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[USEC_OFFICER]

Honourable Karoshi
IC Thread goes here.

The year is 2961. Prime Minister Saito Hideyoshi is the official head of Japan’s government, yet all know that true power lies in the hands of President Katsuo and the Oshiro Conglomerate. Under his rule Japan grows ever prosperous, isolated from the world behind its Five-Fold Wall. On new year’s day the CEOs of the nine prime corporations travel to Osaka to pay homage to President Katsuo, only to feud among themselves for the rest of the year. Shohen-enhanced salarymen, warriors and intellectuals without peer, swagger through streets and boardrooms seeking to serve their corporate masters and enhance their own prestige. Their bloody pursuit of wealth and glory is sanctioned by the Seventy Profitable Laws and the greed and desires of the CEOs. Under the salarymen groan the backs of millions of workers, toiling away to make such gross wealth and prosperity possible. In a land where two salarymen might duel over the right of way on a street, only the importance of the bottom line is enough to grab their attention. For while the risks might be fearful, tireless pursuit of profits and loyalty unto death showers a successful salaryman with wealth and power beyond his wildest of dreams.


Honourable Karoshi is set in a combination of cyberpunk Japan and the Edo period. The Shogunate has been replaced with the Conglomerate and samurai with nanobot enhanced salarymen. The players will be one of those nanobot enhanced salarymen, serving their corporate masters and their own sense of honour. Needless to say this game will be more goofy than grimdark. As salarymen, the players will manage firms, earn profits, participate in feuds, perform karaoke and other actions worthy of their prestigious position. The game mechanics are relatively simple and the plot open-ended. The focus will be on roleplaying, character interactions and day-to-day decisions.

The player limit depends on how much interest I get in the game. I'll accept at most 8 to start, with the option of including more further on in the game. Characters are not first come, first served but will be picked based on how well they fit into cyberpunk Edo Japan.

Spoiler: Mechanics (click to show/hide)

CHARACTERS:
Characters are represented by Stats, Reputations, Skills, Traits, Equipment.

Stats are the basis for completing tests and conflicts. The five normal stats are Physical, Technical, Synergy, Organization and Charm,. A sixth stat known as Profitability exists.

• Physical represents how physically strong, agile and tough your character is.
• Technical represents your character’s mental prowess and technical aptitude.
• Synergy represents your character’s ability to work with other people.
• Organization represents how well your character can maneuver through institutions, companies and other organizations and bureaucracies.
• Charm represents your character’s ability to interact and socialize with others.

Profitability represents how profitable your character is to the company. High Profitability means that your character has access to more funds for whatever purchases they require. Low Profitability limits your character’s wealth and their esteem in the company. Profitability of zero means that your character is in danger of committing Honourable Karoshi, unless they can fend off jealous rivals long enough to regain Profitability. Profitability can never decrease below 0.

Stats start out at 1 and have a maximum value of 4 at character creation. Profitability starts at 3 during character creation.

Reputations represent your character’s relations with individuals and organizations. The maximum number of personal reputations is equal to your Charm and the maximum number of institutional reputations is equal to your Organization. Reputations start at +1 and have a maximum value of +3. Reputations may be positive or negative, such as being rivals with someone or having the support of a decker clan. This may affect situations where that Reputation is relevant. Every character starts out with a +1 Reputation with their parent company.

Skills represent a character’s experiences and the knowledge they’ve gained from them. Skills start out at 0 and have a maximum value of 3 at character creation. Skills include but are not limited to Awareness, Leadership, First Aid, Melee, Ranged, Bargain, Diplomacy, Hacking, Bureaucracy, Courtesy, Karaoke and Subterfuge. Knowledge X is a skill where X is some limited section of knowledge such as manufacturing, engineering or economics.

Traits and Equipment represent special items and characteristics which your character has acquired. Traits are innate to the character while Equipment can be traded, stolen or lost. The effects of Traits and Equipment vary. Acceptable Traits would include, ‘Knowing several languages’, ‘+1 to multiple, related skills’, ‘Increased number of Reputations’, ‘Intense parkour skills’ and the like. Acceptable starting Equipment could provide +1 to a single skills, limited functionality like lockpicking, access to an identification database or wireless capabilities. Equipment gained during the course of the game may be stronger than starting Equipment.

TESTS AND CONFLICTS:
A test or conflict occurs whenever a character is attempting to resolve some action, either against another character or their environment. Generally test will be used broadly instead of part of a series of small actions. Thus sneaking through a facility, fighting another salaryman and the like will involve resolving a single conflict, instead of focusing on individual blows or avoiding every guard in the place.

To resolve a conflict or test, first the relevant stat is selected and modifiers are added. These include Reputations, Skills, Traits and Equipment so long as they are applicable to the task at hand. Thus a character may not use a woodcarving skill in combat or a reputation with another character if they’re on the other side of the city enjoying a hot cup of tea. The total value of stat plus modifiers is your card pool for this conflict. Your opponent in a conflict similarly tallies up their stat and relevant modifiers or, if they are a random mook or part of the environment, their card pool will be decided by the GM.

Before a conflict or test the highest ranking salaryman in a group may make a speech if they have time to do so. Afterwards they may hand out a number of Synergy Points to their followers equal to their Synergy plus Leadership skill. The maximum number of Synergy Points a character may use is equal to their Synergy stat. These Synergy Points may not be redistributed until the commanding salaryman gets an opportunity to make another speech. Needless to say, the commander may not hand Synergy Points to themselves.

Other characters may assist in a conflict by adding their skill to the stat. The maximum modifier which a character can gain from being assisted is equal to their Synergy stat.

Next the Card of Fate is drawn from a standard Japanese deck of 50 cards, divided into 5 suits (Swords, Books, Mirrors, Fans and Cups) and 10 ranks, 1 to 7 then Representative, Councillor and Prime Minister.

Finally both sides draw a number of cards from separate decks equal to their card pool.

• If a drawn card matches the CoF’s suit then it counts as an Ordinary Success.
• If a drawn card matches the CoF’s rank then it counts as an Exceptional Success.
• If a drawn card matches the CoF’s rank and suit then it counts as a Perfect Success.
• If a drawn card does not fall into any of the above categories, then it is a Failure.

The victor of a conflict is whoever has the most Perfect Successes. In the event of a tie then it’s whoever has the most Exceptional Successes. If that number is equal then whoever has the most Ordinary Success. If that is also a tie then the ranks of cards are compared to see who drew the higher ones. If both sides of a conflict drew the exact same cards then the laws of probability are fucked and reality is rebooted with the conflict being conducted a second time.

The outcome of a conflict, for failure or success depends on what exactly is being attempted during the conflict and will generally be mentioned before a conflict starts. Some conflicts may be announced well before they are resolved, such as receiving a mission from your CEO or foreknowledge of an upcoming raid. Thus characters have time to influence the outcome however they can, such as working hard to increase the profitability of their firm or injuring a rival’s reputations before an important business meeting.

DAMAGE:
Damage generally occurs when failing a conflict. Damage can apply to a character’s Health, Reputation or Profitability.

Each point of Health Damage reduces all stats by 1. If the total Health Damage is equal to or greater than a character’s Physical stat then they are severely wounded and in danger of dying. Health Damage can be healed by visiting a relevant medical professional or receiving help from another character.

Reputations are damaged individually and each point reduces their bonus by one. The maximum amount of Damage a Reputation may have is equal to the bonus it provides. Whenever a Reputation is used in a failed conflict it automatically gains a point of Damage and may gain additional damage from the results of the conflict as well. Reputations can be healed by asking for forgiveness, doing thoughtful deeds or going above and beyond the call of duty. Repairing Reputations generally involves succeeding at an Organization or Charm test.

Damage to Profitability is a temporary loss but is one which could easily become permanent. Each point of Damage decreases Profitability by 1. If the amount of Damage is equal to your character’s Profitability then all Damage is removed and Profitability is permanently decreased by 1. Profitability is generally damaged by failure to meet company expectations or profit margins, but boardroom maneuvers or other troubles that threaten output can damage it as well. Getting caught performing illegal or highly questionable deeds will also damage profitability. Profitability can be repaired by exceeding profit expectations or sucking up to your boss and performing favours for them.

FIRMS:
Firms are organizations that provide goods and services, such as a factory that produces rubber gaskets or a travel agency to the sunny beaches of the Ryukyu islands. Firms can be acquired by the players, either as gifts by another salaryman or from hostile takeovers from another corporation. Like characters, Firms are represented by Stats and Traits.

The 5 stats that represent a firm are Productivity, Expertise, Morale, Security and Defence.

• Productivity represents a firm’s ability to efficiently produce goods or provide services.
• Expertise represents the collective knowledge of the firm in the field they are working on.
• Morale represents how motivated and willing to work the employees are.
• Security represents a firm’s protection against subversive elements or infiltrators.
• Defence represents a firm’s protection against hostile takeovers or raids.

Traits represent special equipment, knowledge or characteristics of a firm. These range from special equipment to security drones and so on. Traits in a firm can be acquired or lost by the efforts of the players, their allies and their rivals.

At the end of a month, every firm attempts a Productivity test to see if they match productivity goals. The players may modify this test by their actions, succeeding at conflicts or losing them. Failure to meet profit targets will result in Profitability damage to the player characters. Exceptional Success at reaching those goals may mean promotion, a Profitability increase or some other bonus. Since meeting profit margins is the only thing that matters, running a firm into the ground while siphoning money off is a legitimate management strategy. So long as one can dump it onto some other poor salaryman before it collapses.

Spoiler: Character Sheet (click to show/hide)

Name: Japanese names are in the form of Clan/Family Name, Personal Name.
Age: 18+, please. You are salarymen, not schoolchildren.
Appearance: Wild and fanciful clothing is encouraged.

Stats: The five normal stats (Physical, Technical, Synergy, Organizational, Charm) begin at 1 while Profitability begins at 3. You have 7 points to distribute among the five normal stats. No normal stat may be larger than 4 at character creation.
Physical: 1
Technical: 1
Synergy: 1
Organizational: 1
Charm: 1
Profitability: 3

Skills: You have 12 points to distribute among your skills. No skill may be larger than 3 at character creation.

Reputations: You begin the game with a +1 reputation with your parent Corporation, Raijin Power. Additionally you have 4 points to distribute among however many reputations you choose. You are welcome to create institutions and people to have reputations with. No reputation may be larger than +3.
Employed by Raijin Power: +1

Traits: You start with 1 Trait at character creation and may gain more as the game progresses.

Equipment: You start with 1 piece of equipment at character creation.

History: You may describe up to three important points of your character’s background. The description may be only a few sentences long for each part or embedded in a larger paragraph of their history. For each part of your character’s history which you highlight, you gain either +1 stat, +1 reputation, +2 skills, a trait or a piece of equipment. The bonus stat may apply to the five normal stats or to Profitability as well.

Code: [Select]

[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Appearance:[/b]

[u][b]Stats:[/b][/u]
[i]Physical:[/i] 1
[i]Technical:[/i] 1
[i]Synergy:[/i] 1
[i]Organizational:[/i] 1
[i]Charm:[/i] 1
[i]Profitability:[/i] 3

[u][b]Skills:[/b][/u]

[b]Reputations:[/b]
[u]Employed by Raijin Power:[/u] +1

[b]Traits:[/b]

[b]Equipment:[/b]

[b]History:[/b]
You may copy and paste the contents of the above code block to form the basis of your character sheet.

Spoiler: Life in Oshiro Japan (click to show/hide)

Oshiro Japan is a country of towering skyscrapers, extensive neon and choking smog. The Oshiro Conglomerate rules through the nine prime corporations and they each offer a unique stamp to the country's architecture. NK's buildings can be identified by their bulging polymer windows while Cherry's are covered in smog-resistant greenery. Maglev lines and roads criss-cross the country, though the latter are mostly occupied by fleets of buses and swarms of bicycles. Only those wealthy or prestigious enough own electric vehicles in Japan. The Five-Fold Wall isolates the country from the rest of the world and so protects the country's extensive manufacturing industries.

At the top of Oshiro's caste system are the salarymen, their position secured by possession of 99% of the country. At one time the use of Shohen, microscopic machines, was wide-spread. Now their use is heavily restricted so as to cement the position of the salarymen. A Shohen-enhanced salaryman is stronger, faster and more intelligent than their peers. Their blade can cut down several non-enhanced men with a single strike and only cyborgs can hope to match them in single-combat. Their martial prowess is matched with a duty towards learning and earning a profit for their corporate masters. A salaryman's position and wealth comes with a sense of honour and duty that frequently sets them in conflict with their peers and sparks the many feuds that Oshiro Japan suffers from. The highest ranking salarymen live in penthouse suites or fanciful estates in what remains of the countryside. The majority live in the firms and factories where they work, to be on hand to defend them as much as possible. Excellent pay and a prestigious position ensures that a salaryman lives more comfortably than most of the population, with access to whatever they could possibly wish for. Salarymen are beholden to Rieikdo, or the Way of Profits, as an example of how to live their lives. Even if few come close to that ideal, their peers and bosses are certainly watching for every infraction.

The other castes of Japan are not as lucky as the salarymen. They live in company apartments or tenant buildings, relying on an extensive public transportation system or carbon-fibre bicycle to go where they wish to go. Long hours and few worker's rights are balanced by excellent pay, since the Oshiro Conglomerate values production above all. Even if they do not have the same rights and privileges as a salaryman, a good worker can expect a respectable lifestyle so long as they are not injured on the job or suffer a mental breakdown. Obvious signs that the salarymen are hording much of the country's wealth causes ripples of anger and outrage among the lower classes and even worker's revolutions at times. The strength of Shohen-enhanced salarymen ensures that such troubles are short-lived but highly destructive.

The population who do not work for one of the nine prime corporations are a hardy bunch living in the cracks of society, working a living however they can. Referring to themselves as Sovereigns, they have set up extensive camps in the mountains and slums of Japan. Occasionally cybernetic-enhanced bandits raid the megacities from their camps but generally they prefer to maintain their independence. Their presence is tolerated by the corporations due to the simple fact that eliminating them would be more effort than they're worth. Especially since they are a good source of manpower and expertise to be exploited however possible. Many a Sovereign, seeking a better life, has joined the ranks of the salarymen at the request of the corporations. An equal number have refused such a request too.

Most of Japan's government has been overturned and submerged by the corporate government of the Oshiro Conglomerate. What little that remains has been submerged with the country's religious life to form Judicial-Shintoism. It represents the remaining influence which civilian government has in Japan, though the efforts of Oshiro ensures that it's used sparingly. Under the Seventy Profitable Laws, Judicial-Shintoism supports the actions of the salarymen while restricting the efforts of the lower classes to do the same. Blood-feuds, dueling, raids and more can be legally sanctioned for the right price. Such is the power of a salaryman that they can escape the consequences even without these sanctions, though doing so is incredibly dishonourable. Many salarymen retire, willingly or forced, by joining the ranks of Judicial-Shintoism. Tales of wandering clerks in their orange robes dispensing justice as they see fit are equal amounts fiction and fact.

Spoiler: Rieikdo: The Way of Profits (click to show/hide)

EIGHT TENETS OF RIEKIDO:
Riekido, or the way of profits, is the codified way of life for a salaryman and describes how they should live. Many conflicting writings on Riekido exist but the generally accepted eight tenets of Riekido are:

Duty: A salaryman has a duty to themselves and their corporation. They must serve and profit themselves and those above them at every opportunity. If no such opportunity exists they must seek it out unwaveringly. To fail to do one’s duty is to besmirch one’s own honour.

Integrity: Speaking and doing are one and the same to a salaryman. They do not promise. They do not try. They say that something will be done and do it, no matter what obstacles they may face. To fail to follow one’s word is a grave dishonour as a salaryman.

Honour: A salaryman cannot hide from themselves. The decisions they make and carry out reflect their true character and honour. How can a person who goes against the Seventy Profitable Laws call themselves a proper salaryman?

Courage: A true salaryman must not be afraid to take risks in the pursuit of profits. A full, wholesome life is cannot be lived without risks. Those with heroic courage are not afraid to tackle them head-on. A salaryman who undutifully flees from risks and trials is no true salaryman.

Respect: Cruelty does not benefit a true salaryman. Respect is as important out of the boardroom as it is in it. No matter how difficult the times are, an honourable salaryman can be revealed by the respect they give to their peers. A salaryman who does not give respect to their fellow salarymen is not worthy of the title.

Benevolence: To be given the gift of Shohen is to be made better than the rest of humanity. More powerful. More intelligent. To abuse this power is to abuse the respectability that comes with the gift of Shohen. A salaryman who is excessively cruel to their inferiors only brings dishonour on themselves.

Righteousness: A salaryman is beholden to themselves and their peers. To offer excessive respect and friendship to one’s inferiors dulls one’s righteousness for themselves and their profession. Those salarymen who give excessive favours to those below them prove that they are no more honourable than they are.

Success: The most important tenant of Riekido. Everything a salaryman does in the name of success. Nothing is worse than the sting of failure. Nothing can compare to the taste of success. All other violations to Riekido can be forgiven for a salaryman who earns significant profits their company.

Spoiler: Glossary (click to show/hide)

Caste System: A class structure that is determined by birth. In theory, under the Seventy Profitable Laws, all men are equal. In practice the Oshiro Conglomerate enforces a rigid caste system. The castes are salaryman, worker, scientist and guard in order of most prestigious to least. In practice the rankings are not as rigid as the Oshiro would wish. The salarymen maintain their dominance through equal amounts of respectable and underhanded tactics rather than the innate honour and superiority of their caste.

CEO: The head of a prime corporation. Answerable only to the President themselves. The CEOs feud among themselves for power, wealth and honour at every opportunity.

Decker: Synonymous with hacker and carries connotations of someone highly skilled in operating a computer. The term derives from an old form of human-computer interface. Modern deckers use a sophisticated bio-feedback implant instead.

Decker Clan: A loosely organized yet fiercely loyal and tight-lipped group of deckers. Their optical-weave clad agents engage in a variety of activities, most of them illegal. While primarily concerned with hacking and computer fraud, decker clans think nothing of engaging in assassinations, blackmail and the like for the right price. The prime corporations often deal with decker clans for their espionage techniques and electronic know-how. Competition and politics between the clans are just as intense as between corporations, though injected with a dose of juvenile humour and shrouded in the greatest of secrecy.

Den-Sei: A particular form of AI, based on the theories and designs of Kyou Ueda. Den-Sei are hyper specialized to the point of absurdity, to ensure that they perform their tasks optimally and without fear of corruption. A car-driving Den-Sei knows the exact tightness its lug nuts should be set to, but has no idea that the humans it drives around are the same that walk along the streets. By law and common consent, Den-Sei are the only type of AI allowed within Japan. All other forms are illegal and to be destroyed on sight.

Executive Director: A high-ranking salaryman who reports directly to the CEO of a prime corporation or to the President himself. Executive Directors are generally given a division or large number of related industries to manage.

Five-Fold Wall: The source of Japan’s prosperity and isolation from the rest of the world. It is comprised of Den-Sei freighters, frequency jammers, secret police, the Japanese Navy and the JAF. Due to the Five-Fold Wall, contact between Japan and the outside world is almost entirely cut-off. The only official method of communication is through Den-Sei, and only to enable the prime corporations to sell their products to gaijin countries.

Freelancer: A salaryman who doesn’t belong to any corporation but takes whatever contracts they can. Their existence is technically illegal under the rules of the Oshiro Conglomerate but generally they are ignored so long as they do not cause too much trouble. Many freelancers offer their services to the higher bidder or wander Japan seeking to hone their skills.

Gaijin: Anyone who lives on the other side of Five-Fold Wall. Non-Japanese people. Gaijin materials are imported, processed, and sold to the wider world. Doing so drives Japan’s economy and the fortunes of its corporations.

Guard: In Oshiro thinking, those who do not produce are worth nothing. Thus the caste of guards and security personnel is the lowest in the caste system, since they only prevent the lost and destruction of products. In reality they are treated quite well, since they are highly useful in suppressing unions, stopping worker’s revolutions, defending firms and similar tasks.

General Manager: A mid-ranking salaryman. Usually reports to an Executive Director, though a few report to the President himself.

Judicial-Shintoism: The leading religion in Japan, whose head is the Prime Minister. It is characterised by intense ritual and organization. Court-maidens drive away bad spirits while Nomimancers use zoning laws to organize buildings and furnishings in a harmonious way. When powerful salarymen wish to retire, they do so by taking a vow of service and becoming a clerk at the nearest courthouse.

Karaoke: A form of entertainment involving singing popular songs over pre-recorded backing tracks with a group of friends. Karaoke is extremely popular with Japan’s population, especially when combined with excessive drinking. A salaryman who refuses a chance to perform karaoke with their peers is viewed as strange as best or dishonourable at worst.

Manager: A low-ranking salaryman, though still higher than regular staff. Reports directly to a General Manager.

Nuyen: Japan's currency. While contact with the outside world is forbidden due to the Five-Fold Wall, Japan's economists are confident that a single Nuyen is equal to 3.4 Euros. Assuming that such a currency still exists, of course.

Optical-Weave: A type of fabric which can assume a whole host of colours. Generally used as camouflage by deckers and other suspicious types.

President: The head of the Oshiro Conglomerate and functional ruler of all of Japan. The current President is Oshiro Katsuo.

Prime Corporation: One of the nine most powerful corporations in Japan, all directly underneath the Oshiro Conglomerate. They are Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Yamauchi Zaibatsu, Tenjin Tech Enterprises, Cherry Agriculture and Recycling, Nakamura Service Solutions, Fuji Entertainment, NK Pharmaceuticals, I/M Construction and Design, and Raijin Power.

Prime Minister: Long ago the Prime Minister was the ruler of Japan. Yet with the rise of the Oshiro Conglomerate the position has turned into a ceremonial one, with some influence remaining as the head of Judicial-Shintoism. The current Prime Minister is Saito Hideyoshi, who is legally bound to dedicate his life to ‘the study of legalism and the arts’.

Riekido: The Way of Profits, and rules on how every salaryman should live their life. While the exact details vary from writer to writer, the 8 commonly accepted tenets are Duty, Integrity, Honour, Courage, Respect, Benevolence, Righteousness and Success.

Rigger: Informal term for someone who operates remote controlled drones. While most machines and robots are operated by Den-Sei, sometimes a more human touch is needed.

Salaryman: A high-ranking and trusted employee of a corporation and the highest caste in Japan. Doing so gives them many benefits, such as access to company roads and improved housing. The most important benefit of being a salaryman is being infused with Shohen, granting increased strength, intelligence and speed as well as a variety of abilities. Even the lowest of salaryman is capable of taking on several armed men with ease. Due to the particularities of Shohen enhancement, salarymen generally favour weapons powered by their muscles such as katanas and bows. As the highest caste in Oshiro Japan, salarymen combine the martial and literary values exemplified by the samurai of centuries past.

Scientist: In the Oshiro Conglomerate, those who produce the most are thought to be the most honourable. Thus salarymen, who organize the production of many and magnify it, are given the most respect. While the efforts of scientists, intellectuals and maintenance crew are important, immaterial gains cannot compare to physical product. Even a worker, who produces only for himself, is thought to be more respectable than a scientist. Of course, in reality, most who fall into this caste are better treated than the supposedly more prestigious workers.

Seventy Profitable Laws: The remaining legal code of Japan, after being cut down at the insistence of successive Presidents. The Seventy Profitable Laws effectively legalize honour-killings, raids and similar activities to those who can afford the bribes and fines required. This limits such actions only to salarymen and their masters. While one does not need to resort to the Seventy Profitable Laws to attack one’s enemies, doing so is considered extremely unhonourable and reflects poorly on the profitability of the salarymen who engage in such things.

Shohen: Microscopic machines. Long ago Shohen were commonplace in Japan but have become rarer under the rise of the Oshiro. Except for a few traditional cases, such as the Prime Minister's Thousand Clerk Bodyguard, the possession of Shohen are illegal to all who are not a salaryman. Even then their use is strictly regulated to maintain the dominance of the Oshiro Conglomerate.

Sovereign: Slang for a person living outside of the Oshiro Conglomerate, in one of the many slums or mountain camps in Japan. They are characterized by being fiercely independent, mechanically adept and suspicious of outsiders. More respectable citizens view them as bandits and thieves but, so long as they don't cause much trouble, are largely ignored.

Street Samurai: A slang term for a highly enhanced human being, generally through the implantation of cybernetics. While not as dangerous as a salaryman they are still feared and respected by the average man.

Worker: The second highest caste in Japan, at least according to Oshiro thought. Such a position affords them some form of worker’s rights and privileges in the face of greedy salarymen eager to exploit their labour however they can. Only idols and similar stars are afforded the full respect that the worker caste is supposed to receive.

[USEC_OFFICER]

Spoiler: Oshiro Conglomerate and the Nine Prime Corporations (click to show/hide)

OSHIRO CONGLOMERATE:
The Oshiro Conglomerate is the largest and most powerful corporation in all of Japan. All other organizations and companies are held underneath it and are thus subservant to President Katsuo. Despite this the Oshiro Conglomerate produces very little itself and is content on absorbing the profits it receives from the other corporations. The production of Shohen is the sole focus of the Oshiro Conglomerate, yet it is also the source of its power and continued influence. Shohen is needed to turn ordinary humans into super-powered salarymen. Without the favour of Oshiro and its Shohen, no company in Japan would be able to fend off its rivals and do business.

A teal circle on a white background is the simple yet instantly recognizable logo of the Oshiro Conglomerate.

PRIME COMPANIES:
Directly underneath the Oshiro Conglomerate are the nine prime companies and corporations of Japan. These companies collectively control over 95% of the country’s businesses, firms and production and dominate its people. While the core business of these corporations have not changed significantly for centuries, they have expanded their portfolios to produce additional products as needed.

The nine prime companies are Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Yamauchi Zaibatsu, Tenjin Tech Enterprises, Cherry Agriculture and Recycling, Nakamura Service Solutions, Fuji Entertainment, NK Pharmaceuticals, I/M Construction and Design, and Raijin Power. A tenth prime company, SuMe Armaments, fell out of favour with the Oshiro a century ago and were completely destroyed. Their high-end products have not been bested yet and are highly-sought after items by salarymen.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries:
An old and prestigious company, dating well before the rise of the Oshiro. Mitsubishi factories churn out trains, cars, planes and similar products in massive numbers, as well as smaller appliances and equipment. Recently their dominant position has been under threat by Yamauchi and Tenjin and as a result they have developed an intense rivalry with those two companies. Deeply traditional, Mitsubishi designs favour tried and true solutions instead of the new innovations that their competitors favour. As a result their products are cheap, reliable and easy to repair and maintain.

• Mitsubishi, Yamauchi and Tenjin are locked in an intense, three-way rivalry for dominance of Japan’s heavy industry. Mutual hatred is not enough to prevent alliances of convenience to gang up on the current leader.
• While I/M Construction and Design is no threat to Mitsubishi anymore, they still view the smaller company with suspicion and distrust. The feeling is mutual, even if I/M doesn’t have the time and resources to seriously disrupt their firms.
• Fuji Entertainment’s swing away from traditional ideals have caused Mitsubishi to largely cut off contracts with the company in favour of Nakamura. As a result Nakamura and Mitsubishi have grown closer in the face of Fuji’s ire.

Mitsubishi’s logo is three red diamonds arranged so that their tips meet at a single point.

Yamauchi Zaibatsu:
Yamauchi’s power extends from the sea. Their fleet of Den-Sei freighters is the largest in all of Japan and frequently carry goods from smaller companies to lands beyond the Five-Fold Wall, while Japan’s navy is mostly comprised of vessels designed and produced by the company. Yamauchi’s efforts to leverage their naval production and expertise into other fields have earned them the ire of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Tenjin Tech Enterprises and prompted their three-way war. Yamauchi products tend towards being expensive but well-developed and multi-purpose. The blend of reliability and innovation makes their products an attractive purchase to buyers which can afford the costs.

• Mitsubishi, Yamauchi and Tenjin are locked in an intense, three-way rivalry for dominance of Japan’s heavy industry. Mutual hatred is not enough to prevent alliances of convenience to gang up on the current leader.
• Yamauchi is one of the few corporations which have earned Cherry’s ire due to their extensive aquafarming operations. Younger salarymen believe that repairing relations and gaining access to cheap, high-quality materials is needed to launch Yamauchi into a position of dominance over their rivals.
• Together Raijin Power and Yamauchi Zaibatsu have constructed many new wave energy converters and underwater geothermal plants to the benefit of both companies. Such a profitable arrangement portends further cooperation in the future.

Yamauchi’s logo is comprised of two blue dueling swordfish, leaping from the sea.

Tenjin Tech Enterprises:
After being born out of an electronics boom, Tenjin Tech Enterprises rapidly consumed their competitors and sought to expand their industrial base. Their lightning expansion and ties to Decker Clans drew the attention and wrath of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Contract wars over the development of Den-Sei pilots brought Yamauchi Zaibatsu against them. Wise leadership and a spot of good luck allowed them to entrench their gains against their larger competitors and secure their present position as a prime corporation. Tenjin products are lauded for their sleekness and innovative designs as often as they are derided for their unreliability and complicated operation.

• Mitsubishi, Yamauchi and Tenjin are locked in an intense, three-way rivalry for dominance of Japan’s heavy industry. Mutual hatred is not enough to prevent alliances of convenience to gang up on the current leader.
• While the Oshiro Conglomerate is solely responsible for the production of Shohen, they often contract out some design and testing to Tenjin and NK. Being entrusted with such an important task has done much to improve relations between these two companies.
• The rapid rise of Tenjin Tech Enterprises, to successfully compete with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, has earned them the ire of I/M and Raijin. While not expanding into full on warfare, the two companies are exceptionally harsh in their dealings with Tenjin.

Tenjin’s logo is comprised of three green overlapping gears arranged in a triangle.

Cherry Agriculture and Recycling:
Headquartered in the north, Cherry’s philosophy can be summarized as ‘profitable neutrality’. While other companies have slowly diversified their portfolios, Cherry has focused on their core business until they became the dominant supplier of raw materials in Japan. Gaijin materials cannot compare to the quality that comes from Cherry’s recycling facilities or hydroponic farms, ensuring the continuation of their near monopoly. What few manufactured products Cherry produces are heavily influenced by Mitsubishi designs. The major difference is their focus on simplicity and recyclability.

• Cherry’s near monopoly on the production of raw materials is balanced by their extensive network of manufacturing contracts and affordable prices. Thus, while they are not the most hated of clans neither are they the most liked.
• Yamauchi is one of the few corporations which have earned Cherry’s ire due to their extensive aquafarming operations. Younger salarymen believe that repairing relations and gaining access to cheap, high-quality materials is needed to launch Yamauchi into a position of dominance over their rivals.
• Due to the need to contract out many elements of construction and production, Cherry has many ties to Nakamura and I/M, resulting in mutual respect and wary admiration between them all.

Cherry’s logo is comprised of pink cherry blossoms within a circle made out of three arrows. The arrows all point in the clockwise direction.

Nakamura Service Solutions:
Nakamura is heavily influential despite their small size, due to their focus on fulfilling important services such as banking, insurance, and advertising. Managing the conflicting needs of their multiple clients is stressful and dangerous but earns Nakamura the admiration and respect of their fellows. Recently Nakamura has attempted to expand into fashion, recording and related industries to broaden their business portfolio. Doing so has earned them the wrath of Fuji Entertainment as they intensify the eroding of their core businesses. Nakamura products are highly fashionable but usually have less features than similar products at the same price.

• Highly admired and respected, Nakamura’s services are sought after by other corporations. This gives them plenty of leverage and influence despite their small size.
• Due to the need to contract out many elements of construction and production, Cherry has many ties to Nakamura and I/M, resulting in mutual respect and wary admiration between them all.
• Fuji Entertainment’s swing away from traditional ideals have caused Mitsubishi to largely cut off contracts with the company in favour of Nakamura. As a result Nakamura and Mitsubishi have grown closer in the face of Fuji’s ire.

Nakamura’s logo is a stylized flower in black.

Fuji Entertainment:
For centuries Fuji Entertainment has dominated the cultural life of Japan. Their idols, tv-shows, fashion lines set trends that others could only follow. Yet recently the company has come under hostile scrutiny by their fellows. Many traditional CEOs, such as the head of Mitsubishi, have attacked Fuji for straying from Japanese ideals when developing new IPs and designs. As such the company has seen its cultural dominance falter and fall against the onslaught of rival organizations despite its struggles against them. Fuji’s products are highly innovative and daring in design, which does little to silence the criticisms of their enemies.

• Despite recent setbacks, Fuji is still a trend-setter for fashion, entertainment and the like. While they might be viewed with suspicion by other companies they are still popular with the common people and so leverage this advantage whenever possible.
• One of the few companies which have not attacked Fuji Entertainment for a perceived shift in ideals is NK Pharmaceuticals. The two companies have been traditionally close due to the close development of cosmetics and designer drugs.
• Fuji Entertainment’s swing away from traditional ideals have caused Mitsubishi to largely cut off contracts with the company in favour of Nakamura. As a result Nakamura and Mitsubishi have grown closer in the face of Fuji’s ire.

Fuji’s logo is the white mountain from which the company gained its name, back when it was still whole.

NK Pharmaceuticals:
Providing more than just pharmaceuticals, NK offers a wide range of health services, vat-grown organics, cybernetic enhancements and similar products. Yet the fortunes of NK have stagnated, which is the same as being in decline in the cut-throat world of business. Having cornered the health, drug and chemical market, the corporation has struggled to expand its portfolio beyond. Its CEO is well aware that if they do not improve their bottom line soon then other corporations will sense blood in the water. A large reliance on plastics and similar polymers makes NK’s products stand out from the crowd, even if they are no better than traditional materials.

• The dominance of Japan’s healthcare system has ensured NK’s place as a prime corporation and the respect of their fellows. Yet stagnating profits puts their position in jeopardy and so they desperately seek a way to reverse their fate.
• One of the few companies which have not attacked Fuji Entertainment for a perceived shift in ideals is NK Pharmaceuticals. The two companies have been traditionally close due to the close development of cosmetics and designer drugs.
• While the Oshiro Conglomerate is solely responsible for the production of Shohen, they often contract out some design and testing to Tenjin and NK. Being entrusted with such an important task has done much to improve relations between these two companies.

NK’s logo is a purple cross, with equal lengths on all of its arms, rotated 45 degrees.

I/M Construction and Design:
Inoue Construction was a prestigious corporation during the founding of the Oshiro Conglomerate. Soon after it sought to displace Mitsubishi as the head of Japan’s heavy industry but was brutally crushed for its hubris. However Inoue survived and its eventual merger with Matsushita Design resulted in its reassumption as a prime corporation. I/M is the weakest of the prime corporations yet has impressed its rivals with the loyalty and drive of its salarymen. I/M designs are not the most fashionable but still respected and admired. Those who think that Mitsubishi’s products are too workmen like but still want reliability and affordability turn towards I/M.

• The rapid rise of Tenjin Tech Enterprises, to successfully compete with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, has earned them the ire of I/M and Raijin. While not expanding into full on warfare, the two companies are exceptionally harsh in their dealings with Tenjin.
• Due to the need to contract out many elements of construction and production, Cherry has many ties to Nakamura and I/M, resulting in mutual respect and wary admiration between them all.
• While I/M Construction and Design is no threat to Mitsubishi anymore, they still view the smaller company with suspicion and distrust. The feeling is mutual, even if I/M doesn’t have the time and resources to seriously disrupt their firms.

An orange castle standing fiercely against a background of black comprises I/M’s logo.

Raijin Power:
For a time it looked as if Raijin Power would compete against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, but the devastation that Inoue suffered convinced them otherwise. Sinking into mediocrity, the company’s fortunes were finally turned around by the latest of the Japanese tech boom. While Tenjin was the ultimate victor of that boom, the acquisition of many electronics firms expanded Raijin’s bottom line and pushed them out of the ‘profitably neutrality’ philosophy which they shared with Cherry Agriculture and Recycling. For those who find Tenjin equipment too unreliable and complicated, Raijin can provide products which are sturdy yet sophisticated.

• While their business base is still the production of power for other corporations, Raijin has started to take a larger interest in boardroom politics due to the acquisition of several tech firms.
• Together Raijin Power and Yamauchi Zaibatsu have constructed many new wave energy converters and underwater geothermal plants to the benefit of both companies. Such a profitable arrangement portends further cooperation in the future.
• The rapid rise of Tenjin Tech Enterprises, to successfully compete with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, has earned them the ire of I/M and Raijin. While not expanding into full on warfare, the two companies are exceptionally harsh in their dealings with Tenjin.

Raijin’s logo is a yellow dragon, posed in a sinuous S shape.

SuMe Armaments:
A century ago, SuMe Armaments was the largest and more powerful of the prime corporations. Yet that was not enough to prevent their downfall when their experiments into Shohen were discovered by the Oshiro Conglomerate. The destruction of SuMe was quick and absolute, and their resources were given to the other corporations as a reward for their assistance. The quality of Shohen weapons, armour and equipment which SuMe produced was significantly better than that of Oshiro. And so, under pressure from the corporations, the Conglomerate legalized the possession of SuMe-developed Shohen. In very little time their highest quality products became worth their weight in gold.

The logo of SuMe is quite simple. A small grey katana stamped on a flat surface, quietly showing off the awe-inspiring skill of the men who made their products.

Firms:
None. Yet.


Players:
None. Yet.

Non-Players:
None. Yet.

[IcyTea31]

Spoiler: WIP (click to show/hide)

Name: Asakura Sueuchi
Age: 38
Appearance:

Stats:
Physical: 2
Technical: 4
Synergy: 2
Organizational: 3
Charm: 1
Profitability: 3

Skills:
Awareness: +2
Bureaucracy: +2
Drones & Vehicles: +3
First Aid: +1
Hacking: +3
Knowledge: Explosives: +1

Reputations:
Employed by Raijin Power: +2
Friends in Yamauchi Zaibatsu: +1


Traits:

Equipment:

History:

[BlitzDungeoneer]

posting to maybe make a sheet

[TopHat]

PTW. May make an application later.

[Supernerd]

The character creation process is highly confusing. Could we get an example character?

I am particularly curious about how much/what kind of information should be given about a character's personal reputations.

[Kadzar]

This looks interesting. I'm not sure if I'll make a character, since I often have days where I'm somewhat busy, so I'm afraid I might not always be able to post or do roleplaying. But I do want to follow what goes on, and I'd like to help anyone making characters, specifically with names.

So probably the most important thing to know with Japanese names is that the first name is always the surname or family name, followed by the personal name or given name. Also, when speaking to others, typically the family name is used, with given names largely restricted to informal situations and cases where the speaker is older than, superior to, or very familiar with the named individual.

So if you just want a name, here are a few random generators that may be of use. And these might be useful if you want to pick a name with a certain meaning.

Hope this helps.

[Blade Master Model 42]

I'll work on a character tomorrow.

[kj1225]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Name: Hirohashi Souta
Age: Unknown, Between 20 and 35 most likely.
Appearance: While the facial features of Souta remain a mystery to any except his higher ups, it is known that he is a huge beast of a man, being nearly six feet tall being rather stout. He is never seen without his mask, which is reminiscent of an Oni from the days of old with glowing eyes like that of hellfire, and teeth sharpened to a fine point. (Which hasn't done his hands any favours since he keeps stabbing himself on them.) He typically wears a black suit with red lights forming lines down his arms. Over his hands he wears leather gloves. Of the visible parts of him is his jet black hair, cut short to maintain professionalism, and his pale skin.

Stats:
Physical: 4
Technical: 2
Synergy: 1
Organizational: 2
Charm: 3
Profitability: 3

Skills:

Reputations:
Employed by Raijin Power: +1

Traits:

Equipment:

History:

[Supernerd]

Is this game still going to be a thing? I want to know if I should finish making my character or not. (Still waiting on a response from the GM to my question. Its almost been a week and I couldn't help but notice that the GM's profile says that they were last online today)

[OceanSoul]

I keep telling myself I'll make a character for this.

[USEC_OFFICER]

Hey everyone. Sorry for vanishing for a week and not telling anyone. Depression is a bitch.

Now that I've perked up I'd like to really continue the game but... I know that I'm going to feel down and vanish again. And I know that doing it multiple times is really bad for a game, especially with what I want to do. So basically I'm locking this game and going to focus on getting better instead. Once I've got my depression under control then I'll either restart this game or make a new one. But right now it'd obvious that I'm not in the right mindset to GM something like this.

I'm really sorry about this, everyone. My apologies.