ID: Hogosha IFF: Hogosha Name: GPX|First.Last or GPX|Shipname The Past
The Ryuu family's tale is one of cunning adaptation and unyielding ambition, woven into the fabric of the bustling Sirius Sector. While details of their pre-prominence years remain shrouded in history, whispers speak of humble beginnings in the rugged spaceports of Planet Junyo. Their meteoric ascent, however, took root in 578 a.s. with a shrewd shipping agreement struck with the industrial powerhouse, Samura Industries. For two centuries, the Ryuu's navigated the currents of commerce, steadily building their fleet and influence. But in 825 a.s., Hiroshi Ryuu, a man with fire in his eyes and whispers of legend on his lips, made a gamble that shook the sector. He divested the majority of the family's shipping assets, a bold move that raised eyebrows and sparked speculation. What emerged from this audacious maneuver was the Golden Phoenix Casino, a marvel of steel and gilded splendor housed within the majestic hull of a repurposed Amaterasu Kusari Liner, acquired through a strategic deal with Samura. Hiroshi's vision proved prophetic. The Golden Phoenix, moored like a majestic leviathan in the heart of the bustling Core Worlds, became a haven for fortune seekers and power brokers, a nexus of wealth and influence, and a testament to the Ryuu family's cunning. When Hiroshi passed in 828 a.s., the mantle of leadership fell upon the formidable Sakura, Dowager Mistress of the Ryuu family. Under her steely gaze, the family's focus shifted. The Sirius Sector, vast and teeming with opportunity, became their new horizon.
The Present
Sakura saw opportunity beyond the glittering facade of the casino. She understood that true power lay not just in amassed wealth, but in influence, reach, and a legacy that echoed across the stars. Thus began the Ryuu family's expansion, with tendrils reaching out to every corner of the sector. They invested in exploration, patronized promising ventures, and built alliances with influential figures on distant worlds. Their name, once whispered in trade agreements, now graced billboards on bustling spaceports and echoed in the hushed tones of powerful gatherings. With the Sakura's focus now falling on expanding in Rhineland and the dethroning the ever present Orbital Spa and Cruise.
The Future
The Ryuu family's story is far from over. It's a saga etched in starship drives and whispered in the hushed tones of backroom deals. As Sakura steers the family towards an ever-brighter future, the Golden Phoenix's shadow stretches long and bold. Will they become benevolent emperors, shaping the political landscape of the Sirius Sector? Or will they remain enigmatic power players, pulling the strings from the opulent confines of their celestial casino? Only time, and the Ryuu family's unwavering ambition, will tell.
Family Structure
The Golden Phoenix Casino is the heart of the family's power and wealth. Each branch contributes to that heart – Casino Operations under Kenji, Liner Operations under Takeshi, and Risk Management with its questionable duties which reports to the family head, Sakura. Beyond these three branches the younger family members are always being viewed and groomed for leadership. This has resulted in rivalries usually playing out along old blood, those in the Ryuu family who have been there by birth, and new blood, those who have joined either by family merges. marriages or adoptions. Sakura has been tightlipped about succession plans arguing that such rivalries ultimately benefit the family.
(12-25-2023, 10:01 AM)Shimamori Wrote: Good luck! Kusari might look dead at times but may this not prevent you from doing what you like (if you are not getting bored that is).
(12-25-2023, 09:36 AM)Dracarys Wrote: Great write up best of luck. Do you think that this is going to make it since Kusari is dead??
Oops, didn't realize I invited the inactivity police to my thread! In all seriousness, while I'm grateful for all perspectives, I was really hoping for some feedback on the faction itself. If the missing players are bugging you too, maybe we can brainstorm some ways to re-engage them in another thread?
(12-25-2023, 10:01 AM)Shimamori Wrote: Good luck! Kusari might look dead at times but may this not prevent you from doing what you like (if you are not getting bored that is).
(12-25-2023, 09:36 AM)Dracarys Wrote: Great write up best of luck. Do you think that this is going to make it since Kusari is dead??
Oops, didn't realize I invited the inactivity police to my thread! In all seriousness, while I'm grateful for all perspectives, I was really hoping for some feedback on the faction itself. If the missing players are bugging you too, maybe we can brainstorm some ways to re-engage them in another thread?
If that is feedback you want, here are my 5 cents:
IMHO, it's better to expand the part about Amaterasu acquisition (and double-check its infocard regarding whet it was created in lore. Not saying it's wrong, haven't seen the infocard, but it is supposed to be rather new). The ship is restricted to the creme de la creme of Samura and not all Hogosha families can acquire it easily without going to great lengths.
Female leader. That's a matter of taste, ofc, but if you want to play the Hogosha close to their irl origin, the yakuza, you should know that it is a very patriarchal structure with male oyabun at its head. Women of yakuza are greatly respected, no doubt, but daughters do not really inherit the "empires" of their fathers.
Lastly, "family". The Japanese used to operate as clans. I suggest the latter for the faction because it involves not only the blood relatives but also the confidantes and all kind of advisors, etc, who are regarded as "extended family", that is a clan. Talented people can be adopted like it historically was with the Japanese daimyo and later on yakuza (that appeared during the Edo period and was loosely based on the feudal clan system prevalent at the time and has remained as an orthodox structure still).
None of the above is critical, just my take on the stylistics. You might gradually expand the lore to give it more flavour and depth as the faction progresses.
(12-25-2023, 02:53 PM)Shimamori Wrote: If that is feedback you want, here are my 5 cents:
{{LIST}}
None of the above is critical, just my take on the stylistics. You might gradually expand the lore to give it more flavour and depth as the faction progresses.
1. I also questioned the Kusari Liners age, but the info card only states the below, when taking that in mind, combined with that the Golden Dragon Casino NPC base was reskinned as the Amaterasu. It is believable that the Kusari Liner would be not a mass produced item, but something that there would at least be a half dozen or so. I was vague about the acquisition but in essence I was hoping it would be implied that following the Kusari Civil war the Ryuu familys shipping business was exchanged with a post war Sumara for the Amaterasu.
Long before Renzu Corp entered the shipbuilding market and made a name for itself as Kusari's premier luxury manufacturer, Samura had reigned supreme as the designer of the most extravagant and glorious ships in the Empire, having for centuries built the Imperial family's private yachts and liners.
While times have changed, Samura's desire to reprise its role and standing has not. And so, the Amaterasu came into being: a vessel of nigh inconceivable grandeur. Powerful, luxurious, and with a design steeped in tradition, it represents all of Kusari's greatest values. With an awe-inspiring design and an interior comparable in luxury and artistry only to the Imperial Palace itself, the Amaterasu is the pinnacle of Samura Industries' shipbuilding. Dwarfing even some battlecruisers while being their equal in terms of armament, it was in fact only through arduous lobbying that Samura convinced both government and military officials to permit the civilian ownership of such a vessel. However, prohibitive construction costs and government restrictions have resulted in only a handful of these vessels being built, making them a truly rare and magnificent sight among the stars of Kusari.
2. I will think about a changing the layout of the lore a little bit to clarify the family structure. Hiroshi was married to Sakura before passing away. His brother, Takeshi should have taken control of the family but {{RP magic}} Sakura ended up in control. I am aware of the patriarchal structure that is generally followed but I wanted to create some infighting. My hope is that if/when players join the family with their character one of the already created family members, such as Takeshi, would be replaced with the explanation being death, retirement, something.
3. I am still having a debate about changing the structure from family to clan. I believe that many people are more comfortable with the mobster style of "family" than the Japanese centric clan structure. I wanted to make the Hogosha and by extent Kusari more accessible to newer RP'ers who might not be able to fully immerse themselves in the identity of "Kusari"