find some crusaders attempting to sacrifice to bathe their blades in her blood for magic powers. I picked the evil option, which is like, “Yes, do it! Bathe your swords in the blood of the innocent! For Iomadae!” Iomadae being like, kind of the generic ‘good’ good of the setting. I expected hearing it being said would stop them, but they actually did it! His sword basically exploded, and you get a sense that this goddess was NOT pleased. Amusingly, I encountered this when battling some demons and leading them over for their help; this crusader was forced to fight demons with his bare hand. Well... I decided to live with that decision, and proceed into the game lacking a party member I explored more. There was a drow, there, who an elf wanted me to hunt down. She seemed a tragic figure, with more to her story... But I was going into Assassin, so I killed her. She dropped an incredibly powerful (for this point) composite longbow, so I gave that to Wenduag. She became my MVP by FAR, able to one-shot most enemies after I gave her a pair of levels in Rowdy (Which gives her Vital Strike, and lets her Vital Strike also double sneak attacks.) Mooost of my strategies relied on using her as a super-weapon, so this prize was well-worth it. I found this crusader with a portrait who appeared to have killed several Mongrels who had climbed up the side of the crack in the earth he was guarding. The man had a portrait, and looked important, but also seemed like a knight templar type that would cut down a woman who he mildly suspected of witchcraft. The more I learned, the more I had this confirmed; he lead the previous crusade, in fact. For the time being, I left him alone, but once I had more of a party I killed him - And in doing so, gained the favour of some Desna followers, and eventually unlocked a hidden Azata path. These games always surprise me at how hidden some options are, and how it rewards you for niche choices - If I had sided with this Obviously Important guy, I wouldn’t have found that. So, cool. I went elsewhere, and poked back periodically. One area allows you to recruit Daerun, who is... An aasimar that is transparently evil in that way only a beautiful man with flowing hair could be. He amuses me a lot, and he is reintroduced having a party/orgy while demons invade and occupy everywhere. Just, ABSOLUTE hedonite. So like... DEFINITELY going in my party. Daerun is pretty interestingly a dedicated healer with very low strength. That’s a super interesting direction to take that class. However... I noticed he joined at a rather low level, and so decided to take him in a different route. First, I made him a Cavalier (Fearsome Leader;) his horse, which I named Ashe, allow him to get around his Oracle Curse of only having one action in the first round. Now he can move and act, and make use of his high Initiative. I could have just stuck with a level of that and made him a very mobile healer, but I decided to stick with this a bit. Weapon Finesse, a point in Constitution, and Slashing Grace on the next level up? That 7 strength can become irrelevant, as I can swap him between a light crossbow and... Well, something sabre-like; I’m still a level away from that. I gave him the Order of the Shroud. Cavaliers gain a “Challenge” ability, which lets you battle a single enemy and gain bonuses against them. I like this; Pathfinder is very much obsessed with rounds-per-day abilities, and this is a flavourful and fun ability you don’t have to micromanage with rounds. This order, in particular, gains the unique ability to add Charisma to AC against that target in particular - And Daerun has a Charisma of 20. Additionally, his Fearsome Leader will allow him to use Dazzling Display better, and he gains this as a bonus feat - it is an AoE debuff keyed off his Persuasion, as well, further making use out of his presence. And as a bonus... Well, he’s rather Griffith-like, now. And, you know, that’s cool. Lacking other party members, I also spend most of my gold on a mercenary... Simply named “Warrior” Warrior is also a cavalier, but this time a Beast-Rider. I gave him a Mastodon, War Elephant, who will take a time to get online and is still only Medium-sized at the moment. Warrior has maximum strength, and uses a glaive that inflicts Fear - Very strong for when I got him, I specifically recruited him as a frontliner who can help mitigate enemies using this and the war elephant. He did respectable damage, albeit not as much as Wenduag, and kept enemies away from us as we battled back enemies Along the way, we also got a mad scientist named Neino; she’s an Illusionist-focued Wizard. That’s a really good thing to have, so nothing super notable with her build save for building up her stealth a lot to help out Wenduag and my main character, Silver. With this party, we explored the rest of the area; recruited the Thieflings (a street gang,) Desna’s followers, some Crusaders, and tricking a bunch of would-be cultists into killing each other and helping us later at the Grey Garrison. Etc. Around this time, we found that our inn was under attack by Demons! I went to recruit Wojiff, the tiefling below the inn. Interestingly, I actually lost my chance. He says something like, “Hey, what’s going on?” and I can’t get him anymore, as far as I know. So we proceeded without him, and defended the encampment from an enormous minotaur demon. Daerun... Was quite good with a crossbow, here. And Warrior made an enormous You Shall Not Pass stand, forcing his enemies to flee while supported by arrow fire. It took some doing, and the battle was long, but we eventually won after a few tries. I think this took me, like, a day. Wojiff escaped in the chaos, never to be seen again. Well, I’m down three party members, now. After a time, we assaulted the Grey Garrison. It was a long, dangerous dungeon crawl, but I got near-permanent haste going in. Some areas were VERY rough, but I slowly and meticulously cleared it out. Some areas, I had to lure enemies out and bring them down one by one. Others, I snuck past until I found ideal positions. But, there were areas here where I was, at last, pretty powerful. In the end, we got to our goal - the Wardstone - and learned of it’s corruption with the help of an aeon’s fading soul I had discovered in the market square. I unleashed demon energy, and destroyed it, scattering those beings inside away... And retaining the aeon’s knife, for later use. For this, and the battle we fought after, we gained a mythic rank. Wenduag one-shots enemies regularly, and is my main source of DPS with a bow. I gave her a feat that procs an AoE if she kills an enemy. I gave Daerun Inspiring Leader, mostly because it seemed thematic but also because it gives in Initiative bonus which works well with him Warrior, I gave an ability that upgrades his War Elephant; as he is now level 7, this should now be pretty viable as a combat creature Camelia, I gave a second class feature too. She now has the Life Spirit, which allows her to channel energy as a cleric. Since Daerun is no longer a healer, I needed some healing support. Neino, I have 4 additional spell slots from levels 1-3. Aside from the obvious use, it allows me to use Magic Missile a lot more; she also has Bolster Spell for a similar purpose. And finally, my main character Silver... I gave her the Danse Macabre ability so she can channel negative energy, and gave her the capstone of her bloodline (Elemental Body; she is immune to fire, critical hits, and sneak attacks. Which... Very useful.) These seemed like the most “Kitsune” choices.

#wrath of the righteous #pathfinder

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vermanaward · 2 years

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having chewed on the role quest cap for a few days

while i remain underwhelmed by it mechanically (oh boy it’s a babil/amaurot rerun), i think that thematically i kind of dig it? like

it does that Fantasy RPG Trope thing where for some inexplicable reason the leader slash primary point of contact with a nation is also like, the one who fights goodest and is thus always there Representing Their Nation in Meaningful Combats and which grates on my last nerve for a variety of reasons but like

the point of it is that it’s not amaurot.

like. the vision of amaurot we got in shb was emett’s comfort delusion, a tribute to everything he thought was fucking amazing about his home city. it was an authoritarian, xenophobic, insular dictatorship which abhored individuality and creativity and which was content to let the world (literally) burn until the Final Days showed up on their doorstep. even outside of emett’s recollections, it’s shown in elpis that amaurot had absolutely no compunction whatsoever about unilaterally making decisions that would have sometimes massive impacts on the rest of their world, even as they considered themselves too good to interact with the aforementioned. (to say nothing of their taking one look at the post-zodiark new world and deciding to once again make a unilateral decision to impose their will and their vision of What The World Should Be on the star)

these are all qualities we see reflected in the modern city-state of sharlayan, both explicitly and implicitly, all through arr-shb/early ew. sharlayan might not have a direct connection to amaurot, but their are still the spiritual successors of that narcissitic arrogance. and, more to the point, they are wrong, and portrayed repeatedly to be wrong, with the epilogue repeatedly making the point that the Forum is attempting to shape the fuck up.

amaurot burned because it was insular and arrogant enough to assume that it would not be affected and then, when it was, could handle its problems alone. their eventual ‘solution’ was nothing more than a band-aid that would then have been immediately misused were it not for the intervention of hydaelyn.

the wol and the gang, by contrast, pull their aid from all peoples, all nations, all walks of life. the final pre-launch sequence is cheesy as fuck but it clearly makes the point that the reason this endeavour will succeed is because of the sheer range of people who the wol has helped out, and who have their back as a result. everyone from sky pirates to auspices (the closest thing xiv seems to have to Actual Divinities) to actual pirates (sorry, privateers) to the terrible secret from space, and they don’t stop there, aiding and enlisting the aid of even metion’s own phantoms.

on a smaller scale - a relatively smaller scale - the same holds true in the role quest cap. the wol has aided every tribe and every state they can, bringing together people who otherwise would never have so much as sat about a table together. the blasphemy they face - dollar store therion, nerva yae galvus - is the last gasp of the garlean empire, both a literal and figurative heritor of amaurot. not simply because the empire was founded by emett, but because garlemald’s insular arrogance and xenophobia and quashing of individuality and diversity would make them akin to the ancients even without that direct connection.

(it’s not without its issues. nothing ever is. but i do think i like it a lot more than i did initially.)

#6.1 spoilers

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ethereals-call · 3 years

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Prequel 14

I woke up this morning to the obsessive ringing of my phone. I did not intend to start this day early after yesterday’s shenanigans. It rang for about fifteen minutes before I answered it. When I did, a very cranky voice was on the other end. She informed me that she is my contact from The Heritors of Aion. I attempted to congratulate her, and I hung up then returned to my blissful slumber. So, of course, she called again.

She informed me that I was late for their meeting. I told her that I knew nothing about a meeting and to please stop bothering me. Then she called my mother. Cheap play, really, you can’t handle your problems, so you have to call a mommy. Anyway, I received a firm lecture about responsibility and proving myself, and I eventually got out of bed.

I am currently driving to a Starbucks for some very needed coffee and to meet my overly eager contacts. I have glamoured myself to look like Molly Ringwald. I figure she will not be easily recognizable since most of her popular work was in the 80s.

I park my car and walk in. I see the two of them sitting in a corner booth. I don’t rush over since I am not in a hurry. I didn’t think I would actually meet my contacts from the other coven. I thought it would all be figurative and in passing. Now that I know they will be involved with this operation, I will have to adapt my original strategies.

I walk up to the counter and place my order for coffee and a muffin. When I walk over to them, they look at me like I am a crazy person. “Can we help you?” says the skinny blond with blue eyes. She looks like the kind of girl country music songs are written about.

“I don’t know. You called me. Can you help me?” I replied back to her.

“Oh snap,” says the young man sitting with her. His skin is a shade of Havana. He has long dreads that he keeps secured away from his face and well-kept stubble.

“You are late!” says the blond.

“Nice to meet you too,” I say to her.

“I’m Sean,” says the young man.

“Kyra,” I replied to him. I look over my shoulder when I hear that my order is ready. “Be right back,” I tell them, then walk over and retrieve my coffee. When I return, Sean moves over to let me sit.

“That’s a cool glamour,” Sean says.

“Thanks,” I tell him as I take a sip of my coffee.

“How long did it take you?’ he asks.

“Not very long. I have seen a lot of her movies, so it is easy for me to hold the impression for the spell,” I tell him.

We both look over when the blond clears her throat to gain our attention. “If you don’t mind?” she says in a snippy tone. “We have a lot to do today.”

“And you would be?” I ask her.

“Aubrey,” she says with a short tone.

“Of course,” I mutter, and Sean starts to snicker a little since he heard me.

Aubrey rolls her eyes and pulls out a folder from her bag. “We have been tracking the movement of the incubus for over a week,” she says as she opens the folder. “He only goes to two places when he is not in his room. The bar near the lobby and the Crossroads.”

“The Crossroads is more than just one place,” I say to her. She glares back at me in response. “Okay, two places,” I say in mock defense. “Continue, please.”

“He never takes anyone back to his room, and he always leaves at the same time,” she says.

“Isn’t that odd for an Incubus? How is he feeding himself?” I ask her.

“If you keep interrupting me, I may never get around to telling you that,” she growls at me. I nod and sip my coffee. Sean is doing the same and trying to hide his amusement. “There must be more going on in the basement of that hotel than just poker. Maybe he is being supplied sustenance by the Fae, or maybe he has a connection at the Crossroads. It doesn’t matter where you are concerned.”

“Um,” I put my finger up in a contest to her statement. “Wouldn’t it be better if he were a little hungry? So that I can appeal to his appetite to get in?”

“He is an incubus. He always has an appetite,” she says curtly.

“Have a lot of experience with an incubus, then?” I ask flippantly.

She scowls at me. “You know, I heard about you,” she says. I raise an eyebrow at her. “The half-Fae witch that is always screwing up. The only reason you are here is because you are half-Fae, and the covens think you will be able to blend in. I think you are going to screw this up like you have screwed up everything else. You are not the one who should be doing this.”

I glance over at Sean, and he is looking a little embarrassed by her outburst. I sigh, I would love to say that I am always welcomed with open arms, but this is a typical interaction from me. “Well, if you are so confident with your recommendations for candidates, why don’t you call the coven mothers and let them know. Then, I can go home and back to bed, which is where I would rather be, anyway.” She leans back and crosses her arms. “No?” I ask her. “Not going to make that call?”

“Okay then,” I say as I stand up from the booth. I flip the folder close and slide it off the table. I tuck it under my arm and turn to pick up my coffee. I look at Sean and say to him, “it was nice meeting you.” I turned to her. “Good talk, thanks for the information. Don’t call me and I won’t call you. Consider your part in this little extravaganza to be done.”

“We aren’t finished,” she snaps.

“We are for now,” I say to her as I walk out and back to my car

https://www.etherealscall.com/

#new book #romance #romancenovel #book recommendations #self publishing #strong female protagonist #strong female characters #fae #alpha man #authorsofinstagram #stories #reading community #writing community #book review #best seller books #amazon #kindle #booksbooksbooks #book community

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chanoyu-to-wa · 6 years

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Nampō Roku, Book 1 (3): the Story of Rikyū's Geneology (and Sōkei's Story of the Geneology of the Shū-un-an).

3) According to Sōeki's story¹, Shukō [珠光]² had two disciples -- namely, Sōchin [宗陳]³ and Sōgo [宗悟]⁴. Jōō received his training [in chanoyu] as a disciple of these two men.

[However,] Jōō was not the only teacher under whom Sōeki had studied. A young page of Nōami [能阿彌]⁵ was known as Ukyō [右京]⁶. Once he reached maturity, [Ukyō] received guidance⁷ in [the practice of] tea from Nōami. After he became a man who had cast off [his attachment to] the World, [Ukyō] came to live in Sakai, where he was known as Kūkai [空海].

In the same place there was [another] recluse called Dōchin [道陳], and the two came to always speak without reserve to each other: and [Kukai] initiated Dōchin into the details of [Nōami's] sadō [茶道]⁹. Then Dōchin and Jōō¹⁰ carefully scrutinized [these teachings] so as to understand [the details of Nōami’s] tea¹¹.

Even while Sōeki was still known as Yoshirō [與四郎]¹², from his seventeenth year he came to prefer tea to the exclusion of everything else, and took lessons from this Dōchin. And then, through Dōchin's introduction, [Sōeki] became Jōō's disciple. The [chanoyu of the] daisu and shoin, and [other] things of that sort: for the most part he heard [about these matters] from Dōchin. Things connected with the small room were developed by [Sōeki] himself, while consulting with Jōō regarding the basic principles¹³. This is how the story was told.

With respect to the founder of the Shū-un-an [集雲庵], Giō [岐翁]¹⁴, in the beginning he visited Ikkyū oshō for training in Zen. In the middle period, a certain disquiet began to manifest itself [in their relationship]¹⁵. But through the entreaties of various people, [Giō] finally returned to [Ikkyū's] gate¹⁶.

Until his middle period, [people] referred [to Giō] as Shū-un-an [集雲庵]¹⁷. But now Ikkyū replaced his name, changing it to Nambō [南坊]¹⁸. After that, this hermitage was constructed, and [he] was called Shū-un-an [集雲庵] [from the name of his residence at the Nanshū-ji], as well as Nambō, and also Giō [岐翁]¹⁹. [This Giō] was on friendly terms with Jōō, and they usually enjoyed chatting about tea²⁰.

[This] foolish monk²¹ is the second-generation anju [庵主]²², and [he] is called Minami-no-bō [南ノ坊]²³. A hermit who trains [himself] only through tea²⁴ -- a shout of laughter, again and again...²⁵.

_________________________

¹Sōeki no monogatari ni [宗易ノ物ガタリニ].

Modern readers of the Nampō Roku (indeed, people reading this work since the time of Tachibana Jitsuzan) generally assume that Nambō Sōkei is quoting a narrative told to him by Rikyū.

However, the phrase “Sōeki no monogatari” [宗易の物語] can also mean “the story* of Sōeki” -- in other words, a story about Rikyū's antecedents -- and the disquisition may have nothing to do with Rikyū's actual words at all.

In fact, this narrative, especially when taken together with the second part (which recounts Sōkei's own antecedents), may well be a completely spurious addition introduced by Tachibana Jitsuzan in an attempt to establish the two protagonists of the Nampō Roku in the minds of his readers -- by associating the first with what had become popular knowledge (since Kanamori Sōwa's history was fairly well known to chajin by the early eighteenth century when the Nampō Roku was written†), and so lends its credibility to the second (since Nambō Sōkei would probably have been unknown to most of Jitsuzan's potential readers)‡.

In support of this thesis the following observation can be made: the first book of the Nampō Roku supposedly contains Nambō Sōkei's private records of things said by Rikyū. Now, while it could always have been possible that Rikyū would decide to confide the details of his “tea ancestry” to Sōkei, we must remember that Sōkei had been a close disciple of Jōō’s long before Rikyū was even known to him. Thus, Sōkei certainly knew who Rikyū's teachers had been; and, moreover, he surely was well aware of Jōō's antecedents, too -- Sōkei was an extremely important monk, and he would not have involved himself with anyone without assuring himself that said person was socially and morally acceptable in the first place. Consequently, there would have been no need for Sōkei to write down Rikyū's declamation of his antecedents (for his own reference). And even more, since these were private memoranda intended (in theory) only for Sōkei's eyes -- rather like a diary -- Sōkei would have had no reason to write down his own “pedigree” in the way that it is represented here.

In light of these considerations, it seems more likely that Jitsuzan added this section, based (in the first instance) on Kanamori Sōwa's widely known chanoyu history, and (in the second) on the history of the Shū-un-an that was told to him by the monks of the Nanshū-ji** when he visited there to inspect the documents kept in Sōkei's chest††. __________ *The monogatari [物語], as a genre (it is said to have developed from the prose prefaces added to poems, to make their contents and allusions clearer; and often indulged in summarized or fictionalized accounts, to make the details simpler), often takes reality as its model, while incorporating fictions concocted by its author. The Ise monogatari [伊勢物語] and Genji monogatari [源氏物語] are well known early -- and representative -- examples of this literary form.

†The Kanamori Sōwa version of chanoyu history, which was initially circulated during the first half of the sixteenth century, was imparted to novices as part of their indoctrination into the practice of chanoyu -- then, much as it still is today.

‡The Shū-un-an was sealed up once Sōkei's suicide became known to the Abbot of the Nanshū-ji, since it would have been considered highly inappropriate for this residence to be assigned to Sōkei's successor; and access to it was (only rarely) granted by the Abbot of the Nanshū-ji personally. (In fact, Jitsuzan gained access to the Shū-un-an not in his own right, but because his lord, the daimyō of the Chikuzen-Fukuoka Han, Kuroda Mitsuyuki [黒田光之; 1628 ~ 1707], petitioned the Tokugawa bakufu to arrange access for his retainer).

Given the distasteful circumstances surrounding his death (not that he committed suicide per se, but because his apparent attachment to Rikyū was the motivation for that deed -- this, despite being one of the highest monks in the Nanshū-ji), Sōkei’s name and his story were suppressed, with the result that they had begun to vanish from memory by the time the Nampō Roku was ready for its public unveiling.

**Tachibana Jitsuzan would surely have been informed of these details in the usual course of tendering his request, and being escorted to the Shū-un-an by one of the temple’s monks.

Jitsuzan, by adding this section, would have helped to make the contents of the Nampō Roku relevant to the contemporary discussion regarding Rikyū and his place in the history of tea, while identifying the purported author, Sōkei (whose memory was already fading into the past), and associating his name with Rikyū’s -- so that the significance of this material could not be easily dismissed (by the Senke -- as, indeed, was their initial reaction to this collection of writings being made more or less available to the public).

††One of Nambō Sōkei's chashaku is housed in a tsutsu [筒] (a storage box fashioned from a small length of bamboo, with a wooden stopper) made for it by Kawakami Fuhaku [川上不白; 1716 ~ 1807], shown below; but at the time when the Nampō Roku was revealed, the memory of Sōkei (and his significance in Rikyū's life) was already fading.

The tsutsu is inscribed "Kei shuso saku chashaku ・ Fuhaku (kaō)" [慶首座作茶杓・不白(花押)].

It must be kept in mind that the fiction that Shōan and Sōtan -- and the machi-shū more generally -- were the heritors of the whole of Rikyū's teachings was still rampant in the world of chanoyu, and it was felt best (by the Senke) to maintain this fiction (as they have continued to do so down to the present), lest they begin to loose their influence (and the financial security that this power brought them) over the world of tea. Sōkei and his “unauthorized” memoirs, then, presented a threat that was best nipped in the bud.

²Shukō [珠光].

Rikyū never uses the name “Murata” Shukō -- or “Takeno” Jōō, for that matter. These purported surnames first appear in Kanamori Sōwa's version of chanoyu history, with the intention of Japanizing the history of chanoyu from the beginning. The reason that scholars have difficulty ascertaining the details of Shukō’s life before a certain period is simply because he, as a refugee, only appeared in Japan on a certain date, and so nothing could be documented about him before then in Japanese sources. Sōwa's method consisted of trying to find records of people with similar names, and then conflating these accounts with the lives of the early generation of chajin.

Shukō died in 1502 (the same year as Jōō was born), and was said to have been around 80 years of age at that time (by the traditional way of counting), suggesting that he was born around 1423 or 1424.

³Sōchin [宗陳].

Apart from this mention in the Nampō Roku, most personal details relating to this person remain extremely vague. Scholars sometimes give his name more fully as Jūshi-ya Sōchin [十四屋宗陳] (though his affiliation with that house is speculative), and so suggest that he was perhaps related to Jūshi-ya Sōgo [十四屋宗悟] (see the next note) -- possibly he was Sōgo's father or uncle*, since it seems Sōgo would have been rather too young to have been Shukō's disciple for long enough to be able to lay claim that distinction on his merits alone.

This Sōchin must not be identified with Kokei Sōchin [古溪宗陳; 1532 ~ 1597] (though their personal names are identical). __________ *Sōgo died in 1552; and while his age at that time has not been verified, it seems likely that he was born no earlier than the 1480s. Since Shukō died in 1502, the connection between these two men must have been fairly brief -- too brief for Sōgo to have been reckoned as one of Shukō's principal disciples, unless there was some sort of family connection between Shukō and Sōgo's house.

⁴Sōgo [宗悟].

This refers to Jūshi-ya Sōgo [十四屋宗悟; ? ~ 1552], whose name is also given as Matsumoto Sōgo [松本宗悟]. His personal name is sometimes written with a different second kanji as Sōgo [宗伍]. While Rikyū asserts here that Sōgo was a disciple of Shukō*, other accounts link him to Shukō's disciple Insetsu [引拙; his dates of birth and death have not been recorded]†, which may be more historically accurate.

The ō-meibutsu Matsumoto katatsuki [松本肩衝] (now known as the Matsuya katatsuki [松屋肩衝], shown above on the Haneda-bon [羽田] that Jōō made for it) was owned by Sōgo. Rikyū's chashaku‡ made for this bon-chaire (below) is preserved in a bamboo tube made for it by Kobori Masakazu [小堀政一] (Enshū [遠州]), bearing the inscription “Matsumoto” [松本], which suggests that the chaire was still associated with the Jūshi-ya house in the early Edo period.

Sōgo is also associated with a variety of classical donsu (known as Sōgo donsu [宗悟緞子]: a scrap of the original of which is shown below), which was used to make one of the shifuku of the above chaire.

__________

*Which connection, on account of the differences in their ages, must have been of fairly short duration.

†As was the connection between Furuta Sōshitsu (Oribe) and Jōō, who actually studied with Jōō's disciple (and successor) Rikyū, it is more likely that Sōgo was introduced to Shukō during the latter's final years, and then continued his studies under Shukō's follower and heir Insetsu. (Because of his rather flamboyant nature, and preference for brightly lit rooms, Insetsu has been largely erased from the history of chanoyu -- because his preferences did not conform with those of latter generations of chajin.)

As the task of the principal disciple was to uphold and perpetuate his master's tradition, in both cases it could probably be argued that both Sōshitsu and Sōgo were, indeed, studying the master's version of chanoyu.

‡The handle of this chashaku is completely straight because it was made for use with a bon-chaire. Rikyū introduced a bend in the handles of his ori-tame [折撓] only when the chashaku was intended to rest on the lid of the chaire.

⁵Nōami [能阿彌].

Nōami [能阿彌; 1397 ~ 1471], one of the most prominent and influential of the Higashiyama dōbōshū [同朋衆].

⁶Ukyō [右京]

Ukyō [右京] means “the right side of Kyōto,” which was probably the area of the city where Ukyō's personal residence was located. His dates of birth and death are not known.

He is more commonly known as Kūkai [空海] (the name he assumed after retiring from service -- probably following Nōami's death in 1471); and afterward took up residence in Sakai (suggesting that, like many of the dōbō [同朋] and their household staffs, he was of Korean extraction).

If he was already a mature man (sōnen [壯年]) prior to 1471, he must have been quite elderly when he imparted Nōami's teachings to Araki Dōchin [荒木道陳] (since Dōchin was born in 1504, two years after Jōō).

⁷Cha no shinan wo etari shi [茶ノ指南ヲ得タリシ].

Shinan [指南] means to teach, coach, or give instruction (in something like a traditional art); etari suru [得たりする] means to obtain (such instruction).

Linguistically, the implication is not that Ukyō/Kūkai learned how to “do temae” from Nōami (since there was really nothing of the sort in that period in any case -- the process of preparing tea being still largely perfunctory*), but the secret rules governing how to arrange the utensils (i.e., kane-wari), and the other particulars of gokushin practice. Nevertheless, it is important to recognize that these comments were interpreted in present-day terms by the Edo period readers of the Nampō Roku, who thus imagined the existence of a formal temae of the daisu (in Sōtan’s manner)†. __________ *Since such details that we would identify as making the preparation of tea into a temae -- things like holding the hishaku in kagami-bishaku, and how to fold the fukusa, were not laid down until the middle decades of the following century, a consequence of the temae being regularly performed in front of the eyes of the guests.

†Such beliefs encouraged people with a scholarly bend to attempt to discover -- or recreate -- this kind of temae. One of the best-known examples being the work of Katagiri Sadamasa [片桐貞昌; 1605 ~ 1673] (Sekishū [石州]), which is representative of the direction scholarship was taking during the years when Jitsuzan was pursuing his own researches.

⁸Dōchin [道陳].

This refers to Araki Dōchin [荒木道陳; 1504 ~ 1562], who is more commonly known (in the context of chanoyu) as Kita-muki Dōchin [北向道陳], from the area of Sakai in which he lived.

He was the first of Rikyū's personal teachers, and it was from Kita-muki Dōchin that Rikyū learned the details of gokushin no chanoyu -- which forever shaped and informed his practice.

⁹Sadō wo kuwashiku Dōchin ni denshu arishi to nari [茶道ヲ委ク道陳ニ傳授アリシト也].

The word sadō [茶道], meaning “the Way of Tea,” was not used before the end of the first century of the Edo period. This word, then, was certainly interpolated by Tachibana Jitsuzan; and, since the entire text of the first part of this entry agrees with Kanamori Sōwa's chanoyu history rather too closely*, it might be best to take the connections, as they are laid out here, with a grain of salt†. __________ *Sōwa made a great show of flaunting these famous names, but he seems to have been ignorant of the important biographical details -- such as their dates of birth and death -- related to many of these people.

†In other words, while everything seems quite smooth to us (who have been educated in Sadler's version of Kanamori Sōwa's chanoyu history), there are, in fact, certain difficulties in the narrative.

For example, while I translated sōnen [壯年] to mean that (Ukyō/Kūkai) had “reached physical maturity” (in an effort to have the narrative hold together), the expression actually seems to have been used to mean a man in the prime of life -- which would generally mean the period when a man of the governing class had reached the pinnacle of his career, perhaps in his late 30s or early 40s. If Ukyō/Kūkai was 40 years old when Nōami died (in 1471), then he would have been in his early 70s in the year Dōchin was born (1504). And while some people can live into their 90s and beyond and still remain lucid, Kūkai would have had to be an extremely old man at the time that he was “chatting comfortably” with a man 50 or 60 years younger than himself (a social solecism), and transmitting the “Way of Tea” to the youthful Dōchin in intimate detail.

The expressions used in the Japanese version of this narrative clearly imply that the author imagined that these two men were much closer to the same age than historical fact would have it.

¹⁰Jōō [紹鷗].

The great Jōō was born in 1502 (the same year that Shukō died), and so was 2 years older than Araki Dōchin. Jōō died at the end of 1555.

By profession, Jōō was an antique dealer (and his original cultural activities -- in poetry and incense -- were calculated to bring him into contact with the generally impoverished court nobles whose homes were usually overflowing with just the kinds of antique furnishings and implements that the Nouveau riche machi-shū of Kyōto and Sakai would gladly part with a king's ransom to acquire).

Jōō originally seems to have learned a sort of chanoyu from the members of the Shino family with whom he was intimate* (the Shino included the service of tea as the final part of their kō-kai [香會], incense gatherings, following a naka-dachi while the incense things were removed from the utensil mat and replaced by tea implements), and from there he developed it into a gathering which focused more and more on the preparation and drinking of the tea (the cha-kai [茶會]), ultimately eliminating the appreciation of incense entirely.

After Rikyū returned from his prolonged sojourn on the continent (at the end of 1553, or very early in 1554), Jōō's chanoyu underwent a rapid evolution in the direction of what we might call “wabi,” and most of the significant changes that we associate with this Jōō-Rikyū period of synergy (such as the creation of the small room, the shift in focus from the utensils to the tea itself, and the reduction of the meal to “one soup and three vegetable dishes”) actually occurred during the last twenty or so months of his life†. __________ *This connection was completely ignored by Kanamori Sōwa, probably because it violated the Edo period convention of keeping the arts separate. A person practiced either kōdō, or chanoyu, or ikebana; he was not supposed to be involved in more than one, at least not if he was to be counted an expert. Since Shino was one of the two families traditionally connected with kōdō, they “could not” serve as a source for Jōō's chanoyu. Thus Sōwa had to look elsewhere to account for Jōō's antecedents.

†A fact which can not be accounted for, if one prefers to believe that Rikyū never went to Korea, and returned with a wealth of ideas from there.

¹¹Mata Dōchin to Jōō, betsshite ma yokari kere ba [又道陳ト紹鷗、別而間ヨカリケレバ].

There is a certain amount of difficulty accepting this statement in light of what seems to have been the actual historical situation.

We know that, though Dōchin is earlier described as being an inja [隠者] (a recluse or hermit), he severed his association with Rikyū immediately after Rikyū's family declared bankruptcy. This suggests that Dochin was, in fact, making his living as a teacher of tea.

Jōō, as evidenced by the numerous “secret usages” to which his writings refer, was also making a living (at least in part) as a teacher of tea (if only as a way to promote the consumption of antiques from his shop).

The situation in Sakai at that time seems to have been similar to what can be observed in modern-day Korea, rather than present-day Japan, with many monks and hermits and recluses of different stripes and colors scattered among the general population, each offering consumers their own brand of enlightenment -- for a price.

As direct competitors for the lesson fees of the clearly limited pool of people who were interested in studying chanoyu, then, it is highly unlikely that Dōchin and Jōō were ever sharing what would amount to “trade secrets” with each other, even if they were acquainted (even if, as this text asserts, that acquaintanceship meant that they were on friendly terms).

Furthermore, Dōchin had received a type of secret knowledge that dated back to Nōami (and through Nōami, back to the earliest Buddhist period of chanoyu on the continent). And he could (and apparently did) use that knowledge to acquire students (people who were interested in the “real” form of chanoyu). Jōō was certainly aware of the notion that there was such a thing as kane-wari; but his version of kane-wari was very different from what Nōami had taught* (suggesting that Jōō, lacking any direct contact with the Nōami tradition, had simply made this teaching up by himself; and while he at first seems to have developed this idea primarily as a way to govern the practice of chanoyu in the inaka-ma 4.5-mat room, it was later applied to tea served in the kyō-ma rooms without change).

Thus, if they were acquainted, it appears that little passed between them regarding such details, though it was equally likely that Jōō would have tried his best to get Dōchin to divulge these teachings; and it is just as likely that Dōchin would have resisted precisely because delivering this information to someone as well known as Jōō would have been tantamount to putting himself out of business.

Rikyū studied with Dōchin for several years only. So we can imagine that, while he had mastered the basics of the gokushin teachings, there were still details that Dōchin had yet to impart (and those secrets, safe in Dōchin's keeping, would suffice to uphold Dōchin's reputation -- and the uniqueness of his teachings -- even if others did eventually learn something of kane-wari from Rikyū).

When Rikyū's family lost their fortune, Rikyū's lessons with Dōchin stopped abruptly. Still, sensible to his erstwhile disciple's financial situation, Dōchin did two things to help him: first, he gave Rikyū a rather darkly-colored ki-Seto chawan [黄瀬戸茶碗]† (shown above) -- one that could only be used for wabi no chanoyu (thereby implying that Rikyū should give up any pretenses at practicing gokushin tea in the future); and, second, he introduced Rikyū to Jōō, probably so that Rikyū could sell his temmoku chawan and other utensils for a respectable price (meanwhile apparently enticing Jōō to accept Rikyū by dangling the possibility that Rikyū might be able to answer those questions that Dōchin himself preferred to avoid).

Apparently Rikyū did sell his utensils to Jōō (he is never mentioned using any of them again after that), and received in return (in addition to a cash payment) the Shukō chawan [珠光茶碗] (which, since it was broken and repaired, would not have been used by most people at that time, and so was essentially worthless‡), and the shin te-oke [眞手桶] that had belonged to Yoshimasa** -- Rikyū continued to use these things for chanoyu throughout his middle period, only later giving the Shukō chawan to Nobunaga, and the shin te-oki to his disciple Araki Dōkun (the later only after he had entered Hideyoshi's household).

Rikyū apparently also pleased Jōō with his knowledge and ability, as well as his discernment, so that Jōō eventually financed his trip to the continent (for the primary purpose of collecting appropriate utensils for resale in Japan, thus restoring Rikyū's family's fortunes). __________ *Nōami's teaching (which was based on the shiki-shi [敷き紙]) divided the space in front of the daisu into six yin areas separated by five yang lines. Jōō, on the other hand, divided the space in front of the daisu using seven lines, and ignored the effects of yin entirely.

†This bowl, which Rikyū was apparently forced to sell soon after receiving it from Dōchin, seems to have been the inspiration (both in terms of shape and color) for the earliest red Raku bowls that Rikyū asked Chōjirō to make. Indeed, it appears that his desire to recover this kind of chawan is what prompted him to approach Chōjirō in the first place.

The ki-Seto chawan that Rikyū received from Dōchin is shown beside an early red Raku chawan (the bowl now known as Mu-ichi-butsu [無一物]), to illustrate the similarity between the two.

‡Originally, only objects in perfect condition could be used for chanoyu, and this was still the prevailing attitude in Jōō's day.

As soon as a utensil showed any damage (and, in the case of the chawan, this included the crackles in the glaze becoming stained with tea, or the bottom of the foot discolored by oil from the hands), they were discarded and replaced. This was true all the more when the piece was actually broken -- even if it had been repaired with lacquer so that the damage was invisible.

The Shukō chawan (a bowl of the same type is shown above, the original having been lost in the fire that destroyed the Honnō-ji following Nobunaga’s seppuku) was cracked in two places near the rim, and the area had been painted over with lacquer that matched the color of the chawan, so that the cracks were both filled in securely (lacquer acts as a bonding agent when it seeps into a crack, which would help to keep the cracks from reopening, or worsening) and obscured. Nevertheless, it was known to be cracked by everyone, and this disqualified it from ever being usable for chanoyu -- when serving tea to guests. (To serve someone using a broken utensil was generally considered insulting and ill-omened -- as if wishing bad fortune on them. Only recluses would use such things, and only when serving tea to their intimates.) Giving Rikyū this bowl, then, meant that while he would still be able to practice chanoyu (and the gift can be seen as a sort of encouragement that Rikyū not give up chanoyu even in his time of adversity), he would not be able to do so in front of anyone of consequence (possibly Dōchin wanted to discourage Rikyū from harboring any pretensions -- perhaps as a way to keep the secret knowledge Rikyū had learned safe from casual dispersal).

**The shin te-oke (a modern copy is shown below) had been handed down from Ashikaga Yoshimasa, who had used it during the period of his brief second retirement (he died just several months after giving up his official titles and positions for the second time).

According to the story, when his storehouse was burned down, all of his famous utensils had been destroyed. The only thing to have somehow survived the conflagration was this lacquered hand-bucket, and the set of utensils on the o-chanoyu-dana in the tsugi-no-ma that was attached to the shoin (since the Tōkyū-dō [東求堂] had not been burned). That is why Yoshimasa took to performing tea with those utensils; and also why, when the guests objected to the retired shogun doing this in the preparation room, insisting that he should honor them by making tea in the shoin, he arranged these utensils on a naga-ita that was set out in the shoin (since they were too large, and too rough, to be placed on the daisu), but did things in the same manner as was employed at the o-chanoyu-dana.

The shin te-oke was not a tea utensil. It was originally used to carry washing water from the well to the residential apartments. But because it was the only thing pulled out of the ruins of the storeroom intact, Yoshimasa chose to elevate its status by using it as his mizusashi.

¹²Yoshirō [與四郎.

Rikyū’s childhood name. The name suggests that Rikyū was born as the fourth son of the family.

Having no need to bother himself over the family business (since he would have grown up to fulfill some minor position in the firm, behind his older brothers), he was allowed (perhaps even encouraged) to espouse a new interest -- which might see him eventually setting himself up in his own business (and so no longer being a drain on the family’s financial resources). The expenditure over Rikyū’s tea utensils, then, may be seen as an investment in the future.

¹³In other words, this account is saying that Rikyū created the small room*, after discussing the details (presumably related to wabi no chanoyu) with Jōō. __________ *The language implies that the small room and its details were created spontaneously, and without any external influence; and only afterward did Rikyū apply to Jōō for the latter's opinion.

¹⁴In the authoritative treatise Ikkyū Oshō Den [一休和尚傳] (published in 1866), his full name is given as Giō Jōtei [岐翁紹禎].

It is said, in that document, that Jōtei was born when Ikkyū Sōjun was 34 years of age, which places the date of Giō Jōtei’s birth in 1428. According to that source, Ikkyū is known to have sired only this one son.

¹⁵According to the Kazunaga-kyō Ki [和長卿記] Ikkyū was Giō's biological father, and it seems that Giō was pressing Ikkyū to acknowledge their relationship publicly (and, probably, recognize Giō as his heir and future successor). Neither of which Ikkyū was disposed to do.

It appears that Giō's feelings of repudiation began to color their relationship.

¹⁶Kimon [歸門].

While the word means “to return,” it literally means “to return to (someone's) gate.” Here “gate” would mean the assembly of people whom Ikkyū was guiding in Zen.

¹⁷Shū-un-an [集雲庵].

Shū-un-an means “the hut (or hermitage) in which clouds are gathered together.” At this time, this was the man's name, not the name of his hermitage.

The name seems to be a derivative of one of Ikkyū's anonyms, Kyōunshi [狂雲子] ("child of the crazy clouds").

¹⁸Nambō [南坊].

This name means "a monk from the south" or "a monk living in the south" -- Sakai (where the Nanshū-ji is located) is south of Kyōto (where Ikkyu Sōjun was living at that time). Since the name geographically posits Giō relative to Ikkyū, it could be understood as a tacit acknowledgement of the relationship between the two men.

¹⁹Giō [岐翁].

It is difficult to know how this name was interpreted during Giō's lifetime.

The first kanji, gi [岐] usually means high or majestic*, while ō [翁] refers to a (venerable) old man. Perhaps this name was used only after his father's (Ikkyū's) death.

The rank that Giō held in the Nanshū-ji’s hierarchy is not known (but the fact that his residence was erected within the temple's san-mon [山門] suggests that he was of high clerical rank). __________ *The secondary meaning of “a forked road” appears to be the result of conflating the handwritten character with gi [歧]; though in Japan this latter kanji is interpreted figuratively (to refer to the fingers; or dividing something into parts).

²⁰Heizei sa-wa [wo] tanoshimi to serareshi nari [平生茶話樂トセラレシナリ].

Sa-wa [茶話], which means a chat over tea, usually refers to gossip. So Giō and Jōō used to enjoy gossiping with each other over a bowl of tea regularly*. Chajin prefer to interpret sa-wa to mean talking about tea.

However, as with other cases mentioned in this entry, there is some difficulty understanding this assertion in a historical context. According to the Ikkyū Oshō Den which was mentioned above, Giō was born around 1428. Thus he was already 74 years old when Jōō was born (in 1502); and nothing that we know about Jōō suggests that he was a precocious child -- or interested in chanoyu until much later in his life, after he had already established a name for himself in the poetry and incense circles where tea was served as an accompaniment to these other activities. I have found nothing that indicates that Giō lived to be well over 100 years of age; but what I have found is that Jōō was, from a fairly early period, on close terms with Nambō Sōkei, and it is probably to him that these early, and fragmentary records, refer.

While it is conceivable (however unlikely) that Sōkei might have inadvertently misrepresented Rikyū’s antecedents, it is beyond belief that he could have done so when writing about himself -- though, as argued above, since this collection of essays was supposedly written only for his own eyes, there is no reason why he would have been discussing his own history in the first place.

Furthermore, as for Sōkei himself, he seems to have been older than Rikyū, but not by too many years. Rikyū was born in 1522 (at which time Giō would have been 96 years of age -- if he lived that long). Even if Nambō Sōkei was 10 years older than Rikyū, it is difficult to imagine that Giō died just prior to Sōkei’s being assigned the Shū-un-an as his residence (which would not have been done until he attained a position of eminence in the Nanshū-ji) -- even if he had been fortunate enough to have met the elderly Giō before his death. As I have said before, many of the assertions made in this entry simply do not bear scrutiny. __________ *Heizei [平生] means usually, ordinarily.

This sort of behavior would hardly be usual, if their relationship were that of master (Giō) and disciple (Jōō). Perhaps the two were named together, but the relationship was not clear, and this was Tachibana Jitsuzan’s guess at what their relationship may have been.

²¹Gu-bō [愚坊].

Gu-bō [愚坊] means a foolish monk. This is a self-deprecatory formula. Sōkei is referring to himself.

²²Anju [庵主].

The master (or owner) of a hermitage. Literally, “the person who lives in the hermitage.”

²³Minami-no-bō [南ノ坊].

Another way of reading Nambō [南坊]. Since the kanji could be read either way, and since his name is always written with these kanji rather than spelled out in kana (to the best of my knowledge), there is no way to know which form Sōkei actually used or preferred.

²⁴Cha-shugyō nomi no inja [茶修行ノミノ隠者].

Cha-shugyō [茶修行] would be using chanoyu as a form of Zen training (as has been described elsewhere in this blog)*.

Nomi [のみ] is the literary form of dake [だけ], and means “only,” or “nothing but†.”

And, as above, inja [隠者] means a hermit or recluse -- someone who abjures participating in society. __________ *This could account for the specific arrangement of the daisu temae described in Book Five of the Nampō Roku -- since the arrangement appears to parallel the pattern found in Zen anthologies like the Wúmén Guān [無門關] (Mumon Kan in Japanese) and Bìyán Lù [碧巖録] (Heki-gan Roku).

†Cf. the poem by Fujiwara Ietaka [藤原家隆; 1158 ~ 1237]: hana wo nomi matsuramu hito ni yamazato no yukima-no-kusa no haru wo miseba [花をのみまつらむ人に山里の雪間の草の春を見せ場や]: “only for the flowers, those people who are waiting: in a mountain village, the herbs [blossoming] within the snow -- that is the place they should look” (where “flowers” is a standard allusion to cherry blossoms).

²⁵Tai-shō tai-shō [大笑ゝゝ].

Tai-shō [大笑] means loud laughter, laughing out loud. Repeated, it suggests the laughter continues until it trails off. Sōkei is unable to stop cackling over his last remarks.

———————————————————————————————————

◎ It occurs to me that there may be another way to account for the material contained in the third entry in Book One of the Nampō Roku. Assuming that Tachibana Jitsuzan did simply (and honestly) do no more than copy the documents he found in Nambō Sōkei’s wooden chest, it is entirely possible that someone else surreptitiously added this text – knowing that sooner or later the contents of the chest would all be made public, and wishing to have the contents confirm the official version of chanoyu history, as written for the Tokugawa bakufu by Kanamori Sōwa (even as the teachings occasionally clashed with what was being taught by the Sen Families and their machi-shū adherents).

That Jitsuzan was not the first person to gain access to this material is undisputed – Furuta Sōshitsu (Oribe) certainly made a copy of at least some of the documents in 1595 (when, on Hideyoshi’s orders, he was supposedly overseeing the demolition of Sakai’s walls and moat). And while the names of other auditors have not been recorded (or at least the list has not been made public – assuming the Nanshū-ji kept such records, as well they may), the private circulation of Oribe’s copies of certain of the documents after his death would have served notice to the scholarly sector that such extra-Senke material was available (even if kept under lock and key by the Abbot of the Nanshū-ji – though lock-and-key may be overstating the security measures, since more likely they consisted of paper tapes pasted across the doors and windows of the Shū-un-an, and perhaps even on the wooden chest that housed the documents, bearing the text that entry was forbidden, together with various official seals), and that may have inspired others to investigate the original source of his copies. And the publication of the Rikyū Chanoyu Sho would have drawn even more public notice to (and perhaps official scrutiny of) this potentially dangerous material.

It may, then, be possible to account for these spurious incorporations without necessarily making Jitsuzan culpable. But, ultimately, the important point is, and remains, that while much that is found in the Nampō Roku is most likely authentic, there are other documents that certainly are not. And it remains our job, as scholars, to sort the one from the other – at least if, at the end of the day, our purpose is to understand Rikyū’s version of chanoyu.

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enterinit · 5 years

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New Xbox One Games for November 19 to 22

New Xbox One Games for November 19 to 22.

Munchkin: Quacked Quest (November 19)

Dive into Munchkin: Quacked Quest and re-discover the parody, puns, and humor from the hit card game Munchkin by Steve Jackson. Gather gold, throw your foes (and friends) into sacrifice pits, collect ducks, eliminate the monsters—from reanimated skeletons to the Potted Plant and even the Plutonium Dragon—and reach the highest level to win the game! After all, there’s only one spot at the top and you just found a chainsaw… Sometimes the enemy is next to you on the couch. Gather your best friends, or enemies (doesn’t matter, you’ll turn on each other either way), and take down the rampaging hordes of monsters! Beat your “allies” to the treasure and gear up with legendary weapons such as the Rat-on-a-Stick, a Scepter that sends love or a Flare Gun.. Fast-playing and silly, Munchkin: Quacked Quest can reduce any roleplaying group to hysteria. And, while they're laughing, you can be the first to grab the ducks. ..HEY, THAT’S MY DUCK! Not afraid of chickens and trolls? Do you enjoy smashing random objects for loot? Are you eager to vanquish epic bosses and betray your friends? In either the solo or local multiplayer mode, you race through randomly generated dungeons and overcome increasingly bizarre challenges. Choose from four different races and classes and unleash their special skills at the right moment to gain an advantage over your opponents. The mix between accessible, yet rich, gameplay and a leveling race offers intense and skill-based brawling action. ...I SAID DROP THE DUCK, BOB! Trust the Wight Brothers and their Fabulous Dungeonarium Machine (FDM™©) to generate unique dungeons filled with deadly traps, dangerous enemies and magnificent ducks. Every adventure will be enhanced by random modifiers. The more victories you claim, the more possibilities will be added to your game. Main gameplay features: Play solo or with up to four players in couch mode and adventure through deadly dungeons where enemies lurk. Be careful, sometimes the most dangerous enemy is sitting right next to you…Be the fastest, the most cunning, or the most effective at accomplishing the crazy objectives of each dungeon: capture ducks, slay monsters, defeat bosses, while throwing your friends/foes into pits and smashing furniture… everything you wish you could have done at your cousin’s wedding.Four races and four classes available: become a fashionable Orc Priest, a grumpy Dwarf Wizard, or dozens of other combinations. (Management will deny any liability in case of a botched spell or missing limb.)More than 20 weapons to wield for hitting, cutting, shooting, hugging, burning, smashing or knocking down more than 15 different enemies—or friends. Just in case, you know...they get in your way. And if you want to hit harder, run faster, or be even more annoying to the other players, there are nine almost-lethal items to choose from.Randomly generated dungeons for infinite replay value! You will never need to purchase another game. Ever. #MarketingDPTApprovesCustomized experience: choose player mode and game duration and let the back-stabbing, loot-grabbing, slaying, and betraying commence! HA HA! THE DUCK IS MINE! MINE!!!

Age of Wonders: Planetfall – Revelations (November 19)

Included in the Season Pass, Revelations introduces the ancient Heritor Secret Technology, new campaign missions, location mechanics and more. Revelations is the first expansion from Triumph Studios for Age of Wonders: Planetfall, the turn-based strategy game with in-depth empire building.

We Happy Few: We All Fall Down (November 19)

You’ve taken your Joy, but now it’s time to tear it all down in this final piece of handcrafted Season Pass content. Play as Victoria Byng, get a grip on her whip, and get the last word on the story of Wellington Wells. As Victoria reckons with her own withdrawals, the city slides deeper into Joy shortage and disorder. It’s always been Victoria’s duty to help keep things proper, but the closer she looks, the deeper the rot seems to run.

Titeuf: Mega Party (November 21)

The day before school started, Tootuff heard that it was possible to clone sheep by selecting the very best specimens. Terrified about the idea of being infinitely duplicated, Tootuff shares his concerns with his friends. Fortunately, Hugo always has a solution: if only the best are destined to be cloned, you just have to be as naughty as possible to avoid being chosen.

Farmer’s Dynasty (November 21)

THE PERFECT COMBINATION OF FARMING SIMULATION AND LIFE SIMULATION More than just an agricultural simulation: in Farmer’s Dynasty, you have to rebuild your farm and develop your heritage, start a family, handle your relationships and, of course, manage your crops to prosper. THE FARMER AND HIS MACHINES Dozens of authentic farming machines you can use to cultivate your fields and optimize your yields. CHOOSE THE CROPS AND LIVESTOCK Become an experienced farmer, expand your farm and invest in new fields so you can diversify and harvest even more. MAKE NEW FRIENDS Earn your neighbours' gratitude by accomplishing quests. Maybe you'll end up marrying one of them?

Narcos: Rise of the Cartels (November 22)

Narcos: Rise of the Cartels is a brutal turn-based action strategy game based on the hit Netflix TV series. Explore the entire first season from two sides each with their own unique story. Join the narcos and expand the drug cartel empire, or take up arms with the DEA and bring it crumbling down.

Debris (November 22)

An atmospheric first-person narrative adventure set in a surreal seascape locked between ice and rock. Following an incident, you and a friend must find power, defeat strange and deadly creatures, and decipher what mysterious forces are attempting to prevent your escape. Escape together or die alone.

Where the Water Tastes Like Wine (November 22)

Where the Water Tastes Like Wine is a Narrative-Adventure game about traveling, sharing stories, and surviving manifest destiny. Featuring gorgeous hand-drawn illustrations, Where the Water Tastes Like Wine combines 2D visuals with a 3D overworld US map. Players wander across a folkloric Depression era United States at their own pace, meeting strangers with their own stories to tell. Through these interactions, players will be able to collect unique stories which can then be re-told to unlock new interactions. In this way the in-game stories themselves act as a currency to progress through the game, and it’s up to the player to pair the right story with the unique needs of each of the characters that you will encounter throughout your travels. Only through these right pairings will characters reveal their true selves, and bestow you with the most powerful stories, the true ones which reveal something about their own lives. In Where The Water Tastes Like Wine, stories organically take on a life of their own as they grow larger and transform as they're told- and re-told. Features: Travel the Depression-Era United States, laboring to pay off a debt by learning the true stories of 16 signature characters across a wide range of American experience from migrant workers to a travellAs you explore, you'll encounter strange and unsettling things: slices of a country built on dust clouds and murky dreams, where the folk tales are bleeding through. You'll carry those tales with you,The stories you share will return to you along your journey, changed in the telling as they've made their way around the country. As you meet the characters time and again on your travels, they will gBeautiful combination of 3D overworld and hand drawn 2D illustrations Original stories written by a wide selection of accomplished authorsFully voiced characters from all walks of life brought to life by world-renowned voice acting talent, including Sting, Dave Fennoy (The Walking Dead: A Telltale Game Series), Cissy Jones (Firewatch), A hauntingly beautiful original soundtrack arranged by celebrated composer Ryan Ike and featuring performances from a collection of gifted musicians.An emerging fantastical, psychedelic and surreal overarching atmosphere.

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts (November 22)

Experience pure sniper gameplay across the harsh terrain of Siberia in a brand-new, contracts-based system that encourages strategic thinking, playing as a silent assassin within engaging, redeployable missions. With hundreds of ways to take down a wide range of targets, Contracts offers precise, strategic sniping gameplay at its absolute best.

Lost Ember (November 22)

Explore a breathtakingly beautiful world that nature has claimed back from mankind. As a wolf with the power to inhabit and control other animals and with a trusted companion at your side, you’ll discover ruins of long forgotten civilizations and ancient cultures that tell a story of hope, loss, ambition, and failure.

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI (November 22)

Originally created by legendary game designer Sid Meier, Civilization is a turn-based strategy game in which you attempt to build an empire to stand the test of time. Explore a new land, research technology, conquer your enemies, and go head-to-head with history’s most renowned leaders as you attempt to build the greatest civilization the world has ever known. Civilization VI for Xbox One includes the latest game updates and improvements and four pieces of additional content which adds four new civilizations, leaders, and scenarios: Vikings Scenario PackPoland Civilization & Scenario PackAustralia Civilization & Scenario PackPersia and Macedon Civilization & Scenario Pack Features: PLAY YOUR WAY: The path to victory is the one you determine. Become the most scientifically advanced civilization, dominate through sheer military power, or become the foremost destination for the cultural arts.THE WORLD’S GREATEST LEADERS: Play as one of 24 different leaders from various countries around the world and throughout history. Build an empire of lucrative trade routes with Cleopatra of Egypt, flex the military might of your legions with Trajan of Rome, or develop a powerhouse of culture with Hojo Tokimune of Japan. Each of the leaders can be played any way you prefer, with unique abilities, units, and infrastructure in their quest for victory.EXPANSIVE EMPIRES: See the marvels of your empire spread across the map. Settle in uncharted lands, improve your surroundings, build new districts, and see your cities – and your civilization – prosper. ACTIVE RESEARCH: Unlock boosts that speed your civilization’s progress through history. To advance more quickly, use your units to actively explore, develop your environment, and discover new cultures.DYNAMIC DIPLOMACY: Interactions with other civilizations change over the course of the game, from primitive first interactions where conflict is a fact of life, to late game alliances and negotiations. EXCITING AND UNIQUE SCENARIOS: Civilization VI on Xbox One includes four playable scenarios, each with a different setting and style of gameplay inspired by history. Be part of the colonization of Australia in “Outback Tycoon,” defend Poland from invaders in “Jadwiga’s Legacy,” choose a Viking leader to conquer Europe in “Vikings, Raiders, and Traders!”, or conquer the known world in the “Conquests of Alexander.”COOPERATIVE AND COMPETITIVE MULTIPLAYER: Up to 4 players can cooperate or compete for supremacy via online multiplayer.

G.R.E.E.N. The Life Algorithm (November 22)

Humanity is an endangered species and only you can save it. Welcome to G.R.E.E.N. The Life Algorithm, an adventure through spectacular natural scenarios in which you will face the threats and challenges of lethal plants that dominate the earth. But beware, you can’t kill your enemies here, just petrify them and use them to your advantage, so choose wisely to survive. Read the full article

#Games #XboxOne

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luucarii · 7 years

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Fire Emblem Echoes Ramblings

Okaysss so hopefully this won’t be as long as my Persona 5 Ramblings (I’m honestly going to start a “Rambling” series where I just give my opinions on games and anime and just other shit soo)

spoilers and bitching abroad my friends.

edit: most of my bitching is toward the story not the game itself. The gameplay is amazing, save for some few nitpicks I mention down below.

Fire Emblem Echoes. A game I’m extremely conflicted about. Now, this is coming from someone who has only played Awakening and Fates. Echoes was… okay. I don’t think I’ll go back to replay it for a while. Like a long, long while.

Echoes physically drained me after about Act 3. Maybe it was because I was a little high on Persona 5 at the time, maybe it was because I was finishing up school. I don’t know for sure.

Everything just grew so repetitive. The constant “rout the enemy” missions, the lack of memorable map layouts, the lack of memorable anything really. Nothing really stood out to me.

The story, was an extreme slow burn and the amount of exposition was incredible for how simple the overall layout was. The title screen cutscene that plays where Alm and Celica are talking about Duma and Mila perfectly explain what the whole game is going to have you accomplish. Duma’s the bad God and is going mad and with the help of Mila you (or Alm and Celica) are going to have to put him down. I get why they had to have all this fluff in the beginning with the prologue (to establish Alm and Celica’s relationship even though their relationship wasn’t exactly executed properly I feel but I’ll get into that later) but all the other shit involved like why Alm has a Brand and the Masked Man (two “plot twists” that literally anyone could have seen coming - YOU GET THE MEMORY OF CONRAD’S “DEATH” THE BATTLE BEFORE/AFTER YOU MEET HIM HOLY SHIT ITS SO OBVIOUS) was just a bore to me.

The battles were quickly forgotten as well as the named villains you fight. Besides Berkut (who is probably the best villain in the damn game even if he isn’t the main antagonist) and Jedah (who was obviously the main antagonist considering all the cutscenes he was in) I literally only remember Fernand because of his death near the end of the last dungeon. Everyone else who had names and who you were forced to fight are just footnotes because there’s nothing memorable about them. They’re just commanders for Rudolf’s army or are apart of the Duma faithful. Removing their names wouldn’t affect the plot at all.

I feel like the plot as a whole was an attempt to make a simple plot more complex and failed in process. It’s literally a Mila vs Duma fight but all this extra stuff made it drag on longer than my 33ish hours of playtime. And I’m very disappointed because after Fates and Awakening (two games that I genuinely enjoyed) I was looking forward to Echoes. From the trailers and screenshots I was interested in the whole concept of dueling gods but the execution was just subpar for me.

Now, I have one more gripe with the overall story. Alm and Celica. Specifically their relationship. In my personal opinion, Alm and Celica’s relationship seems so forced from the minute the prologue starts. I’ll admit there are a few sparing cute moments here and there but I feel they’re quickly overshadowed once you realize they had only been friends for maybe a good 3-5ish years as children before Mycen took Celica away. You honestly expect me to believe that they continued to want to see each other after 8+ years of being apart? You honestly expect Alm, Gray, Tobin, Faye, everyone to remember Celica from childhood when she was taken away from them at such a young age? I… I just can’t buy it. You can also argue that their fates were intertwined since they both have the Brand and they are the “Children of Fate” but I still can’t swallow that without any lingering thought of bullshit. I never shipped Alm and Celica because I can’t see any actual romantic development with them besides them obviously caring about each other. The fight at the beginning was just a plot device to drive them away from each other and having Celica get momentarily possessed at the end and have Alm kill her was just another cliche and having Mila save her (when to be honest, Celica was better off dead) just made me shrug and say “she’s one of the main protagonists, obviously she won’t die.”

Guys, Nintendo. If you’re going to establish a relationship in one of your games, for fuck’s sake make it at least somewhat likable. Shulk and Fiora (even though Fiora can get a bit bitchy sometimes), Reyn and Sharla both from Xenoblade Chronicles, Link and Zelda from Skyward Sword (specifically). These relationships had development. They grew. Yeah, they had a fight here and there but that wasn’t the only basis as to why they’re loved as a couple. Shulk and Fiora while yes they had their fair bit of problems (mostly the whole revenge relationship plot) you can still see them let their hair down and have fun and Fiora teases Shulk a lot throughout the game. Reyn and Sharla start as a sort of friends while Reyn has to work himself to show Sharla that he can be a man to take care of her after the stuff with Sharla’s fiancé (story shit I won’t get into because spoilers). Link and Zelda (while if only in the first few cutscenes) you can see Zelda poke fun at Link, you can see the care she has for him, HELL THEY EVEN HAVE A FAKEOUT KISS AT THE BEGINNING. During SS you see Zelda grow as she begins to realize her role and Link meanwhile is risking his life all for her, all so he can get back to her.

Alm and Celica, I feel, have none of this. Guys, having them fight at the beginning of the game just to drive a wedge in between them and have them come back together at the end doesn’t make them a good couple if the reason for the fight was overall shit and hypocritical on Celica’s part. Just… ugh. I’m sorry to any Alm/Celica shippers but I just don’t like them together.

Maybe it’s my bias because I really really don’t like Celica as a character but either way I don’t ship Alm/Celica and there’s nothing that can convince me that they’re good together.

Now, this is already long enough so I’ll sum up the rest of things about Echoes that disappointed me.

The Supports. Don’t get me wrong, the voice acting is absolutely amazing, one of the best I’ve seen this year. But just… the lack of them compared to Fates and Awakening is so disappointing. Now I get Echoes was based off one of the older games so it’s not completely fair to compare the supports to that of recent games but there’s literally a maximum of 3 supports per character and the supports do literally nothing to show off character. Fates and Awakening’s supports had 3 (4 if it was a marriage support) short bursts of dialogue away from the main game to establish character, likes, dislikes, compatibility with other characters the works. These supports, if anything, are lighthearted pieces of fluff to distract from the somewhat serious tone of the game.

Enemy Variety and Class Variety. Again more I can’t exactly complain about since Echoes was based off an older game and thus took aspects from said older game. But… the amount of Dread Fighters and Barons I saw in the last dungeon just made me hate the classes as a whole (despite two of my best boys Tobin and Kamui being Dread Fighters with Brave Swords who fucked EVERYONE up with crits). Fates and Awakening had such a fun cast of classes, my favorites being Nohr Noble and Assassin and dropping the number of classes just… ugh.

Also, one last quick note. The suddenly difficulty spike is one of the main reasons I considered dropping the game midway through. I played on Normal/Casual (I’m still a newbie leave me alone…) and although I died once, there was a bunch of times where I was sitting in frustration of not knowing what to do. Though as a strategy game, you’re kinda suppose to do that so…

OKAY ENOUGH BITCHING ABOUT THIS GAME, LETS GET INTO THE SHIT I LIKED…which is going to be a few short paragraphs…

The Voice Acting. Holy shit the voice acting. Not only is it featuring some of my favorites (Cherami Leigh, Max Mittelman and the like) but nearly every line is spoken beautifully. Special props to Alm’s voice actor Kyle McCarley who brought me to near tears with some of his lines. Absolutely incredible.

Bows!!! BOWS ARE ACTUALLY GETTING LOVE! I rarely used archers in Awakening but I did pick up using them in Fates (Takumi and Kiragi are incredible) and I fell in love with them here in Echoes. Finally they’re not just limited to 2 spaces and they can hit as far as 5 and just… Python and Leon were my main favorites.

Dungeons. It’s a nice break between battles and they’re interesting locals. But please, Celica, that weird squeak that you have while attacking… just… please stop.

The Design. The character design is something I can’t NOT praise. Everyone looks incredible. While the cutscenes I feel lag a little compared to Fates and Awakening you can’t deny they still look amazing for a 3Ds game.

The Soundtrack. I’m a sucker for good music (one of the reasons why I love XC, Okami, Botw and the like) and a good majority of the tracks on the ost I’m completely in love with. The credits theme especially “The Heritors of Arcadia.” Props to Bonnie Gordon (Silque’s VA) she did an amazing job.

Verdict. Overall, Echoes was okay for me. It was different compared to Fates and Awakening and I knew that going in. I knew there was no marriage system, I knew they were getting rid of the weapon triangle, I knew it was going to be similar to the older games to close divide between the fans before Awakening and after Awakening. And it was a good different in some ways but in most other ways just disappointed me. The fact that I had to force myself to marathon the last dungeon just so I could finish the damn game speaks miles. I was drained. I didn’t want to continue but I did just for the sake of saying I beat it. It didn’t feel like 30 hours of game play for me, it felt like months (which in actuality was nearly two). Like I mentioned, I doubt I’ll pick this game up again anytime soon (while Fates I replayed and beat nearly 6+ times, 2 for each path and Awakening I’ve replayed maybe 3 times I can’t remember). It could’ve been so much more, I feel, if they didn’t try to shove Alm/Celica down my throat and if we could have had some more character development. But eh, that’s just me.

ALSO IM REALLY HAPPY MAE AND BOEY ENDED UP TOGETHER.

#ari speaks?#fe echoes #welp not as long as my p5 ramblings but still pretty long #idk how to feell

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citizentruth-blog · 6 years

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Unpacking and Understanding Media Bias, Part 2: Press in Colonial America - HISTORY

New Post has been published on https://citizentruth.org/unpacking-and-understanding-media-bias-part-2-press-in-colonial-america/

Unpacking and Understanding Media Bias, Part 2: Press in Colonial America

Historical context is essential to a true understanding of bias and partisanship in U.S. news media. This article focuses on the advent and early development of newspapers in the colonial era, from about the mid 17th century until just before the beginning of the Revolutionary War.

The First Printing Press and Early Censorship

The first printing press in colonial America, established in Massachusetts in 1638 by the Puritans, came about just a few years after the founding of the first colonial college (Harvard). Most Americans today associate Puritanism with repressive restrictions on behavior and expression; however, the Puritans were also the purveyors of early literacy, education and printing in the colonies. By 1700, Boston would become the center of printing and book trade in the colonies.

When William Penn visited the lands bequeathed to him in 1682, a printer’s apprentice by the name of William Bradford accompanied him. Founded by the Quakers on the idea of religious tolerance, Pennsylvania was the heritor of the Quakers’ extensive publishing experience. Quakers had covertly published their own works while still in Britain.

The Origins of Media and Government Partnerships

Upon settling in Pennsylvania in 1685, Bradford managed to offend the Quakers with his very first publication — an almanac — after which he received a warning against publishing anything not authorized by them. In 1692, Bradford found himself jailed when another of his publications incurred the wrath of the Quakers. Following his release from jail, Bradford relocated to New York where he accepted a position as a government printer and thereafter avoided printing anything that challenged authority.

About 20 years later, Bradford’s son Andrew accepted a position similar to his father’s in Philadelphia. Together, the two Bradfords held a monopoly on printing and focused their efforts solely on content that would not offend their patrons, which was also of little real interest to the public.

Throughout the late 17th century, the development of the colonial postal system greatly impacted the growth of newspapers — a connection that was not quite apparent at the time. At this point in the history of the American press, newspaper publishers doubled as either government printers or postmasters, thus they had a vested interest in protecting the ruling class upon which they relied for funding and patronage.

Following the death of his father in 1702, John Campbell assumed the role of postmaster — a position his father had held since 1693. In 1704, Campbell started the first regularly published paper in the colonies, the Boston News-Letter. Avoiding coverage of colonial news, Campbell instead focused primarily on reprinting information from London newspapers. Each publication received the pre-approval of the governor and was printed with the same notation as the London Gazette, “Published by Authority.”

The Bradfords soon followed suit, publishing similarly uninspired newspapers, first Andrew Bradford’s American Weekly Mercury in Philadelphia in 1719 and later, in 1725, William Bradford’s New-York Gazette. Steering clear of colonial controversies, issues or politics, these papers, like the Boston News-Letter, mainly focused on happenings in Europe.

Censorship Wanes

Over the course of the 17th century, official censorship began to transform. Prosecutions for “base and detracting” speech declined greatly, as did the harsh physical punishments and excommunications associated with censored speech. Lawsuits pertaining to defamation and slander, formerly big business for the legal system, trailed off. Prosecutions continued primarily for speech deemed damaging to the government.

While not a solid victory for freedom of expression or speech, these changes definitely signified a move in that direction. They allowed for the beginnings of dialog and debate regarding topics of real public concern. The easing of censorship and penalties for unauthorized speech logically spurred the beginnings of a transformation in terms of the content printed in colonial newspapers.

Colonial Newspapers Begin to Challenge Authority

Founded by Puritan criticizer James Franklin in 1721, the New-England Courant was the first controversial colonial newspaper. Although a short-lived publication, having folded in 1725 — just two years after the departure of Franklin’s younger brother Benjamin — it paved the way for increasing public debate and government scrutiny via newspapers.

Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, competitors to the Bradfords began providing an outlet for those critical of authority. In 1729 they were joined by journeyman Benjamin Franklin who purchased a failed newspaper that originally focused on the reprinting of an encyclopedia. The younger Franklin revamped the newspaper and it came to be known as the Pennsylvania Gazette. The paper quickly became associated with the popular party and its leaders — such as attorney Andrew Hamilton — who were Bradford’s enemies.

In 1732, a group of politicians — known as the Morrisites — sought to expose royal governor William Cosby’s abuse of power in New York. Cosby had removed New York’s chief justice, Lewis Morris, from his position for refusing to support his claim to half of the salary of the previous governor. The Morrisites wrote articles and enlisted a relatively unknown printer named John Peter Zenger, who then spent eight months in jail awaiting trial on charges of seditious libel.

Representing Zenger, Andrew Hamilton argued that the articles published by Zenger did not qualify as libelous because the allegations included in them were true. Defying the court’s instructions, the jury acquitted Zenger in a significant decision that further opened up political debate and government scrutiny. While the decision did not guarantee free expression and speech, from that point on trials for seditious libel decreased significantly, becoming almost nonexistent by the time of the Revolutionary War.

Despite these changes, colonial printers remained under the thumb of the government in the respect that they still required its patronage. Even Benjamin Franklin required the funding of the government. Appointed postmaster in 1737, Franklin also served as the public printer for Pennsylvania, and at times Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. Also, in an effort to obtain the broadest base of clients and advertisers possible, printers attempted to remain neutral.

The colonial perception of a free press was one in which all points of view could be published, at least all points of view that didn’t conflict with or offend those in power. This often meant not discussing divisive issues in newspapers, and actually had the effect of throttling debate more than it encouraged it.

The Emergence of Public Debate and Partisan News

Sometime around 1720, competition and public debate began to emerge in the press, which, by 1765 began to morph into the partisan news. Benjamin Franklin first reprinted “Cato’s Letters”, written by Thomas Gordan and John Trenchard in Britain in the early 1720s, in his brother James Franklin’s newspaper in 1722 while James was imprisoned for his criticism of Massachusetts’ governor. The Boston Gazette reprinted the essays — which dealt with free expression and speech — seven times between 1755 and 1780.

During the 1760s, colonists also became keenly interested in the writings of natural rights proponent John Locke. As the Revolution began to take form, and even more so in the resulting republic, newspapers began to take on a distinctly partisan nature.

Within the first 120 or so years, the colonial press went through changes that primed the colonies for the Revolution and for a more partisan press. Although in the first several decades it lacked partisanship, colonial news was still biased or skewed in favor of the elite — the governing authorities. Issues considered divisive or damaging to the government were disregarded and went undiscussed. News media in British North America had not yet taken the form of the fourth estate. Whether for fear of prosecution or loss of patronage, the press protected authority rather than challenging it.

Much of the information for this article, and for the articles that will follow, was gleaned from Paul Starr’s book, “The Creation of the Media,” which is highly recommended reading for anyone interested in a complete history of U.S. news media.

Unpacking and Understanding Media Bias, Part 1

#Colonial America #Colonial News #Colonial Press #History #media #media bias #Media History #Puritans #Quakers

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