"Makami Sakura" ("Cherry Tree of the Wolf God") a new scenario by a Japanese author is now available on the Miskatonic Repository

[David Trotti]

"Makami Sakura" ("Cherry Tree of the Wolf God") by Momiji Kuzunoha went live today on the Miskatonic Repository and I wanted to help the author spread the word about it. 

If I may quote from the Translator's Foreword:

"'Makami Sakura' is the sort of scenario that I love. It has a straightforward hook driving the story (solve the murder), embedded in a rich history where immersive players can slowly uncover every fact, savoring each morsel, while impulsive players can grab the clues and get right to the action. The scenario supports either kind of play, making it a great setting for novice players and Keepers still finding their style.

What drew me to “Makami Sakura” was its bold imagery, wonderful representation of the Taisho Era and a great reinterpretation of a classic Lovecraft creature into a uniquely Japanese creature of cosmic horror.

The Japanese sakura, or cherry tree, is an iconic symbol of Japan, representing grace and beauty. The term makami (derived from Oguchi no Makami - “The god with gaping jaws”) refers to one of the most ancient deifications in the Japanese spiritual world, that of the wolf-god. The juxtaposition of beauty and blood-lust in this new Mythos creation is aptly captured in the name “Makami Sakura.”

I hope that you enjoy reading and playing “Makami Sakura” as much as I did translating it. It is a worthy addition to Lovecraft’s legacy ..."

You can find "Makami Sakura" on the Miskatonic Repository here: Makami Sakura

 

[EldorfDragonsbane]

David,

Thanks for the heads up. Ordered Japan Empire of Shadows back at the beginning of Dec as a Hardcover copy and it just arrived today, while I haven't dug into it in depth, just from glancing at the pdf, and a quick flip through the hard copy, I think you "knocked it out of the park" to use that old baseball saying. I definitely will be checking out Makami Sakura (along with I believe the other Japan Empire of Shadow companion scenario on DrivethruRPG) when I get the funds.

I definitely am looking forward to having my investigators visiting Japan in the future.

[David Trotti]

EldorfDragonsbane,

Thank you for the kind words and for purchasing the book! I don't think I ever would have written anything as concrete and specific about Japan in the 1920s without the influence of the Call of Cthulhu RPG. The need to present real locations and people as playable interactive elements, fleshed out for the game, allowed me to observe how so many diverse elements wove together into a broader tapestry. 

I have also been delighted to see that Japan - Empire of Shadows is already being referenced in Japanese Cthulhu Mythos TRPG works. I was reading the new campaign book "帝都大混沌遊戯" ("Imperial Capital Great Chaos Game") and saw it listed under "inspirational works." ("Great Chaos Game" is a collection of five linked scenarios by five Japanese authors set between 1920 and 1923 that form a campaign of Mythos and political/military intrigue in Tokyo.)

I hope your investigators find great adventure in Japan!

Best wishes,

David

[EldorfDragonsbane]

David,

 

I fully agree we need more real locations fleshed out for the game, similar to your book, Terror Australis, Berlin Wicked City, Harlem Unbound, and the source books from the previous editions such as San Fransisco, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Morroco, etc... A lot of players and keepers seem to think that since a number of Lovecrafts works were set in his fictional New England thats where the game needs to be set.  I love having my investigators travel outside the Lovecraft Country area, be it simply to New York City or to far away (and possibly exotic) locations such as Shanghai, China or Sydney, Australia.

 

Again I thank you for your hard work in getting Japan Empire of Shadows and any other scenario you may have helped translate. Today I have been going over the Japanese Myths and Mythos chapter to get ideas for entities to have my investigators confront that aren't the norm that they players are familiar with.