The room was filled with soft sounds. The clatter of chopsticks against fine porcelain, the shifting of robes and hair, the murmur of young feminine voices so quiet as to be on the very edge of hearing.
Then a stillness settled over the room. It radiated from the head of the table. All the powdered faces turned to face the woman presiding over the meal. She did not say anything for several moments. She did not have to. The sun peeked up over the mountains, its rays falling over her shoulder.
"You have learned much in your time here." Golden Lotus' voice reverberated throughout the room. "You have learned the arts of song, dance, entertainments of all kinds. But there is more to your work than such distractions."
"Our society is simple; those above decide, those below serve. We serve, yet our services place us in a unique position. Those above give us trust, trust us to accomplish tasks that are needed."
"I have received some instructions along those lines. There are those who must be dealt with. Made an example of. It is time for you to take up this task as you were always meant to do."
"I have found the best way to learn is through experience..."
Hanamichi: It means literally the "flower path" and it is one of the key features of Kabuki: the walkway, perpendicular to the stage, on the left side of the theater, linking the back of the theater to the stage through the audience, used by actors for entrance or exit.
Hanamichi is a "role-playing game". The point, like all recreational activities, is to have fun. More specifically, the point of Hanamichi is to create stories addressing issues the players find interesting. These issues will probably deal with love, trust, honor, betrayal, sacrifice and passion; at least, those are the issues the game was designed with a view towards. The setting presents the players with certain elements and even pushes them to confront certain ideas, but the ultimate but the ultimate decisions (and, thus, outcomes) are in their hands. And because the emphasis is on stories, imagination is paramount.
Hanamichi has certain objectives to complete, and an ending, but the players should ideally have fun even if (perhaps especially if) their characters are killed. Imagine an informal basketball game among friends..."Do you remember that awesome dunk I made?" "Well, I sunk that great three-pointer!" Though the points may show that someone won and someone lost, it is still possible for everyone to have fun and create an experience they value. (It may be useful for the players to voice their priorities in this regard before playing; it will certainly be useful in diagnosing problems between players.)
Hanamichi is intended to be played in short sessions, what roleplayers might consider "one-shot" scenarios. An entire game should not take more than a few hours. (In theory, anyway...) It is intended to be played by not less than three and (probably) at most eight players. The more players, the longer play time. (The game will be a little smoother with an even number of players, but odd numbers are not impossible.) Each player will need paper and writing utensils, and play will also require at least two six-sided dice, which may be shared among players. Also, each player should write their name (as well as the names of their two characters, when they know them) on a slip of paper. These slips of paper will be put into a hat (or a bag, or just the middle of the table) to be chosen randomly. Finally, players will require "tokens" of two distinct types: Hanamichi and Mie tokens. These tokens have distinct uses in Hanamichi. Anything can be used as long as the two types of tokens can be distinguished, and there are at least twice as many Hanamichi tokens and three times as many Mie tokens as there are players. (Only a rough estimate.) Nickels and pennies may be used, or in a pinch, players can simply record them on their Geisha sheets and cross them off as they're used.
The two most famous hanamichi (geisha quarters) can be found in the capital cities of today and yesteryear, Tokyo and Kyoto. Medieval Edo, as Tokyo was formerly known, had the Yoshiwara pleasure quarters, where kabuki actors and artists would mingle with the evolving merchant class. The Edo period (1600-1868) was a time when Japan was largely closed to the outside world and also an era of great cultural development. Actors, sumo wrestlers and geisha were often the subjects of colorful ukiyo-e, woodblock prints whose name literally means "pictures of the floating world," a wonderful euphemism for the world of carnal desires.
Each player will be creating one Geisha and one Samurai. The player will be portraying both these characters, but the Samurai should mostly be considered part of the setting and obstacles; the Geisha are the "real" characters.
The first step for each character is to settle on a basic concept. Try to answer some (if not all!) of these questions:
Note: Some of these questions do have easy answers. Samurai were almost definitely born into the samurai caste, but they may be of any age. Geisha, while they are all assumed to be of marriageable age (but not much older), may conceivably have come from a variety of backgrounds; excess daughters of disfavored samurai families, fostered from upwardly mobile merchant families...Use your imagination!
Finding Japanese names for your characters will add flavor to the story, and the fact that most Japanese names have actual meanings can be a great character hook.
After basic character concepts have been detailed, every player should write their name and their two characters' names on a slip of paper. Put all the slips in a hat and have each player draw them; make sure no player gets their own name. Each player has now chosen the Geisha their Geisha loves; they will have a Love trait for that character at 1.
Now repeat the name-drawing process. Each player has now chosen the Samurai their Geisha is assigned to assassinate.
(This process should be done in the middle of character creation, but before all points are allocated, as players may want to distribute points in Love traits based on the relationships they get.)
Note: Don't throw away those slips of paper! They'll see more use later.
Characters are defined by Traits. Three traits are special: Passion, Skill and Love. The rest of the traits may be thought of as "abilities" the character has learned, and are thus often called "Ability Traits". In other words, an Ability Trait is any Trait other than Passion, Skill or Love. Traits range from 1 to 6.
A Geisha has six points to allocate between Passion and Skill; each must be at least 1. Each Geisha starts out with one Love Trait at 1 each (detailed above). The Geisha starts with Tea Ceremony at 1, and also chooses two Entertainment Traits and one Assassin Trait, with values starting also at 1. The Geisha then has three additional points to allocate to any Ability Traits. Finally, the Geisha has one last point to allocate to any Trait, including a new Love Trait for any Geisha or Samurai (except that player's Samurai). Note: No Ability Trait may be more than 3.
A Samurai also has six points to allocate between Passion and Skill; again, each must be at least 1. The Samurai starts with Duel Samurai, Hunt Ninja, Command Inferiors and Enjoy Company of Geisha at 1 each, and has 4 points to allocate to any Ability Traits and then 1 final point to allocate to any Trait except Love toward a Geisha. Note: Unlike Geisha, Samurai may have Ability Traits above 3.
Traits have values ranging from 1 to 6. (Technically including 0 for Ability Traits, representing no expertise in that area...or Love, representing mere friendship or no bond at all.)
Passion represents a character's drive, energy, enthusiasm and force of personality. It does not have anything to do with love or sex, although it may be used as a general guide to how intensely a character experiences and expresses emotion.
Skill represents a character's ability to immerse himself or herself in a task and carry it through. For a Samurai it can be thought of as that quality that keeps the warrior focused on the task of killing, even in the midst of the blood and chaos of an actual battle. Of course, not every conflict a Samurai confronts happens on the battlefield.
Love represents a deal of affection that character has toward another character. Love is unlike any of the other Traits in that a player may have multiple Love scores, each representing a bond with another character. Be sure to record the character's name with each Love score. Geisha may have Love traits toward other Geisha or toward Samurai; Samurai may have them toward Geisha or conceivably other Samurai (historically this was most often a "mentor"-like relationship between a mature samurai and a young one). A Love of 1 toward a character already represents more than usual friendship, a "crush", someone you wouldn't mind being intimate with unless sex was not a usual part of your life. Note: Under no circumstances can a player's Geisha and Samurai characters have Love traits for each other.
Ability Traits represent skills a character has developed or abilities they have. Nearly all Ability Traits can be classified as Entertainment Traits, Assassin Traits or Samurai Traits. However, the only difference is which characters possess them; they do not have effects on play. Ability Traits never change during play.
Entertainment Traits are what being a Geisha is truly about, entertaining men for money. Traditionally, Geisha are not prostitutes, instead focusing on true entertainments like song or dance. But all Geisha activities take place behind closed doors...
All Geisha in the Red Flower Tea House have picked up at least one method of assassination. Players are encouraged to think up their own methods, as long as they are reasonably subtle and all other players agree.
The word "Samurai" roughly translates as "one who serves". Samurai are warriors, nobility, yet they are devoted to carrying out the orders of their superiors. Duel Samurai and Hunt Ninja are never used in the Tea House unless the Samurai has a specific reason to.
Taunt is a Trait Geisha sometimes use when interacting with each other; it includes insults, browbeating, verbal abuse and general meanness. Samurai cannot have Taunt. Seduction, hopefully, should need no explanation.
Each player receives one Hanamichi token and one Mie token at start of play. (See Resolution.) Randomly select one player to portray Golden Lotus for the first day.
Mie: An action-crystallizing self-contained dramatic pose performed by a tachiyaku actor.
Hanamichi sessions are divided into a number of "days". Each day contains a specific series of events.
Geisha are assumed to wake up, perform morning toiletries and make themselves presentable in time for breakfast. No actual play happens now.
Much happens during Breakfast. First, select a player to portray Golden Lotus, the Geisha matriarch.
Next, draw the named slips of paper. (Again, make sure players do not end up with their own.) Each player's Geisha will be "assigned to" the Samurai they draw for that Evening. Of course, if any characters have been killed, exclude them from the drawing (a dead Geisha's player draws no slips, a dead Samurai's slip is not included).
Note: Geisha who have killed their targets have the option of refusing another target; they have already "graduated". However, if another Geisha or Samurai kills a Geisha's target, that Geisha is always assigned another target. Note: Assigning new targets may result in more than one Geisha having the same target. The new target is chosen from all available Samurai (except that player's), before the Evening assignments are chosen. Then the Geisha is included in the Evening drawing. (What does it mean to have "killed your target"? This: The Geisha was with the Samurai during the Evening, either through normal assignment or use of Hanamichi token, and that Samurai did not live through the Night.)
Geisha who have killed their targets and wish another target are encouraged to petition Golden Lotus for this honor. The player portraying Golden Lotus may react to this request in whatever manner seems appropriate, as long as the Geisha is granted a new target.
Golden Lotus will review the progress of the Geisha, exhort them to try harder, encourage their successes or browbeat them when they fail. She will also hand out the assignments for the Evening (even though "in reality" they were drawn randomly). The player portraying Golden Lotus is encouraged to think up reasons for the assignments, including malice, caprice or occasional largesse.
During this time, the Geisha characters may interact with Golden Lotus. (Except the Geisha whose player is portraying Golden Lotus, of course.)
A player portraying Golden Lotus gains one Mie token at the end of the Morning.
During the Day, the Geisha practice their skills and socialize in their precious free time. Day is organized into scenes between pairs of Geisha.
At the start of Day, each player announces their intention to start a scene. If no players do, move to Arrival of the Samurai. If more than one player does, roll to see who goes first. Note: At this point, the only thing players need to announce is their intention to start a scene; no details about the scene need be provided.
The chosen player (the "starting player", in the sense of the player who started the scene) chooses one other Geisha to have the scene with. The starting player chooses one Entertainment Trait either of the two Geisha possess; the scene opens with the two Geisha practicing this Trait. The scene then follows the rules in Scene Resolution. Hanamichi tokens may be used by any player not yet involved in a scene this Day (but only for Geisha characters).
After the scene is resolved, any character who has not yet been involved in a scene may announce their intention to start another, if there is at least one other Geisha who has not yet been involved in a scene. (A player may only start a scene with a Geisha who has not yet been involved in a scene this Day. Hanamichi tokens will "use up" a Geisha for that Day!)
When there are not enough Geisha left to start a scene, or no players with eligible Geisha wish to start a scene, move to Arrival of the Samurai.
The Samurai arrive at the Red Flower Tea House to rest for the night, after a long day hunting ninja. Golden Lotus often makes a short speech welcoming them. In truth, nothing needs to happen now; if the player who portrayed Golden Lotus during Breakfast wishes to make a speech, they may. Beyond that, nothing happens.
Each Geisha has already been assigned to a Samurai for this evening. The only difficulty rests in determining the order of scenes. Whichever players wish to go first announce their intent; roll dice to break ties. If no players volunteer, again roll dice. Note: A player is announcing their intent to run their Geisha scene, not their Samurai scene. A player cannot cause the scene with their Samurai character to be run; they must wait until the player whose Geisha is assigned to their Samurai runs the scene.
Scenes are handled as in Scene Resolution. Hanamichi tokens may be used by any player not yet involved in a scene this Evening.
The characters are all asleep; in their own beds, in each others' arms, in the earth. Nothing happens during the Night.
The cycle continues until all Geisha have reached a resolution. Either that, or something happens to change things completely...
Enkiriba: A rupture scene between 2 lovers in front of many passive witnesses. The rupture is usually initiated by the woman, who is still in love with her partner but has to quit him in order to save his life. The word enkiri is made up of 2 ideogram, the first one "en" meaning link and the second one "kiri" meaning cut. The rejected lover is often driven to madness and the plays ends with a bloodbath.
Players start a scene with their characters performing an activity. They should describe their characters' actions; the characters should converse, interact with each other. At some point (usually one or two minutes) it should become obvious that one character is attempting to influence the other (or both characters are influencing each other!). Now comes the real resolution, broken into steps.
Each character chooses an Ability Trait appropriate for the situation. A Geisha may use Entertainment Traits, in which case she is attempting to entertain the Samurai and build his trust in her. Or she may attempt to use an Assassin Trait, the purpose of which should be obvious. A Samurai may attempt to merely Enjoy the Geisha, or Seduce her, whatever seems appropriate for the situation. Each Trait therefore carries a certain intent with it. Each character must also choose Passion or Skill to invest in the act as well; this shows the purpose behind the activity. A Samurai relying on Skill to seduce a Geisha looks upon her as an inferior, an amusement to be manipulated; but one relying on Passion is giving in to his own lust.
A character may also wager his or her highest Love Trait on a roll, resulting in a bonus to the number of dice used. This option cannot be used if the object of the Love Trait is being acted upon. It also has other consequences, under Results, below.
Once the Traits are decided upon, find the relevant parameters on this table. The player controlling the actor character rolls a number of six-sided dice depending on traits of the actor and target characters. Any dice which reach a certain number (see table) are successes. The idea is to accumulate a number of successes to be used in the next step. There are a few special rules to keep in mind.
| Type of Roll | Number of Dice to Roll | Target Number | Special |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entertain | (Passion or Skill) + Relevant Entertainment Trait + Love actor has for target | Roll under target's Skill + Love target has for actor | +1 die if other character's action is Enjoy Company of Geisha. -1 die if other character's action is violent. |
| Seduce | (Passion or Skill) + Seduction Trait + Love actor has for target | Roll under target's Passion + Love target has for actor | +1 die if the other character's action is also Seduction, -1 die if other character's action is violent. |
| Practice Entertainment Trait (Day) | (Passion or Skill) + Entertainment Trait | Roll under target's Passion - target's Entertainment Trait. | No special rules. |
| Taunt | (Passion or Skill) + Taunt | Roll over target's Passion - Love target has for actor. | An actor cannot Taunt a target she has a Love score for. |
| Assassinate | (Passion or Skill) + Assassin Trait - Love target has for actor | Roll over target's Skill + (Hunt ninja or highest Assassin Trait) - Love target has for actor. | +1 die if target's action is Seduction. -1 die if target's action is violent or Command Inferiors. |
At this point the characters have a good idea who has succeeded, but there are a couple more wrinkles to deal with.
At this point, any player whose characters are not involved in the scene may turn in a Hanamichi token to bring one of their characters into that scene. There are several restrictions, however.
When a character is brought into a scene with a Hanamichi token, they announce their intent toward one character, a combination of two Traits as detailed previously. The two characters already in the scene may each decide on an intent with that character as well. The new conflicts (from one to three of them) are handled as on the table above. When all conflicts are at this step, continue on to Mie.
(Pronounced "Mee-eh", or, if you must, "Mee-ay")
At this point, any player involved in the conflict may turn in a Mie token to raise the degree of success of any character in the scene, by 1. However, this rule may not be used if the character in question is in a tie (see next section for this situation). Also, a character may not move from "Almost a Success" to "Almost a Failure".
At this point each character in a conflict has accumulated a number of successes. These numbers are compared to find an ultimate "winner" of the conflict. Both characters may have achieved a degree of success, but one is the true winner. The character with the greater degree of success wins the conflict. If there is a tie, either player may turn in a Mie token to be declared the winner. If neither (or both) do, then compare the number of successes. If this is the same, roll one tiebreaker die.
If a character gets no successes, count up the number of 1s rolled; this represents the degree of failure (represented on the table below as negative numbers).
| -3 or below | Abysmal Failure |
| -2 | Total Failure |
| -1 | Standard Failure |
| 0 | Almost a Success |
| 1 | Almost a Failure |
| 2 | Standard Success |
| 3 | Good Success |
| 4 or above | Complete Success |
All this tells us what game effect occurred, but what really happened? Now's when we find out. The players narrate the outcome of the conflict, with the caveat that they must include the results as indicated on the table above for the degree of success they achieved.
The loser of the conflict narrates first. That player may describe the results of their character's action, but cannot describe the results of the other character's action (though they could include the fact that the other character was taking whatever action they were). Afterwards, the winner of the conflict finishes the narration of the scene.
If a character was brought in by Hanamichi, their conflicts are narrated first. That player chooses what order they are narrated in. Again, use the loser/winner order of narration.
Once the narration is complete, the scene is finished.
Characters will most likely seduce each other during the course of the game. This should be handled however the players are most comfortable. A recommended technique is the classic "Fade to Black". Just as the characters tumble into bed together...the scene closes, leaving the listeners to speculate on the exact details of the forthcoming licentious activities. Some players may wish to be more graphic, but please discuss this issue with your fellow players and decide on a consensus before play begins.
Giri/Ninjô: The conflict between obligation (giri in Japanese) and human feelings (ninjô). "In these conflicts the hero is torn between his sense of duty and the dictates of his heart. Sometimes one, sometimes the other wins out; but the result is usually death either way. There is rarely a reward for him." (Faubion Bowers in "Japanese Theatre")
The Geisha are little more than girls, learning to please adult men, respond to their orders and soothe their pains. Some want nothing more than their steady job and a place in society. Others have dreams of ambition or romance.
The Samurai have been sent by their lords to investigate reports of ninja in the Flower Town. They search long days, knowing not what to look for, wondering what use their swords and armor are against shadowy phantoms, dust and sweat their only companions in the long days as they wonder at their true purpose.
Golden Lotus is the matriarch of the Red Flower Tea House. She rules it with a velvet voice and iron will. She knows she cannot outrank the Samurai, yet she has years of experience with warm eyes and sweet words. To the girls she trains, she is a terror, able to instill shame and despair with a mere glance. In her heart she believes this is the only way to prepare them for the role they must fill. For there must always be Geisha.
In the "hanamichi" of Kyoto, the Red Flower Tea House is centuries old, yet not very well known. Those who know of it recommend its services to others. The courtyard of the tea house is flanked by two bamboo groves and features a beautiful ancient pine. Over the years it has been the scene of much that is forbidden. On one side is a beautiful, flower-strewn bridge.
The Kurogo, "men in black", maintain the Red Flower Tea House. They cannot be influenced and are never encountered in play. They are unseeable, unknowable, untouchable. If a character dies the Kurogo wipe up the stains, dress the body in white and take it over the hanamichi. Their loyalty is to the House, not those inside.
Sewa danmari: a danmari scene included in a sewamono drama. It is a highly choreographed fight in the dark, with a precious object moving from hand to hand up to the final pose.
If a character dies, any characters who have Love for that character all immediately lose 1 from that Love score (possibly removing it altogether), and they also each immediately lose 1 Passion.
Samurai find the idea of Geisha trying to assassinate them absurd. If confronted with evidence of such a thing, they will believe it the aberrant action of one insane girl. However, suspicion rises. If a Geisha is caught in her attempt to assassinate a Samurai, all Samurai gain a +1 bonus to their Hunt Ninja trait after the next day's Arrival. This happens each time an assassination attempt is revealed. (Also, a Geisha caught in such an attempt will certainly be executed.)
Emen no Mie: Collective mie done at the end of a jidaimono by actors in beautiful costumes, forming a perfect line facing the audience.
Everything by John Evans 2006. Of course, I "borrowed" a number of mechanics from other games, most notably My Life With Master, as well as being inspired by Ron Edwards' Zero at the Bone. All the quotes about Kabuki came from Kabuki 21; the one about the geisha quarters is from JapanZone's Geisha Page.
Written for this wacky Iron Game Chef thing.
Version 1.0. No playtesting yet. NONE! USE AT YOUR OWN RISK! PINK GAME NEEDS PLAYTESTING, BADLY!