#Campaign Seeds

Contents

4 long-campaign concept seeds. Each has 5 arcs (1st dan~Tatsujin). Designed around the axes of Three Ways and Six Hearts. The GM builds the detailed scenarios directly.

This document covers campaign seeds, so it has no ordinary "Background" section. Instead, it presents the opening sensory frame for each campaign below. The arc structures continue in the four sections that follow.

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#Scent (香)

#Sense of the First Scene

Four campaigns begin in four different airs. The same age, the same world. Yet the scent at the moment the PCs first open their eyes is different. The GM may read these paragraphs as prologue narration for the first session.

#Voices of Key NPCs

Only the first line remains from the NPC who opens each campaign's door: client, teacher, or enemy. The setting may change, but this one line should remain.

#Mood Turns

Common to all four campaigns: Arc 3 is the turning point. The color and scent so far reverse once. The final sentence of each campaign paragraph below hints at that turn.

#Unique Scents of the Four Campaigns

1. Spirit Realm Gate: scent of moss and iron nails

An old mountain temple. Moss climbs the stone pillars. The sealing talismans were placed a hundred years ago, and the paper has rotted, its edges yellow. The air is strangely cold, even in summer. At the tip of the nose: the rust of iron nails. In the ears: the friction of a windless forest. The first NPC, old seal-master Myoan (妙安), says: "Young ones, have you seen the cracks? We made those cracks. What was sealed was sealed so that it would one day open." In Arc 3, this moss scent changes into the raw sweetness of blood and spiritual energy.

2. Ambition of the Tenka-bito: scent of blood, horses, and ink

Dawn before a battle. 50 horses breathe in one place. Frost has settled on the shoulders of armor. There is no smell of blood yet: not until this evening. Instead, there is horse sweat, the sourness of padded cloth, and the ash of the morning brazier. Inside the camp tent comes the sound of ink being ground. The smell of ink from war manuals, letters, and orders. The first NPC, Katsuyori, a close retainer and officer of the great lord, says: "If you take today's first head, I promise you 50 koku in stipend. Come back alive. Only come back alive." In Arc 3, this ink smell mixes with the sulfur smell of yoma, revealing that human war is no longer only human.

3. Path of the Child of the Spirit Realm: the smell of one's own flesh

The moment of a hanyo PC's first transformation. The nails lengthen. Sweat gathers in the palms. That sweat carries a smell the PC does not know: neither beast nor human. They look into a mirror. The pupils are two colors. A village woman passing by stops. In her eyes: disgust and fear. The first NPC, mother or nurse, says in a trembling voice: "Hide it. Tell no one. Not your father. Not your friend. You are only ill. Do you understand? You are only ill." In Arc 3, this "smell of one's own flesh" resonates with the wind-scent of tengu or the sulfur-scent of oni, pulling the PC up onto the boundary between camps.

4. Heart of the Machine God: scent of oil and copper

Deep in an abandoned mine. One lamp. An autonomous automaton PC opens their eyes. The sensation of opening eyes is itself unfamiliar. The first smell is machine oil: the oxidized scent of 60-year-old plant oil. Next comes the blue-green smell of copper rust. The PC first realizes that the creak from the joints comes from their own frame. The first NPC, Tomezo the miner who found them, says: "Hey, you... were you something that moves? By the Buddhas, are you a Buddha or a yokai? ...No, wait. You have eyes. You have eyes. Are you... looking at me?" In Arc 3, the smell of oil mixes with the smell of human sweat, and the autonomous automaton first learns the scent of "being together."

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#1. Gate of the Spirit Realm (霊界の門)

• Theme: what to do with the seal on the Spirit Realm after 100 years of weakening.
• Three Ways and Six Hearts Axis: Loyalty (maintain the seal) vs Truth (seek coexistence) vs Hegemony (exploit it).

#5 Arcs

Arc 1 (1st~3rd dan): Signs of Cracks

• Resolve small Spirit Realm cracks.
• PCs are border wardens or independent adventurers.
• Objective: handle 10 cracks.
• On reaching it: 2nd dan -> 3rd dan.

Arc 2 (3rd~5th dan): Truth of the Great Seal

• Trace the truth of the Enmadoji sealing rite from 1000 years ago.
• Encounter seal-master NPCs like Myoan.
• Objective: recover 4 seal stones of the Great Seal.
• On reaching it: 5th dan.

Arc 3 (5th~7th dan): Enryokan vs Kagura Domain

• Enryokan argues for coexistence. Kagura Domain argues for reinforcing the seal.
• PCs choose between the two sides.
• Objective: political solution or armed conflict.
• On reaching it: 7th dan.

Arc 4 (7th~9th dan): Throne of the Spirit Realm

• Infiltrate the Spirit Realm. Discover Izanami's seat.
• Encounter many giant yoma.
• Objective: reach the center of the Spirit Realm.
• On reaching it: 9th dan.

Arc 5 (Tatsujin): Final Choice

• Three paths:
• Seal: permanently close the Spirit Realm Gate. Eradicate yoma. But Spirit Realm knowledge is also lost.
• Coexistence: maintain balance. Peace treaty with yoma. Endless balancekeeping is required.
• Exploitation: use Spirit Realm energy. Overwhelming power for the PCs' faction. But humanity is lost.
• Gain a Renown Title.

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#2. Ambition of the Tenka-bito (天下人の野望)

• Theme: unification of Sengoku: war between humans, and yoma intervening in between.
• Three Ways and Six Hearts Axis: Loyalty (loyalty to one's lord) vs Hegemony (seize the realm) vs Compassion (protect the people).

#5 Arcs

Arc 1 (1st~3rd dan): Small Border Lord

• A small-domain lord or their retainers.
• Resolve disputes with neighboring domains.
• Objective: stabilize the domain + establish surrounding relations.

Arc 2 (3rd~5th dan): Shadow of the Great Lord

• A summons from a higher daimyo.
• Participate in a large-scale battle.
• Objective: gain war merits + raise reputation.

Arc 3 (5th~7th dan): Temptation of Alliance with Yoma

• Discover that an enemy lord is colluding with yoma.
• Or the PC side considers an alliance with yoma.
• Objective: the war's outcome + moral choice.

Arc 4 (7th~9th dan): Road to the Capital

• Enter Kyoto (the capital). Receive imperial audience.
• Political conspiracy + large-scale war.
• Objective: office of chancellor of the realm, or defeat of the opposition.

Arc 5 (Tatsujin): Tenka-bito

• Three paths:
• Orthodoxy (Loyalty): a true loyal retainer who assists the emperor.
• Overlord (Hegemony): seize the shogunate. Military dictatorship.
• Compassion: end the war and prioritize the people's livelihood.

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#3. Path of the Child of the Spirit Realm (霊界の子の道)

• Theme: identity search for Child of the Spirit Realm / hanyo PCs. Human vs yoma vs the 3rd path.
• Three Ways and Six Hearts Axis: Truth (self-understanding) vs Demon (accepting yoma) vs Loyalty (belonging to human society).

#5 Arcs

Arc 1 (1st~3rd dan): Discovery of Identity

• Realize they are hanyo. First transformation.
• Experience hatred from human society.
• Objective: self-acceptance + finding companions.

Arc 2 (3rd~5th dan): Meeting the Yoma World

• Contact the Muhyeon Band (tengu alliance) or Shuten Mountain (oni).
• Temptation from the yoma side: "You are on our side."
• Objective: understand the yoma world + decide one's place.

Arc 3 (5th~7th dan): Test of Human Society

• Being hanyo is exposed. Persecution or acceptance.
• The PC's choice: hide, fight, or be acknowledged.
• Objective: secure social position.

Arc 4 (7th~9th dan): Awakening of a Great Yoma

• Shuten-doji or a nine-tailed fox invites the hanyo into "their faction."
• The PC is offered the position of a great yoma leader.
• Objective: prepare for the final decision.

Arc 5 (Tatsujin): Three Paths

• Human Path: become fully human. Seal yoma power. Ordinary life.
• Yoma King: awaken as a great yoma. Yoma ruler. Eternal war with humans.
• 3rd Path: mediator between humans and yoma. Hated by both sides, but a bridge of peace.

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#4. Heart of the Machine God (機械神の心臓)

• Theme: ontology of the autonomous automaton: what it means for a machine to gain a heart.
• Three Ways and Six Hearts Axis: Truth (self-inquiry) vs Hegemony (machine superiority) vs No Heart (rejection of emotion).

#5 Arcs

Arc 1 (1st~3rd dan): Awakening

• An autonomous automaton is found in an abandoned mine. No memory.
• First emotion: confusion.
• Objective: grasp the minimum of self-identity.

Arc 2 (3rd~5th dan): Traces of the Maker

• Trace the records of the artisan who made them.
• Encounter other autonomous automatons (same kind / enemy).
• Objective: pursue the meaning of creation.

Arc 3 (5th~7th dan): Birth of the Heart

• Bond with companions -> first emotional experience.
• Love, or anger, or grief.
• Objective: accept emotion, or reject it.

Arc 4 (7th~9th dan): Appearance of the Machine God

• An ancient autonomous automaton god (large, lord-grade enemy) awakens.
• Ideology: "autonomous automatons should replace humans."
• Objective: confront the god or join it.

Arc 5 (Tatsujin): Three Paths

• True Life (Truth): become a fully "living being." Emotion, soul. But lose mechanical immortality.
• Ultimate Weapon (Hegemony): reject emotion, optimize as machine. Successor to the Machine God.
• Machine Monk (No Heart): transcend both emotion and machine. The limit of self-reflection.

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#Step-by-Step Progression Guide

This document is a long-campaign seed, so it presents checkpoints by Arc 1~5 instead of by "act." 1 table of 5 rows per campaign. The GM uses this table as the skeleton and fills in detailed scenarios.

#Arc Progression Guide: 1. Spirit Realm Gate

• Success Branch: if coexistence (Truth) is achieved in Arc 5: peace treaty between Spirit Realm and humans; the PCs become eternal guardians of balance.
• Failure Branch: failure to recover seal stones or failure to reach the Spirit Realm center -> arc ends, great yoma flood ending (tragedy).
• GM Control: do not forget that Arc 3 is a political arc. Trying to solve it only through combat misses the essence of this campaign. The axis of Truth should stand out most clearly.

#Arc Progression Guide: 2. Ambition of the Tenka-bito

• Success Branch: if compassion (Compassion) is achieved in Arc 5: war ends, and a new age centered on the people begins.
• Failure Branch: choosing yoma alliance in Arc 3 -> yoma infiltration elements increase in all later arcs, and Arc 5 forcibly converges toward the Overlord route.
• GM Control: abstract the scale of battle to match the table's session capacity. Large-scale battles should be placed as 1~2 climaxes per arc, not every session. Politics every session, combat sometimes, is ideal.

#Arc Progression Guide: 3. Path of the Child of the Spirit Realm

• Success Branch: the 3rd path (Truth) in Arc 5: hated by both sides, but a bridge of peace. The hardest ending.
• Failure Branch: complete persecution and isolation in Arc 3 -> forced convergence into the Demon route, yoma-king ending.
• GM Control: this campaign is the most personal. Place mirror scenes more often than combat. The moments when the PC sees their own face are the true heart of this campaign.

#Arc Progression Guide: 4. Heart of the Machine God

• Success Branch: if Truth (True Life) is achieved in Arc 5: the PC gives up mechanical immortality and gains a finite soul. The most human ending.
• Failure Branch: emotional rejection becomes fixed in Arc 3 -> convergence into the Hegemony route, ending as successor to the Machine God.
• GM Control: the tragic force of this campaign is the choice to give up immortality. From Arc 3 onward, describe time, aging, and finitude insistently.

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#Common Campaign Operation Advice

• About 10~20 sessions per arc: 10~20 sessions per arc. 50~100 sessions for the whole campaign.
• Emphasize the Three Ways and Six Hearts axes: guide each arc's major choice toward one of 3 axes. The PCs' Hearts accumulate and determine the final branch.
• 9th dan -> Tatsujin transition: when 9th dan is reached, present 3 branch choices. After players choose, promote them to Tatsujin.
• Apply Renown Title: upon reaching Tatsujin, choose 1 Renown Title. Campaign ending.
• Three Ways and Six Hearts shift flags: at least 1 Heart Shift trigger per arc. The players' accumulation determines the final Heart.

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#Crossover

Two campaign seeds can be combined:

• Spirit Realm Gate + Ambition of the Tenka-bito: Spirit Realm energy as military power. A desperate choice.
• Spirit Realm Gate + Path of the Child of the Spirit Realm: Child of the Spirit Realm / hanyo PC challenges the Throne of the Spirit Realm.
• Ambition of the Tenka-bito + Heart of the Machine God: unite the realm with an autonomous automaton legion.
• Path of the Hanyo + Heart of the Machine God: solidarity between hanyo and autonomous automatons as shared "nonhuman beings."