#Foreign-Origin Backgrounds (異國出身背景)
Contents
#§ Scent — PCs Who Crossed the Sea
Most core backgrounds presume an origin within Japan. The core 3 outsider classes (modern person·heroic spirit·celestial) deal with "those who transcended time·world," but this section is for 5 foreign-origin backgrounds for ordinary human PCs from geographically distant countries who fall in between.
These backgrounds form a strong synergy with the core foreign Adaptation [aptitude] and the 03-04 cross-cultural general traits. Any core class may be chosen — but classes peculiar to Japan (shinobi·onmyoji, etc.) are handled narratively as "learned locally after settling in Japan."
#§ Law — 5 Foreign-Origin Backgrounds
#Joseon Origin (朝鮮出身)
Scent: a PC who came from the Joseon dynasty. Diverse routes such as prisoner of war·diplomatic envoy·merchant·scholar·exiled yangban.
Law:
- Skill perk (2 of 3): Wisdom-based lore checks, bow-related skills, Medicine
- 1st-dan technique — Joseon Education [aptitude]: Interpretation [aptitude] (Joseon cultural sphere) automatic. Wisdom-based lore checks and Medicine checks +1. By embodying Confucian etiquette, Bearing-related +1.
5th-dan fork:
| Route | Name | 5th-dan technique | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Path of Return | Joseon Return Preparation: build a line of contact with the Joseon court. Right of access to Joseon Divine Treasures. | return |
| B | Settling in Japan | Naturalized Joseon Person: gain trust from a Japanese warrior house. Authority to run a Joseon-lineage village. | settlement |
9th-dan deepening:
- A Return → Joseon Envoy: granted a formal envoy post by the Joseon dynasty.
- B Settlement → Retainer of a Joseon-Lineage Daimyo: leader of a Joseon-lineage immigrant community.
Tatsujin capstone:
- A → Witness of the Royal Palace (王宮の證人): the only figure who has seen both the Joseon king and the Japanese shogun.
- B → Bridge of Two Countries (二國の架け橋): the role of an official diplomat of both countries.
Additional background technique: Diplomacy [aptitude] (Joseon) automatic.
#Ming Origin (明出身)
Scent: a PC who came from the Ming dynasty. Scholar-official·military officer·monk·merchant·Taoist priest·physician, and so on. Most often highly educated, but wanderers·mercenaries are not rare either.
Law:
- Skill perk (2 of 3): Wisdom-based lore checks, Geography, Negotiation
- 1st-dan technique — Chinese Scholarship [aptitude]: Interpretation [aptitude] (Ming cultural sphere) automatic. Wisdom-based lore checks +2. Possesses common knowledge of Chinese medicine·Taoism.
5th-dan fork:
| Route | Name | 5th-dan technique | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | One for Ming | Agent of the Court: acts on the Ming court's directives. Sometimes conflicts with Japanese interests. | loyalty to homeland |
| B | Free Scholar | Exiled Intellectual: not bound to the Ming court. Access to Japanese academia. | intellectual freedom |
9th-dan deepening:
- A Homeland → Head of the Ming Embassy: an official diplomatic position.
- B Free → Transnational Scholar: a connector of Japanese·Joseon·Ming academia.
Tatsujin capstone:
- A → Grand Ming Envoy (大明使節): an official ambassador of both countries. The axis of preventing war or starting it.
- B → Literary Brush of Three Countries (三國の文筆): a writer respected in Japan·Joseon·Ming alike.
Additional background technique: Religious Knowledge [aptitude] (Ming) automatic, or a 2-fold acquisition of Interpretation.
#Nanban Origin (南蠻出身)
Scent: a PC who came from Portugal·Spain·the Netherlands. Missionary·merchant·mercenary·sailor·engineer. In Japan they stand out from hair color·appearance onward.
Law:
- Skill perk (2 of 3): Negotiation, Archery, Navigation
- 1st-dan technique — Nanban Origin [aptitude]: Interpretation [aptitude] (Nanban cultural sphere) automatic. Archery +1 (familiarity with Nanban firearms — matchlocks only). Right of access to Nanban Divine Treasures.
5th-dan fork:
| Route | Name | 5th-dan technique | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Path of Mission | Christian Evangelist: build a faith community. Run an underground organization when persecuted. | religion |
| B | Path of Trade | Nanban Trading House(商館): a base in an open port such as Nagasaki. Monopolize Nanban trade. | economy |
9th-dan deepening:
- A Mission → Underground Bishop: a Christian leader of the persecution era. Contact with the Vatican.
- B Trade → Grand Trade Official: the Japan representative of several Nanban trading houses.
Tatsujin capstone:
- A → Martyrdom-Refusing Bishop: a legendary religious figure who survived persecution.
- B → Trade King (貿易王): a master of East-West trade.
Additional background technique: Religious Knowledge [aptitude] (Christianity) or Diplomacy [aptitude] (Nanban).
#Northern Nomad (北方遊牧)
Scent: a PC who came from northern nomads such as the Mongols·Oirats·Jurchens. Skilled in horse-riding·bow·nomadic life. Usually a route of crossing into Japan by way of Joseon·Ming.
Law:
- Skill perk (2 of 3): Horsemanship, Archery, Survival
- 1st-dan technique — Child of the Nomads [aptitude]: Horsemanship·Archery +1. When holding Mounted Combat [aptitude], additional relocation Energy reduced by 1. Immunity to severe-cold·arid environment penalties.
5th-dan fork:
| Route | Name | 5th-dan technique | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Path of the Tribe | Summon Nomad Comrades: place 1 nomad minion squad (mounted) for free in combat. | tribal solidarity |
| B | Solo Rider | Riding of No Return: a Tatsujin of long-distance relocation·escape. Immunity to pursuit. | personal mobility |
9th-dan deepening:
- A Tribe → Khan(汗) Candidate: discussed as the next leader at the tribal council.
- B Solo → Warrior Without a Tribe: a lone warrior belonging to no tribe.
Tatsujin capstone:
- A → New Khan(新汗): becomes the head of a small tribe.
- B → Warrior Without a Steppe (無草原の勇士): a legendary mounted warrior who settled in Japan.
Additional background technique: Fierce [aptitude] (03-03) automatically acquired.
#Spirit Realm Immigrant (靈界移住民)
Scent: one who crossed from the Spirit Realm to the present world. Compatible with the 1st-expansion Drift of the Spirit Realm, but usable without the 1st expansion as well. The Spirit Realm's qi is steeped into the soul, so they are neither a full human nor a full yoma.
Law:
- Skill perk (2 of 3): Sorcery, Exorcism, Perception
- 1st-dan technique — Child of the Boundary [aptitude]: yoma perception automatic (same zone). Spirit Realm-related checks +2. However, entry to a shrine·temple may be refused at GM discretion.
5th-dan fork:
| Route | Name | 5th-dan technique | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Path of Humanization | Spirit-Qi Dilution: the yoma-perception trait weakens, but instead succeeds at assimilating into human society. | assimilation |
| B | Path of the Mediator | Spirit Boundary Interpretation: capable of Negotiation with present-world yoma·spirits. Can converse with 1st-expansion Spirit Realm NPCs. | Spirit Realm mediation |
9th-dan deepening:
- A Humanization → Complete Naturalization: completely forgets the Spirit Realm origin. No access to the Spirit Realm.
- B Mediation → Spokesperson of Both Realms: mediates talks between both the human and yoma sides.
Tatsujin capstone:
- A → A New Human (新たな人間): even the fact of being of Spirit Realm origin is forgotten.
- B → Arbiter of the Boundary (境界の調停者): a legendary figure who resolves the tension of both realms.
Additional background technique: Yoma Knowledge [aptitude] (core) or Wild Instinct [aptitude] (03-03).
#§ Design Perspective
- Caution about overlap with outsider classes: these backgrounds presume the foreign origin of an ordinary human PC. An outsider class (modern person·heroic spirit·celestial) acquiring these backgrounds is narratively redundant — decide whether to permit it at GM discretion.
- Link with foreign Adaptation: the automatic acquisition of Interpretation [aptitude] in the 1st-dan technique is the core. This is fully compatible with the cultural-sphere understanding layer of the core foreign Adaptation [aptitude].
- Divine-Treasure access route: every foreign-origin background automatically satisfies the access condition for that cultural sphere's foreign Divine Treasures (45-foreign-relics).
- Room for GM expansion: origins such as India·Persia·Arab can be added directly by the GM as an expansion of these 5 frames.
"When one raised by the starlight of a distant country draws a blade on this island, the weight of the blade changes."