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Tag Archives: history
Gettin’ biblical before the match
緊褌一番 kin.kon.ichi.ban Literally: tense – loincloth – one – [ordinal counter] Alternately: To brace yourself mentally for something. To prepare to face difficulty or hardship, or at least a high-level competition of some sort. Literally, to gird one’s loins. Notes: … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged ふんどし, 炭坑, 緊褌, gird loins, history, preparedness, underwear, 一番, 一丁
1 Comment
Some Kind of Progress
It’s a small thing, in the grand scheme of… well, of things. But I can’t help but find it encouraging that over the course of approximately my lifetime, tabletop role-playing games have gone from a hyper-niche hobby for the nerdy … Continue reading
Posted in Miscellaneous, Musing, Nonfiction
Tagged DnD, Dungeons and Dragons, history, hope, nerdery, Satanic panic, TTRPG
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The best way to be salty
敵に塩を送る (Teki ni shio wo okuru; “To send your enemy salt”) Definition: When an opponent is having some difficulty in distress, to offer aid instead of taking the opportunity to strike. May especially apply if the distress is unrelated to … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged aid, conciliation, good sportsmanship, history, succor, 戦国時代, 敵に塩
1 Comment
Give me a pass at Cave Pass
I learned this one a long time ago when I was studying for the Kanji Kentei and came to 峠. It’s got an interesting little bit of history bundled up in it, which I like. 洞ヶ峠を決め込む (Horagatouge wo kimekomu; “Staying … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged Akechi, Battle of Yamazaki, fair-weather ally, history, Horagatouge, pass, Toyotomi, 決め込む, 洞ヶ峠
4 Comments
A Tale from Clevaria
In the time of the god-king, lord of the sky, director of rain, clouds, and wind, whose name was secret, emissaries came from the plains to Clevaria. They worshipped strange gods of earth, and carried one with them in a … Continue reading
Posted in Setting, Short Fiction, World-Building
Tagged Clevaria, Four Realms, gods, history, legend, Shankhar, war
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More Musings on Skill Points and Economies Thereof
When I think about pen-and-paper RPG design, I invariably come around to skill systems and skill points. One thing that strikes me as odd about D&D is the almost complete disconnect between the systems for combat and the systems for … Continue reading
Posted in Nonfiction, Rules
Tagged brainstorming, D&D, gaming, history, rules, skill point economy, skills
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Location: Fair-Vickelt-after-the-Flood
History and overview The island of Kyper lies in the northern reaches of the Diarchal Archipelago. Even less hospitable than its neighbors, for centuries its largest sign of civilization was the thrice-rebuilt city of Vickelt, a sea-town with decent natural … Continue reading
Posted in Setting, World-Building
Tagged Archipelago, campaign, Diarchal, Fair Vickelt, history, setting, Shankhar
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The Diarchal Archipelago
“Setting” entries detail various aspects of the world itself. Here’s a colorful one that I hope to use for a coming RPG campaign. Geography The continent of Vestan, heart of the known world, is a vast open grassland, surrounded by … Continue reading