JAPAN: EMPIRE OF THE SETTING SUN

Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)

 JAPAN: EMPIRE OF
THE SETTING SUN
WARNING! MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY!
Interface Zero 2.0 is a cyberpunk game with adult themes. We’re going to use language some people might not be comfortable
with. We’re going to talk politics, and we’re going to talk religion. We use the races and cultures in Interface Zero as an abstraction
of the evils of racial intolerance in the real world. We don’t apologize for this. The Cyberpunk genre isn’t politically correct. It
doesn’t care if you like the word “fuck” or not. It doesn’t concern itself with your belief system, or your slant on politics. To water
this book down is to do a great disservice to the genre as a whole. We hope you keep on reading, but will understand if you don’t.
Interface Zero 2.0 is created by Peter J. Wacks, David Jarvis, Hal Maclean, Matt Conklin Jr., and Patrick Smith
Development Team: David Jarvis, Thomas Shook
Writing: Josh Vogt
Art Coordinator: David Jarvis
Graphic Design: Alida Saxon
Layout: Thomas Shook
Project Manager: David Jarvis
Cover Art: Sam Manley
Interior Art: Sam Manley
Maps: Jason Walton
Editing and Proofreading: David Jarvis, Ron Blessing, Thomas Shook
LEGAL INFORMATION
This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com.
Savage Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission.
Pinnacle makes no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purposes of this product.
Savage Worlds, Deadlands and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. ©2009. Some material
used with Permission.
©2014 Gun Metal Games. Interface Zero and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Gun Metal Games. Unless otherwise
stated, all interior artwork, graphics, character names, and fiction are Product Identity of Gun Metal Games.

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Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Osaka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
LIFE IN JAPAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Fukushima . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Yokohama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Sendai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Hiroshima . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Nagasaki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Aomori . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Nagano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Fashion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 SAVAGE TALES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Get My Girl Back! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 The Tip of a Finger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
The Techno Shogunate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Bow Before Your God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
CHARACTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 A Crimson Sunrise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Archetypes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Typhoon! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Occupations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 A Price on Your Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
New Hindrance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 For the Sake of Honor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
New Edges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 My Venerable Ancestor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
MALMART JAPAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 MechaSumo on the Loose! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Armor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 I Kami, You Kami? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Bioforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 THREATS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Cybernetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 A.I.s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Golemmechs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Synth & Simulacra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Power Armor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Shinobi vs. Samurai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Robots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Triads vs. Yakuza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Simulacra Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Yakuza vs. the Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Special Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Corporate Takeovers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Bombings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Caste Uprisings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
MAJOR CITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Loss of Honor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Tokyo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Bioforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Chiba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

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Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 INTRODUCTION
“Shiranu ga hotoke.” … Ignorance is bliss.
—Japanese Proverb
Konnichiwa, all you high-and-mighties, heathens, and hopeless Maybe you’re one of those ronin, hoping for a lead on a new gig,
cases. This is Chikako, slipping a tongue in your ear and jabbing a and you figure Japan offers a few fertile fields where no one knows
finger in your eye. You paying attention yet? You better be, because your name. To you I say good luck, nakama. You’re going to need
the data simmering at your fingertips at this very moment is worth sharp wits, sharp blades, sharpshooters, and an even sharper eye
your life—and mine. I’ve spent three decades gathering it, using for good gigs to make rather than break it here. This isn’t some
it to further my agendas and protect my interests. What you do uncharted territory. You’re edging in on claimed land, with streets
with it is up to you in the end. Just don’t make this neko ni koban. and cities that have been warred over for centuries, if not millennia.
If you aren’t going to honor the effort here, then throw yourself And you think you’re just going to strut in and have everyone
down a deep dark hole and put yourself out of my misery before flinging Yen your way? Not saying a reputation can’t be forged
the stink of your shame overwhelms us all. here. Plenty have done it. But it’s going to be more complicated
#WillyaWontcha: Neko ni koban? English, anyone? than folding an origami hypercube. You have to decide whether
#TopProfX: “A coin to a cat.” Aka, don’t waste what she’s it’s worth the effort…or your life.
offering you. Pearls before swine. That sort of thing. Maybe you’re one of my old corporate associates, hoping I might
#WillyaWontcha: Ah, cool. For some reason my TAPs auto- give something away that will let you track down my current
translate feature isn’t working. whereabouts. To you, I say a hefty kutabare! Probe a little deeper,
#HoliMoli: Looks like she’s disabled some of its functions I dare you. Give me everything you’ve got, and we’ll see whose
while reading her dataset. sockets fry first. You think you’re the only one to come after me?
Welcome to Japan. The real one, mind you. Yes, there’s a I’ve sent a dozen of you to the vats already
difference between the Japan you see on the feeds and the one #Dark_Ronin: Who the hell is this bitch? She’s talking
you see when you’re bleeding out across a perfectly groomed Zen herself up like some fucking goddess of war or something.
garden with a Yakuza blade between your ribs. Certainly, we try #HoliMoli: Better than some of the boring tour guides
to cultivate a particular image, a profitable appeal—but even the you’ll find on all the usual feeds. I’m subscribing.
dumbest bakayarõ knows for every shiny street there are a dozen Sorry about that, nakama. Some rats just don’t know when to
shadowed alleys. For every legitimate business front, there are a stop sniffing around. Hey, if you’re one of those operators good
hundred trafficking every drug imaginable. And for every honest enough to ever find me, and you need a few credits, I might have
salaryman, there are a thousand twitches ready to shred every Yen some work for you. Plenty of vermin on these slick streets that I’ll
from your account the moment you step foot on our fair shores. pay you to exterminate.
Here’s the philosophy I’ve lived by, and I highly recommend you Who am I? Why did I create this guide? Can you really rely on
do the same: I no naka no kawazu taikai wo shirazu. For you gaijin, anything I say? Oh good, my otamajakushi, you are at least asking
that would equate to “A frog in a well does not know the great sea.” all the right questions. If you missed it before, my name is Chikako,
I.e., unless you do something about it, you’re going to be stuck in and if there’s anyone who knows the so-called Techno-Shogunate,
a narrow-minded, tiny little ecosystem, never understanding the it’s me. I’ve worked in the highest corporate echelons and groveled
wider truth, nor able to take advantage of greater opportunities, at the feet of the lowliest banchõ—before carving his guts out with
nor protect yourself from lurking threats. my reinforced fingernails the instant he blinked, of course. Done it
So, my little tadpoles—my little otamajakushi—are you going all, seen it all, bought the simulation. Yawn. And I’m still alive. That
to hide beneath the lilies, too afraid to swim out into the open? says something, doesn’t it? It means if you want to keep your head
Will you drown in the ocean of data I’m about to share? Or will you connected to your neck, you sit up, soak it all in through those
wriggle along the currents and survive long enough to catch flies pretty optic nerves of yours, and bless me for it later.
and croak your own songs of glory and honor? Knowledge is power, neh? Here is my knowledge, steeped in life’s
Japan is a country of bold contrast. Life and death. Honor and hottest waters, poured into the empty cup of your skull, where
dishonor. Riches and rags. Tea ceremonies and torture chambers. perhaps it might filter down and get a few extra neurons firing.
Our souls are baked beneath the setting sun, and its blazing light As you sip and savor this tea of truth, remember…
casts the deepest shadows. You want to fry and die a kindred spirit? Gou ni itte wa, gou ni shitagae.
You want to dip your mind in the madness? You’re on the right path. #WillyaWontcha: Translator fritz again!
If my security measures remain intact, you’ve encountered #TopProfX: “When entering the village, obey the village.”
Introduction

this datafeed one of several ways. Maybe you’re a gaijin flicking In other words, when in Japan, do as the Japanese do…
through a tour guide, and you dug deep enough to find my little #WillyaWontcha: Or else what?
embedded subroutine. To you I offer a joint welcome and warning. #Billy_Black_Eyes: I guess that’s for you to find out, ami.
Follow the paths I’ve laid down, and you will return transformed.
You may not even return at all—but it’ll be far more real than
anything those choose-your-own-adventure tour feeds can ever
offer.

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Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 LIFE IN JAPAN
“Hana wa né ni kaeru.” … The flower goes back to its root.
—Japanese Proverb
For Hokichi, the moment had to be perfect. The onsen offered him Soon after this, another big shift occurred. Via Minotoro’s
the opportunity, and he blessed it for doing so. Hot springs. Soothing orders, Japan began importing Brazilian-grown Sims—a way to
water. Excellent service. Isolated pleasure. boost national productivity while also keeping the country on
But not perfect yet. A few things were missing. the leading edge of innovation. As such, we Japanese took the
After having cleansed himself from head to toe in the main Sims, did a bit of reverse engineering, and came up with a whole
bathroom, Hokichi headed outside to the hot spring. The volcanically new breed of synthesized lifeforms: Synths (or Bioroids as some
heated waters steamed beneath the lightest snowfall, and Hokichi’s of you call them). We call them sou-gougin…or if you want to be
breath added its own mist to the air. As he’d desired, no other bathers rude, “inchiki.”
were in attendance and he’d been guaranteed the experience would #SUPAKAWAII: I’ve heard that one before from a Japanese
remain private. friend of mine, but he was using it to refer to…er…knock-
Boulders lined the wide pool, with smooth steps leading down into off goods. Is that what they consider Synths?
it. Among all the dogwoods and pines, a single winter sakura tree #Synths_For_Life: Sounds about right. Japan tries to act
stood white with blossoms despite the cold month. all enlightened, but they’re just as racist as the rest of us.
He gazed upon the tree and marveled at its blossoms. He gazed upon Almost all societies can be broken down into the haves and have-
the clay-tiled rooftop and marveled at its craftsmanship. He gazed at nots. There’s often a huge divide between the ridiculously wealthy
the tiny creek that burbled out from one side of the pool and down and powerful, and the despicably powerless and downtrodden.
through the garden and marveled at its fluidic music. Are you a smart otamajakushi? Because if you are, you can make
Excellent. But not yet perfect. the mental leap and figure out where the Synths fall on our social
He folded up his towel and set it on a bench. Then he eased down totem pole these days.
into the water, letting it soothe the aches and cares of the day one #Dark_Ronin: Mixing metaphors, are we? Couldn’t come
inch, one step at a time. Once submerged up to his shoulders, he cycled up with a better phrase other than stealing one from Native
through several cleansing breaths, gauging the time. He nodded to Americans?
himself. Right about now would be perfect. #SUPAKAWAII: Funny. An American accusing someone
A figure dropped from the blossoming tree. else of stealing from their country’s indigenous people. I
A figure slid down from the rooftop. hope irony gives you a hefty bitchslap, ami.
A figure rose from the creek. Synths/inchiki are now the grist in the mill of Japanese
A leaf fell. A tile cracked. A drop splashed. advancement. They get the shit jobs, shit pay, and shit status.
The figures switched off their camouflage projectors in unison, fully They’ve been given some civil rights, sure, but underneath all
revealing their black uniforms, glossy black goggles, and the katanas the politeness they’re shown, there remains a simmering sense
they drew from their sheathes. that they’re still our technological slaves. This has resulted in a
growing number of Synth Civility activist groups working to better
At his mental command, Hokichi’s forearm chassis split wide. A tanto
the people’s plight. I worked with one, Same Skin, Same Souls,
blade shifted into his hand and he positioned it with the keen edge
for about ten years before going corporate. But then you’ve got
toward his foes.
those lunatics in the Synth Supremacy group who don’t just want
He smiled.
Synths treated equally, but also believe it’s their destiny to rule
Perfect. the world someday. Look, nakama, there’s ideals and there’s crazy
ideas. Learn to tell the difference.
CONTEXT
You want a nice and tidy summary of Japanese history? Japan
CULTURE
in a nutshell? Really? Pack thousands of years of history into a few Now, synths aside, Japan has always prided itself on its high
trite sentences so you can feel enlightened? Here’s your precious etiquette and ceremony. Even if we don’t like you, even if we’re
nutshell: Shit happened. People were born, they lived, they died. on opposite sides of a fight, a corporate merger, or are peddling
They did bad things. They did good things. Afterburn or black sims to your kids, most of the time we’ll still
Oh, you want specifics, little otamajakushi? Why didn’t you ask? treat you with the respect you deserve. Isn’t that nice? So if a true
You did? Oh, right. I was ignoring your ignorance. Fine. Here’s the ronin is coming to carve you a new hole to scream from, you can
lowdown, nakama. A couple main things you need to know to
Life in Japan

bet he’ll at least bow and call you by whatever honorific you prefer
align with where Japan is today. First, in 2031, a coup put General before doing the deed.
Hiro Minotoro into true power, calling himself the First General. After all, if we lack civility, our very humanity is the next thing
Of course, as everyone in that position would do, he tried to cast to get tossed out, neh? Here, politeness is a weapon and shield
himself in a benign light by saying he acted in the service of the in it its own way—a way most gaijin never fully comprehend. Not
Emperor and for the Japanese people—but everyone knows all even weeaboos.
true power now ran through Minotoro.

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Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 Life in Japan: Culture
#HoliMoli: I’m pretty sure she made up that word.
#Billy_Black_Eyes: Nope. A weeaboo is a non-Japanese JAPANESE–ENGLISH LEXICON
person who gets totally obsessed with trying to “become” Arigatou gozaimasu: Thank you very much.
Japanese somehow. Learn the language, wear the clothes, Baka: idiot, stupid, fool
cook their traditional foods, get plastic surgery and gene-
Bakayarō: asshole
tweaked to look like them…their compulsions are as weird
as their name. Oh, and don’t think the Japanese admire that Banchō: The leader of a group of delinquents.
sort of effort either. For them, trying to copy something you Bokujū: A bottle for calligraphy ink.
can never fully be is rude. It’d be like a stranger showing Chashitsu: Spaces designed for tea ceremony gatherings.
up in your home and trying to pretend they’ve been your Daibatsu: A large statue of Buddha.
brother since birth because they’ve been stalking your
Dohyō: The ring in which sumo wrestling bouts occur.
family and learning all your mannerisms.
#HoliMoli: Ew. I got it. Fumeiyona: dishonored, the dishonorable
Gaijin: outsider, foreigner, non-Japanese
All that said, a few things have been working against Japan over
Hadaka no tsukiai: Naked communion, the open sharing of one’s
the decades. For one, our population is now down to just over 90
thoughts.
million, compared to 127 million back near the start of the twenty-
Hai: Yes.
first century. As human longevity has edged upward, the Japanese
people have lost their original focus on family as a top priority. Kané wa Amida yori hikaru: Money shines more brightly than
Instead, accumulating wealth and honor (rather than babies to Amida (the Buddha of Immeasurable Light).
care for you in your old age) are more the cornerstones of all we Kanpai: Cheers! A toast.
do. Why worry about having a big family diluting your authority, Kawaii: cute, adorable, lovable
when you can establish a more powerful, personal legacy and have Konnichiwa: Greetings. Good day.
the Yen to pay your way out of any trouble or into better health? Kutabare: Go to hell! Drop dead! Fuck you!
Honor, or Meiyo, is also popular again. Even the Yakuza have Mengu: Samurai masks and facial armor.
claimed it as the supposed reason for all their criminal activities. Nakama: A very good friend.
Those who follow the old Bushido code take it very seriously. If Neko ni koban: Gold coins to a cat (i.e. pearls before swine).
you’re ever dishonored, or Fumeiyona, seppuku is once again Nuyen: Japanese currency
quite acceptable, if not fully expected. Dishonor could come from
Oishii: delicious, tasty, nice
many different sources. Perhaps you failed a task set for you by
Otamajakushi: tadpole
the emperor. Maybe you showed Burei—grave disrespect—to the
wrong Kanko. Maybe you got caught in a public scandal. Maybe Porisu: police
you brewed someone’s tea the wrong way. All I’m trying to say is Rikishi: sumo wrestler
don’t think twice about deciding to follow the Bushido code. Think Ryoken: A traditional Japanese inn.
it over a hundred times and then think it over again, otherwise Saru mo ki kara ochiru: Even monkeys fall from trees.
you might be kneeling with your own guts in your hands and Unsan musho: Scattered clouds. Disappearing without a trace.
wondering how you got there. Honor is all well and good, but is Wakarimasu ka: Understand?
it worth your life? Zaibatsu: Industrial and financial conglomerates of the Japanese
#DailyDeals: Do you want to experience a true Empire.
commitment to honor? Then purchase the latest version
of the Bushido Code, straight from Ishin-Denshin licensed who holds the occasional dinner for foreign ambassadors. No real
vendors. Your new values and perspective will be streamed authority, but he’s the mask and gloves worn by Daichi no Taishu.
straight into your cortex. It will be like you’ve been a
paragon of the samurai way your whole life! KANKO
#Dark_Ronin: This is a joke, right? These are all the public officials/servants who keep Japan running
Oh, what are Kanko? Right, that leads us to the last big issue: our from the top. Any government or military officer is found in this
reintegration of a caste system. I told you how the Synths have level, including local mayors and foreign diplomats.
wound up on the bottom of a pretty big pile, neh? Well, we’ve RYŌMIN
all got our roles to play and social rules to abide by. Here’s how Now we get to your average citizen. This caste actually has three
it breaks down from the biggest fish to the tiniest otamajakushi: sub-castes making it up.
FIRST GENERAL Shinabi: “High citizens.” These are your independently
In Japanese, this position is called Daichi no Taishu. Hiro Minotoro wealthy, your corporate executives, certain military ranks, and
remains in full power here, ruling Japan like a military dictatorship. Techno-Samurai.
He just has to tack on “by the will of the Emperor” to his every Zakko: Notable workers, important families, smaller business
command, and everyone goes along with it, pretending it’s true. owners, independent contractors, and the like are all Zakko. These
Life in Japan

are often held up as shining examples of what it means to truly

KANJIN
contribute to Japanese society.
This is the emperor. Yes, if you were confused, we still have one
Kõmin: Average citizens. The commoners who serve as the
despite the First General really being in charge. The current emperor
cogs in the great machine. They have access to all civil rights, but
is Tetsuhito. Basically, he’s been reduced to a puppet figurehead
aren’t anything spectacular when measured in terms of wealth

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 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
or accomplishments. When foreigners visit, they are lumped into are essentially good, and the evil in the world is caused by evil
this caste. spirits. Most Shinto practices deal with warding off those spirits,
personal purification, and the veneration of kami—sacred spirits
ETA
from nature, as well as our ancestors.
Here we have the slave caste. Synths are often found here by
default, though that depends on whom you ask. The two most #SUPAKAWAII: Want to have real fun in Tokyo? Check out
the Kami Kill Club network. They take a bunch of bioforms,
common way for someone to become a slave is either to be born
pump them full of adrenal boosters and let them tear each
into the role or to fall so heavily into debt (either a debt of credits other apart. You can make some beaucoup creds betting
or honor) to another, that the only way to pay it off is a lifetime on the survivor.
of indentured servitude. There have been times people have #Billy_Black_Eyes: That’s cruel, man. That’s just fucking
chosen to become an eta for a family or corporation because it cruel.
means you’ll be cared for and provided at least a few basic creature #SUPAKAWAII: Naw, it’s awesome! It’s not like these kami
comforts. bioforms are really alive, anyway. They’re just…batches
GAIJIN of genetic code that can walk around, make weird noises,
and die.
One big question I get asked a lot is what do we think about
outsiders? Aside from being automatically considered average #Billy_Black_Eyes: Same could be said for you, ami.
citizens, what do we really think about you? That depends on how BUDDHISM
smart and respectful you’re willing to be. Mostly…we’re indifferent. Japan joined the ranks of Buddhism in the sixth century and
So long as you have a brain cell or two that you can rub together, became the official national religion. The pursuit of nirvana by
this shouldn’t cause a problem. The best kind of gaijin is one who eliminating ignorance or unhealthy cravings captures the minds
is willing to respect our culture, who understands they’re going to and hearts of millions around the world and in our country. I think
make mistakes, but doesn’t allow that to stop them from trying. that’s partly because it is so flexible and can coincide with many
They learn. They earn respect in return. The worst kind? A gaijin other beliefs, lifestyles, and culture.
who comes in like they own the land, who thinks they’re above
the laws or cultural norms and doesn’t show the proper amount CHARON CULTS
of honor where it’s due. That is willful ignorance of the highest The Silver Shard is the most infamous of the Charon cults to
order, and even though we will take it in stride and never slam a spring up in Japan. They’ve been responsible for thousands of
door in your face, it will still get a lot of doors closed on you when lives lost and small bombings in almost every major city—all on
your back is turned. Don’t be that person, my otamajakushi, and behalf of the supposed A.I. god who’s somewhere out on the
we will all be happier for it. Net. A Shardite’s primary belief is that Charon is watching and
#Oni_Broni: I hear that “gaijin” is now just another term choosing whom to elevate to a pure energy state. The destruction
for “spare parts” in the Techno-Shogunate. Rather than of physical life is considered a holy act.
hauling actual Japanese citizens to their own cybernetic
ANCESTRAL VENERATION
chop shops, foreigners are prime pickings for those who
want an implant or limb upgrade without having to pay This is somewhat linked to Shinto and Buddhism, but can be
government fees at an official surgical clinic. independent of either. The sorei are the spirits of the ancestors,
#TeaWhore: You can’t prove that. which are remembered during special festivals or family holidays.
#Oni_Broni: Of course not. That’s because the chop This three-day event is called Bon Festival. Different families or
shops always scrub the serial codes and deactivate any communities will celebrate this at different times throughout
ID transponders. You think they’re stupid? the year. This approach to ancestors has diminished these days,
#TeaWhore: I think someone here is, yeah. but remains more common in rural towns, while you see less
evidence of it in “modern” cities. Even when it is celebrated, it is
often treated as just a family holiday with spiritualistic themes.
RELIGION Most citizens look at it as more a quaint tradition rather than a
Because I think we can all agree that there’s nothing better than true belief; however, a growing trend of ancestral uploads and
a little chat about a non-controversial matter like faith, neh? I’m not personality simulations have brought it back into public debate.
particularly religious myself, partially because I’ve gotten a close The more faithful see this as a profane abuse of technology that
look at what sort of nasty things religion has inspired people to keeps the dead spirit trapped, unable to rejoin the collective core
do all over the world. Even those with the best of intentions can of souls in the universe.
get swept up in blind zealousness. #Droneofthemonth: People still believe in this shit? Souls?
For me, hearing someone claim they’re doing anything “in the Ancestral spirits? Idiots.
name of the divine Spaghetti Monster” (or whatever deity tickles #TeaWhore: Oh, come on. You live in a world full of hybrids,
your fancy) strikes me as scarily similar to the First General saying clones, fully functional mental uploads, and cyborg freaks,
all his orders come straight from the emperor. But you can’t get and you have an issue believing in a soul?
Life in Japan

a culture as old as ours without various religions getting deeply #Droneofthemonth: Yes, I do. All those other things are
entrenched. based on science. Capisce? Mind engrams are one thing.
Ghosts are another. One is real. One isn’t.
SHINTO #TeaWhore: Hey, I still chat with my grandma on a daily
Shinto (“the way of the gods”) is as ancient as Japan itself. basis in her virtual afterlife, and she’s exactly the same as
It’s in almost every aspect of our culture, in our rituals, in our she was when in a body. You going to tell me some part
way of thinking. For us, Shinto holds to the ideal that humans of her spirit isn’t still around?

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Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 Life in Japan: Food
#Droneofthemonth: That’s you fooling yourself. I feel #Oni_Broni: Truth. Buncha Yakuza goons shot up a Kenta
sorry you have to live with those delusions. warehouse in Yokohama last week. Made off with millions
of creds worth of goods. The whole lot of them were high
THE SETTING SUN on Afterburn too. When is this going to stop?
Ever heard of an atheistic religion? For Setting Sun members, A few ground rules for those of you who will be sitting down to
there are no gods. There are no spirits. There is only eventual enjoy a customary Japanese meal, whether in a home, restaurant,
extinction for our race. Survival of the fittest is their scripture, or ryoken. Try to enjoy the experience with low tables and cushions
and their only hope of any sort of afterlife is…well…peaceful on a tatami floor. Before the meal, you say itadakimasu (I gratefully
annihilation. Their form of enlightenment is taking as many receive). Afterwards, you tell your host gochisosama deshita (thank
others into the sun’s shadow before they too fall into nothingness. you for the meal). Finish every serving down to the last grain of
Unsurprisingly, these cultists are often hired as assassins or get rice. It’s just good manners.
swept up in militaristic causes with a religious fervor. In these
Oh. And learn to use your fucking chopsticks! Use a TAP motor
chaotic days, it’s not uncommon to see reports of violence on the
control finesse program or a targeting optical overlay if you
newsfeeds attributed to them or have your TAP bombarded with
absolutely must, but don’t be an embarrassment by spearing a
images of a fiery sun if you glance at the wrong holo-pamphlet.
chunk of chicken. Remember what I said about gaijin who make
#CutthroatChibi: Ever heard of the Abukumado Caves an effort?
near Fukushima? Police feeds in the area are buzzing about
the caverns being used as a Setting Sun base. They take
candidates there for indoctrination and training for suicide ARCHITECTURE
missions.
Like many things, Japanese architecture is a synthesis of our
#Your_Lolita_Princess: No way. I’ve got family in traditional components with unrivaled ingenuity. Often a house
Fukushima! They need to bomb these lunatics to dust.
must be a place for sleep, play, meals, and hosting guests all at
If I had to choose, Zen Buddhism would be my path. Why? once. Our temples are works of art alongside places of worship.
Because it simply makes sense to me. If enlightenment can be Our homes, our corporate offices, and everything in between
achieved, I have to find it in myself through meditation and self- are made to seamlessly blend beautiful features with high
discipline. No one can force belief or enlightenment on me, nor functionality. Sliding doors, wooden structuring, elevated flooring,
can anyone else define what enlightenment means to me. And if and thatched roofs can still be seen in some neighborhoods or
you dare try with one of those faith memes or vision virri, you’ll away from skyscraper-dominated metropolises. These days,
find my TAP reject-and-respond protocols to be quite deadly. though, the sliding doors can be bulletproof, the roof tiles conceal
Nobody’s getting in my head or heart without my permission or defensive auto turrets, and the wooden structuring is built around
putting their own at risk. a reinforced core with multiple boltholes and emergency safety
rooms. Two main modes of thinking about construction influence
FOOD architects to this day.
Impermanence speaks to a building’s ability to transform—
Unless you’re actually from Japan, I bet most of our cuisine you’ve
beds that flip up to become walls, walls that become doors, and
encountered is that cheap-ass, over-salted, over-sugared, over-
overall versatile dwellings that meet the needs of the occupants
fried, vat-grown goop. I don’t know how you can stand that. Oh,
any moment of the day.
aside from the fact that it keeps people from starving to death,
sure. Small price to pay, I guess. But did you know one of the Metabolism was a post-WWII architectural movement that is
reasons the Japanese were famed for their longevity long before regaining attention as well. Called metaborizumu, it attempts to
all these new life-extension technologies started popping up? Our combine architectural megastructures with organic or biological
diet. A solid staple of rice, fresh seafood, and vegetables will do growth. A city could grow like a tree, extending branches higher,
wonders, and we’ve become quite creative in all the varieties we spreading leaves wider. People could feel more at ease in artificial
can refine. Tempura. Sushi. Teriyaki. Oishii! structures that responded to their biorhythms. Eventually, the
idea is that buildings and people will act like one superorganism,
At the same time, we have given progress a nod and a bow. We
with individuals moving through its veins and paths like blood
appreciate efficiency. That’s why we have the highest vending
cells or electrical impulses along the nerves. We’re certainly
machine density than any other country. If a rural village has a
more connected to our cities than ever before. There’s even
single electrical socket to share among a few hundred people,
one skyscraper in Sendai that was supposedly built with lens
guess what they’re going to plug in? A vending machine. Of course,
optics for windows and organic breathing structures rather than
we still up the ante because our machines are 3D printers, rather
ventilation shafts. A building that watches…and breathes. A bit
than just boxes full of prepackaged food and drink. The latest
spooky, nakama?
Fantastic Feast model can have a three-course meal printed up 30
seconds after the hungry customer downloads their credits (quite #Dark_Ronin: Sounds like another Chrysanthemum
the different offering than the Bullseye Mk. III, which dispenses experiment gone wild. I seriously think that corporation
is going to beat Charon in bringing about the end of the
Life in Japan

3D-printed weaponry).
world as we know it.
#Synths_For_Life: The Yakuza are using running 3D #Billy_Black_Eyes: The world “as we knew it” ended
weapon printers 24/7, popping out pistols and blades like decades ago, ami. Stop being stuck in the past. Accept that
candy. It’s ridiculous! Can’t trace them. Can’t stop them we can’t do anything but keep moving forward, however
from getting the raw materials. By the time the cops get a crazy it gets.
whiff of where they’re at, they’re so well-armed, it’s nearly
impossible to get rid of them.

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Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
J-POP
ENTERTAINMENT You’ve heard it. You’ve loved it. You tend to deny either of
Eat, drink, and sing karaoke, for tomorrow we may die. I know these facts. It’s okay, nakama. We know the truth. A number of
plenty of citizens who make that their motto, and I have to admit well-known performers include Marise Asai and the hybrid-only
it has tempted me at times, otamajakushi. In a life that seems to group Lab Lads 3. They have appeared all over the world using
default to hardship and chaos, why bother clinging to anything holographic projections and simulations, and there are rumors
but personal pleasure, however feeble or fleeting? One thing I take that either Yumi Yumi or Tae are entirely artificial constructs run
great pride in is the Japanese ability to find joy in the ephemeral… by Idol Industries, the corporation responsible for most of Japan’s
to see beauty in a single moment. You can see all these things in current video, music, and sim entertainment successes.
our art, our music, our games, even our technology. Yes, I know #Oni_Broni: These manufactured pop stars are nothing
many of you might mock us for certain stereotypes, such as the but meme-seeders. You go to a concert and come out with
salaryman belting out off-tune karaoke. your TAP clogged by Hyperads that don’t fade for weeks.
I had friends go to a rave at The Low Tide in Nagasaki and
#HoliMoli: Is salaryman their version of the taxman or they’ve disappeared. Not a single blip on the Net from
something? them since.
#Billy_Black_Eyes: It’s just their term for a corporate #FishBasket: Practice safe TAP-exchanges, citizens. You
employee. should never accept unauthorized access to your implants,
#HoliMoli: What? They got no salarywomen? Salarypeople? as this can open you to all manner of virus infestations,
#Synths_For_Life: Please don’t start with that PC bullshit meme exposures, brain wipes, and personality overrides.
again. The Japanese have an issue seeing Synths as human.
You think they care how you interpret their gender- THEATER & FILMS
oriented nouns and pronouns?
#Dark_Ronin: Since when are Synths humans? Next thing TRADITIONAL THEATER
you’ll say is hybrids are too, or androids deserve equal There are a handful of different theatrical forms: noh, kyõgen,
rights. kabuki, and bunraku. Respectively, you have your dramatic masked
#Billy_Black_Eyes: Ah. You’re just trolling now, aren’t performances, humorous plays, dances, and puppet theater.
you, DR? These theatrical expressions have remained sacrosanct from non-
The thing is, that singing salaryman is able to set aside his human involvement. No artificial lifeforms, not even Nu-humans
discomfort of public exposure. He knows his singing is flawed, can become actors by law. Anyone found defiling these ancient
just as a calligrapher might make an errant brushstroke. But it’s still Japanese expressions can be sent to prison or even killed.
an expression of themself, a striving to reflect the world as they KAIJU SIMS
see it. Personally, accepting inherent imperfection is a vital way Mega-monster battles have never lost their appeal for the
to even start taking baby steps toward enlightenment. Japanese. The new entertainment technologies allowed by the
TAP and virtual reality allow people to now be far more immersed
MUSIC in the battles, bringing giant mechs to bear and making themselves
Traditional Japanese music might be frustrating for Westerners the heroes of the day! Godzilla XXII is the most recent release of
to listen to until they get used to it, mainly because it’s based on that old legacy, and the Net feed, Mad Monsters & Men, tops out
breathing intervals rather than metronomic timing. You just have most traffic charts. Stories persist of Japanese scientists working
to broaden your mind and open up to new experiences. to breed a true kaiju that could be deployed in future wars. If you
KARAOKE believe that, I also have a fountain of youth onsen to sell you.
Yes, most local bars have at least one karaoke unit, if not entire
rooms dedicated to karaoke groups. The corporate types especially
GAMES & SPORTS
love these joints, and special events are often held in music bars. SUMO WRESTLING
The most famous of this is Echo Niner in Tokyo, and if you want to Even though there are sumo simulacrum models on the market,
reserve a room for a special event, you better call ahead at least a they are banned from competing in the official leagues. Rikishi can
month in advance. Another notable one is Shidamu in Osaka, but become national celebrities, and you can also see the sports old
this is believed to be a Yakuza-run place and not recommended connection to Shinto, such as the use of purification salt to create
for tourists. the dohyō. Visit the Ryogoku district in Tokyo for some of the more
TAIKO thrilling bouts. Wrestlers must undergo constant testing to ensure
the purity of the sport remains unsullied by subtle hybridizations
This term refers to percussion performances using a wide
or hidden artificial enhancements.
range of drums, occasionally with other instrument or vocal
accompaniments. Performances are a wonder to see, with PACHINKO PARLORS
rhythmic drumming, stick flourishes, and amazing costumes. A These are essentially a Japanese version of casinos. Pachinko
Life in Japan

popular touring team is the New Human Group, renowned for machines combine gambling with a bit of skill, with the object
their acrobatics. Android and hybrid groups have been formed of the game being the release and capture of numerous balls
(most notably Kodomundo), but they tend to lose their crowds through manipulation of pins and paddles. Digital and virtual
after their novelty wears off. versions abound, as do simulated parlors—but the social appeal
of the physical parlors remains a heavy draw for young and old
alike. You’ll also find slot machines in abundance in these parlors,

8
Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 Life in Japan: Fashion
and you can bet a variety of more illicit services can be found in hosts are available for a few extra creds, and they’ll stick
many as well, if you’re connected enough to be admitted to the around to keep you company when all the other guests
back rooms. There are plenty of pachinko apps, many of which are gone.
are devoted to helping players train and learn to work the game #TeaWhore: That’s just cheating. Tea ceremonies should
odds to produce more jackpots. stay pure from sims, synths, and roids!
#SUPAKAWAII: If you’re in Osaka, check out the Highline #Synths_For_Life: Ooh…she said the P-word.
Parlor downtown! They have the best prizes! With a string
ONSEN
of jackpots, I won a year’s worth of RealRamen and an
orbital socket implant! It’s the best! These are public hot springs that offer a wide variety of bathing
#Cutthroat Chibi: I’ll take my pachinko virtual style, thank and relaxation services. There are thousands of them across the
you. Why bother breathing other people’s stink when I can island in all sizes and landscape composition. Some, such as the
jack in direct and play from the comfort of my apartment? Iwanoyu Retreat in Nagano, have a highly ritualized cleansing
Ishin-Denshin has a great line of pachinko sims too. process. Others allow bathers to pick and choose how formal they
may wish to treat the experience, offering them as more communal
TAI CHI bathing sites to enjoy hadaka no tsukiai. Legends speak of some
You may find it odd that aside from the elderly, one of the larger having healing powers, but you’re likely to fix up faster by actually
demographics that has continued to be heavily active in tai chi is paying a doctor or learning to use a medkit.
Synths. This is partially because Synth bodies degrade faster than #DailyDeals: Nu U Onsen provides the latest in refinement
normal human. The other main element is that tai chi’s meditative and relaxation. These onsen are adapted for all forms
nature help Synths deal with the tormenting fact that they are of life, be you mechanical, a cybernetic mesh, or any
often treated so poorly and are considered as slave labor. manner of hybrid. Boiling oil, full immersion, acid dips,
and nanowashes are all on our growing menu of spring
BASEBALL selections. Near-death drowning simulations are also
For decades, baseball has been one of the most popular sports available.
in the country. When hybrids and enhanced humans were finally #WillyaWontcha: WTF? People do this kind of thing?
allowed to play, some feared this would degrade the people’s love #HoliMoli: The Japanese are weird.
for the sport. However, the increased spectacle of amazing hits
and superhuman plays has kept audience interest high. Within
the Nippon Professional Baseball league, the Yomiuri Giants have FASHION
made a name for themselves by employing actual eight or nine- Fashion is just such a mishmash these days. The West stole
foot tall players who often break bats with the force of their hits. from us, we stole from them. Only the truly outrageous tends
On the flipside, the Hanshin Tigers now boast an almost all feline- to stand out now. Everyone’s street style—supposed to reflect
hybrid team and rely on superior speed and agility to win. their individuality, ironically—starts to blend together. All those
corporate citizens blend together. All the military folks blend.
ART Japanese authorities prize this sort of conformity, but there are
CALLIGRAPHY & PAINTING certain trends that have been used as a sort of social rebellion
Shodō is an artistic form of writing the Japanese language. over the years.
Traditional calligraphists still use older tools, including inksticks,
LIVING CANVAS
inkstones, Mulberry paper, brushes and paper sealant. For those
Certain calligraphists decided to move on from ink and paper
wanting to save the time-consuming process of grinding the ink,
to turn people into the embodiment of artistic expression. This
bokujō ink bottles can be ordered from supply stores. A graffiti
is different than your usual tattoo creation (though tattoo artists
form employing holo-wands and projection panels has seen a
are certainly known for incorporating calligraphy designs in their
rise in popularity among Japanese youth.
work). Instead, thanks to nano-ink, those who become Living
IKEBANA Canvases link their TAPs to the designs, which then shift to reflect
“The way of flowers.” Flower arrangement made into a minimalist certain thoughts, moods, or desires projected by the individual.
art form with high symbolism and strict composition rules. Few This leads to many Living Canvases going around with as little
people take the time to nurture such arrangements these days, clothing on as they can get away with, without being arrested
and it is in danger of becoming a lost art. for public indecency.
TEA CEREMONIES LOLITA
You might not consider this an art form but it most assuredly This one has stuck around, partially because it went Western
is. Known as the Way of Tea or chanoyu, these ceremonies are and then rebounded back to the mainland just in the past decade.
highly ritualized presentations and preparations of matcha, So kawaii! Actually, those who follow this fashion prefer to be
Japanese green tea. These can be short informal gatherings or considered elegant rather than cute or sexy. Originally based on
formal affairs lasting over four hours. Certain virtual variations of Victorian-style fashions and materials, it has evolved into a variety
Life in Japan

these ceremonies are becoming popular among Deep divers, with of sub-fashions including Punk Lolita, Princess Lolita, Sweet Lolita,
“matcha” becoming slang for a variety of drugs that enhance one’s and Borg Lolita.
Net hacking skills or black code and illegal sim stim exchanges. #DailyDeals: Nagasaki is proud to host the latest in
#DailyDeals: The Floating Leaf Tea House in Osaka is its CyberBoom Cage Match series: The Lolita Lock-In
renowned for its service and quality. Geisha 2.0 ceremonial Tournament! Lolita-only combatants are allowed in the

9
Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
arena, decked out with street-legal upgrades and implants of cybertech, especially the integration of the TAP and the vast
only. This is a free-for-all not to be missed! network of The Deep, has transformed even the simplest aspects
#Dark_Ronin: That’s it. I’m buying a shuttle ticket to of everyday life. Everyone has access to multiple layers of reality,
Nagaski. I am going to watch the shit out of this. more data than they could ever process in a lifetime, and the ability
to express themselves in increasingly exotic manners.
THE HOLO ONES
By wearing LENgram-infused clothing as well as subdermal NANO-REGENERATION
implants, people can change their form and features with a This is a touchy topic, as there are plenty of people who don’t
thought—though the illusion is ruined by touch. They try to believe it yet exists. The ability to use nanotech to dial back the
disguise their original forms as much as possible within the body’s natural aging process? Possibly even make someone
holograms. It’s a cheaper way of dramatically changing your effectively immortal? Ridiculous, some say. Yet one example of a
looks rather than shelling out Yen for pricier biological or artificial public individual who could be benefitting from exactly this sort
upgrades. Look like anything or anyone for a fraction of the price. of tech is Takaya Yoshii, the head administrator of Chiba and a
It’s an illegal trend in a few cities, partially for security issues. Many member of the board of Kenta Cyber Dynamics. He doesn’t look
Holo Ones use realistic facial projections to avoid being identified a day over thirty, but rumors circulate that he’s at least twice that
by public surveillance scanners. age. If anyone had the resources and influence to pull off this sort
of custom nano-tech job, it’d be him.
SAMURAI STYLE
#TeaWhore: This can’t be real.
Those who adhere to the Bushido code or take the idea of
being a ronin a bit too far may go to great lengths to mimic the #Oni_Broni: Oh ye of little faith. Technology is spawning
miracles every day. Immortality is just a few steps away.
ancient samurai warrior dress such as kimonos, sandal footwear,
and topknot hairstyle. All upgraded with elements such as #TeaWhore: Oh ye of little brains. Out-of-control tech is
what made the world the hellhole it is today! You really
reinforced eboshi and vibroblade swords—unless you’re a purist.
want to live forever on a planet that’s ruled by corporations,
Which there’s no problem with unless you like being killed by evil A.I.’s, and overrun by inhuman freaks?
someone with actual modern weaponry and defenses. We can
#Oni_Broni: Nope. That’s why I’ve signed up as a mining
honor tradition while still being smart, nakama. colonist in the asteroid belt.
#Droneofthemonth: Clue for the clueless. When in Tokyo, #FishBasket: You poor sod…
do not go into the Weeping Willows Club dressed like a
samurai, even if you are one. Guy who owns the place is a HYBRIDS
ronin with a grudge, and he’s got the place decked out with With a deep respect for nature and a lingering belief that animals
nano-flechette artillery and glob-guns that will obliterate themselves have souls much like our own, it’s little wonder that
anyone the instant they’re spotted with the distinctive most Japanese accept hybrid presence in the world far more readily
samurai profile.
than many other people. As most know, hybrids can often be
#CutthroatChibi: Sounds like a challenge! categorized into five major performance factors (ferocity, stealth,
toughness, etc.). However, Japanese hybrids are often gene-spliced
TECH to reflect at least cosmetic elements of indigenous species such
as cranes, bears, boars, giant hornets, butterflies, sea turtles, and
For many, technology has changed the old idiom of “survival of a now-extinct species of tiger. There are rumors Chrysanthemum
the fittest” to “survival of the fastest.” The faster your technology Corporation is tinkering with plant-based hybridizations, and we
can adapt and improve, the more you can lord it over your might soon see Cherry Blossom-brids and Bonsai-brids. Not sure
opponents and claim dominance—however temporarily. The what to think of that.
whole world is in a race for tech superiority. It’s no longer possible
for humanity to let evolution takes its usual slow route. We are now GOLEMMECHS
in charge (or like to think we are) of our future, and the Japanese Japanese golemmechs tend to be designed for higher agility,
like to believe they are the frontrunners of the whole chaotic show. allowing for fast, precision strikes against enemy forces. Aside from
Japanese scientists are primed to be competitive intellectuals turrets, cannons, and rail guns, many Japanese models also include
from birth, far more willing to push ethical boundaries under the a deployable sword (often stylized like a samurai blade) that’s
government’s directives. At the same time, they don’t prefer to capable of shearing through armor if close combat ever becomes a
advance via brute force upgrades, but try to find ways to blend reality. The Japanese have what could be considered an unhealthy
beauty with progress. adoration for golemmechs, and tend to anthropomorphize them
For instance, back in the twenty-first century, Japan had some while also considering the more famous pilots as near national
of the first functional humanoid robots in the form of Asimo. And treasures. Just look at our history of anime robots to understand
what was Asimo built to do? Alongside bow to dignitaries and how that’s come about. Americans wanted jet packs and flying cars
mimic other human functions, it put on dance shows! Even if a for the future. The Japanese wanted nothing less than Gundam-
Japanese R&D team creates a deadly golemmech unit, you can style bots, and the future has arrived.
Life in Japan

bet it’s going to possess an inherent, simple beauty to its form ANCESTRAL UPLOADS
and function.
Another controversial technology is based on personality
SAIBANETIKUSU uploads. These aren’t uncommon in-and-of themselves, and the
Cybertechnology is now central to all that Japan develops. It mental dubbing process is well known, if pricey. The most common
is the fusion of organic and technological life in an attempt to use for dubbing is to provide a mental backup of a person that
advance both beyond baseline performance. The development can be downloaded into a new body upon the original’s death.

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 Life in Japan: Business
In Japan, it is illegal to run multiple active dubs at the same time. massive amounts of power, acting as proxy governments or
But let’s say a family could afford the upload of an elderly parent, countries unto themselves in some way. They provide the products
but not to have a new bioform grown. Given Japan’s history of and services many people need to survive, not to mention
ancestral veneration, the family could still interact with the dubbed generational livelihoods for entire families.
personality, treating it like a spirit and giving it a virtual version Hai, that may be the case for Japanese corporations as well;
of whatever afterlife they may desire. Purists tend to see this as there’s a core difference, though, in how Japanese corporations
obscene. Either one is alive or they are dead, and holding a dub originated and how they operate at their most basic levels. See, the
in such a “prison” is a limbo that keeps the actual spirit trapped first big four zaibatsu (Sumitomo, Mitsui, Mitsubishi, and Yasuda)
and unable to move on to whatever eternal fate awaits them. formed in the nineteenth century and existed through to the end
Most ancestral uploads profess to being happy to be free from of World War II. They controlled a majority of Japanese economic
the pains of daily life while also enjoying the company of their and industrial assets, and wielded almost unassailable power. They
offspring—however, opponents can just claim the dub has been were also primarily family-owned and operated, ran their own
reprogrammed to be happy with its situation, another terrible banking, and had massive R&D teams and subsidiary companies
incursion on free will. throughout almost every industry. Sound familiar? You might
#CutthroatChibi: There’s a freaky altar to those lost in go so far as to say the zaibatsu formed the original model for all
the Hiroshima bombing. If you pay to burn incense there, megacorporations as they exist today: self-contained industrial
you can converse with constructed personality engrams systems that sought nothing short of total market monopoly.
of anyone caught in the original blast. They say they’ve #Get_On_Me33: So the Japanese are responsible for
reconstructed the victims with 100% accuracy. corporations owning our lives down to the last credit?
#Billy_Black_Eyes: That’s…disturbing. Besides, they Thanks a fucking lot!
didn’t have dubbing or any sort of uploading back then. #TeaWhore: That’s right. Blame the Japanese. You’re never
How can anyone claim these replicas are accurate? responsible for anything in your own life.
ARTIFICIAL DUPLICATES #Get_On_Me33: Shut up, bitch.
These usually come in the form of disguised androids or bioroids #TeaWhore: Hah! Clever boy.
and are primarily used by wealthy and powerful individuals who The original zaibatsu were dissolved around 1947, due to public
want to protect themselves from public threats. The android mind, scandal, political disapproval, and the surrender of Japan itself.
or the computer mind of the fleshy bioroid, can be programmed They were broken up into dozens of smaller companies, with legal
either with an entirely artificial personality construct or downloaded watchdogs hot on their heels at all times to make sure they didn’t
with an illegal dub in order to simulate being a specific person. try to reform their previous structures. That, of course, only lasted
This duplicate can then act as a body double, appearing at public so long. If you take a good look at a modern corporation, and can
functions or interacting with diplomats, with few people being get past their data scrubbers and filters, you’ll find many if not all
any the wiser. They are programmed to be unswervingly loyal, of them trace their roots back to the zaibatsu. So, in the end, the
and some models may not even be aware (at least at first) that zaibatsu have won the economic battle. The money always wins.
they are not the original. Most of Kensai board director Gombei’s Kané wa Amida yori hikaru.
appearances over the past five years, for instance, are rumored Internally, Japanese corporations are unique in several ways. For
to have been completed by such a duplicate. instance, employees are prized for high behavioral skills more than
#Dark_Ronin: Hasn’t anyone thought that these their analytical ones. This goes back to the Japanese prioritizing
duplicates are actually perpetuating their presence contextual etiquette over most other values. Conformity is key, and
independently, slowly replacing world leaders until we’re a harmonious big picture is the bottom line by which performance
all under cybernetic control? How do we know the originals is judged (and for the wiser of you, it’s easy to realize that “harmony”
are even alive? can often equate to profitability and market dominance). It’s far
#TopProfX: The manufacturing of artificial lifeforms is less about the individual and more about how the corporation
still kept under pretty tight control with many built-in as a whole is working.
safeguards ensuring they aren’t able to do that sort of
thing. The manager/employee relationship is…a unique one. Again,
conformity is key, and a manager must be able to trust that
#Dark_Ronin: Oh, and I suppose those safeguards are
just perfect. There’s never been a faulty dub. There’s never their employees will act in a way that is to the betterment of
been bioroids who have tried to remove their genetically the whole, rather than personal advancement. This trust isn’t
grafted skin barcode. Didn’t you read what she just said? achieved through standout performance or lots of innovation.
These Japanese leaders are purposefully blurring the line, Nor is it fostered by any deep personal relationship between
making it near impossible to know if you’re interacting boss and subordinate. Instead, employees prove themselves
with the original or not. Otherwise there’d be no point to through predictability. Trust is established by an employee
the duplicate in the first place. making decisions and acting just as their boss would; only once
they’ve proven the ability to do so on a regular basis will that
BUSINESS
Life in Japan

manager then start allowing them to act independently. If the

employee gains that trust, then the manager becomes willing
To understand how corporate business works in Japan, there’s a to accept responsibility for their actions. If not, the employee is
main concept you’ve got to wrap your head around: Zaibatsu. To deemed non-conformist and marked for termination unless they
outsiders, corporations may all appear the same on the surface, can change their attitude. For the Japanese corporate wager, it is
being mega-operations spanning the globe in order to dominate better to conform to expectation and fail, than to achieve success
the market in one area or another (or all of them). They wield

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 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
through individual effort or non-conforming attitudes. It is this to more traditional Japanese elements and trappings, such as
homogenized mentality, highly regimented structure, and reliable classical clothing, food, art, and in-home shrines. They not only
performance that have given Japanese corporations the influence have teams of architects who oversee most construction sites,
they once held in the pre-war era. but they also are connected to the Shinto faith and are always
This is also why other international corporations might have seeking new places to construct temples overseas, so Japanese
difficulty managing inter-corporate relations with Japanese of a particular faith may have a place of worship.
workers. There’s no instinctive trust built there, and it can take a Three head executives oversee all operations: Basho Shiomiya,
long time to manufacture. The Japanese are leery of more Western Dukuohtei Ichimonji, and Yoshimune Kobi. They are sometimes
business attitudes where the “lone wolf executive” is a common referred to as the Kuge, a reference to the earliest form of ikebana,
figure and success is supposed to come at all costs. which employed only three central stems in flower arrangements.
#Droneofthemonth: God, omae. I always pictured CHRYSANTHEMUM CORPORATION
corporations as massive drone hives, but this just takes it
In Japan, the chrysanthemum has long been linked to royalty,
so much farther. Barely any room for independent thought?
Employees striving to be boss-clones? It’s no wonder Japan being on the emperor’s flag, the royal crest, the Imperial Seal of
is known for its massive corporate espionage operations. Japan, and “The Chrysanthemum Throne,” another name for the
Sounds like they don’t have much in the way of original position of emperor itself. So how did it get on this corporation
ideas. label? Well, my inquisitive kami, as you might guess, there’s a link.
The emperor is able to bestow the highest Japanese honor on
MEGACORPORATIONS citizens who’ve distinguished themselves: The Supreme Order
Time to get a closer look at the main Japanese megacorps of the Chrysanthemum. Dr. Ryoko Sahashi was the last to receive
you’ve come to know and love. Whether you even realize it or this order, being the head of the team that first gave Japan the
not, otamajakushi, you’ve no doubt bought plenty from most of ability to create Synths. Dr. Sahashi then went on to found the
these in your lifetime. Chrysanthemum Corporation, which remains responsible for the
majority of Japan’s Synth production, genetic manipulation,
SHOGUN OUTFITTERS and other artificial lifeforms.
Japan has a long history of warfare, and this is These days, alongside restoring the shorter-lived
easily embodied in Shogun Outfitters. This Synth population to meet labor demands,
megacorp holds the Bushido code near and Chrysanthemum Corporation handles hybrid
dear to its operational center, and dedicates development, Human 2.0 womb-tweaks,
most of its development and production and android/bioroid manufacturing, plus
to top-of-the-line weaponry, armor, assault much of the legal dubbing procedures
vehicles, and a growing array of combat within the country. Most other Japanese
gear. They aim to blend Nipponese corporations that participate in these
aesthetics with modern tech, so if you’re procedures have acquired the techniques
looking for a way to present yourself as a through ongoing espionage efforts.
true Japanese warrior without relying on ancient
Dr. Sahashi remains in charge of Chrysanthemum
materials, here’s your solution!
Corp, now on her third dubbed download, having been
Alongside ballistic armor and combat cycles, you can restored after two assassinations on the part of anti-Synth/
also pick up a Shinobi infiltration suit, Dragonfly war fan, and pro-human factions. She tends to shun the more bureaucratic
explosives disguised as Japanese lanterns. side of her position though, preferring to remain active in the
Shogun Outfitters is run by a board of twelve executives, many of R&D sections of the corporation.
which have years of military service informing their perspectives.
#Your_Lolita_Princess: A Chrysanthemum lab in Sendai
The head of the board is Suzu Tsujimara, an elderly man who wears was bombed out just a couple weeks ago. Whole place
many scars of battle proudly, refusing to have them wiped away went up in flames.
by cosmetic surgery. #Oni_Broni: Really? I’ve got a brother who works for them
THE SHINBASHIRA there, and he didn’t say anything about it.
While not one of the largest Japanese corporations, The #Your_Lolita_Princess: According to the feeds, they’ve
Shinbashira takes a novel approach to doing business in that it been trying to keep it hush-hush. In the wake of the fire,
they found some sort of huge empty chrysalis in the
will only buy and sell with certified Japanese citizens. No gaijin, no
building wreckage. Something escaped. One of their
matter how integrated with Japanese society they’ve become, can
experiments, I’d bet. Maybe it caused the fire in the first
ever directly purchase their wares. Of course, there are any number place and the bomb is just a cover story.
of proxy shops that might carry their products, but even these are
#Billy_Black_Eyes: Exactly what sort of feeds do you
technically forbidden from doing business with outsiders and can subscribe to?
be shut down if the corporation learns of such trade occurring.
Life in Japan

“Shinbashira” means “central pillar” and their purpose for ISHIN-DENSHIN

existing is to help maintain and support Japanese culture, both Ishin-Denshin Corp took its name from a concept meaning
on the island and across the world. In fact, they do much of their “interpersonal communication through unspoken mutual
dealings on behalf of other corporations, providing Japanese understanding.” Some people simplify this to mean sympathy
citizens working abroad with ways to remain connected to their or even telepathy, or having a heart-to-heart connection with
original identities. As such, most of their wares are directly related another person. If you ask a Japanese person to explain this in

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 Life in Japan: The Techno Shogunate
more detail, you’ll likely get an odd look because the whole point stopped a number of wealthy individuals, such as Kei Kasahara in
is to avoid having to explain the concept in the first place. It should Tokyo, from amassing a personal armada of tank and assault cycles.
just be an intimate connection and comprehension. Kensai not only fulfills orders for Japanese combat units but also
Anyway, Ishin-Denshin has made a name for itself less in physical for global security and mercenary forces. It’s not uncommon for
products and more in virtual ones. The main tech they do produce opposing soldiers to engage in battle while both are operating
is focused on sensory enhancement, such as optical overlays, Kensai-made machinery. It speaks to the quality of their production,
auditory boosts, and drug cocktails that accelerate reaction time certainly, but has also earned them a bit of ire of various Japanese
or shift how one views the world. They manage some of the famous generals who would prefer to keep military superiority locked
VR centers in Japan, and also produce thousands of Deep feeds and down on their side.
simulations. Their wildly creative Holo-Tags are famous among the This corporation is primarily staffed by engineers and scientists
more fashion-oriented, with their popular Kami line reproducing who work around the clock to develop new, stronger designs. Ten
traditional images of the spirits of nature. Lastly, they are a major directors oversee operations, and it is commonly believed that they
developer of TAP apps, especially those focused on forms of Net have a secret cell of zeeks who provide constant psychic shielding
communication. for their employees, to keep corporate secrets from being snatched
#CutthroatChibi: Osaka has a citywide Kaiju-hunting sim straight from their minds.
going on right now. You should totally check it out. Ishin-
Denshin designed the whole thing, and at least a million THE TECHNO SHOGUNATE
people are playing.
#TeaWhore: What’s it called? We’ve taken a close look at Japanese culture and corporations,
#CutthroatChibi: Shoot Those Big Bastards! but how does the country itself actually run? Who enforces what?
#TeaWhore: Catchy. If you do something naughty, nakama, who should you expect to
come knocking on your door? What foreigners are welcome on the
While there is a team of high executives, the singular head of
island, and who should invest in some heavy-duty bodyguards if
the corporation is Otsune Okimura. However, she has only ever
they want to step foot on these shores?
appeared via digital feeds, and it’s near-impossible to find any
record of her public appearances prior to her assuming the role A-DIVISION
of the corporation leader. Rumors exist that Otsune is an A.I.
This is the government’s primary intelligence force. It used
manifestation using Ishin-Denshin tech to try and eventually forge
to be a private security firm until it started getting too big and
the whole of humanity into a singular hive mind. Take that with a
too successful, and the First General performed something of
hefty grain of rice, nakama.
a mini-coup. Head officials were… unemployed and replaced
KENTA CYBER DYNAMICS by government loyalists. Now the A-Division gathers data both
Without a doubt, Kenta Cyber Dynamics is Japan’s leading throughout the Deep and in person, via deep cover agents planted
cybertech developer and producer—and one of the top cybernetic across Japan and the globe. While touted as a national security
leaders in the world. They’ve created almost every sort of agency, they are also known to be responsible for government-
implant and upgrade you could see people sporting these days, sanctioned assassinations, espionage, illicit TAP manipulation, and
both civilian and military grade. They also have their fingers in other questionable activities to expand Japanese data control
fashion, food, and entertainment, just to round out their global and international relations. When foreign visitors vanish, or when
investments. Japanese citizens abroad abruptly stop showing up to work, it is
While their HQ is based in Tokyo, they have manufacturing assumed the A-Division is behind the scenes.
centers in Chiba as well, and international production and #Oni_Broni: I’ve met one of their agents before.
distribution arcologies in major cities such as Chicago. Their #Dark_Ronin: Sure you did, ami.
streetware is primo, nakama, but they also run an off-brand line #Oni_Broni: I’m telling the truth! Went on a late-night
of gutterware…cheaper, but far more likely to malfunction at the grocery run and was going by a grav-train station.
wrong moment, so caveat emptor—you get what you pay for. Suddenly, this guy appears outta nowhere, all dressed in
One of their better-known directors on the board is Takaya silver and black, carrying a sword that was on fire.
Yoshii, whose youthful appearance is supposedly maintained by #Dark_Ronin: A sword. On fire.
nano-regenerative tech—or by his true self being represented #Oni_Broni: Then he swung it and another body appeared
by a dubbed duplicate. Either way, he’s one of the more powerful outta midair and fell right in front of me. I ran, scared as
men in Japan and not one to be crossed. hell. Nothing about any dead guy on the news the next
day though.
KENSAI #Dark_Ronin: Pretty sure I saw the same story on a
Kensai is a manufacturing giant primarily known for their vehicle RUBoredYet? feed last month. How much Black Mist you
and golemmech production. As usual, they work on both civilian been porting in?
and military levels, creating high-speed automobiles, bikes, tanks, They do have another, more noble role, though. The government
Life in Japan

mechs, and all manner of flight craft. All of these can be pared has used the A-Division to wage a slow yet steady war against
down to street-legal, unarmed versions, or outfitted with VTOL Yakuza crime. This is difficult since the Yakuza have been
engines, autocannons, and any other imaginable armament. Most established in high-ranking government positions and operate
of their contracts are military, and they publicly disavow ever from a seemingly untouchable social position. Yet the A-Division
having sold a combat-grade vehicle to any citizens. That hasn’t has noted several major successes in uncovering and eliminating
massive drug and counterfeiting rings, as well as reducing much

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 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
of Yakuza activity within the city of Chiba. So they must be doing suffered greatly, as did the Union’s, making them feel even more
something right. like kindred spirits in defying the A.I. threat.
The current director is a former shadow ops agent only known THE UNITED KINGDOM
as Nobukazu. Few have ever seen him in person, but those who
The UK and its territories have fared far better than most in the
have remark about stormy grey eyes and a voice that sounds like
wars and economic upheavals over the decades. As such, they are
a katana whisking from its sheath.
able to offer Japan a thriving base of trade and diplomacy. The
two entities tend to confer greatly on cybertech advancements,
FOREIGN RELATIONS
though, of course, they’re often trying to be the first to make the
It’s a big world out there, tiny otamajakushi. next breakthrough.
#Get_On_Me33: I wish this bitch would stop calling us
tadpoles. AMERICA
#SUPAKAWAII: Naw, it’s cute! I mean…it’s kawaii! With its history of Westernization, Japan was once considered a
#Get_On_Me33: What are you, a fucking weeaboo? close friend to America. However, with the war having splintered
the nation into many in-fighting coalitions and territories, Japan has
And big worlds make for big friends or bigger enemies. The seized the opportunity to take advantage of the North American
question is, which country to coalition is which? desperation. They love doing business with all Western factions
CHINA AND THE MANDARINATE and have a growing corporate presence there—but they prefer
Let’s call these relations…tense at the moment. Oh, Japan to use the recovery and rebuilding efforts as a chance to make
is certainly ready to do business with China and its associated massive profits, and they will sell anything to any side.
territories, but it also sees how the self-styled New Mandarins are CANADA
amassing as much power as they can; and their sense of superiority Canada gets viewed much the same as the American factions—
clashes with the Japanese self-same perspective. It may only be a fractious, nebulous, and rife with opportunity to play different
matter of time before China turns a covetous eye on Japan with coalitions against each other for Japanese profit. Business as
the desire to turn it into just another vassal state. usual. Plenty of room for megacorps to move in, as well as Yakuza
THE INDIA LEAGUE operations.
The Japanese respect the Indian drive for prosperity and AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND
productivity—however they’re also a bit turned off by the Due to the Floods, Australia’s citizens became concentrated
immense diversity found within the country. It clashes hard against in just a few cities, trying to scrape together a few credits, and
the Japanese ideal of conformity and reliability, and while they they’re still just trying to survive. On the other hand, New Zealand
have tenuous trade, they remain leery of the ongoing chaos within has become more internally focused—focused on improving
the region. themselves and not caring as much about external affairs.
AFRICA SOUTH & CENTRAL AMERICA
Japan got cut off from Africa like most other nations when the Any real opportunity in this region is found in New Brasilia, which
Ivory Curtain went up. Since reestablishing contact, Japan has been is where Japan has focused most of its expansion efforts. Lots of
incredibly interested in Africa’s advanced genetics programs and trade routes get funneled through here.
their space elevator. However the extensive amount of corruption
plus complicated border passage requirements has kept the MILITARY
Japanese from making extensive headway. The majority of their
The Japanese Self-Defense Force is broken up into four
presence is coastal.
main parts, each responsible for a particular aspect of military
RUSSIAN FEDERATION operations. All act under the edicts of the First General.
The Russian territories are under the clinch of both the Eurasian GROUND SDF
Union and Chinese occupation. It is a land of harsh extremes and
At this point, Japan’s ground forces are rarely seen on an
has bred a harsh people. Despite Russian technological advances
international scale. They are mostly concerned with defending its
and a respectable drive for survival, the Japanese know the Russian
borders, cities, and people. It is primarily composed of footsoldiers,
people aren’t truly in charge of their own destinies. This makes it
tanks, and golemmechs, as well as certain contingents of cyber-
difficult to form any sort of productive union since their leaders
enhanced samurai.
are primarily foreign proxies.
AIR SDF
THE MIDDLE EAST
Japan can scramble an impressive assembly of air forces within
Much like India, Japan sees the Middle East as a place of violent
minutes, including everything from single-engine aircraft and
religious and cultural extremes, which can be quite bad for
fighter jets to VTOL transports and mobile command centers. Air
business. Japan has a small diplomatic and business presence here,
SDF tends to work heavily in conjunction with both Ground SDF
but remains poised to pull its people out on an instant’s notice.
Life in Japan

and Naval SDF.

THE EURASIAN UNION NAVAL SDF
Japan has found a surprising ally in the Eurasian Union. With such
This branch patrols the waters all around Japan, as well as
an expansive territory, one desperate for resources and trade, and
international waters. It holds numerous battle cruisers, hovercraft,
for credit loans, the Eurasian Union has readily accepted what help
and submarines. Reports have emerged of supposed Japanese
Japan can offer. During the Charon event, the Japanese economy

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 Life in Japan: The Techno Shogunate
sub-oceanic bases, but their presence and/or purpose have never want, replace any part or piece…you become nothing but
been confirmed. property. A commodity.
#Droneofthemonth: We’re already property to someone.
SPACE SDF Why not be owned by the wealthy? They tend to pamper
Based on the military orbital platforms, a fleet of spaceships their pets, at least.
keeps an eye out for possible space-bound threats, as well as
provides security measures throughout the interplanetary and HIKKIKOMORI CORRECTIONAL PRECINCT
asteroid mining colonies. While a number of high-security prisons operate out in the rural
All Japanese soldiers take an oath to die in defense of the parts of the island, this one is for those prisoners who are too
lives and wealth of their fellow citizens. This is why soldiers are valuable to kill and too dangerous to be anywhere near civilization.
often seen as ferocious and fearless in battle. They are dead to YOHAMA PORT
themselves already, and if they should fail in duty, they would
For citizens heading to mining establishments or smaller colonies
rather kill themselves before being captured and breaking their
throughout the solar system, this is where they’re first taken for
oath.
training, solar acclimation, and integration with fellow colonists.
ORBITAL HABITATS Of course, there are always stories of secret space platforms,
illegal research orbitals, nukie in the sky with diamonds…but you
Look up into the sky at night—and if you can see anything
know what happens when you go chasing down every possible
beyond the neon Tokyo glare, you might notice a few of those
dangerous secret? Either you snag one and it blows up in your
twinkling lights aren’t quite the same as the others. Japan has
face, or it catches you first before you even realize it’s hiding in
established quite a few orbital centers of operation, each with a
the shadows. Oh, but if you ever do uncover the truth behind such
specific purpose and security clearance requirement.
rumors, my sweet ronin, do let me know. I’ll pay well for that sort
IZUMO-III of datadump.
Should Japan ever come under massive attack or war be declared,
this is where the First General and other military leaders will get POLITICAL STRUCTURE
launched to in order to oversee operations from up on high. No, Put simply, you’ve got a military dictatorship in play. The Daichi
the emperor won’t get to go along. If he dies in an attack, they no Taishou is in charge, and the emperor is his diplomatic puppet.
can just get a new one. What the military wants, the military takes. There is a massive
administrative echelon that employs Kanjin and Kanko as official
CX-NDS
public servants, but they all work for the generals in the end,
In geosynchronous orbit directly above Japan, this habitat is and First General Hiro Minotoro is at the very top. Larger cities
populated by a skeleton military and science crew. They oversee and prefect conglomerates are presided over by independent
an array of space-based defense systems, designed to knock governors, mayors, and lesser officials—but again, if their edicts
intercontinental bombs or missiles out of the sky well before they ever come into conflict with those established by the First General,
get within radiation range. You can bet your last Yen it’s got more guess who’s going to take the fall?
than defensive capabilities though.
THE STARLIGHT PETAL KAMI CORPS
This station belongs to Chrysanthemum Corporation. It’s a This elite corp is formed of cybernetically enhanced supersoldiers
primary extension of their earthbound arcologies, dedicated to and shadow operatives who operate outside the law at the behest
experimenting with synthetic life and cybernetic tech in a variety of the government and Japan’s technological security. Named for
of gravities and toxic habitats. the benevolent Shinto spirits, they are ghosts unto themselves,
#Oni_Broni: There’s a video going around a few sub-feed with only fleeting glimpses of their team in action, with witnesses
communities lately. They claim it shows a hybrid that’s been unable to compile any substantial details about who these people
modified for survival in total vacuum. It’s walking around could be—if they’re really people at all anymore. How else could
outside the habitat, totally exposed, no survival suit. anyone be such unsan musho? They are believed to deal with
#Billy_Black_Eyes: Ping me a link. I gotta see this. everything from rampaging cyborgs to malfunctioning bioroids
#Oni_Broni: [USER DISCONNECTED] to tracking down multiple dubs, and they eliminate all threats with
#Billy_Black_Eyes: Figures. supreme efficiency and the utmost secrecy. It is also suggested
they are responsible for subduing rogue A.I.s and may operate
GOLDEN HEAVEN just as much within the Deep as they do in the physical realm.
Got more Yen than you know what to do with, nakama? Then #[USER DISCONNECTED]: [REDACTED]
book a rocket ride up to this heavenly pleasure palace. It costs #[USER DISCONNECTED]: [REDACTED]
what your average citizen makes in a year just to access the place. #[USER DISCONNECTED]: [REDACTED]
If you’re one of the lucky elite, you can enjoy whatever desire your #[USER DISCONNECTED]: [REDACTED]
mind can conjure without any legal repercussions.
Life in Japan

#WillyaWontcha: Uh…guys?
#Droneofthemonth: There’s a cheaper way to get to
While no official data caches have been retrieved to confirm it,
Golden Heaven. Be hired to work there.
it’s believed they are connected to two major entities: A-Division
#TeaWhore: Pretty sure that requires selling yourself,
and the Chrysanthemum Corporation. A-Division makes sense,
body and mind, to the elite. You’ve got to be willing to
let them implant anything, reprogram you however they given the amount of access and intelligence the Kami Corps would
need to operate on such a secretive level. And now that I think

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 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
about it, affiliation with the Chrysanthemum Corporation is also on the force, they need a few mind-freaks of their own to
logical, as the team members must be outfitted with nothing but level the playing field.
the latest, greatest upgrades if they’re going to be able to deal #TopProfX: I can confirm this. At least three oyabun in
with any number of superhuman threats to society. Osaka have demonstrated confirmed psychic abilities,
If they’re real and are truly working to protect us all, then all I including telekinesis and mind projection.
can say is arigatou gozaimasu. If they aren’t, if they’re nothing but There are three main groups who hold the power majority in
a story after all, then to that I say minu ga hana! Japan and beyond: the Yamaguchi-gumi, the Sumiyoshi-rengo, and
#FishBasket: True dat. I’d rather believe someone’s out the Inagawa-kaï. The largest is the Yamaguchi-gumi, composed of
there keeping an eye on all us blokes. More power to ‘em! over 1,000 clans and comprising at least half of all Yakuza. Their
#WillyaWontcha: Wait, what’d she say? C’mon, why am leader, the oyabun, is Shou Minami.
I the only one feeling out of the loop on these phrases? The Sumiyoshi-kai come in second with 300 smaller groups
#TopProfX: The first bit was a simple thank you. The second who have formed an alliance. While it is presided over by oyabun
one essentially means: “We’re better off not knowing the Satomi Hayashi, he does not hold ultimate power. Instead, the
truth. Reality can’t compete with imagination.” other leaders debate and vote on any major actions that need
#WillyaWontcha: Oh. That’s kind of depressing. to be taken.
Third is Inagawa-Kai with just over 300 clans—though the clan
THE YAKUZA sizes are smaller than the Sumiyoshi-Kai. This group is based in
You can’t talk structure in Japan without bringing up the Yakuza, Tokyo, but actually has stronger global operation in China and the
considering they run a hefty portion of it from behind the scenes. Middle East. Iwato Kawaguchi, in his mid-fifties, singularly rules
Where there’s business, there’s illegal business—which often this group.
provides higher profits without all the administrative red tape. #Synths_For_Life: The Subtle Edge sushi shop in Nagasaki
That said, the Yakuza tend to be one of the better-organized crime is a confirmed Yakuza front. Got a friend who works there
syndicates in the world, held together not only by a drive for wealth who was showing off his new tattoos to me just a few
but also high internal ideals, loyalty, and multi-generational blood days ago.
ties. #TeaWhore: The whole southern district in Tokyo is
Hai, Yakuza is almost exclusively family-owned, and the families Yakuza-owned and operated. So long as you aren’t rude
who sit atop the heap control most crime throughout Japan. and point them out, they won’t cause trouble for you,
Yakuza members hold to strong concepts of meiyo (honor), unless you’re gaijin. Word on the street says the local
oyabun loves to gut gaijin for giggles.
believing they are the true protectors of the Techno-Shogunate
and that without them, society would crumble into chaos. The
dichotomy of this is reflected in the various names the Yakuza go TRIADS
by. The average citizen calls them gokudõ. The police have labeled Because of how entrenched the Yakuza are in every aspect of
them bõryokudan—“the violence group.” Internally, Yakuza have Japanese crime operations, it has been difficult for other factions,
named themselves ninkyõ dantai—“the chivalrous organizations.” such as Chinese Triads, to gain a foothold in Nihon society.
The Yakuza think they’re performing a service, running a business. Difficult, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t been trying for a
Just because the authority says they’re wrong doesn’t mean they’re long time now. Considering that the Triads are in charge of China’s
going to stop anytime soon. They have clients to satisfy. trafficking in drugs, blackware, credit duping, assassinations,
So what are they really? That depends on which side of the law sex trade, etc., it makes sense why they’d want to expand into
you’re on and what sort of business you run. We can establish a few those same operations in Japan, as well as subsume the Yakuza’s
facts though. First, the Yakuza operate according to an extensive international channels. While Triad members are more numerous,
hierarchy, with major families at the top and street gangs at the the concentrated nature of Japan’s Yakuza centers of operations
bottom. Once someone joins a gang, the hope is to work their way forms a bit of a criminal bottleneck, forcing the Triads to fight
up to the upper levels of power and wealth within the criminal an uphill battle for the smallest patch of island territory. They’ve
network. And once you’re a member, the only way to leave is gained small cells in Tokyo, Chiba, and Nagasaki (the latter primarily
through death or having a foolproof plan for faking such a death. because of the original city being bombed to scrap, scattering the
They’re involved in any illicit activity imaginable, and have also Yakuza presence there for years). But these cells are usually just
been making serious headway into cybercrime, dealing with black struggling to stay under the radar and avoid being wiped out by
code, death sims, unauthorized dubbing, and Synth prostitution. the Yakuza. Some worry if the Triad truly started pumping men
and credits into the effort, it could plunge Japan into a shadowy
#Dark_Ronin: I hear they’re trying to recruit more zeeks war with thousands, if not millions, dead before the end.
into their “family” too. They figure the cops have got them
Life in Japan

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Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 CHARACTERS
“Juu-nin to-iro.” … Ten people, ten colors. Everyone has their own tastes.
—Japanese Proverb
Corporal Takagawa eyed the tattoo parlor, using his trio of mini- others we’ve caught. The artists hide the actual black code in the
drones to scope the neon-lit block, up and down. Hyper Tags marked tattoo animation matrix, embedded deep. Clients don’t have a clue
and outlined the rest of his team. Prefect Officer Sata, his feline hybrid what they’re carrying. They get tracked once they leave, found back
partner, had already scaled onto the roof to block off any escape in their home cities, and someone downloads the code there with
attempts that way. His shadow team stood poised to sweep in from the a scanner and sells it. No TAP transfers, no data sticks. Just some
back. Everything was in place to bring the black code den down—so harmless-looking tattoos. If that one guy’s tattoo hadn’t glitched
long as nothing went wrong. after he picked up that virus, we might never have figured out how
He blinked off the visual street overlay but left the building blueprint they were doing it.”
up in one corner. Drone heat sensors indicated half-a-dozen warm “We’re going to have to start scanning every tourist leaving the
bodies inside, but that didn’t account for shielded rooms or inactive country for meta-tattoos?” Sata asked. “That’s not going to make
roids. There were still at least ten ways the wrong bodies could bleed the Administrator happy.”
out tonight. Takagawa glanced at the runner. “Not unless we can get them to
He tabbed his throat-mic and subvocalized: “Everyone ready? We talk. Tell us where else they’re running these operations.”
get one shot at this.” The runner spat at their feet. Takagawa grinned and went over to
After each point responded in the affirmative, he broadcasted the the needle-woman, who’d fallen unconscious. He grabbed her by one
jamming signal from his police beacon. One of his smart drones had wrist and raised her hand.
already broken the parlor security firewall and looped surveillance “Bring him over here. Let’s see what she’s got up her sleeve.”
videos that showed a quiet street. Every light along the street went So, otamajakushi, you want to work? You want to survive here?
dark except for the ones in the parlor—all the signal his team needed. Then you’ve got to offer something useful. Something others will
Activating his exo-armor, he dashed from his hiding spot across find of value. There are as many ways of making a living as there
the street, kicked the front door off its hinges, and barreled in, pistol are citizens, but there are a handful of personal paths certain
ready. His visual scan took half a second. Three tattooed clients lay citizens tend to gravitate toward. These are some ways you can
face down on padded recliners. From their total inaction, Takagawa quickly chart your route to credits and glory while integrating
knew they’d been drugged. The artists taking needles to their arms, with Japanese society.
legs, and backs, however, dove in all directions. One yanked a shotgun
out from under his workstation. Another flared her hands and dozens ARCHETYPES
of needles shot out from under her fingernails. The third sprinted for
a side room. The following are Archetypes that are found throughout the
Takagawa dove to one side as a shotgun blast sprayed the main Empire of the Setting Sun. The Archetypes below are all Novice
front window, but didn’t shatter the glass. Voices reported in. Shadow humans with one free Edge. If a different race is chosen, adjust
team coming through the back, as planned. Sata heading down from accordingly.
the second story through a hatch she’d torn open.
“Two armed in front,” Takagawa said, blood thumping in his ears as ANCESTRAL SURROGATE
he rose to one knee and loosed a string of shots. His armor absorbed “Yes, grandfather. No, grandfather. I respectfully remind
the recoil, and a scream told him he hit at least one. “One runner. you I heard you the first time, most honorable grandfather.
I’ve followed your instructions exactly, but the data cache
Contain him alive if you can.”
isn’t here. Yes, I’ve searched the whole place. Not a holo-
Another shotgun blast peppered the wall just to his right. As wall to be found. They’re all solid. I would rather you not
Takagawa rose, he tugged a throwing blade from its belt slot and take over my motor controls, grandfather. Do you not recall
flung it. The shotgun-wielder shrieked as the blade pierced his hand, what happened last time, how much we had to pay that
forcing him to drop the gun. Takagawa was on him a second later, a patch man when you triggered the bomb too soon?”
hand pinning the man to the ground by his throat. The needle-fingered #Ssekein Uchida, Ronin
woman writhed across the room. Oddly, she’d jabbed one finger into Personality uploads of the dearly departed retain their memories
her side. Injecting a painkiller of some sort? He didn’t want to know as well as their mannerisms. What if your ancestor had a few dirty,
what other drug cocktails her augmented fingers could conjure. dark secrets? What if they had knowledge and skills that you lacked,
“Got him,” came Sata’s voice. Takagawa looked up as the shadow but could prove quite useful on the street? And what if they were
team entered, rifles aimed. As they locked down the two he’d subdued, willing to do anything to get enough credits to grow themselves
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Sata came in, holding the runner at gunpoint. She met his eyes and a new body to be downloaded into? Ancestral surrogates can
nodded at the tattoo clients. install an uplink to their precursor’s engrams and benefit from
“Think they’re in on it?” a direct connection to a wealth of information and previously
Takagawa inspected the luminescent tattoos writhing across their unknown abilities—but at a cost. For instance, the ancestor could
skin. He shook his head. “Two Americans. One Brit. No. Just like the be incredibly demanding or annoying…

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Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6 agents, and Net monitoring. They’re often on the lookout for
Skills: Driving d6, Healing d6, Knowledge (Business) d8, Notice Yakuza activity or dangerous freelancers threatening the public.
d8, Persuasion d6, +5 skill points Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5; Firewall: 4; Strain: 0; Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Investigation d6,
Street Cred: 2 Notice d6, Persuasion d4, Shooting d8
Hindrances: Giri (Minor), Loyal, Secret (Major) Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5; Firewall: 4; Strain: 0;
Edges: Alertness, Scholar Street Cred: 2
Occupation: Synth Monitor Hindrances: Vow (To Protect and Serve), two Minor
Contacts: Choose two Edges: Martial Artist, Prefect Cop
Occupation: Patrol Officer
CORPORATE OVERSEER Contacts: Choose two
“Did you know the human body is a machine? Just so, when
you bring many bodies into a single company, when they RESTORATIONIST
are fused by a united will and vision of glory and honor,
“This country’s history has been despoiled by war and
they may become a grand force for the greater good.
deviants for centuries now. It’s my purpose to track down
Because the greater good is what matters most. Know
the hidden or stolen treasures of the past and restore
your place and be satisfied with it. Oh, and your place is
them to their rightful place. Smugglers constantly try to
under me so long as I see fit. So let it be.”
sneak priceless relics to other countries. Looters seek out
#Rkuemon Taniguchi, Kenta Cyber Dynamics ancient sites to tear them apart for profit. Thieves break
Being a high-ranking manager in any of Japan’s megacorporations into museums or private collections and make off with the
means you understand the real strength of your nation. It is not centerpieces. I get them back at all costs.”
in individuality or being a roving ronin, grubbing on the streets. #Miu Arai, Chiba City Archaeological Operation and
It comes managing a team of reliable employees who respond to Research Center
your every order without hesitation. You protect the corporate A restorationist devotes their life to preserving the sanctity of
interests, you protect your loyal employees, and you ensure no Japanese culture and history. So much art and artifacts have been
one stands in the way of progress—or if they attempt to, their stripped from ancient temples or stolen from collections, just to
chaotic vectors are eliminated with all due prejudice, using the be sold on some foreign black market or to a dishonorable private
corporate resources at your disposal. collector—never to be seen again. In these times, the restorationist
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d4, Vigor d6 tracks down the culprit and goes to any lengths to get back what
Skills: Intimidate d6, Knowledge (Business) was taken…for a significant fee, of course. But if an item is truly
d8, Notice d6, Persuasion d8, Taunt d6, priceless, then what are a few Yen to acquire their services?
+2 Skill points Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Skills: Fighting d6, Investigation d8, Notice d8, Persuasion d6,
Toughness: 5; Firewall: 4; Strain: 0; Shooting d6, Streetwise d8
Street Cred: 2 Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5;
Hindrances: Cautious, Loyal, Vengeful Firewall: 4; Strain: 0; Street Cred: 2
(Minor) Hindrances: One Major, two Minor
Edges: Corporate Mogul, Rich, Strong Willed Edges: Bounty Hunter, Investigator
Occupation: Corporate Executive Occupation: Bounty Hunter
Contacts: Choose two Contacts: Choose two

PREFECT COP ROYALTY

“It’s not the most glamorous beat on the block, “They say the imperial family has no
no. But it’s mine. I know every side street, every real power anymore, that it’s all in the
alley, every rooftop, every would-be crook, hands of the First General. To a degree,
cowering con, or law-abiding citizen. They most would agree. But realize this. We’re
know me in return, and they respect the still here. Many of us still work within
authority I represent. Or if they don’t, then the government, and we still have a
they soon learn the mistake of trying to magnificent amount of wealth in our
thrive outside the law.” coffers—and money talks. Kané wa Amida
#Officer Aoto, Prefectural Police in Chiba yori hikaru. You just have to learn to let it
Under the purview of the National Police whisper, for its glint to catch the right eye,
Agency, prefectural police have headquarters a discrete eye. And then you wield it wisely,
and you’ll find there’s still quite a good deal
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in segmented portions of every major city,

of power in your grasp.”
with substations in more rural areas. They hold
regular patrols, perform investigations and #Prince Hitashi, Imperial Family
arrests, and respond to emergency calls. At Being a prince or princess of the imperial family, one
times, they can be promoted to special teams can actually wield more influence than
such as riot police, Imperial guards, narcotics the emperor, who is firmly under the

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Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 Characters : Archetypes
thumb of the First General. Royalty perform many official and #Kyuwa, Shitei Bōryokudan Clan
public functions throughout the country, giving them access Ever loyal to their clan, their family, Yakuza operators oversee
to diplomats, corporate leaders, and military officials. They can a wide variety of criminal operations on behalf of their oyabun.
wield credits, gain access to incredibly sensitive data, and influence Usually they focus on a particular region of a city, monitoring
political matters across the world. Many are entirely loyal to the businesses there (and making sure they pay regularly for protection),
Japanese government, but some can have their own agendas in or trafficking illicit data, drugs, and people through their network.
mind. Bribery, intimidation, and blackmail are primary methods, backed
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d4, Vigor d6 up by more violent means if victims are uncooperative. At the
Skills: Fighting d4, Intimidation d8, Knowledge (Politics) d6, Notice same time, Yakuza see themselves as defenders of Japan, and will
d6, Persuasion d8, +4 skill points move swiftly to protect those civilians who live in their territory
from outside threats.
Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5; Firewall: 4; Strain: 0;
Street Cred: 2 Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Hindrances: Arrogant, two Minor Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d6, Persuasion d6,
Edges: Noble, Rich Stealth d4, Streetwise d8, Taunt d6
Occupation: None Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5; Firewall: 4; Strain: 0;
Street Cred: 2
Contacts: Choose two
Hindrances: Loyal (Yakuza), one Major, one Minor
SHINOBI Edges: Connections (Criminal Organizations)
“…” Occupation: Yakuza Member
#[NAME REDACTED], Freelancer Contacts: Choose two
As the samurai have returned, so have their historical foils, the
shinobi. Whereas samurai war with honor, boldness, and strict ZEN MASTER
ritual, the ninja traditionally rely on sabotage, deception, and silent “The world is broken, even shattered in many ways. So
murder. They only resort to direct combat if absolutely forced into many have shut their eyes to reality, and they seek to drag
it. Among other things, stealth technology has seen a resurgence of down others with them. Violence is a difficult path to walk
interest in shinobi-style assassination, allowing them to blend with on the journey to enlightenment, but it can be a virtuous
surroundings without reliance on darkness. A true ninja, though, path if you know the way. Some of my brothers and sisters
may shun my methods, and they have the right to choose
prides themself on also being a master of disguise, poison, and
their own path. Yet if I may protect, if I may fill the cracks
hidden weapons or devious tools. in others’ hearts and minds, then let that be the purpose
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d4, Vigor d6 behind my strength.”
Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d6, Lockpicking d6, Notice d6, Stealth #Kiichi Sone, Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gō Temple
d8, Streetwise d6, Throwing d6 A Zen master is an expert in achieving a state of mind that is
Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5; Firewall: 4; Strain: 0; perfect for martial arts: Mushin no shin. A mind without a mind.
Street Cred: 2 Through this method, they can achieve absolute flow within
Hindrances: Cautious, one Major, one Minor combat, shift between the gaps of their opponent, strike when
Edges: Assassin, Thief the time and place are perfect. They are supreme strategists,
utterly calm in violent circumstances, and yet understanding the
Occupation: Gardener
occasional need to establish peace by force.
Contacts: Choose two
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d4, Vigor d6
#Dark_Ronin: Gotta figure slipping on a stealth suit can
make anyone insta-ninja these days. Skills: Fighting d8, Healing d6, Knowledge (Religion) d8, Notice
#CutthroatChibi: The shinobi is more about being d6, Stealth d6, Taunt d8, +5 skill points
invisible. It’s about having a purpose, a reason to remain Charisma: 0; Pace: 5; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5; Firewall: 4; Strain: 0;
unseen. If you’re detected, it lessens your chances of Street Cred: 2
success. It proves you aren’t worthy of survival. Hindrances: Bad Eyes (Minor), Pacifist (Minor), Elderly
#Dark_Ronin: And by “success,” you’re talking killing. Edges: Elan, Martial Artist
#CutthroatChibi: It’s the ultimate form of success in Occupation: Shinto Priest
today’s world, wouldn’t you say?
Contacts: Choose two
YAKUZA OPERATOR #HoliMoli: Ever think it’s cheating to use neural implants
“Good and honorable sir, it brings a shadow across my heart to activate a false state of balance?
to tell you that we have come into possession of certain #TopProfX: Never. If the potential is within the brain,
videos of you. I won’t sully my lips by specifying their the manner of unlocking it does not matter. Meditation,
mantras, or cybernetic mental interfaces. They are all
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contents, nor would I ever wish to darken the eyes of others

by revealing to them what lies within this particular data different paths to the same end.
feed. I fear the shame it might bring to your family would be
too great for you to bear. However, fortune blesses us both,
and it may be that, with a mutually profitable arrangement,
these videos might forever disappear into the Deep.”

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Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
• Perks: You know how to use knives, pans, and a various
OCCUPATIONS assortment of kitchen tools as weapons. You gain the
Improvisational Fighter Edge when using kitchen related
Making a living means more than trying to build up street utensils.
cred, right? The world runs on credits. In Japan, that’s Yen. Sure,
nakama, you could try and get by on a string of odd jobs, but do CURIO PEDDLER
you recognize how many people who try to subsist on that alone Nicknames: Shyster, Dashers, Baggers, Huckster, Hawker, Fence
are either homeless or dead by now? Besides, what do ronin runs “I swear it’s pure jade. Would I lie to you? This statue’s at least
get you beside some cash on the sly? You better have a back-up five hundred years old. Oh, you fancy the medallion? Pretty sure
plan for steady pay, otherwise you could find yourself bleeding it’s from the royal family. Fine, yes, those are knock-off imperial
from a gut wound after a gig gone wrong, without any way to pay seals. Don’t look at the bottom! Made in China? Says who? You
for a patch job. Below, you’ll find a list of possible occupations to can’t trust anything you read these days. So are you just going to
choose from that are a bit more singular to Japan. Have your own look all day or you want a little trinket to take home to your kids?
ideas? Then go and make them happen! You got kids right? I’ve got a great knife set they could play with.
Real ninja shit. Where are you going?”
BUDDHIST MONK
• Bonus credits: Persuasion × 500 each Advance
Nicknames: Brother, Cenobite, Lama, Would-Be Buddha
• Requisites: Notice d6+, Persuasion d6+
“We are what we think. To realize that truth, to know that all
• Perks: You know the value of goods and where to buy/sell
potential for peace can be found within you, releases you from
them. You gain +2 to Persuasion and Streetwise rolls when
the chains of appetite and unrest that bind so many all their lives.
buying or selling goods.
Why carry such a weight? To hold on to anger, envy, dishonesty,
lust…it is like swallowing hot coals so they forever burn in your
DIGI-INK TATTOOIST
belly. It is possible to end your suffering, as I always seek to end
mine. You and I are both candles that can burn with happiness, Nicknames: Needler, Skinner, Skin Painter, Irezumist, Ink Carver,
and to light one candle does not extinguish the flame of another.” Teborist
• Bonus Credits: None “Foreigners are always afraid they’re going to ask for tattoos that
say Courage or Peace, but will actually get something ridiculous,
• Requisites: Spirit d6+, Pacifist
like I’m a Fool or I Don’t Really Speak Japanese—and they won’t
• Perks: Buddhist Monks receive a Poor lifestyle (see Cost of know the difference. And they should be afraid. Because a tattoo
Living in the Interface Zero 2.0 core book) for free. Due to their shouldn’t be a random statement just to look cool. It must have a
peaceful nature and interaction with others Buddhist Monks deeper meaning. So think carefully of the why, because the answer
gain a +1 Charisma bonus. will be stuck with you the rest of your life. Unless you pay extra to
get it removed, of course.”
CALLIGRAPHIST
• Bonus credits: 3,000 plus (1d6 × 100) in tips each Advance
Nicknames: Artist, Composer, Inkwriter, Flourishman, Chartist
• Requisites: Agility d6+, Smarts d6+
“Some think calligraphy is all pretty lines on a static canvas.
• Perks: Digi-Ink Tattooists start with the Artist Tools
Nothing is further from the truth. Yes, the ink may dry, but it is what
augmentation for free.
it dries on that makes all the difference. It could be a birth certificate
or a death note. It could be religious artwork or a wedding #SUPAKAWAII: Where can I get those tattoos that glow
invitation. It could be a message from the Emperor himself. The and move? I want one so bad and I’m in Nagasaki next
words matter. The form matters. The instant of clearing your mind month!
and letting the moment in time flow out through your fingers and #TeaWhore: Check out Whalebone. They’re a bit sketchy,
brush is what matters.” but they got primo liners.
#CutthroatChibi: No way. Whalebone always overcharges
• Bonus credits: 5,000 each Advance
and their designs are shit. Plus I hear some of their artists
• Requisites: Agility d6+, Knowledge (Art) d8+ got busted for embedding black code in client designs.
• Perks: Your skill with a brush and pen is unmatched. You gain #TeaWhore: Really? I’ve been going there for h-tat
a +2 to Trait rolls involving writing and calligraphy (such as touch-up for years and never had any issues.
forgery). #CutthroatChibi: How many holo-tats do you have?
#TeaWhore: More than you’ll ever see.
CHEF
Nicknames: Cook, Itamae, Sushi Chef, Wakiita DRUG DEALER
“There is a reason that becoming a fully approved sushi chef Nicknames: Pusher, Chemist, Candy Man, Doper, Source
takes years of training and apprenticeship. To some, it may appear “You got the credits? No, don’t flash the stick here. Just tell me
a simple process. Yet you must always consider how the food if it’s clean. I’ll know if you’re lying and you won’t find me again.
Characters

is handled. You must know how to handle the knife and other All right. We’re good here. So pick your poison. Dragon dust?
utensils like an extension of yourself. You must consider your Lotus blossom? Yellow smoke? Sure, it’s all pure. Finest stuff in the
client experience, and always be aware of how you move, how prefect. You don’t waste my time; I don’t waste yours, sweetheart.
you behave, how you breathe. Only then are you worthy.” You’ll be gliding golden soon enough. Don’t grab. Shit, who’s that
• Bonus credits: 5,000 each Advance over there? I thought I told you to come alone!”
• Requisites: Agility d6+, Smarts d6+, Knowledge (Cooking) d8+

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Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 Characters : Occupations
• Bonus credits: 7,000 each Advance good job and he’s the only one who ever gave me a chance. I may
• Requisites: Connections, Streetwise d6+ be a lowlife in many people’s eyes, but I am alive and I’m cared for.”
• Perks: People that sample your wares come from all walks of • Bonus credits: 500 each Advance
life. Best of all most owe you something or are willing to do • Requisites: Simulacra
something in exchange for a hit. Once per session you can • Perks: Your basic needs such as basic medical care, shelter,
call upon a 1 point Favor without expending a Contact use and food, are meet. You receive a Poor lifestyle (see Cost of
or Street Cred. Living in the Interface Zero 2.0 core book) for free.

GARDENER SYNTH MONITOR

Nicknames: Grubber, Dirtmonger, Trimmer, Curator, Tender Nicknames: Taskmaster, Synth Spy, Clerk, Disciplinarian, Supervisor
“There is beauty in a harmonious landscape. When you stand in “Someone has to keep an eye on the sou-gougin, no matter
the middle of blossoming trees, flowering shrubs, tended rocks what role they play in society. It’s not that I don’t trust them myself,
and sand, wending brooks, and just listen to the wind…the birds… but plenty of people don’t, and they’re who matter. I’m just here
you are seeing and hearing all that is right in the world.” to make sure no Synth causes trouble. I’ve got about fifty that
• Bonus credits: 1,000 each Advance report to me each month. I check on their activities, monitor their
• Requisites: Smarts d6+ whereabouts, pay them a visit if I have to. In all my years of work,
• Perks: You gain a +1 to sight and sound based Notice rolls. I’ve only had two ever go missing. One wound end up having been
beaten to death by some thugs once we found her. The other…
ROBOTICS TECH we never found.”
Nicknames: Mechanic, Mech Maxer, Tweaker, Greasy Wrench, • Bonus credits: 7,500 each Advance
Botter • Requisites: Investigation d6+, Notice d8+, Persuasion d6+
“I built my first robot when I was four. Broke it a month later. Fixed • Perks: You know more about synths than most people know
and upgraded it with parts I scavenged from my parent’s car. Got about their partners. Your familiarity of synths grants you a +1
grounded for month, but it was worth it because I knew what I’d to non-combat Trait rolls involving simulacrum.
be doing the rest of my life. I’ve never gotten married because
robots are my only love. I practically sleep in the manufacturing THEATER PERFORMER
and repair bay. Each malfunctioning or battered robot that comes Nicknames: Kabuki, Actors, Stage Spirits, Performers, Keepers
in is like a cracked vase that needs restoring. Every one that leaves of Culture
performs better than it ever has before.” “I’m not on stage for my own acclaim. I’m not singing, dancing,
• Bonus credits: 7,000 each Advance or wearing my masks for the applause, as pleasing as it may be.
• Requisites: McGyver I’m there to connect with the audience and help them connect
• Perks: You gain a +1 bonus on Knowledge or Repair rolls with the meaning behind the performance. It teaches them what
required to use, design, or repair robotic devices. it means to be Japanese, it teaches them the values that matter
most to us, our history, and how to embrace their own strongest
SHINTO PRIEST emotions. What could be better than that?”
Nicknames: Kannushi, Spirit Leader, Shinshoku, Shriner, Kami • Bonus credits: 1,000 each Advance
Keeper, Blessed One • Requisites: Spirit d6+, Mask Master
“When you open your eyes and understand all elements of the • Perks: Theater performers gain +2 to Common Knowledge
world possess a soul, it is actually quite freeing. Humanity itself rolls involving Japan's history and culture.
is a delightful race, plagued by external evil. The kami are here to #Synths_For_Life: The Mikanoshi Theater in Osaka has
protect us, to love us in return. So recognize your oneness with this amazing show where random audience members are
the animals, with the forest, with all other people, no matter how brought on stage and plugged in to a shared sim overlay.
strange they may be. Then you may find peace. I am no more Then the rest of the audience directs their lines and actions
special than anyone else, but I am blessed to lead many to this remotely to make a totally unique show.
truth.” #CutthroatChibi: Open up my TAP to public access? Never
• Bonus credits: 3,000 each Advance in a million years.
• Requisites: Spirit d8+, Knowledge (Religion) d6+ #Synths_For_Life: It’s art!
#CutthroatChibi: It’s moronic. Show some common sense.
• Perks: Shinto Priests gain an additional Benny each session.
Better yet, don’t. Go get yourself killed or mind-wiped, and
However this Benny may only be spent on Spirit rolls. leave me all your stuff.
SLAVE LABORER
YAKUZA MEMBER
Nicknames: Eta, Indebted, Contractors,
Nicknames: Gokudō, Shatei, Kyodai, Kabuki-Mono, Boryokudan,
Characters

“I don’t know how I got here. At some point, all my choices just Bakuto, Tekiya
started fading away. No money. No home. No family. No friends.
“See my little finger? I cut it off last year after I botched a bribery
Sooner or later, you just have to do the only thing left. Undignified?
operation. Got three of my brothers arrested, and my oyabun was
You could call it that, but guess what? I’ve got a bed, I’ve got regular
furious. Furious! The others in the clan wanted me dead. Instead,
meals, and me and the boss…well, we get along just fine. I do a
my oyabun said he still saw potential in me. But I had to make

21
Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
amends. He gave me a knife. Told me to cut the tip of the finger
MERCIFUL
off. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it was all worth it.
I’m forgiven. A moment of pain for a lifetime of potential. They’re Requirements: Novice, Fighting d8+
my family and always will be.” You are skilled at not inflicting long lasting damage to a foe.
• Bonus credits: 2,000 each Advance You no longer suffer a penalty when doing nonlethal damage
with mêlée weapons.
• Requisites: Loyal (Yakuza), Fighting d6+, Streetwise d6+
• Perks: A Yakuza is never alone. Yakuza members gain the MESMERIZING LINES
Connections (Yakuza) Edge for free. Requirements: Novice
With your calligraphy brush in hand, usable ink nearby, and a
NEW HINDRANCE drawing surface of any sort available, you can find your moment
of flow and whisk out a hypnotically simple work of art.
SHELL SHOCK (MAJOR) When used the character may make a Smarts Trick against all
The character has a tendency to freeze up in combat. He begins targets in an area. Place a Large Burst Template adjacent to the
the first round of combat Shaken. This condition can be removed character and all targets in the area must roll Smarts against the
normally. character’s total.
ZEN FOCUS
NEW EDGES Requirements: Veteran, Spirit d8+
Your Zen mastery allows you to flow instinctively into a moment
BACKGROUND EDGES within a fight and to let an attack pass you by minimizing damage.
FAMILY FRIENDLY You may use Spirit in place of Vigor for making Soak rolls.
Requirements: Novice HACKER EDGES
Your character is one of the few in Japan to still value family
over wealth, and have a growing number of children under his GHOST IN THE MACHINE
care. While this could be a liability if his enemies ever targeted Requirements: Seasoned, Smarts d6+, Hacking d6+
them, his children are clever and can get in and out of places You’ve been getting odd flickers of motion that no one else sees
around the neighborhood where the hero can’t easily go. They and hearing occasional murmurs. You’ve had your TAP checked and
also greatly respect him, and are willing to perform small tasks there’s no sign of malfunctions or interference. However, ever since
or gather intelligence, providing you a +2 bonus to Streetwise this manifested, Firewalls and A.I.s have been oddly compliant to
rolls in hero's neighborhood. Each session, the character gains 1 your hacking requests. You gain +1 to Hacking firewalls, and you
point of Street Cred that may be only spent on calling in Favors get +1 Persuasion if ever dealing with an artificial intelligence.
from his family. You still can’t get rid of the sense that someone is looking out
through your eyes from time to time, and you have no idea of
ROYALTY
their intentions.
Requirements: Novice
#WillyaWontcha: So what do I do if I think I’ve picked up
Your genetic connection to the Imperial Family, no matter how a rogue A.I. in my system? Is there some sort of anti-A.I.
distant, automatically puts you socially head-and-shoulders above app I can download?
everyone else. They may not even like you, but they are forced to #TopProfX: Don’t be ridiculous. You can’t “pick up” an A.I.
respect you (fearing the consequences, otherwise). You gain +2 like a common datavirus.
to Intimidation rolls if the people are aware of your royal heritage. #WillyaWontcha: Really? I don’t have to worry about these
glitches?
COMBAT EDGES #TopProfX: Of course you should be worried. If it’s really
BLIND FIGHTING a Netghost, it’s targeting you for a reason.
Requirements: Novice, Notice d8+ #WillyaWontcha: That makes me feel soooo much better.
The hero has learned to rely on senses other than sight. The /sarcasm
character no longer suffers attack penalties for Dim and Dark
lighting. POWER EDGES
CHOPPING BOARD ANCESTRAL ZEEK
Requirements: Novice, Agility d8+, Fighting d6+ Requirements: Novice, Spirit d6+
Years of apprenticeship and mastery of being a sushi chef has You have an ancestor’s personality upload connected to your
made your knives an extension of your will. When fighting with TAP, and to your surprise, they were an unknown zeek while living.
small bladed weapons in mêlée combat you deal d8 bonus damage Their unique interaction with your TAP bestows a single Seasoned
instead of d6 with a raise. Power (with a Psionics d8), to you. This power remains static and
Characters

cannot be improved, even if you already possess zeek Powers or

GROUND FIGHTER Edges.
Requirements: Seasoned, Fighting d8+
The character no longers suff ers penalties to Parry or Fighting
rolls while Prone.

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 Characters : New Edges
PROFESSIONAL EDGES
MASK MASTER
Requirements: Novice, Smarts d6+, Knowledge (Theater) d8+
Your experience in a variety of Japanese theater styles has made
you more than adept in the use of masks and makeup. You can
dramatically change your features in moments or take on multiple
personas, even making people believe you are a different gender.
You are able to easily throw together a disguise at a moment’s
notice, with little preparation and gear. The hero receives a +2 to
Persuasion rolls to pass himself off as another.
PREFECT COP
Requirements: Seasoned, Driving d4+, Knowledge (Law) d6+,
Shooting d6+
The law is on your side. In fact, you are the law! The resources of
your prefect station are at your disposal, and you have back-up
just a secure TAP call away. If acting within your prefect, you may
call two cop Allies. Reinforcements arrive on-scene in 2d6 minutes.
PEDDLER
Requirements: Novice, Smarts d6+, Persuations d6+, Streetwise
d8+
You peddle what many consider to be worthless trinkets to
unwary tourists or simple children. Yet hidden away within your
collection are a handful of actually valuable items, true treasures
you’ve coveted for years. Once per session if you are in dire need
of credits you may sell an item from your collection. The process
requires a Streetwise roll and 1d6 hours. With a success you collect
2,500 credits (5,000 with a raise). You may only use this ability once
per game session.

SOCIAL EDGES
VENERABLE ANCESTOR
Requiremetns : Novice, Elderly, Spirit d8+
You wear your age well and have obviously survived so long
through well-honed intelligence and skill. Even though the
Japanese culture has shifted away from ancestor worship, many
still admire those who the years have blessed, and they seek you
out for mature insight and advanced knowledge.
Once per scene the hero may meditate uninterupted for 1d4×15
minutes to gain insight into the current situation or question. At
the end of the mediation he makes a Spirit roll at −2. With a success
he gains a Benny, which he may freely give to anyone whom he
can communicate with. The Benny lasts until until the end of the
scene. A critical failure on the roll results in the wrong information
and character loses a Benny.

WEIRD EDGES
NIRVANA
Requirements: Heroc, Spirit d10+
Years of meditative practice allow you to achieve a state
of nirvana, where all your base appetites, fleshly needs, and
Characters

worldly distractions fall away. While you remain in the world and
understand its significance, in many ways you are no longer a part
of it. This allows you to remain unwavering in the face of the hostile
situation. You are immune to Fear and Intimidation.

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 MALMART JAPAN
“Atama kakushite, shiri kakusazu.” … Don’t hide your head but expose your ass.
—Japanese Proverb
Ooh, now we get to the shiny stuff, nakama. These are all #CutthroatChibi: The usual. A few handguns, ammo,
the things we get to play with while hoping they blow up in medpacks…the one-legged golemmech in my garage…
our enemy’s face rather than ours, hai? I know most of you are #Your_Lolita_Princess: You did not. Liar.
major Malmart fans. Probably buy everything there from your #CutthroatChibi: Swear to Charon.
underwear to your war gear. One problem. Japan has pretty strict And if you aren’t from around here, drop me a note when you
rules on what you can bring into the country. Unless you’ve got arrive. I can point you in the direction of a few reliable suppliers.
an eye-bugging level of diplomatic immunity or are willing to They’ve literally got everything you could ever need…for a price.
spend your last credit on a smuggler, you’re not likely to get in
here with many of the pretty, powerful toys you’re used to toting. ARMOR
Your implants are going to get zillions of tracking and quarantine
filters downloaded into them, severely limiting their usefulness. Skin is such a pathetic thing, have you noticed? Marvel of
Depending on the lethal potential of your cybernetic limbs, they evolution, my ass. Sure, it does all that helpful stuff like contain
might get deactivated or dismantled. nerve endings and keep your circulatory system and organs
So what do you do? from causing a frightening mess at dinnertime, but have you
Buy local. China might be a manufacturing powerhouse, true, ever stopped to realize how fucking fragile skin is? I mean, we’re
but they’re quickly falling into the trap that undermined the whole basically walking water balloons who’ve created increasingly sharp
Old America infrastructure: fast and cheap. The Japanese, though, needles with which to pop each other.
continue to prize quality over quantity. We like the extreme Fortunately we’re water balloons with brains (most of us, at least),
attention to detail, flawless execution, and ultimate reliability. and we’ve come up with increasingly lovely ways to reduce the
After all, if the equipment we build fails us, we have only failed chances of our being popped via armor! Take a look at this array:
ourselves in the end.
CHRYSANTHEMUM “SECOND SKIN” KUSARI KATABIRA
#Dark_Ronin: Huh. Never thought of it that way. Often the best way to survive a fight is to remain as light and
#Droneofthemonth: How very Zen. We make the world, agile as possible. You’ve no doubt honed your movement and
we are the world, something like that? situational awareness, but saru mo ki kara ochiru. A stray round…a
#Dark_Ronin: Kind of scary when you think about it, lucky slash…and you tumble. But what if the skin they struck
actually. I mean, what we create is only as reliable as we are. wasn’t yours at all? Announcing the revolutionary Second Skin, a
#Droneofthemonth: Humanity is capable of perfection. genetically constructed biostasis suit of synth-skin that is easily
We’re getting closer to it every day. worn over your own. It respires, it transfers sensory data, and
#Billy_Black_Eyes: Your definition of “perfection” aside, if it allows you to move with total ease — yet it also hardens on
we extend the theory of “it’s only as reliable as its creators,” impact, turning mortal wounds to mere inconveniences. Warning:
then I’m not sure I want to see a human realization of
If biostasis requirements are not cared for properly, Second Skin
perfection.
will begin to deteriorate and will rot within a month.
Oh, we’ve got our gutterware and knock-offs, but I’m sure you’re
a discerning sort who knows you get what you pay for. If a deal is KENTA CYBER DYNAMICS KOZANE ARMOR
too good to be true, it’s probably because they’re hawking stolen This is the standard version of our Samurai-modeled line of
wares and want it in your hands when the porisu come looking. body armor, providing full coverage protection — including a
Where do you go to buy in Japan? Almost everywhere. Really. basic mengu for your head — while allowing for high mobility and
Stuff is sold on almost every street corner. We’ve got hundreds equipment storage. Tip the scales in your favor while keeping your
of open-air markets in each major city, and dozens of skyscrapers credit budget balanced!. Negates 4 points of AP from ballistic
in Tokyo alone (like those around Shinjuku Station) have thirty- attacks (not mêlée or energy).
plus floors of commerce just waiting for you to stroll through. KENTA CYBER DYNAMICS Ō-YOROI
Or just shop through the digi-logs each corporation produces The Great Armor of Old is reborn! For the warrior who will
on a quarterly basis. Oh, insider tip: If you go to the DEDgewds accept nothing less than the highest honor, this surely will be the
feedboard and post a few times about how much a particular prize of your armory. While it shares a similar look to the Kozane
Malmart Japan

weapon brings a gleam to your eye, you might find yourself model, the Great Armor has increased joint articulation, naturally
contacted by certain individuals who could provide unregistered reduces load-bearing by 50%, and is fully sealable from outside
versions of such for a reasonable markup. environments, supporting the wearer for up to half an hour via
#CutthroatChibi: I second the vote for DEDgewds! They internal oxygen tanks and environmental control. Available in
can be pricey, depending on what you’re looking for, but custom paint jobs. Negates 4 points of AP from ballistic attacks
they’re fast and can get practically anything delivered to (not mêlée or energy).
your door.
#Your_Lolita_Princess: What did you buy off there?

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Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 Malmart Japan: Armor
ARMOR
TYPE (PERSONAL) ARMOR WEIGHT COST NOTES
Chrysanthemum “Second Skin” Kusari Katabira +2 2 1,000 Covers torso, arms, and legs. Stacks with Armor.
Kenta Cyber Dynamics Kozane Armor +4 18 12,000 Covers entire body.
Kenta Cyber Dynamics ō-Yoroi +6 20 14,000 Covers entire body. See description.
Shogun Outfitters Keikō Asphalt Warrior +4 6 6,000 Covers torso and head.
Shogun Outfitters Lamellar Body Armor +4 5 7,500 Covers torso, arms, legs. See description
Shogun Outfitters Tankō Triumph +2 6 2,500 Covers torso
TYPE (EXOARMOR) ARMOR WEIGHT COST NOTES
Chrysanthemum Edo-Excel +6 35/180 175,000 +2 Pace; Agility, Strength, Vigor +1 die type; +1 Firewall
Shogun Outfitters Tameshi Gusoku +6 25/120 120,000 Heavy Armor
Shogun Outfitters Tatami Gusoku +8 35/200 150,000 Agility and Strength +1 die type; Heavy Armor
Kenta Cyber Dynamics Shozoku Suit +4 25/115 80,000 +4 Pace, Running d10; Agility +1 die type; +2 Stealth
¹Weight listed: worn/deactivated.
TYPE (OTHER) ARMOR WEIGHT COST NOTES
Shogun Outfitters Horo +1 5 15,000 Covers rear and sides. Stacks with Armor.

endurance will put even the most gene-tweaked hybrid to shame.

SHOGUN OUTFITTERS KEIKŌ ASPHALT WARRIOR
The full-spectrum helm allows for unobstructed scanning up to
Prefer a little more speed to your combat? Vehicular fighting 100 feet, and you can fully shield your TAP from external input or
get your blood gunning? Well, keep that blood on the inside with tampering with a simple mental command. Become the better you.
the Asphalt Warrior armor set, an updated version of the armor
worn by noble Samurai horseman as they invaded enemy villages. • Enhancements: +2 Pace, Agility, Strength, Vigor+1 die type,
Whether you’re behind the wheel or manning the rooftop artillery, +1 Firewall
you’ll keep your balance and your life with this full torso and helmet SHOGUN OUTFITTERS TAMESHI GUSOKU
affair. Built lightweight so your vehicle isn’t slowed down at all! Bullet-tested, citizen-approved. The Tameshi Gusoku was the
Negates 4 points of AP from ballistic attacks (not mêlée or energy). original bullet-resistant armor of ancient Nihon, and it can be yours
SHOGUN OUTFITTERS LAMELLAR BODY ARMOR today. Fully certified to stop everything up to a direct hit from a
It is sad but true: you never know when a fight will break out, rocket launcher!
and you must always be prepared. Our Lamellar Body Armor is SHOGUN OUTFITTERS TATAMI GUSOKU
designed to be worn 24/7. It is rated to stop any blade thrust and While in all ways equally functional to the Tameshi Gusoku, this
will maintain integrity when struck by up to six ballistic rounds version allows you to battle in style. For those blessed with wealth,
(not including armor-piercing rounds). Not only is it effective, but this is the gold, blue, and silver gilded model, with the plasma-
it’s affordable and one of our more popular pieces for citizens. welded stylizations guaranteed to not scratch or dull even if you
Negates 4 points of AP from ballistic and attacks (not energy). get run over by a tank. (Note: Suit structural parameters are not
SHOGUN OUTFITTERS TANKŌ TRIUMPH certified for withstanding being run over by a tank.) Enjoy a lifetime
Worn by footsoldiers of ancient time, the Tankō Triumph is of free decorative touch-ups with purchase!
designed with street fighting in mind, ensuring you always remain • Enhancements: Agility and Strength +1 die type
mobile while letting you take a few hits. This reinforced vest easily
slips under or over most clothing, with the stylish cap protecting KENTA CYBER DYNAMICS SHOZOKU SUIT
your brainpan from any who might think to catch you off-guard. Worn by the lethal and mysterious Shinobi, the shozoku helped
Tankō Triumph is designed to negate 2 points of AP from ballistic them blend into the shadows and move with mystical speed to
attacks (not mêlée or energy). eliminate their targets. Wrapped within the sleek, trim flo-metal of
this ExoArmor, you’ll find your running speed and reaction times
EXOARMOR magnified by a factor of three! Your enemies will think you’re in
Time to slash it up a notch. Standard armor not exactly making multiple places at once and will never know where you’re going to
your nose hairs quiver in joy? Why not give yourself the full package strike next. Unleash your inner ninja! (Note: No historical evidence
and full protection with ExoArmor? Walking down the street suited exists that ninjas ever wore shozoku during feudal Japanese eras.)
up in these sets will be sure to turn heads and also turn enemy • Enhancements: +4 Pace, Running d10; Agility +1 die type;
fire towards a weaker target. +2 Stealth
All ExoArmor must be charged at least one hour out of every
Malmart Japan

twenty-four. In addition ExoArmor negates 4 points of AP from OTHER

all ballistic attacks (not mêlée or energy). SHOGUN OUTFITTERS HORO
CHRYSANTHEMUM EDO-EXCEL Even with cybernetic optical implants in the back of your skull,
Developed by the finest minds in the world, if not the solar seeing the enemy behind you won’t do you any good if they got a
system, this ExoArmor is designed to heighten…everything. No shot off before you can take evasive action. Built of flexanium, this
implants or augments required. Baseline human? No longer when cloak is designed to look absolutely stylish as it lies against your
you strap into the Edo-Excel, where your strength, agility, and back. Yet at your mental command or when struck with dangerous

25
Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
levels of force, the hidden framework will instantly activate and
KAMICUTIES
expand into an impenetrable shell, defending you from ballistics
from behind and to the sides. You don’t need to watch your back. Originally based on stylized kami spirits in a popular children’s
We’ll watch it for you. show of the same name, these cuddly creatures were intended to
represent minor manifestations of nature, with fire, water, earth, air,
and plant kami being displayed in all sorts of bizarre ambulatory
BIOFORMS forms — none more than a foot high.
Japanese have been experimenting with bioforms for decades Cost: 1,000
now, and are constantly finding new ways to twist and transform
KITSUNE
crude genetic codes into the cute, the terrifying, and the practical.
The most common version of this bioform is a humanoid with
Made-to-order life forms are a hot commodity in Japan, especially
multiple fox tails — nine at the most. Not a true hybrid, these
considering their flexible price ranges based on size and function,
kitsune are instead created as friendly companions, entertainers,
as well as longer lifespans than your average Synth. Here are
or replacement spouses. They are given a quick wit but benign
examples of just some of the few bioform creatures you might
intents, though if their ward is threatened, they will sacrifice their
encounter throughout the country.
lives to let them escape.
If required, stats for the listed BIoforms may be found in "Threats"
on page 55.
Cost: 50,000

ANIME ATTENDANTS KOMAINU

Hearkening back to the cartoon style Japan is famous for, more Most people know these creatures as Foo Dogs from China
humanoid servants — usually of a female build — are tweaked or Lion Dogs outside cheap Anglicized versions of Japanese
to present Anime-like features. These can vary wildly in style, restaurants. These creatures are from Japanese legend, created as
but often include oversized, vibrant eyes, incredibly expressive loyal guardians of holy sites and ward off evil spirits. Such designer
mouths, and a defined range of exaggerated facial expressions canines can often be seen prowling estates, guarding temples or
to indicate specific moods. shrines, or as the private pet to one celebrity or another.
Cost: 40,000 Cost: 5,000
#Oni_Broni: There’s a “gentlemen’s” karaoke club in MINIDRAGS
Yokohama, Firefly Pendant, that’s staffed by nothing but These flightless reptiles have been modified to possess a
these Anime bioforms. It’s totally creepy. The owner is serpentine body, furred or feathery frills, horns, and long legs with
this old woman who had augmentation surgery to make claws. Their features closely match those of a traditional whiskered
herself look like an anime doll too. She’s at least fifty, but Japanese dragon. They are tame and often treated as lap pets.
looks decades younger thanks to having skin grafts every
other month. Cost: 2,000
#Billy_Black_Eyes: You’ve been there? MOTOMASK
#Oni_Broni: Once. Never going back. Their faces are These faces are constructed with a stunted brain and simplistic
disturbing. All smiling and big glistening eyes, and you biological system contained within a small box. Appearing as an
just can’t help but imagine they’d murder you and wear animated mask, these faces require little food or water to survive
your skin without changing expression one bit. and are able to be positioned to monitor areas, offer simple
#Billy_Black_Eyes: Ami, you are freaking me out. conversation, or act as an early alarm system.
BAKU Cost: 1,500
Developed based on the mythological creature, the baku is like ONI
a living dreamcatcher and is most often vat-brewed for young Springing from the pages of Japanese art and literature, these
children suffering from nightmares. The docile, furry, and rotund bioforms are crafted as devilish, heavily muscled humanoids
creature has a tiny elephantine snout, which the child is told “will with horns, claws, wild hair, and bulbous eyes. They are used as
eat their nightmares.” They are easily trained to sit beside the child’s bouncers, bodyguards, and thugs. Sometimes it is difficult to
bed all night and monitor their dreaming brainwaves. Should the determine whether an oni is truly a bioform or a human having
creature sense disruptive REM patterns and physical restlessness, been cosmetically and genetically enhanced to look like one.
it can engage a biofeedback loop that reduces the sleeping child’s Cost: 75,000
unconscious anxiety and guide them to a more peaceful rest mode.
#Synths_For_Life: Hey OB, these your cousin or
Cost: 5,000 something?
GLOWHERONS #Oni_Broni: Don’t be an idiot. I’m just big into Japanese
Another luxury bioform, these are engineered herons that are mythology. Sure, I got a few hyper-tags that can make me
Malmart Japan

geo-fixed to a particular estate or territory. At night, they appear look like one of these demons to those with the eyes for
as winged ghosts sweeping through the sky or standing as it, but bioform Oni don’t even get outfitted with regular
TAPs. They usually just have short-range cochlear implants
guardians along a lake’s edge. They can be engineered with a fixed
and optical overlays for more local communication and
luminescent shade or constructed to be able to fluoresce through control. They’re not real people or citizens.
a wide range of the spectrum, or even in particular sequences
#Synths_For_Life: Careful. Your bigotry is starting to
based on predetermined stimuli. show.
Cost: 15,000 #Oni_Broni: Hey, you asked.

26
Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 Malmart Japan: Cybernetics
tuned in to the world; able to pause within the moment and find
TALKING KOI
the precise path that will help you reach enlightenment.
For the garden pond missing the elevated touch, consider
a talking koi to keep visitors entertained as they wander and • Augmentations: Biofeedback, Fight or Flight System, Tactical
meditate on the beauty of cultivated nature. Talking koi were Computer
engineered with human-like mouths and tongues, and can repeat NINJAWARE PACKAGE
a wide range of wise phrases and civilities when prompted by Shadow, poison, and speed are your allies, only coming next to
particular questions. They are not sentient. the dozens of keen blades you carry strapped to your body. You
Cost: 1,000 are never without a deadly mission, and targets fall before you like
TENGU rice stalks before the thresher. This package provides heightened
Another legend brought to life as a bioform, these are again senses, unwavering focus, and the precise skills you need to kill
not true hybrids, but a humanoid with bird-like features such as without hesitation or error.
wings and claws, as well as either beaks or giant noses. They are • Augmentations: Anti-Toxin System, Cyber Eyes [Night Vision
often bought as bodyguards or act as acrobatic performers. They Optics], Cyber Ears [Amplified Hearing], Cyberhands [Chemical
are flightless. Injector], Zenline
Cost: 35,000
AUGMENT LIST
#TeaWhore: Not so sure they’re all flightless. Seen a few
figures winging overhead. ANCESTOR UPLINK
#FishBasket: Sure those are just government drones? I This allows the character to interact directly with a dubbed
hear there’s been a lot of aerial surveillance traffic around ancestral memory and personality construct. The character must
Osaka’s skies, trying to keep an eye on the Wiped and be of direct genetic descent to the dub, and the dub must consent
unTAPPED population there. to the connection. Once an uplink/downlink has been established,
#TeaWhore: Government drones don’t flap. the character may access the decease's memories and skills.
#FishBasket: Could be a holo-projection to hide the real The character gains the ability to rely on the past memories and
machine. experience of his ancestor. The character gains a +2 to Common
#TeaWhore: Yeah, and it could be those avian hybrids Knowledge rolls and may make Common Knowledge rolls based
everyone’s been chatting about on the feeds for months. on the ancestor's experiences and knowledge.
It could be angels. What’s your point?
#Hunch_N_Munch: I’ve got one of these and it’s glitching.
YŌKAI Someone help! I can’t turn it off. My dad’s dub is always
Any bioform with an animal’s body but human features is active, always aware of everything I’m doing. My wife says
classified in this category. Whether they can talk or truly think is I should get the uplink uninstalled, but I’m not sure I can
up to the buyer. do that without deleting the dub entirely.
#Dark_Ronin: You’re married? So does that mean your dad
Cost: 10,000
is aware and watching when you and she…you know…
#Hunch_N_Munch: Yes.
CYBERNETICS #Dark_Ronin: Oh god, man. I can’t stop laughing now.
The body you were born with just isn’t good enough, nakama?
BUDDHA BELLY
Or maybe it’s suffered a bit over the years and is starting to
You like keeping your organs inside you and know that a gut
break down. Personally, I don’t visit a chopshop until absolutely
wound can mean the death of many a ronin who aren’t able to
necessary, but I’m not one to deny the many advantages cybernetic
make it to a patchman in time. Rather than invest in body armor,
augments and implants can bestow. If you’re going to upgrade, be
you’ve chosen a subdermal nano-weave anchored to your spine
sure to stick to streetware. Gutterware is nothing but a horrible
and wrapping around into a shock-absorbing padding across your
accident waiting to happen. If you’re desperate though, I certainly
torso (providing +3 supplemental armor), protecting vital organs
can’t stop you.
from stabbing or gunshots. The side effect is the appearance of
AUGMENTATION PACKAGES an extra paunch, which people annoyingly continue to rub from
time to time.
BUSHIDO PACKAGE
MÊLÉE COMBAT SYSTEM
You have chosen a difficult path and to fight with the greatest
weapon of all — your honor. Your blade is as honed as your Want to have the edge when prowling the street? The mêlée
perception, and you will emerge victorious from each battle combat system is for you — designed to survey the battlefield
knowing you do so without betraying your soul to darkness. and provide strategic information on how best to defeat your
Malmart Japan

opponent. The system increases the damage from unarmed and

• Augmentations: Emotional Resistance Response System, melee attacks by level.
Mêlée Combat System I, Muscle Augmentation, Subdermal
Armor, Wireless Reflexes I SPIDER SILK WEAVE
Designed from spider silk this advanced nano weave is integrated
FLOWFORM PACKAGE with subdermal armor. The weave is designed to dissipate the
Life is made up of currents, and you seek to become the drop force from impact, lessening the damage. Each level of spider
that navigates them all perfectly. With this package, you will be silk weave negates 2 points of AP from mêlée or ballistic attacks.

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 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
AUGMENT LIST
AUGMENTATION PACKAGES STRAIN NOTES
Bushido Package 7 See description
Flowform Package 7 See description
Ninjaware Package 5 See description
AUGMENT LIST STRAIN NOTES
Ancestor Uplink 1 Gains the mental Attriutes, Skills, and memories of Ancestor
Buddha Belly 2 +3 supplemental armor (torso only)
Mêlée Combat System I–II 1/level Increased damage from unarmed and melee attacks by +1/level.
Spider Silk Weave I–III 1/level Negates 2 point of AP per level. Requires Subdermal Armor
Tattoo Cryptograhy 1 Allows encrypting/decrypting encoded tattoos
Zenline 1 +2 on any oposed Spirit roll.
AUGMENT LIST LOCATION NOTES
Artist Tools Arm +2 to appropriate skill specialization roll.

Spider silk weave does not stack with an armor's ability to negate a walking act of war that just oils some people’s gears. Pardon
AP, in such cases the higher value is used. the drooling, but is it so wrong to think the machine hulk of a
golemmech behemoth is far more attractive than whatever hunk
TATTOO CRYPTOGRAPHY
of a pilot might be inside?
On the surface, this augment merely acts as a visual translation
Don’t answer that.
device, rendering all tattoos in any form or substance (ink, holo-
weavings, nano-embeddings, etc.) as fully comprehensible no KENSAI FAN DANCER OFFENSIVE/DEFENSIVE GOLEMMECH
matter what language or style they’re fashioned in. Within 1” (2 In Japan, fans are used to both conceal and attack. This
yards) of a tattooed individual, with a succesfful Notice roll, the golemmech enjoys high mobility and a 360-degree, rotating
augmented character may detect whether any hidden messages upper torso, with four articulated arms, each equipped with a
or code are concealed by the surface tattoo and visually inspect prototype pulsar projection unit. These energy fields can either
them. Actual data transfer from meta-tattoos requires a full minute be concentrated into devastating short-to-mid-range projectiles
of physical touch. If the augmented character is a tattoo artist, or dispersed to create crescent shielding that protects the mech,
they are able to embed raw data or messages within the tattoos as well as anyone or anything it is positioned ahead of (treat as
they create. deflection power, using the pilot’s Shooting as the arcane skill).
ZENLINE While in this mode, the weapon system is unusable for attacking.
This augment helps regulate the chemical balances in your brain Fan Dancer Golmmech (22’): Pace/Run 12/2d6, Strength 12+6,
and throughout your body. With it, you are much more easily Toughness 22(9), Crew 1, Firewall 8; Cost: Military
able to withstand negative emotions or attempts to harmfully Notes: AMCM, Auto-fire (d6), Ejection System, 2 × Additional Arms
influence your mind and heart. The zenline provides a +2 on any (Strength d12), Hyperlink, Optics, Sloped Armor ×2, VCI Rig
opposed Spirit roll. Weapons:
#Oni_Broni: Anyone ever try that new chemblend, • Pulsar Projection Unit (Range 50/100/200; Damage 3d8; RoF
Hypermote? It’s like an emotional lottery. You down a dose 4; Shots ∞; HW)
and it ramps up one of your emotional states into overdrive
for an hour. Rage. Lust. Despair. Joy… KENSAI MECHASUMO MASSIVE GOLEMMECH
#TeaWhore: Why the hell would you ever try that? Do you want to pick your ground and stick there, no matter
#Oni_Broni: Aside from having the most intense emotional what the enemy throws your way? Looking to hold a critical point
experience of your entire life? even as overwhelming numbers assault you from all sides? This
#TeaWhore: Life is the most intense emotional experience Mega-Heavy model is designed to pound its way through any
I’ll ever have. I don’t need any brew making it worse. barrier, plant itself at the target location, and unleash crushing
firepower on any nearby combatants without moving an inch.
CYBERLIMB MODULES The legs include deployable ground anchors and pinions, and
the rotund bulk around the chassis, head, and shoulders both
ARTIST’S TOOLS absorb and deflect all incoming fire. The Salt-the-Earth cannon on
Your forearm is replaced with an automatic dispensing chassis one arm and the rail bolt Thumper on the other create enormous
that can place any number of artistic tools into your grasp at a concussive explosions that will shatter opponents!
moment’s notice. This can be anything from a fresh calligraphy
Malmart Japan

Mecasumo Massive Golmmech (35’): Pace/Run 12/2d6, Strength

brush and ink bottle to a tattoo kit or holofitti jetcan.
12+8, Toughness 26(10), Crew 1, Firewall 8; Cost: Military
GOLEMMECHS Notes: AMCM, Auto-Fire (d8), Ejection System, Hyperlink, Optics,
Sensor Suite, Targeting System, VCI Rig
Golemmech. Just the whisper of it can make a person Weapons:
shiver — though whether in fear or delight depends on whether • Salt-the-Earth Cannon (Range 75/150/300; Damage 4d8; RoF
you’re inside or outside the chassis, eh, nakama? There’s something 1; Shots 40; AP 10, HW. LBT)
about slipping inside the pilot sphere and suddenly becoming

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 Malmart Japan: Power Armor
• Rail Bolt Thumper (Range 150/300/600; Damage 5d10; RoF 1; #CutthroatChibi: Citizens throughout Nagasaki are
Shots 20; AP 40, HW, LBT) claiming they’re spotting glimpses of these things
patrolling streets in both the domestic and foreign districts.
KENSAI MECHZILLA DEMOLISHER GOLEMMECH #Billy_Black_Eyes: That kinda puts the doubt to their
Yes, we went there. And we are not sorry. Nor will you be stories, though, doesn’t it? If these things can be fully
when you lock in. An evolution of the non-military units used in cloaked, why would the government let anyone know
demolition and construction sites across the world, this model they were there in the first place?
is a ground unit intended to break through the first line of any #CutthroatChibi: So people know to behave? And who
defense — be it barricades or a battalion — and wreak chaos on said it was the government running these patrols?
the other side. Autocannon forearms combine with a missile array
launching from the back batteries, while the “tail” is a reinforced POWER ARMOR
brace so even the super-charged pile driver won’t be able to take
you down.
KENTA CYBER DYNAMICS SAMURAI 2.0
Mechzilla Demolisher Golmmech (35’): Pace/Run 6/1d6, Strength We’re not legally allowed to call this a miniaturized golemmech,
12+8, Toughness 25(7), Crew 1, Firewall 8; Cost: Military but if we were, we would. This full chassis suit takes the traditional
Notes: Decoy Pod, Ejection System, Hyperlink, Tail (+4 to Piloting õ-Yoroi design and magnifies the size and functionally by a full
rolls to avoid falling), Targeting System, VCI Rig degree. Nestled in the main cockpit, your arms and legs still guide
Weapons: the primary limbs while you safely monitor external conditions
• 2 × 40 mm Autocannon (Range 75/150/300; Damage 4d8; RoF via data from the artificial head sensor array. It’s like becoming
3; Shots 100; AP 8, HW) your own bodyguard and one-man army. Size-adapted katana
• Missile Launcher (Range 200/400/800; Damage 6d6; RoF 4; and tanto included.
Shots 48; AP 8, HW, SBT) Samurai 2.0: Armor 12, Pace/Run 8(—), Firewall 8; Cost: 825,000
Notes: Autodoc, Sensor Suite
KENSAI SAMURAI HEAVY COMBAT GOLEMMECH
Weapons:
With the extra plate shielding around the operation center and
a “skirt” of flexanium around the legs, this model can take direct • Ceramic Katana (Str+d12, AP 4) and Tanto (Str+d8)
hits without staggering as it pounds into the thick of a battle. One
arm sports a 90mm heavy cannon while the other is a fashioned ROBOTS
vibroblade that can sheer through enemy mech armor with ease.
Shoulder-mounted pulse lasers can independently target and pick YOJIMBO SECURITY ROBOT
off distant opponents. The Yojimbo is designed and programed to function as a
Samurai Heavy Combat Golmmech (35’): Pace/Run 12/2d6, personal bodyguard. Programed with the latest defensive driving
Strength 12+8, Toughness 26(10), Crew 1, Firewall 8; Cost: Military and personal security protocols. It comes with advance hand-to-
hand combat programing and is able to use the latest range of
Notes: AMCM, Ejection System, Hyperlink, Optics, Sensor Suite,
combat weapons on the market.
Targeting System
Units can be painted in any style you wish. Units come with
Weapons:
personalization hypertags making sure everyone knows you are
• 90mm Heavy Cannon (Range 150/300/600; Damage 6d10; RoF protected by a Yojimbo Scurity Robot.
1; Shots 20; AP 40, HW, LBT)
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d8
• Vibroblade Arm (Str+2d10+2; AP 11, HW)
Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d8, Healing d4, Notice d6, Shooting d8
• 2 × Shoulder Mounted Pulse Laser (Range 150/300/600;
Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8(2); Firewall: 6
Damage 4d10; RoF 1; Shots 100; AP 15, HW)
Edges: Martial Arts
KENSAI SHINOBI LIGHT COMBAT GOLEMMECH Special Abilities:
Speed and surprise offer superiority on the battlefield. The fully • Armor +2: Subdermal armor plating.
cloakable Shinobi model can advance on its target and unleash
• Construct: +2 to recover from being Shaken; does not breathe;
rapid-fire twin lasers before dashing off again. Twin railguns can
immune to poison and disease; ignores one level of wound
unexpectedly strike enemies from afar even while being piloted
penalties.
into a new position from which to strike. The advanced servo-
motors of this unit’s joints combined with a null-noise generator • Environmental Weakness (Electricity): Yojimbo suffer +4
provide unprecedented shock absorption and quieter movement damage from electrical attacks.
than anything else on the market. • Fearless: Yojimbo models are immune to Fear and Intimidation.
Shinobi Light Combat Golemech (13’): Pace/Run 12/2d6, Strength • Fast: Yomimbo roll d10 for running instead of a d6.
Malmart Japan

12+4, Toughness 15(4), Crew 1, Firewall 6; Cost: Military • Sensor Suite: +4 Notice vs sound, motion, chemicals,
Notes: Ejection System, Hyperlink, Optics, Stealth System radiation, and electrical fields up to 500 yards distant.
Weapons: • Targeting System: Negates up to 2 points of ranged weapon
attacks.
• Twin Linked 50MW Pulse Laser (Range 150/300/600; Damage
4d10; RoF 1; Shots 100; AP 20, HW) • Weakness (EMP): Yojimbo security robots suffer full damage
from EMP Weapons.
• Twin Linked Rail Gun (Range 100/200/400; Damage 4d12+1;
RoF 1; Shots 15; HW) Cost: 82,000 credits

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 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
SIM SAMURAI
SALVERY IN 2090 Guess who tend to purchase this model more often than most?
I know what you're thinking, my otamajakushi: "These entries
The Yakuza. See, it’s relatively rare (in fact, I can’t think of a single
are adverts for slaves!" This is technically correct, depending
instance) for a true samurai to offer their services to a criminal
on your point of view. Synths are commonly sold on the open
market in Japan and, for the right price, you too can have you
organization…however Yakuza leaders love to be seen with
very own bodyguard, geisha, gardener, or...whatever you want. samurai bodyguards, reinforcing their image as honorable servants
I'm not going to tell you it's right. Actually I loathe the idea. of the people. So why not just buy a knock-off version? It’s not like
Buying and selling human beings is evil (we can debate the ins anyone is going to argue with a Yakuza leader who could kill them
and outs of whether or not Sims are "human" all day long, just not with a single order — except for a true samurai perhaps. While
here), but this is a fact in Japan. I've taken the liberty of scrubbing the Yakuza like to use synthetic samurai in street battles as well
the actual prices from this datafeed. If you want to buy one, talk as honor guards, if any real samurai gets wind of this, they often
with your local Malmart administrator (Game Master). I'm sure track down and eliminate this bushido mockery.
she has a price list that's appropriate. You might be surprised, #Oni_Broni: I’ve seen a few of these around Yokohama.
though, at how cheaply life is bought and sold in 2090. Some They’re a little freaky. All upright and noble-looking. But
pure-bred dogs or the more exotic bioforms you've previously their eyes…their eyes are dead. Empty.
read about cost much more than the models listed here. #Billy_Black_Eyes: Not even the most advanced vat-tech
Costs: The price for simulacra is left up to each individual game can imitate true passion and honor, ami.
and hwo they fit within the economy. It's recommeded that most
general models start around 50,000 credits. SIM SUMO
Stats: If required, stats for the listed Simulacra may be found Since simulacrum, and anything not natural-born and bred
in "Threats" on page 55. humans, are forbidden to join the official sumo wrestling leagues,
a series of underground sumo rings have sprung up throughout
the major cities. They’re often supported by a number of wealthy
SIMULACRA MODELS individuals, both Yakuza and not, who enjoy the thrill of seeing
their “pet” sumo take on all comers. Heavy gambling is usually
Just because much of the Japanese population looks askew at involved, and the simulacrum can be enhanced in any way their
simulacrum or Synth variations doesn’t mean we aren’t willing to owners can afford.
take advantage of them. In fact, it’s far easier to do so when you
don’t quite think of them as truly human. A couple of the more SPECIAL GEAR
popular models include.
CORPORATE STAND-INS GARDENER’S HELPER
These are different than the dupes we talked about before. The During your downtime, there are few things more soothing than
artificial duplicates are pricey and constructed to perfectly imitate turning raw earth, rock, and trees into a masterfully manicured
various powerful and wealthy clients. Corporate stand-ins are landscape. However, even in times of peace, we know war is
simulacrum bioforms that come cheaper, are obviously artificial at inevitable. That’s why we’ve created this set of convertible
a glance, and perform more mundane or personable business tasks gardening tools, including a throwing trowel, shotgun shovel,
(whereas Synths tend to stick to more labor-intensive work). These vibroblade hedge trimmers, electrified rake, and more.
stand-ins can act as tour guides, bodyguards, or even executive- Cost: 200, Weight: 10 lb
style babysitters when parents are working late. Some are even KENTA CYBER DYNAMICS GRAPPLING HOOK
designed to handle business negotiation in various international Don’t have gecko-hand augments or VTOL jumpboots?
styles so the Japanese salaryman doesn’t have to experience the Fifth-story window giving you access trouble? Our compact
discomfort of poor etiquette or custom blunders. Others are auto-hook-and-haul tool is the perfect solution. Just activate the
designed for travel and are tabula rasa that Deep-connected targeting system, point, and shoot (Range 20/40/80). You’ll be up
minds can project into, allowing a citizen to interact with foreign and away in seconds. Also available in arm/hand implant form.
counterparts without having to leave the island.
Cost: 750, Weight: 8 lb
GEISHA 2.0
NIGHTVISION MENGU
A specialized derivative of the standard luxury simulacrum
Lacking the nighttime awareness you need? Harsh neon glow
model, geisha 2.0 are designed to imitate geisha styles, artistic
of Tokyo interfering with your scopes? Sheathe your skull in this
performances, and other entertainment services…all with the
Samurai-styled helm and a whole new world is opened up to you.
added benefit of their owner being able to demand sex from
Not only will it turn night into day, but you can switch between
them at any point or whore them out to friends. This is a terrible
IR and UV vision with a flick of an eyelid. If operating beyond city
Malmart Japan

perversion of a centuries-old honorable practice, as true geisha

limits, the dimmest of stars will still provide full visibility. Negates
have been considered some of the strongest, noblest, most skilled
Lighting penalties due to dim or darkness.
and successful women in Japanese history.
Cost: 500, Weight: 4 lb
#Get_On_Me33: Will you be my geisha, Chikako?
#Synths_For_Life: Fuck off, you imbecilic perv. SHOGUN OUTFITTERS SASHIMONO
#Get_On_Me33: What? I can’t ask her a simple question? Do you desire to make your true allegiance known? Do you wish
I can pay whatever—[FEED DISCONNECTED] to have your allies know exactly where you are in the midst of a

30
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 Malmart Japan: Weapons
desperate brawl? Yes, you can rely on HyperTags if you want to The following are additional arrow tips that may be purchased.
be boring, or you could announce your brazen courage with a Changing a tip Requires an action and the weapons loses the
banner of fealty strapped firmly to your back. We will design the listed AP.
flag according to your exact specifications. Choose any colors, • Incendiary: The arrowhead is filled with magnesium and may
patterns, text, or symbols you wish displayed for your clan, family, be used as a flare or set to ignite on impact. The arrow deals
lord, or the beloved for whom you fight. an additional d6 damage upon impact and catches flammable
Cost: 450, Weight: 5 lb objects on fire with a 5–6 on a d6(see Fire in Savage Worlds).
Cost: 75
WEAPONS • Security Goo: This arrow discharges a sticky, hardening goo
that traps the target and holds him fast until he breaks free or
MÊLÉE a solvent is applied. The target makes an Agility roll versus the
Shooting roll or is caught in the goo. The goo is permanent
SHOGUN OUTFITTERS CHOPSTICKS and has a one wound (Toughness 10, vulnerable to blunt or
Functional for both eating and fighting! These reinforced cutting attacks). Targets caught in the goo have a Pace of zero
chopsticks will never break, and are perfect for precision food and suffers −2 to all Strength and Agility related Trait rolls.
manipulation as well as pinpoint targeting of nerve endings and Cost: 100
pressure points.
• Electric Shock: Electric shock arrowheads discharge a powerful
SHOGUN OUTFITTERS ELECTRO-EXPANDO-BO shock to a struck target. The target must roll Vigor at –2 or
In its collapsed form, this bo is no bigger than a human fist. With be Shaken.
a touch, it expands into a six-foot quarterstaff. A rechargeable Cost: 100
internal power pack can electrify either end, delivering an extra
shock upon impact (target must make a Vigor at −2 or become PISTOLS
Shaken). SHOGUN OUTFITTERS DRAGON BELCH LONG BARREL
SHOGUN OUTFITTERS KUSARIGAMA This long-shot model lets you spew incendiary rounds at
This kama comes with a weighted, titanium chain linked to its fearsome rates, engulfing your foes in flames while you laugh at
end, allowing you to slash at opponents from afar or entangle a distance. Shaken targets have a chance of catching Fire (see Fire
their limbs or throat with a twirl. in Savage Worlds rulebook).
SHOGUN OUTFITTERS MIYAMOTO TANTO SHOGUN OUTFITTERS MIND’S EYE
Have you bought the Shogun Outfitters Miyamoto K-Tana? Then With the biometric handle and trigger, the low-level A.I.
don’t forget its little, though no less deadly brother, to complete embedded in this gun’s core is able to anticipate target movement
your assembly. and positioning for superior aiming (negates 1 point of Shooting
penalties). If it detects a near-certain miss, it won’t fire, saving
SHOGUN OUTFITTERS SASUMATA you ammo!
These criminal man-catchers are the perfect way to take down
a target non-lethally (though hardly painless). Hunting a bounty? SHOGUN OUTFITTERS PREFECTO MLX 9MM
Need to retrieve personal property without bringing the law down This street-legal version of a cop’s pistol gives you high accuracy,
on you for murder? Charge up and take aim. low recoil, and an expanded ammo clip.
SHOGUN OUTFITTERS YAK ATTACK SINGLE BARREL
RANGED
Sometimes the best attack is a demoralizing one. Even if your
SHOGUN OUTFITTERS HOMING NINJA STARS victim escapes, being winged by light caliber bullets leaves behind
Enjoy throwing sharp items at on comers but don’t always have an obscene tattoo on the target’s skin. Tracker embedding upgrade
the eye to aim true? Let our homing stars do the work for you! available (+1 bonus to Tracking rolls, Cost: 500 credits).
Proprietary mini-propulsion engines guide these stars and can
be upgraded to double as explosive units with remote triggering. SUBMACHINE GUNS
(increase damage to 2d6 in SBT, triple cost) SHOGUN OUTFITTERS PERSONAL DEFENSE SMG
Homing Ninja Stars are able to lock on and follow a target just The quad-barrel lineup on this beauty makes it an all-or-nothing
like a missile (see Missiles, in the Savage Worlds rulebook), except model many have come to fear. While your magazine will empty
the attacker uses Shooting and the defender uses Agility. like a bottle being guzzled by a drunk, you’ll briefly form a wall
SHOGUN OUTFITTERS MASTERCRAFT BA M1 of hot lead between you and your enemies.
Your enemies may chuckle when seeing you wielding what SHOGUN OUTFITTERS NO RETREAT 9MM SMG
Malmart Japan

appears to be an archaic bow and arrow set, but they’ll soon be Hold your ground and send them scampering with a deadly,
scampering as you launch one deadly missile after another straight yet accurate spray. While smaller in caliber, you’ll enjoy less recoil
for them. Standard arrows come with medium-armor-piercing (Auto-fire penalty reduced by 1) and be able to shoot in style.
heads, and the shafts are reinforced to keep from shattering
from the force of launch. Purchase comes with ten full quivers.
Tip upgrades extra, including incendiary, security goo, poison
vapor, or electric shock.

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 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
MELEE WEAPONS
TYPE DAMAGE WEIGHT COST NOTES
SO Chopsticks Str — 100 —
SO Electro-Expando-Bo Str+d6 4 1,000 +1 Parry, Reach 1, 2 hands, Shock
SO Kusarigama Str+d4 3 250 Reach 2, grapple at range
SO Miyamoto Tanto Str+d6 1 150 AP 2
SO Sasumata Str+d4 6 500 +1 Parry, Reach 1, 2 hands, nonleathal
RANGED WEAPONS
MIN.
RANGED RANGE DAMAGE ROF COST WEIGHT SHOTS STR NOTES
Shogun Outfitters Homing Ninja Stars 12/24/48 2d4 1 250 1 — — See notes
Shogun Outfitters Mastercraft BA M1 20/40/80 2d8 1 850 4 — d6 AP 2
MIN.
PISTOL RANGE DAMAGE ROF COST WEIGHT SHOTS STR NOTES
SO Dragon Belch Long Barrel 12/24/48 2d6+1 2 1,250 3 12 — Semi-Auto, See notes
SO Mind’s Eye 12/24/48 2d6 1 1,250 2 15 — AP 1, Semi-Auto
SO Prefecto MLX 9mm 12/24/48 2d6 1 1,000 2 12 — AP 1, Semi-Auto
SO Yak Attack Single Barrel 15/30/60 2d6−1 1 800 2 10 — Semi-Auto
MIN
SUBMACHINE GUNS RANGE DAMAGE ROF COST WEIGHT SHOTS STR NOTES
SO Personal Defense SMG 12/24/48 2d6 4 2,150 7 48 — AP 1
SO No Retreat 9MM SMG 12/24/48 2d6−1 3 2,000 6 36 — AP 1, Semi-Auto, 3RB
MIN
SHOTGUNS RANGE DAMAGE ROF COST WEIGHT SHOTS STR NOTES
SO Flowering Skull Shotgun 10/20/40 1–3d8 1 2,500 7 8 d6 —
SO Precious Pattern Shotgun 12/24/48 1–3d6 1 1,250 6 6 — —
MIN
RIFLES RANGE DAMAGE ROF COST WEIGHT SHOTS STR NOTES
SO Imperial Rifle 24/48/96 2d8 3 3,000 11 30 d6 AP 2, Semi-Auto, 3RB
SO Sunrise Rifle 50/100/200 2d10 1 3,500 8 6 d6 AP 4, HW, Snapfire
HEAVY WEAPONS
MIN
HEAVY WEAPONS RANGE DAMAGE ROF COST WEIGHT SHOTS STR NOTES
SO Banner Railgun XR10 50/100/200 2d8+2 1 Military 12 6 d6 AP 4, HW, Snapfire
SO Turtle Grenade Launcher 24/48/96 3d6 1 Military 15 10 d6 HW, LBT, Snapfire
SPECIAL WEAPONS
MIN
SPECIAL WEAPONS RANGE DAMAGE ROF COST WEIGHT SHOTS STR NOTES
SO Star Flinger 5/10/20 2d4 4 500 2 250 — No-recoil
SO Sword Thrower 5/10/20 2d6 1 1,250 6 3 d6 AP 2
MISSILE LAUNCHER
MIN
MISSILE LAUNCHER RANGE DAMAGE ROF COST WEIGHT SHOTS STR NOTES
Kensai Skyfire Missile Launcher 75/150/300 4d8+2 1 Military 20 1 d6 AP 30, HW, MBT, Snapfire
ENERGY WEAPONS
MIN
ENERGY WEAPONS RANGE DAMAGE ROF COST WEIGHT SHOTS STR NOTES
Enlightenment Pulse Rifle 30/60/120 1–3d6 3 Military 8 48 d6 Semi-Auto, 3RB, no recoil
Emperor’s Will Particle Beam Rifle 24/48/96 3d8+1 1 Military 15 14 — HW. Uses hydrogen cell.
Malmart Japan

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 Malmart Japan: Vehicles
The heli-rails within will launch the blade and drive it through the
SHOTGUNS thickest meat without shattering.
SHOGUN OUTFITTERS FLOWERING SKULL SHOTGUN #Oni_Broni: The Duck Dive shooting range in Osaka rents
The true master of war can find beauty in everything — from these out for salaryman duels. Got a grudge you want
settled or just want to take part in a bit of competitive
the shattering of the skull to the way the blood sprays up like
target shooting? It’s a better adrenaline rush than a sim
crimson petals. With this shotgun, you’ll soon be creating masterful shootout, that’s for sure.
paintings of your own.
#Dark_Ronin: Sword throwing and dodging is a sport
SHOGUN OUTFITTERS PRECIOUS PATTERN SHOTGUN now? Sign me up!
A markup from our Yakuza Attack pistol model, this shotgun’s
smart pellets leave custom designs in whatever they hit — be it a MISSILE LAUNCHERS
wall or a body. Make your mark so everyone knows who’s in the KENSAI SKYFIRE MISSILE LAUNCHER
neighborhood. Originally developed as a golemmech arm unit, this is a
downsized model that is no less effective as an anti-aircraft
RIFLES launcher. The smooth loading action, shoulder prop, optional
SHOGUN OUTFITTERS IMPERIAL RIFLE kickstand, and state-of-the-art targeting system (+2 to Shooting
Approved and tested by the emperor himself! This is the same when making a missile lock, see Savage Worlds) will keep the skies
rifle used by the shock troops in the SDF when on the battlefield. blazing.
Available only in Japan and each stock comes stamped with the
Imperial Seal. ENERGY WEAPONS
#TeaWhore: Yeah, and it’s the same gun every Yakuza KENSAI ENLIGHTENMENT PULSE RIFLE
goon is toting these days too, Imperial seal and all. You Allowing for pinpoint accuracy, this sleek pulse rifle is a must-
want to keep arguing that the Yakuza and the military have for the elite warrior. Even grazing your target will transfer
aren’t collaborating? enough damage to paralyze the hardiest souls for several seconds.
#Synths_For_Life: Seals have got to be the easiest thing A direct shot will leave them smoking in their armor. Power packs
to fake. It proves nothing. So what if they’ve got guns? not included.
If you aren’t armed, you’re a fool. Doesn’t imply imperial
conspiracy. KENSAI EMPEROR’S WILL PARTICLE BEAM RIFLE
Equipped with quad power cells, this particle beam weapon has
SHOGUN OUTFITTERS SUNRISE RIFLE
been designed to bring a charging golemmech to its knees in a
Watch a glorious sunrise through this sniper rifle’s 100× scope, single shot. Needless to say, any individuals standing in its path
and then refocus on your target, who also got up early to enjoy will be vaporized (attacks ignore non-Heavy Armor).
their last day on earth  — even if they don’t know it yet. Take your
• Critical failure on the Shooting roll results in the hydrogen cell
mark from a mile away!
exploding; dealing 2d6+X damage in MBT, centered on the
HEAVY WEAPONS weapon, where X is the number of remaining shots.
• The hydrogen cell can be set as an improvised explosive with
SHOGUN OUTFITTERS BANNER RAILGUN XR10 a successful Knowledge (Demolitions) check.
A flagship model that lets you stride into battle with a portable
railgun pulsing in your hands. The 6mm solid slug tears into the VEHICLES
heaviest armor and can even cripple golemmech joints, thanks
to the high-accuracy 500× scope (nightvision upgrade available).
NEW VEHICLE QUALITIES
SHOGUN OUTFITTERS TURTLE GRENADE LAUNCHER
Handling: The vechile is designed to be highly manueveragle.
Buckle down and blow them down. This model launches This adds +1 to Driving skill rolls per level.
grenades slow and steady, letting you adjust for enemy movement.
Stealth System: Radar asorbing paint, scramblers, anti-
The extra up-top one-way shielding lets you scan the area without
detection measures are used to make this vechile hard to detect
exposing yourself to return fire.
electronically or visually. Those attemting to detect the vehicle
SPECIAL WEAPONS by various means suffer a −4 penalty.

SHOGUN OUTFITTERS STAR FLINGER CYCLES

What’s better than one ninja star? A hundred! Load up to 250
KENSAI KATANA EDGE MOTORCYCLE
razor-sharp stars into the top chamber of this model, and they’ll
Malmart Japan

Reaching 300mph, the supreme aerodynamic design of this

be dispensed at 500mph, up to 4 per second, in a steady stream
vehicle makes it feel like you’re slicing the asphalt in half, parting
of death.
it behind you. A.I. navigation included, with optional manual
SHOGUN OUTFITTERS SWORD THROWER piloting mode. The front chassis can be outfitted with concealed
Want to leave your victim pinned to the wall on a long blade, a rifles or rocket launchers.
grisly message for anyone who comes after? Slide and seal a katana Katana Edge Motorcycle: Acc/TS 35/80, Toughness 9(2), Crew
or other compatible sword into the rotating barrel and take aim. 1+1, Firewall 6; Cost: 37,500
Notes: Handling

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 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
Weapons (Optional):
KENSAI NINETAILS ATTACK JET
• Forward Fixed Rocket Launcher (Range 24/48/96; Damage
A cornerstone of the Air SDF, this jet comes with nine separate
4d8+2; RoF 1–2; Shots 2; HW, MBT) Cost: +25,000
engines that can be worked independently of one another to
• Forward Fixed Linked Assault Rifles (Range 24/48/96; Damage perform unparalleled aerial maneuvers, or united to for unbeatable
2d8+3; RoF 3; Shots 100; Auto, AP 3, +1 Shooting); Cost: +3,000 thrust. A prototype biosuit protects the pilot from otherwise lethal
KENTA CYBER DYNAMICS BICYCLE Gs.
For the citizen who wants to speed up their daily tasks, this Ninetails Attack Jet: Acc/TS 70/800, Climb 4, Toughness 15(4),
hardshell bicycle allows you to weave through city traffic with ease. Crew 2, Firewall 8; Cost: Military
Manual and engine-powered propulsion modes come standard, Notes: AMCM, Auto-Pilot (d8), Ejection System, Targeting System
and a rear basket allow for small-sized cargo transport. HoloTag Weapons:
makes you easily visible to avoid accidents.
• Fixed 28mm Auto Cannon (Range 50/100/200; Damage 3d8;
Bicycle: Acc/TS 5/15, Toughness 7, Crew 1; Cost: 250 RoF 3; Shots 200; AP 6, HW)
• Wing Mounted Missile Rack (Range 200/400/800; Damage 4d6;
CARS RoF 1–4; Shots 4, AP 6, HW)
CHRYSANTHEMUM CHAMELEON KENSAI RAINDROP FIGHTER JET
Entirely TAP-driven, this small, one-man vehicle is designed Built to maneuver over the battlefield, backing up troops with
to drive under the radar, with null heat emissions, a null-noise its twin machine guns, this jet has rotational booster engines
generator, and holo projectors that blend it seamlessly with all that allow for vertical ascent and descent at a moment’s notice,
surroundings. Take the ghost road. dropping it in and out of enemy range to lay down surprise fire.
Chameleon: Acc/TS 25/60, Toughness 9(2), Crew 1+1, Firewall 6; Raindrop Fighter Jet: Acc/TS 50/600, Climb 3, Toughness 15(4),
Cost: 24,000 Crew 1, Firewall 8; Cost: Military
Notes: Handling I, Stealth System Notes: AMCM, Auto-Pilot (d8), Ejection System, Targeting System,
KENSAI ACCELEMPERIUM VTOL
Speed rules the road. This is a leisure lightweight supercar Weapons:
designed for maximum traction, ultimate control along the • Twin Linked .50 Heavy Machine Gun (Range 50/100/200;
tightest corners, with auto-braking. The polycarbon chassis and Damage 2d12; RoF 3; Shots 200, AP 4, HW)
shock dampeners keep the driver safe even in the event of a crash
at top speeds. VTOL CRAFT
Accelemperium: Acc/TS 10/25, Toughness 12(3), Crew 1+1, Firewall KENSAI FLYING PALACE VTOL LIMO
8; Cost: 75,000 Inside this chauffeured limousine, you’ll feel like you’re flying
Notes: Airbags, Handling I, Stealth System above the whole world. With a full private entertainment suite
KENSAI ROYAL ROADSTER and VR hookups, along with room for at least a dozen people, a
hot tub, and a personal chef station, you could practically live in
Designed to keep members of the Imperial family safe, this sedan
this limo for months at a time.
has armored windows and siding as well as armored wheels that
never go flat. The automatic weapons defense system deploys Flying Palace VTOL Limo: ACC/TS 20/40, Climb −1, Toughness
on command or when the driver is detected to have gone 16(6), Crew 1+12, Firewall: 8; Cost: 175,000
unconscious. Notes: Air Bags, Handling II, Heavy Armor, Sloped Armor, VTOL
Royal Roadster: Acc/TS 30/65, Toughness 17(6), Crew 1+3, Firewall KENSAI SPIRIT OF THE ANCESTOR VTOL CAR
8; Cost: Military Go a bit retro with this personal transport vehicle, designed
Notes: Auto-Pilot (d8), Handling I, Heavy Armor for cruising the city streets and skies. Designed to look like an
Weapons: old roadster, it nevertheless includes all the modern amenities,
• Liberator Mini Gun (Range 24/48/96; Damage 2d8; RoF 6; Shots including anti-ballistic armor, A.I. auto-piloting, sealed
1,000; AP 3; Auto HW) environmental chassis, and ejection seats.
Spirit of the Ancestor VTOL Car: Acc/TS 25/60, Climb 1, Toughness
AIRCRAFT 11(4), Crew 1+1, Firewall: 6; Cost: 75,000
KENSAI CLOUDGATE TRANSPORT CARRIER Notes: Auto-Pilot (d6), Air Bags, Ejection System, Handling I, Heavy
Even without VTOL capabilities, this carrier provides supreme Armor, VTOL
navigation and powerful engines that thunder through the sky.
Malmart Japan

The cabin screens are full-sim monitors, letting the pilots rely on WATER CRAFT
incoming data rather than a crude visual stream, allowing for KENSAI FLOATING PALACE YACHT
inerrant steering in all weather types, including typhoons and Reaching top speeds of 250 knots on calm seas, this luxurious
hurricanes. ocean-bound palace fits 100 passengers for at-sea meetings,
CloudGate Transport Carrier: Acc/TS 20/100, Climb −1, Toughness parties, or extended, on-the-waves living. State of the Art
15(4), Crew 2+8, Firewall 6; Cost: 175,000 desalination units mean you’ll never have to worry about running
Notes: Auto-Pilot (d6), Sensor Suite out of fresh water, and ten A.I. controlled cannons provide a

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 Malmart Japan: Vehicles
defense perimeter against unwanted boarders. A tri-foil sail can
be deployed to make the yacht radar invisible. SPACECRAFT
Floating Palace Yacht: ACC/TS 14/25, Toughness 35(8), Crew KENSAI EMPEROR’S FIST ASSAULT CRAFT
4+100, Firewall: 8; Cost: 2 million Manufactured for interfleet combat, these one-man craft are
Notes: Heavy Armor often used to protect orbital platforms or freighters from piracy or
other boarding attempts. Fixed with six bolter variant cannons, its
KENSAI “ONSEN” PERSONAL SUBMERSIBLE
ten mini-pulse engines allow for swift launch and high navigation.
This two-person sub can be used in lakes or the ocean alike.
In the case of a pilot’s vitals flatlining, the autopilot will attempt
The front permaglass observation panel can withstand pressures
to return to the launch bay.
up to 1,250 feet, and the compressed oxygen tanks and filtration
systems allow the vehicle to remain submerged for up to a week Emperor's Fist Assault Craft: ACC/TS 50/700, Climb 3, Toughness
at a time. Twin impeller turbines allow for rapid surfacing in case 22(8), Crew 1; Cost: Military
of an emergency. Includes auto-piloting mode. Notes: AMCM, Auto-Pilot (d6), Heavy Armor
"Onsen" Personal Submersible: ACC/TS 10/25, Toughness 16(7), Weapons:
Crew 1+1, Firewall: 6; Cost: 120,000 • 2 × Tri-Linked Bolter Cannon (Range 50/100/200; Damage
Notes: Auto-Pilot (d6), Heavy Armor, Submersible 2d12+2; RoF 4; Shots 100; AP 4 HW)
KENSAI TEARDROP OF HEAVEN PERSONAL TRANSPORT
HEAVY VEHICLES This is a basic, if comfortable personal transport craft capable
KENSAI SIDESCRAPER ARMORED TRANSPORT of reaching orbital platforms from the surface. Round trips are
The needle-nosed transport model allows for up to 100 possible on a fully charged power cell. It has the usual anti-missile
personnel to be carried at speeds up to 200 mph, even with its laser system and auto-eject capsule in case of rocket failure.
heavier armor. Armored wheels ensure it never goes off-track, and Teardrop of Heaven Personal Transport: Acc/TS 60/800, Climb
a fully enclosed environment protects passengers from outside 2, Toughness 16(4), Crew 1; Cost: 2.75 million
interference, while the driver relies on virtual exterior projections Notes: AMCM, Ejection System, Heavy Armor
to avoid any need for a guidance window.
Sidescraper Armored Transport: ACC/TS 30/60, Toughness 56(25), KENTA CYBER DYNAMICS SHOOTING STAR CARGO SHIP
Crew 4+100, Firewall: 10; Cost: Military This freighter class starship sweeps through the void of space
between planets, asteroids, and orbital platforms, providing
Notes: AMCM, Heavy Armor, Sensor Suite, Slopped Armor
essential supplies and trade to Japanese citizens anywhere in the
Weapons: solar system. Most space is devoted to loading docks and cargo
• 4 × Dual 25mm Auto Cannon (Range 50/100/200; Damage holds, while a skeleton crew is able to navigate with the help of
3d10; RoF 3; Shots 200; AP 6, HW) the A.I. piloting module.
KENSAI PEARL OX TANK Shooting Star Car go Ship: ACC/TS 40/600, Climb 0, Toughness
Bull through anything foolish enough to stand in your way. 25(12), Crew 4; Cost: 8 million
Rotational tri-treads allow for extreme navigation in even the Notes: Auto-Pilot (d8), Heavy Armor, 20 tons cargo space
roughest terrain, and heavy armor paneling brushes off all but
the hardest hits. A fully articulated rail turret fires 120mm rounds,
with side-mounted rocket launchers ensures you leave nothing
but fire and ash in your wake.
Pearl Ox Tank: ACC/TS 13/25, Toughness 30(10), Crew 8, Firewall:
10; Cost: Military
Notes: AMCM, Heavy Armor, Slopped Armor, Tracked
Weapons:
• 120mm Cannon (Range 150/300/600; Damage 5d10; RoF 1;
Shots 20; AP 40, HW, LBT)
• 2 × 70mm Rocket Pod (Range 24/48/96; Damage 4d8+2; RoF
1–4; Shots 24; HW, MBT)
Malmart Japan

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Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 MAJOR CITIES
“Sumeba Miyako!” … “The best place to live is where you are…”
—Japanese Proverb
Japan is not only its people, it is places. I can hear a few optical sector and more a unified identity shared by the people living
implants rolling in their chrome sockets, nakama. Obviously a within this region.
country is defined by its geography, but our geography is equally It is the seat of Japanese power as well, both politically and
defined by history, which is defined by the people. It’s a braid militarily (of course, remember there’s little distinction between
of land, souls, and events all twined together, fashioning a cord the two now). While ward governors act of their own volition, they
that—so far—refuses to be broken. We are tied to our islands, as all still fall under the jurisdiction of the First General. If their core
embedded in them as the volcanic stones themselves. agendas don’t align with his, guess who’s not going to last in their
The cities we have established are much like giant organisms public office for long? There is constant new construction going
themselves. They grow, they shrink, they thrive, they rot, they die. on, housing zones being repaved for skyscrapers, administrators
They are reborn. We feed them, we cut them deep, we worship warring over zoning laws, and the general mill of people going
them, we kill them. Some say much like the forces of nature, a city about their daily business. When it comes to corporate presence,
might develop its own kami, embodiments of its character, its you’ll find offices for every single Japanese corporation in Tokyo,
atmosphere, and the factions that rule its skyscrapers and streets. such as Chrysanthemum, Kenta, and Shinbashira. On top of that,
That’s both oddly reassuring and frightening, otamajakushi. Pretty hundreds of worldwide corporations have also moved in, though
sure there are a few cities along these lands I’d love to sit and sip they operate under heavy taxation and diplomatic injunctions.
some hot sake with, while there are others I’d be taking aim at Many of them have made profit-splitting deals with the Japanese
with a railgun from a mile away. megacorps to ensure the majority of their income stays within
#blazingeye: Every last human settlement will soon be our borders.
wiped off the face of the globe in fiery purification. Prepare #CutthroatChibi: I’ve seen a few foreigners try to shove
yourself for annihilation. their way into Shinbashira shops, ignoring the No Gaijin
#TeaWhore: Who let the Setting Sun lunatics in on the signs. Since when is it legal to electrocute citizens without
feed? warning?
#blazingeye: We are everywhere. We are everyone. We #TopProfX: It’s called trespassing laws. Tourists must
are legion. respect boundary lines. If they choose to ignore them,
#TeaWhore: Go die in the fire you worship, asshole. they’re taking their life into their own hands.
Still, cities are the bastion of Japanese civilization, and we would Beyond all that, Tokyo offers an intriguing blend of modern living
be lost without them, hai? These days, it can be easy to live in the and ancient styling. You’ll see the latest gadgetry and streetware
larger megatropolises your entire life. Some citizens never even with nano-built office buildings alongside serene bonsai gardens
leave their Tokyo prefecture. Why bother when everything you’d and tea ceremony chashitsu. The question many visitors ask is,
need to sustain your life is right in the area, and your mind can “What part is the real Tokyo?” The answer? All of it! Tokyo combines
connect to the wider world through the TAP and the Deep? I’m every shade of light and dark, every increment of old and new, of
all for exploring though, so why not join me in a virtual tour of life and death. The trick is to find your place within the chaos. The
significant locales throughout Japan? Even if you never set foot nice thing to know is with so much variety and options, there’s
inside them, perhaps you’ll meet a few souls visiting from there, always a spot you can slip into. Where might you discover yourself
and so can have the slimmest idea of the cities that have shaped here?
them the way water polishes a pebble. Tokyo is a volatile city. It can’t help but be this way, with so many
people rubbing shoulders. The general chaos constantly bubbles,
TOKYO and occasionally comes to a boiling froth. For instance, in 2085,
a dirty bomb was detonated near the city center, impacting at
Let’s begin with the big boy on the playing field. When people least four city blocks and forcing an evacuation. The situation was
think Japan, their brainpans tend to quickly tune to Tokyo—for contained, but that area remains a scar on the city to this day. In
good reason. It alone holds over a quarter of the current Japanese 2087, a so-called freedom fighter named #Roadblock hacked the
population and is one of the largest metropolitan complexes in traffic network system and practically shut down the city for a
the world. It is considered the beating heart of Japanese culture, month. Other disturbances include smaller terrorist acts by Charon
commerce, and conquest. The city itself is what’s known as a cults or Setting Sun members.
prefecture. In other words, the entirety of the city is composed Where to go in Tokyo?
of twenty-three wards, which act like individual cities and are
Major Cities

#DailyDeals: Want to see the real Tokyo? Sign up for

independently governed by the local authorities. It is a mosaic Victorious Sinew’s VTOL Tours! View the whole city from
of environments ranging from lush parkways to the grimiest the air, touchdown wherever you wish to see the sights,
industrial sectors to the glitziest entertainment districts you could and enjoy a complimentary dinner at the restaurant or
ever imagine. Tokyo is considered, by some, less a geographical club of your choice at the end of the tour.

36
Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 Major Cities: Tokyo
#Oni_Broni: Whatever you do, don’t sign up for these tours would’ve outdone any of the old world stock market floors at the
unless you’re in a big group! These people are connected to height of a trading frenzy. The food carts all through the area offer
the Yakuza and use their tours to isolate and kidnap gaijin, the freshest sushi meals you could ever imagine. It’s possible for
trafficking them into everything from sex rings to death the public to access the morning auctions, but check the market’s
arenas or sell them off to Chiba labs for experimentation. feed to see if it’s open to the public that day. Every so often, the
#DailyDeals: The DailyDeals conglomerate does not place is shut down to public viewing. People assume it’s just to give
appreciate slander or libel. All our partners are fully licensed traders a more private space in which to conduct their business,
and approved. A brand loyalty team is being dispatched but I’m of the mind something other than fish might be being
to your location for reeducation on this matter.
carted through and sold on those days.
#Oni_Broni: Wait…what?
KABUKICHŌ
TOKYO IMPERIAL PALACE I think I just heard a few eyebrows perk up reading that name.
Home to Emperor Tetsuhito and a handful of the Imperial family, Dirty little oni, you be. Yes, Kabukichō, the Sleepless Town, Tokyo’s
the Imperial Palace is based on the footprint of the ancient Edo ever-infamous red light district is never closed for business. In the
Castle. It was bombed out during WWII and rebuilt exactly as it olden days, it used to be a sleepy residential sector, but after a
had been before. The current incarnation incorporates massive few risque theaters opened in the area, it triggered an economic
park expanses surrounded by moats and rearing stone walls and revolution. Now this district hosts ten thousand bars, love hotels,
is connected to the rest of the city by ornate bridges. It has an massage parlors, dance clubs, and every sort of dig and den your
all-human staff, from its personal attendants to the gardeners perverted little neurons will delight in. You can buy any sort of
to the chefs. pleasure here, no matter what your taste—just don’t for a moment
Originally, the inner grounds of the palace itself would be open believe you aren’t being monitored at all times. Privacy costs extra.
to the public for guided tours, but in light of the rising violence Synths, hybrids, androids, and every custom simulacrum you’d
threatening the country, these have been ended. For now, the conjure in your dreams and nightmares are here, waiting to lure
only people allowed inside, aside from royalty and staff, are invited you in and drain that credit account faster than you can…well…
guests such as foreign ambassadors. However, the Imperial East come and go.
Gardens remain open to daily visitors for a 50-credit entry fee. #Your_Lolita_Princess: When you’re here, find Shining
Thread Street. The whole block is full up of clubs,
NAKAMISE DORI restaurants, kitschy shops, and pleasure dens—and they’re
It is said that Nakamise Dori is one of the, if not the oldest all owned by a liberated Synth named…get this…Chastity.
shopping streets in Japan. It is the main path that leads up to She’s one tough motherfucker and guards her territory
the Senso-ji Temple in the Asakua Area, and is absolutely packed hard, but runs the cleanest clubs in the whole district.
with every kind of shop imaginable. By the time you walk from Needless to say, you are the willing victim the moment you enter
one end to the other, it’s quite possible to have downloaded your this district, and you’re taking your life in your own hands—or
every last credit in your account and be happy for it. You’ve got all putting it in another’s, I suppose. While there are frequent patrols
the usual food carts and trinket cubbies, as well as dolls, fashion and drone surveillance, they’re not likely to stop any trouble in
accessories, and sim-sniffs. Here’s the secret though. All the shops time to be of help to those in the thick of it.
are fronts at this point. Oh, they run a brisk legitimate business with
gaijin, but if you’re looking for something specific and not likely GINZA
to be on display in public, find the nearest shopkeeper. Repeat Located in Tokyo’s Chūō ward, the Ginza district is where you go
your request three times. You will be waved off. Bow and leave when you want more than trinkets and souvenirs. It’s the luxury
without another word. Within half an hour, someone will tug on shopping district for those who want to fondle the merchandise
your sleeve, bow to you wordlessly, and walk off. Follow them. Be rather than just view it in a Deep feed sim catalog. Of course,
smart about what happens next. getting your hands on these goodies might make you all the
Visit Nakamise Dori at night for a visual delight. When the shops more eager to actually hand over your credit sticks, so be warned.
are all closed and shuttered, a luminescent mural reveals itself, Everything here, from the restaurants to the high-rise condos to
stretching the whole length of the street and depicting the temple the boutiques and department stores are all at least five times
at the end. as much as you’d pay elsewhere. But if you come here, it’s never
#Droneofthemonth: At night, this is also the best place for the price. It’s for the reputation you’re making for yourself.
to get whatever fix has you itching. Afterburn, Hypermote, Don’t forget, every establishment has a dress code, and you can
Sticky Icky…they got it all and plenty more. Just come with be ever-so-politely ushered out of anywhere if you come in too
plenty of credits. grubby…or blood-splattered.
#Dark_Ronin: Sounds like the perfect way to get arrested. The central department store is now home to a branch of the
#Droneofthemonth: I didn’t say come waving a credit Shogun Outfitters corporation, and has a rather iconic clock tower
stick around and shouting “Gimme the dope!” Play it low, atop it.
Major Cities

play it quiet, and you’ll get in and out just fine.

MEIJI SHRINE
TSUKIJI FISH MARKET Back in the late 1800s, Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken
Despite synth-fish and vat-brewed seafood now being mass- headed up a massive effort to reestablish imperial rule in Japan.
produced, this remains the largest, busiest fish and seafood market It was such a successful effort, in 1912, after their deaths, a shrine
in the world, with daily tuna auctions being a frantic chaos that was erected in one of their favorite gardens and their spirits

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 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
were deified. Today, one of the larger forested stretches of Tokyo #Oni_Broni: Weird. I wonder if Chrysanthemum
contains the shrine, which has been kept up by faithful Shinto Corporation has anything to do with that. I mean, look at
attendants. While within the shrine—the entrance of which is what they’ve done with Sendai.
marked by a massive torii gate—it almost feels like the rest of But if you’d prefer to leave well enough alone, visit in the spring
Tokyo disappears around you. Millions of Japanese citizens and to enjoy all the cherry blossoms!
tourists visit the shrine each year, writing out wishes on a wooden
ema tablet. These ema wishes are a supposed way to make contact SHINJUKU GYOEN NATIONAL GARDEN
with a local cybernetic Shinobi clan that resides within Yoyogi Originally, this garden was created in honor of a feudal lord
Park, but I’m not about to test that theory, nakama. You give it a from the Edo period, and was an imperial garden up until WWII.
try and see if they make contact. Afterwards, it was gifted to the nation and now incorporates
#CutthroatChibi: They’re there. Those sorts of rumors several distinct gardening styles across its grounds: French formal
don’t get circulated without reason. gardens, Japanese traditional gardens, and English landscape
#Billy_Black_Eyes: What? So rumors are proof of ninjas gardens. One can wander it for days, marveling at the beautiful and
now? That’s some twisted logic, ami. distinct sections, with more than 50,000 trees, hundreds of unique
In the shrine’s inner gardens, you’ll find Kiyomasa Well. It is plant species, and several ceremonial teahouses. The garden is
purported to be a spiritual place of power, where kami gather in accessible via three main gates: Shinjuku Gate, Sendagaya Gate,
droves. I’ve heard of various corporations getting permission to and Okido Gate.
test the waters, but so far no one has revealed anything special. Dozens of greenhouses dot the landscape; among them
Though if they discovered anything, you really think they’d make are several massive ones belonging to the Chrysanthemum
it public knowledge? Corporation, who claims they are simply seeking to develop more
rigorous blossom strains. Only one or two visitors disappear from
YOYOGI PARK the gardens each year, so no one is asking questions yet.
This is one of the largest cultivated parks in Tokyo, with sweeping
lakes and verdant lawns. While many areas remain trimmed and CLOUD KNIFE WEST TOWER
proper, affording for picnics and casual strolls, certain invasive The Tokyo SkyTree Tower used to be the tallest in the world, but
foliage species have somehow been introduced. Certain swaths you know what happens whenever anyone claims a particular
have become incredibly lush and overgrown, offering all manner record. Someone else has to beat it out of principle. Thus the
of hiding places and deterring visitors to keep to the outskirts. The Cloud Knife West Tower was constructed right next to the SkyTree,
densest area is toward the center, where a massive ginko tree can reaching 752 meters. Cloud Knife West is entirely owned by Kenta
be seen rising above the rest like a leafy dome. Could be nothing Cyber Dynamics, which uses the place for office space, employee
but too much super-gro fertilizer spilled in the area. Could be housing, and has dozens of floors dedicated to every possible
something far worse. living amenity. If threatened, the entire place can be locked down
#TeaWhore: Been there. I tried to actually get close enough in minutes, sealing every door and window from outside access,
to the park center to see what’s there, but the vegetation and the whole tower has state-of-the-art auto-defense systems,
gets so thick, you’d need a buzzsaw golemmech to cut including laser turrets, auto-cannons, electrified paneling, and a
through it after just a few dozen meters or less. dedicated security squad for each floor.
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 Major Cities: Chiba
A single elevator is used to take visitors to the heights of the kitsune bioforms as attendants—the performances themselves
tower for a 50-credit fee per person. This elevator has an isolated remain strictly traditional, and you can enjoy a unique monthly
chute that is sealed off from the rest of the architecture and only rotation of daily performances. It’s currently owned by Akimoto
makes stops at the bottom floor or the 110th floor observation Kumiko, a master actor who has trained some of Japan’s most
deck. famous dancers and theatrical artists.

ROBOT RESTAURANT CHIBA

Back in the day, this restaurant was a gaudy affair, full of
waitresses in full-sequin outfits, nightly shows, concerts, millions Adjacent to Tokyo, just to the east, actually, Chiba holds firm
of neon lights, mirrors galore, and a cheesy “duel” where bikini- to its independent identity despite many thinking of it as just an
clad women duked it out from within robotic-shaped hydraulic extension of the bigger prefecture. It is a prefecture of its own, and
chassis that acted according to pre-programmed routines and rightly so. There are two main reasons why Chiba deserves such
had pneumatic tits (I’m not kidding). a focus. Foremost, thanks to a constant gentrification effort, it is
Today? Oh, it’s still a gaudy affair, nakama. Except now the human one of the cities where the police have actually been immensely
waitresses are replaced by androids and Synths, and the robot successful in rooting out Yakuza presence and eliminating a
battles are held by true bots, souped up with all the latest armor majority of crime. If there’s anywhere one could deem “safe” to
and weaponry. The robo battles don’t end until one opponent is be in Japan, it’d be here, and massive resources are devoted to
pummeled to shiny bits, and audience betting is welcomed. People keeping it that way. This gentrification and low crime have caused
spend years building the bots that appear in the ring. The main the area to be filled with large, sprawling estates where some of
difference alongside the tech upgrade is the audience now has to the wealthiest families in Japan dwell.
view the robo battles from outside a permaglass box so none of Secondly, Chiba has become a corporate oasis. While all the
them are wounded in the mêlée. One thousand credits entry fee. corporations have a Tokyo presence, most of them—especially
those dedicated to cybernetic developments of any sort—are
#TopProfX: I’m 99.9% sure this place is an A.I. hivemind
cluster. They disguise themselves in robotic entertainer headquartered here. Research and development teams are able
forms while communing on levels far above humanity. to work in relative peace, and the area draws many of the best
#Dark_Ronin: You really think super-intelligent A.I.s would and brightest minds, which only contributes to its reputation
spend their days putting on shows for humans? further. If there was anything questionable about the prefecture,
#TopProfX: Who’d ever suspect it? it’d be that the government officials are desperate to keep the
corporation presence concentrated there, and so have cut many
#Dark_Ronin: Besides conspiracy theorists like you?
under-the-table deals to ensure it stays that way. A bit of corporate
shenanigans might be an easy price to pay for the otherwise lack
MOUNT MITAKE of violence or undesirable social aspects that are kept at bay.
Outside of Tokyo is Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park, which
contains some of the most unadulterated wilderness you’ve #CutthroatChibi: People love to talk about how clean
and tidy Chiba is. The reality is, crime is still rampant here;
ever set eyes on. Grav-train will get you there in an hour, and a
it’s just not in the violent, surface-level form you normally
personal shuttle will do you half an hour, tops; and you can be set hear about. It’s all black code labs, virtu-drug development,
down practically anywhere you want in the park—though pick-up immortalitech R&D, and lots more they don’t want the
will cost you extra, of course. The park contains Mount Mitake, higher ups taking notice of. So of course they keep the
atop which rests the Musashi-Mitake Shrine, which people say streets quiet. Underneath, though, it’s just as deadly and
has been around over 2,000 years. Plentiful bioforms now reside dangerous as the rest of Japan. Ishin-Denshin has several
within the park, alongside rumored hybrid camps, and numerous secret facilities here under shell company names, and I can’t
rural settlements. You could be hiking along and come across a even guess at what Chrysanthemum is up to in the area.
dozen huts, a well, and a hundred or so citizens living in squalor Takay Yoshii is the current head administrator of Chiba, and also
as happy as can be. It’s a jarring contrast to the Tokyo glitz and sits on the board of Kenta Cyber Dynamics. An imposingly strong
tech-glam, but if you like it rustic, this is the way to go. man, he looks to be in his mid-thirties, but is said to be at least twice
that old, thanks to regenerative nanotech. He is an intense man
KABUKIZA THEATRE who serves his country and prefecture well, but also occasionally
Funny thing, this theatre. Built in 1889, it sadly burned down finds opportunities to slip his corporation’s best interests into the
in 1921. It had been so popular, the authorities announced an mix—such as city rezoning for factories and R&D labs as well as
intent to rebuild it with fireproof materials, yet retain the classical covering up investigations into accused corporate espionage.
Japanese architecture, and modernize the whole affair with electric Chiba is one place in Japan that has drastically changed its
wiring and lights. In 1923, during reconstruction, an earthquake appearance over the past century. While it once was packed with
hit and…caused the place to burn down again. Not to be stymied, rearing skyscrapers and crowded streets like Tokyo, the cleanup
it finally got reopened in 1950 until it was demolished in 2010 to effort actually saw many of those buildings razed to make way
make way for a whole new version that would be deemed both for the wider thoroughfares and larger abode you now see. There
Major Cities

earthquake and fireproof. 2013 saw yet another grand reopening, remains a busier downtown area, to be sure, but there’s a reason
and it has survived everything since. why Chiba is now nicknamed the “flatlands.”
All that to illustrate just how much the Japaense love their
kabuki theater! While the building has been modernized with the
latest security measures—including a roof that supposedly can
withstand a direct rocket strike, oni bioform guards out front, and

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 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
CHIBA SHRINE KAZUSA AKADEMIA PARK
Set near Chiba’s city square, this shrine hosts a throng of This massive R&D complex is located just an hour south of Chiba
buildings painted a brilliant orange. Even with Japan’s reputation City. Originally a public forum for debate, an exchange of ideas,
for beautiful gardens, the ones within these walls are considered and furthering Japan’s technological superiority—including
among the best, and the main gates are carved with an elaborate biotechnology and cybernetics—it fell onto hard financial times in
tribute to the twelve animals of the traditional calendar. Koi ponds 2057 and was subsequently bought out by Kenta Cyber Dynamics.
abound, with arched bridges, and stony paths leading you through KCD converted the entire facility into a high-security compound,
the area. The shrine is also the site of several annual festivals, sealing it off from the outside world and rarely letting the public
including a taiko drumming event. glimpse the work going on within.
Here’s the part you shoulder remember, though. The shrine is We do know there originally were at least half-a-dozen
dedicated to a Shinto deity named Myoken, who is supposed to manufacturing facilities, a massive research institute, a hotel that
provide defense against ill-fortune and bodily harm. When you could hold over 5,000 people at once, incubation compounds, a
enter this shrine, you are given an extended form of sanctuary sports club, convention center, a resort, and dozens of factories.
against any who might be pursuing you. Even the most What the place has been turned into since then is anybody’s
dishonorable Japanese would not dare to harm anyone on these guess. KCD production certainly ramped up once they acquired
grounds. Anyone who is fleeing danger and makes it inside is the property, and it is believed many of their brightest people
allowed to stay for a maximum of three days before they must are contained within.
leave. If you must ever take advantage of this tradition, use that #TopProfX: Before switching to the educational sector, I
time wisely. used to work for KCD and lived on this complex for several
#Oni_Broni: I’ve seen a guy chased by a bunch of Yakuza years. It’s been built up to at least double its original size,
thugs right into here. The gangers camped outside the and that’s not including the underground networks they’ve
gates until the monks forced the guy to leave and then tunneled across the landscape. By the time I left, they’d
hauled him off, screaming. Sanctuary didn’t help him much, even begun construction of an orbital shuttle launch
did it? platform.

NARITA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT CHIBA CITY ARCHAEOLOGICAL

Once known as the Gateway to Japan, this airport has been OPERATION AND RESEARCH CENTER
closed to all international flights except for those by top-priority Based near Chiba’s city center, this operation facility is home to
foreign diplomats and corporate figures. Even then, the costs of several thousand dedicated archaeologists and restorationists
flying in to this complex are enormous, due to several bombing who devote their lives to protecting Japan’s past from all those
and hijacking attempts. High-ranking Japanese use it often, and who would pillage and plunder it. Many people think all of Japan’s
there’s a definite smuggling network connected to it, but since ancient history has been uncovered, but that’s far from the truth.
most foreign passage is restricted through Nagasaki, the Gateway It’s like an onion, and the more we carefully peel back layers,
is now slammed shut in most other faces. exposing even older structures and priceless artifacts of bygone
eras, the more we must fight to protect the fragility of the past.
KUJUKURI-HAMA BEACH Using the latest structural analysis and dating tools, micro-focus
Chiba’s Bōsō Peninsula boasts the second-longest stretch of scanners, nano-imaging tech, and more, they’re able to perform
beach in all of Japan. Officially, Kujukuri-hama Beach is part of non-invasive reconstructions of still-buried temples and towns.
Kujūkuri Prefectural Natural Park. Unofficially, it is one of the best They are responsible for hundreds of heritage museums all over
ways to get in and out of the country without being detected, so the islands. Considering how much blood and sweat they pour
long as you have access to watercraft. As such, the thirty-seven into the effort, is it any wonder they are fanatical about tracking
miles of beachfront property sees plenty of assassins, smugglers, down anyone who might steal a relic and try to pawn it off on the
ronin, and other unsavory types leaving footprints in the sand. In black market? Cross these people if you dare, because they’re the
an effort to stem illegal trafficking, the beach has been littered with worst kind of zealot—the smart kind.
nano-sensors and camo-cams, and drones make regular patrols.
Legislation is in the works to wall the entire thing off within the MT. NOKOGIRI-YAMA
next decade. While not prominent in height, this mountain runs along Tokyo
#TopProfX: There are several well-known blind zones in Bay and holds several main highways and grav-train rails. Its main
the surveillance network here. Pretty sure the administrator interest is cultural, as the western side holds a massive temple
responsible for security and monitoring of the area is on complex complete with the largest stone-carved Daibutsu in Japan,
the take. as well as thousands of hand-carved sculptures that restorationists
#FishBasket: Wouldn’t surprise me in the least. have fought and died to protect from looters. Despite echo-
Several water purification plants have been built along the area, locative surveying which indicates no further discoveries are to
Major Cities

and hydroelectric turbines have been planted at the base of the be made, legends continue to be told about hidden paths and
northeast shelf. Fishers, surfers, and swimmers still enjoy the area, passages that lead into the mountain itself which could contain…
but with the growing awareness that their ability to do so may well…it depends on what story you believe. Ancient treasure…
soon be limited. alien technology…illegal genetics labs. Strange that such a simple,
normal-looking pile of dirt would give rise to such persistent tales.

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Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 Major Cities: Osaka
#TeaWhore: I love a good treasure hunt. Not only is it a social center to rival the likes of the Tokyo
#Dark_Ronin: You mean wild goose chase? Those stories Prefecture, but it is undeniably the manufacturing and production
are just passed around to attract tourists. center of Japan. This is partially because the many Wiped citizens
#TeaWhore: But she just said the place is highly defended have been discovered to work well as manual laborers and
by restorationist teams. Why would they want tourists other grunt jobs until they develop more fine-tuned and high-
tromping around, threatening their fragile relics? functioning skills. Tokyo itself has adopted more of the commercial
management role, and Chiba holds the majority of corporation
SHOWA NO MORI HQs, but Osaka is where one goes to actually produce the goods
This old forested park has undergone a striking evolution in those companies sell across Japan and the world. At such a critical
the past two decades. It was once little more than a mild tourist economic junction, Osaka is referred to as “Japan’s Kitchen,” noting
attraction, with the usual flowering walkways framed by cherry how it brings all the ingredients of development, marketing, and
blossom trees. Then a private individual bought the whole area, raw resource together to create actual results.
all 100 hectares of it! A huge demolition and construction project After the disastrous results of the Reboot Meme occurred, Osaka’s
got underway that must’ve cost an emperor’s fortune. In the end, current head administrator committed seppuku. His replacement
the whole park had been converted into two-dozen biodomes, is Kan Umehara, a middle-aged industrial leader with strong ties
fully sealed from the outside world. They remained that way for to the corporations he now deals with on a daily basis. His main
another five years. Just three years ago, they opened to the public goal is to bring the lost population back under Japanese care and
without any fanfare, without any fee. Just a Deep message to all control while keeping production rates at acceptable levels. He
of Japan saying, “Come. Enjoy.” Millions flocked to the place and also heads up ongoing R&D to secure citizen TAPs from future mass
found within the domes…biospheres. Each one held a varying failures. One growing faction within Osaka is now widely being
environmental experience, from jungles and swamps to deserts called the unTAPPED, as they have had their units permanently shut
to ones culled from other planets, such as low-grav landscapes down and removed. This concerns national authorities, as it leaves
and gassed chambers that required colonist suits to enter. The those citizens far less traceable and undermines security efforts.
environments are filled with vegetation, harmless fauna, and each #Droneofthemonth: I don’t believe the Wipe was a direct
dome thoroughly wraps you up in its individual experience. result of the Flare insanity. I think it was a government
Honestly it’s…beautiful. Masterful. Visiting here hit me a lot broadcast and Osaka’s sister cities were the test subjects.
harder than I expected. The Flare aftermath was just a convenient time to try it out.
No one knows who bought or built all this, but many bless their #WillyaWontcha: Why would they ever do that to their
secret name, while others wonder if the person responsible is own citizens?
even human at all. #Droneofthemonth: Hey, Japan is the land of conformity.
Wouldn’t it be easier to make everyone conform if they had
to relearn everything from scratch? And if the government
OSAKA was the only demographic that remained sane enough to
Originally a smaller part of a larger metatropolis known as enforce order after the fact?
Keihanshin, Osaka became the second largest city in Japan at just
shy of twenty million citizens. This occurred when all three cities, OSAKA CASTLE
Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe, fell prey en masse to the Flare of 2089, During the madness of the Flare, two-dozen techno-Samurai
driving every single person in the world with a TAP temporarily came together in a unified psychosis, believing they had been
insane. For some reason, the people of Osaka recovered more transported back to feudal Japan and that their lord, who lived in
quickly and launched a widespread mental reboot meme intended Osaka Castle, was in need of defense. They invaded what had been,
to help their fellow citizens regain their sanity. While the attempt up until that point, a full-sized replica and museum of the castle,
worked, the unfortunate side effect was the majority of those in slaughtering anyone in their way. By the time sanity returned to
Kyoto and Kobe lost all memories. Guilt-ridden, believing they had the region, the Samurai had converted the museum into a modern
caused this, the Osaka citizens have begun rehabilitating the many fortress, barring all entrances and capturing numerous citizens to
millions, helping them form new identities and reintegrate with serve them within.
society. This effort is still underway and will take years to complete, Almost two years since, and local authorities haven’t managed to
with Wiped still present in many city slums. In the meantime, Osaka penetrate the Castle and remove the Samurai, who have continued
officially took governance over the other two cities to form the to live within their fantasy world. They somehow transported a
larger entity now singularly known as Osaka today. massive armory into the castle grounds, which they now use to
#FishBasket: I have two cousins who are now Wiped. drive off all comers from their superior, highly defensible position.
Visited them once. They can barely dress themselves, much It is also unknown how they are managing to procure supplies and
less hold a coherent conversation. We’re not sure they’ll other necessities while keeping themselves in a siege position.
ever come back. Perhaps their augmentations and implants are to blame for their
#HoliMoli: That’s horrible. It’s a miracle the Osaka reboot stubborn longevity. For now, Osaka authorities are focused on
Major Cities

meme didn’t spread further. more pressing matters, and so long as the Mad Samurai stay
#FishBasket: Actually, it’s still out there in the Deep. behind their gates, they are being ignored.
Osaka’s administrators were never fully able to totally
contain the spread. There are at least a few global Wipe OSAKA STATION CITY
cases being detected each month. Built around a massive bus and train terminal, this station
developed a large subculture of homeless and transient citizens

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 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
who pawned and picked off the many travelers who shuffled corporation will put on a citywide show, playing movies for all to
through their domain. This led to numerous underground shelters see, turning the building into a stomping kaiju, or make it appear
being built, as well as hidden tent cities within the heart of Osaka invisible, as if plucked straight from the earth. While amusing,
itself, kept a communal secret by society’s undesirables. After the these acts also serve to make Ishin-Denshin seem harmless and
Flare and the Wipe, the city’s existence was exposed, and many playful, distracting the common citizen from wondering what’s
Wiped wandered into the area and took up residence, expanding going on behind those illusory walls.
the population by a factor of five. Due to damages during the
chaos, as well as the number of people now calling train cars their SHITENNOJI TEMPLE
homes, it has been impossible for the place to be cleaned up This temple holds the distinction of being the first, oldest
and the station to come back into operation, severely hampering Buddhist temple to be constructed in Japan. It has survived many
Osaka’s rebuilding efforts. Attempts have been made, employing disasters through the years, and various buildings have had to
riot police and security anddroids, but the sheer number of people be rebuilt or restored to keep from tumbling in on themselves. It
needing to be dislodged, plus their status as Wiped, has made the is one of Osaka’s greatest prides, and many consider it a miracle
authorities hesitant to employ lethal force. it was not damaged during the madness that shook the city. To
preserve its sense of holiness, visitors are only allowed to purchase
BAY AREA mementos and trinkets from the shrine on the twenty-first day
As early Osaka grew and expanded, it turned its eye on the Bay of each month, but the shrine is mostly supported by local and
Area as more than just an industrial port. A number of manmade national donations.
islands were formed there in the twenty-first century, including
Kansai International Airport, Rokko Island, and Port Island. In NORTH DISTRICT
the past decade, this trend has been kickstarted, and dozens of It’s unknown what caused at least ten skyscrapers to collapse
independent developers have begun gaining permits to create in Osaka’s North District, as it happened while everyone was a
their own new islands on which to construct real estate, office temporary lunatic. With half a million dead and a chunk of land
space, entertainment islands, and more. So rapidly have these new nothing but rubble, rebuilding teams have only just begun to get
islands formed that citizens petitioned the head administrator to back into the area. In the meantime, a couple million homeless,
stop the expansion before the entire bay was filled in. Additions poor, and dying have converted the area into a giant slum. This
are halted for the time being, but with the sudden integration place is the current shame of Osaka, and authorities are scrambling
of 19 million citizens into their provenance, Osaka is rethinking to find a solution without resorting to turning the whole place to
options as to where all these people could be placed—and that ash and starting over.
big expanse of open water is looking rather tempting if a few #Dark_Ronin: I heard reports that the towers were hit by
massive arcologies could be built out on top of it. a grey-goo nanobomb.
#Billy_Black_Eyes: Then why wasn’t the whole city
BUNRAKU THEATER converted to goo? Why just these ten buildings?
This theater, the national center for bunraku puppet shows, #Dark_Ronin: Obviously the bomb’s programming was
has been made famous and quite controversial by replacing faulty. Wouldn’t put it past the Setting Sun cult to be
its traditional puppet shows with ones employing remote- working on this sort of thing around the clock.
controlled Synths. The themes and stories remain culled from
traditional Japanese lore, but the puppets themselves are now SOUTH DISTRICT
life-sized. Audiences have not diminished, as Osaka is desperate for Osaka now relies heavily on newly functioning Wiped citizens
entertainment to take their minds off the tragedies they’ve recently to provide the manual labor in their industrial and manufacturing
experienced, however many admit to being greatly disturbed to sectors, most of which are situated in the South District. Here,
see the Synths prancing about on virtual strings. The mastermind thousands of factories and production plants run around the
behind this change is Benjiro Isobe, who is rarely seen in public clock, with shifts of Wiped shuffling in and out under the watchful
and always has a pair of oni bioform bodyguards hovering around eye of Osaka managers and administrators. Should any Wiped
his person. laborer start showing signs of a personality or latent skill, they
#FishBasket: I hear some of the “actors” aren’t actually are tagged and transported to a rehabilitation center where their
Synths at all, but slaves made up to look like them, paying fledgling identity is nurtured until they can assume a fuller role
off life debts through a form of “community service” to within society.
the arts.
#Your_Lolita_Princess: I have a friend who works at
#TeaWhore: So actors who are acting at being Synth one of these rehabilitation centers. She says it’s totally
actors? How meta. demoralizing, seeing these people who don’t act like
people anymore. They’re just…shells. Lots of them just
SKY BUILDING disappear, never seen again, taken by Yakuza or others as
This iconic building was bought by the Ishin-Denshin corporation drug mules, data dumpers, or chop shop material.
Major Cities

forty years back and has served as administrative offices as well as

an R&D complex. Subterranean labs are believed to now extend KITA
several city blocks beneath it. With Ishin-Denshin’s production of all The inability for people to prepare for or defend against the
things virtual and sim, it is of little surprise that all of the building’s impact of the Flare, plus seeing the horrible conditions of the
windows have been replaced with holo-projectors, allowing the Wiped, convinced many Osaka citizens that their TAPs were too
building to appear to take on almost any form. Occasionally, the dangerous. At least one million people deactivated and removed

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Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 Major Cities: Fukushima
theirs, creating a new unTAPPED population sector. Realizing they output levels are growing annually. To reach the heart of Daiichi
wouldn’t integrate well with the rest of the city, they took over without getting a lethal radiation dose might require tromping
Kita, one of Osaka’s original twenty-four wards, and settled in to in with a full golemmech suit for protection—and even that’s
create a new, off-the-grid life for themselves. This area is now a no guarantee. The deeper into this territory you get, the more
dark spot on Osaka’s network. No individual with a TAP is allowed treacherous it becomes. Tales told by survivors speak of carnivorous
inside, and entry attempts are met with armed force. plant, roving gangs of murderous mutants, hidden zeek arcologies,
and stranger creatures and sites that will tempt madness in even
FUKUSHIMA the most stable soul.

Old disasters never fully go away, even when bigger ones try FUKUSHIMA CITY
to crowd the stage. The world wears its scars, and so do the cities For the most part, this is a city of hardscrabble survivors. Less
we build that crumble to dust between our fingers. No matter than a quarter of a million people live here, and most of them
how strong a front humanity tries to hold onto, nature always are the generational sorts who only stick around because their
reminds us who’s in charge eventually. In Fukushima, this took ancestors did. The main presence in the city is Kensai, which spends
the form of a tsunami that caused the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear a lot of time studying the growing radiation zone, sending teams of
plant to experience a catastrophic failure and meltdown. Radiation scientists into the field on a daily basis, and otherwise trying to find
suffused the area and hundreds of thousands of people were a way to turn the Daiichi disaster into a profitable circumstance.
evacuated. Ugly and deadly business. Nobody goes to Fukushima for fun these
#Oni_Broni: A tsunami? Is that the cover-up story still days, nakama. If you’re there, it’s because you have to be, because
being told these days? Everyone knows Daiichi was an you’re paid to be, or because you’re hiding from something even
early failed cold fusion experiment. worse.
#Billy_Black_Eyes: The tsunami in question is pretty well
documented. ABUKUMADO CAVE
#Oni_Broni: And you don’t find that suspicious? That This underground cavern network was sealed off by a series
we’ve got so much data about a natural disaster that caught of mysterious explosions just over seven years ago. Two years
everyone off guard enough to cause a nuclear meltdown? back, several geologists managed to stumble back into the caves
For a few decades, Fukushima citizens tried to maintain through a series of side tunnels and found the whole cave system
settlements in the prefecture, especially considering the radiation had been turned into a secret headquarters for the Setting Sun
scarring only impacted about ten percent of the geographic cult. They’ve apparently got thousands of apocalyptic soldiers
region. There was even talk of making the nuclear plant a tourist down there, with barracks, artillery ranges, labs, and much more.
attraction once the radiation levels died down and clean-up efforts It’s practically a whole underground town, populated by fanatics
proceeded. However…the area remains a wasteland to this day. dedicated to bringing about the end times. The main entrances
Worse, the blotch on Japanese soil is beginning to grow. Every year, remain sealed by tons of rubble, and other access routes remain
the no-entry zone expands a few hundred yards. No one is quite hidden so far. How Setting Sun managed to claim the spot without
sure why, though there are, as always, numerous theories. Some anyone taking notice is beyond me.
people believe the corporations are at fault, using the disaster #TeaWhore: If we know where they’re based, why haven’t
site as dumping grounds for any and all toxic waste, failed genetic they been wiped out yet? These are terrorists, for fucks
experiments, or hazardous materials they don’t want to legally sake!
deal with. Others believe there are mutated lifeforms that have #CutthroatChibi: This is just the one known cult
evolved within the region that thrive on radiation and are seeding headquarters. It doesn’t account for even a tenth of
the surrounding area to slowly expand their territory. Others say their total membership across the country. From what
aliens because of course they do. I’ve gleaned, the administration is trying to infiltrate the
Oh, there are still settlements of sorts around the area—but setup and gather what intelligence they can to locate other
centers before they bring the bombs down on the caves.
think about it. What sort of person would choose to live in this
treacherous place, knowing how much they must sacrifice just to
survive? Would you want to take a guess as to how friendly and MOUNT AZUMA
forward thinking these souls are? Fukushima is rife with mutations This dormant volcanic mound has been fenced off by Kenta Cyber
of both the flora and fauna type, not to mention genetic freaks Dynamics and is patrolled by endlessly circling android squads and
who are more apt to gnaw on your brainstem than give you any drones. While listed as a basic R&D facility, it is commonly known
sort of common courtesy. to be a converted weapons testing site, where the latest bombs,
guns, and power suits are unleashed without putting innocent
#WillyaWontcha: Is she talking about zombies?
lives at risk. Let’s just hope all the explosive tests don’t trigger the
#Billy_Black_Eyes: No such thing. Cannibalistic mutants,
ancient volcano in the process.
though? Sure. Go for it. I see those all the time.
#WillyaWontcha: Again, I can’t tell if you’re joking or not.
YOKOHAMA
Major Cities

DAIICHI NUCLEAR PLANT Yokohama used to be the second largest city in Japan, before
The old power plant is still there according to all reports and the whole hideous Osaka affair and the blended prefectures there.
satellite imagery. However, reaching it is a trial only the most While it was once close to four million souls, it has dwindled in
worthy…or foolhardy…should ever undertake. Even if you manage recent decades to just two and a half million. Still, that’s plenty
to cobble together any sort of decent radiation shielding, the enough to cause a lifetime’s worth of trouble. See, Yokohama is

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based a bit south of Tokyo, right off the main Tokyo Bay. It acts as a this place comes alive at night after the last visitor leaves, with
major port city for the region, and while Tokyo gets some deliveries ancient systems and A.I.s booting up the displays to interact on
direct, much of its goods traffic comes through Yokohama. a purely mechanical level. Others say the whole place is owned
And you know what a port city means, right? Similarly to by an unknown, wealthy individual who is quietly stockpiling an
Nagasaki, Yokohama is known for its smuggling rings. You need army that will be activated to conquer the prefecture on some
someone or something slipped into Tokyo? You take it under the future day. Whether any of this is true or not, I certainly wouldn’t
scanner via Yokohama…and be prepared to hand over a hefty want to be working the night shift in this creep show.
number of credits to grease your path. Everyone’s on the take, #TeaWhore: I made the mistake of checking this place out.
from the dock officials to the traffic cops to the guy running the I swear, it gave me nightmares for weeks. Every time you
chop shop. Thing is, because practically everyone has a stake in look away, you feel like you’re being watched. You hear
Yokohama being an open port to anything and everything, the whispers from every corner, and see the “dolls” twitching
operations running there have become incredibly efficient and out of the corner of your eye. A million credits couldn’t
effective. You hear about the cargo ship that got offloaded with make me go back.
over a thousand cyborg chassis? No? Exactly. It’s almost unheard of
to pull off that sort of transfer without a hitch, and the only reason CHINATOWN
I know enough to tell you is because I brokered the whole deal. That’s right, nakama. Yokohama’s Chinatown remains the largest
in Japan, and if the Triads have any major foothold in the country,
KANNAI it’s based here. Near a hundred thousand souls live in this city
The prime port itself, site of the first foreign settlement in the sector, and a good half of them are Chinese. A main gang, The
region, remains a center of commerce to this day. It’s one of the Flowering Frogs, runs the streets here, and you can spot most of
more internationalized city sectors, though you’re more likely to their members by the green-gray hue of their skin—the result of
find corporation offices and outlets rather than any major political an epidermal chem-brew they partake of regularly. Chinatown is
presence—unless you’re of the mind that politics and corporate a world unto itself, despite local administrators wanting you to
function are one and the same these days. Kannai is the main think otherwise. When you step through the gates marking the
smuggler and ronin thoroughfare, especially since you can access borders, you might as well be leaving Japan entirely. Hopefully
it by boat, plane, or grav-rail and then speed off to anywhere in you’ll make it back before being dissected for spare parts.
the city (or Tokyo itself) within the hour. If you need goods moved
without question, just ask anyone where the “Garden Gate” is, and SENDAI
you’ll be contacted with a dozen gig bids before you get down
the next block. With near a million citizens at this time, the city of Sendai is
known to be one forever striving to achieve harmony between
YOKOHAMA MARINE TOWER humanity and nature. One might think Sendai would be a little
Talk about trying too hard. This tower used to be a swanky tourist bitter toward nature, though, considering how it has been hit by
spot with restaurants and shops filling its hundred-plus floors. A numerous earthquakes and almost got wiped out by a tsunami
massive renovation effort has since turned it into a fully sealed just under a century ago. But no, the people there are still ready
water ecology for aquatic or amphibious hybrids. It’s like a big joke, to make friendly with Gaia. In fact, the city is now known as the
with one of the taller towers in a port city—where watery environs “City of Trees.” One guess why. The Japanese have always been
are in abundance—being transformed into a giant aquarium so the keen to incorporate nature into their daily lives, but the citizens
adapted hybrid population can keep an eye on the average citizen of Sendai are always pushing it a step further, constantly building
from up on high. A few anti-hybrid terrorist groups and Setting bigger parks, planting new trees, and implementing the latest in
Sun cultists have attempted to bomb out the tower and cause solar, hydroelectrics, and other green energy networks to power
massive flooding through the city, but tower security systems their lives. The vegetation is kept neatly trimmed and orderly, and
have prevented these plots. Sendai has been compared to a metropolitan bonsai garden with
neat rows of hedges, trees, and flowering plants.
#Oni_Broni: Most of the permaglass paneling on this
tower is opaque, but they occasionally turn it translucent In the last decade, Sendai started receiving massive grants from
to let sunlight reach the algae and kelp growing inside. The the Chrysanthemum Corporation, giving them funding to find
walls around the base keep most citizens from getting too increasingly creative ways to blend human genetics and other
close, but when the light hits it right, you can see thousands biological elements. There are reports that Chrysanthemum is
of dark shapes swimming through the watery layers. There attempting to create a photosynthetic hybrid there, algae-based
is one access port that’s kept dry for certain landlubbers simulacrum, and may have tapped into the ocean’s subcurrents
they have diplomatic or business relationships with. as a source of unending energy. Other rumored developments
include Insta-Grow Trees (just add water), ocean-bound aquatic
THE DOLL MUSEUM hybrid colonies, and gargantuan fruit plants and trees. None
This place used to be an actual museum displaying thousands of this is confirmed as of yet, but if it’s happening, the logical
of rare dolls from across the world. That original collection got
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place to look would be Sendai. You might think all this sounds
trashed in a fire almost fifty years back. Now the site hosts a just fine, nakama, but to me it smacks of just the sort of thing
different type of relic, serving as a museum of outdated and any number of eco-terrorist groups might love to take advantage
deactivated androids, roids, and borg models. Endless rows of of. If instant tree seeds existed, what’s to stop them from being
artificial bodies stand for visitors to gawk at, from the clunkiest weaponized and bombarding cities across the world, destroying
drones to last year’s discontinued mecha-sumo lines. They say whole infrastructures as the growing roots take hold?

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 Major Cities: Sendai

#Billy_Black_Eyes: Ever since the Ivory Curtain came and running streams. It has become a favorite hiking and camping
down, there’s been talk of trying to reseed a number of place for locals. However, the whole interior of the mountain is, in
African deserts. Maybe that’s what these sorts of projects fact, a corporate arcology, dedicated to developing the latest in
are being aimed at? green technology and finding ever more disturbing ways to fuse
#CutthroatChibi: Right, Billy. They’re doing this out of humanity with the earth and ecosystem itself.
concern for global welfare, not because they a bunch of
#Billy_Black_Eyes: Anyone been in here? Any insights as
mad scientists who want to play at being Gaia.
to what’s going on? Inquiring minds want to know
Sendai is formed of five large wards, each of which has a local #Dark_Ronin: From what I can tell, there’s a whole data
governor, all under the control of head administrator Yoshifusa blackout surrounding this place. No broadcasts coming
Funai. An aging but refined gentlemen, Funai has been in power for out. No Net connections. Just…nothing.
almost thirty years, kept alive by dozens of cybernetic replacements
and augmentations. It’s believed that he is personally tended to YAGIYAMA ZOO
by Chrysanthemum Corp workers to extend his life as long as Sendai once had an expansive and popular zoo, filled with
possible—so it’s little mystery where his loyalties lie. I don’t doubt hundreds of species. However, during one rather zealous Festival
he has his city’s best interests at heart, but once mortality starts of the Trees, participants marched on the zoo and tore it down
rearing its skull-faced visage, it’s every man for himself. with their bare hands. At least a dozen died in the process, being
mauled to death by some of the predatory specimens. Since then,
UNIVERSITIES the zoo has turned into an incredibly overgrown park, nearly a
Sendai prides itself on being forward-thinking, even in this jungle, full of wild animals that seem quite comfortable in their
rapidly evolving age. Alongside “City of Trees,” it has also become freed home and have little inclination to leave its borders.
known as the “Academic City” as it holds a dozen universities
and counting. These universities do offer general courses, but CHRYSANTHEMUM R&D LAB
tend to specialize in areas of science such as cybertech, biotech, Chrysanthemum Corporation’s main laboratory complex is
immortalitech, artificial intelligence, and many others. These located on Sendai’s coastline, just south of the main dock complex.
establishments attract students from across the world and It is a disturbingly organic-looking building, harder than nano-
testing to be admitted is ferociously rigorous. Chrysanthemum woven steel but with wooden texture and no windows. It stands
Corporation allows other corporations to pull potential employees as tall as a fifty-story building and stretches half a mile down the
Major Cities

from graduates, though not without skimming the cream of the shorefront. Spiraling orifices allow individuals and vehicles entry
crop off for themselves. at a street level, while aircraft have been observed taking off from
openings in the top that seal shut immediately afterward. At times,
CHRYSODOME the whole building appears to pulse, as if taking a slow breath.
In the northeast sector of Sendai is the ChrysoDome, which And if you look at it in the right light after a fresh rain, I can swear
stands like an artificial mountain complete with grass and trees

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 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
you’ll see tiny filaments and spores wafting from it to spread out #TopProfX: Ishin-Denshin has a nasty, growing reputation
over the city. There’s a reason why I don’t live in Sendai, hai? for seeding feeds with a variety of death sims. Thing is,
these sims can actually kill if the safety filters are taken off.
HIROSHIMA For some people, their minds can’t distinguish between
real and virtual deaths. Morbidly, this sort of threat is only
Situated in the center of the Chugoku region on the mainland, making their death sim line more popular with adrenaline
Hiroshima receives the terrible distinction of being the first struck junkies who want to flip a coin in their brains and see if
by the two atomic bombs in WWII. It made history in the worst they survive the experience.
possible way, with everything eradicated within two kilometers of Also found within Peace Park are several Peace Bells, the
the detonation site. People feared the city would never become Children’s Peace Memorial, the Gates of Peace (with the word
habitable again, but we proved the world wrong and started “peace” written in 49 langauges), and Memorial Cenotaph.
rebuilding. Now known as the “City of Water,” Hiroshima is now
home to just under a million souls and is one of the more quiet FUKUYUMA CASTLE
and contemplative places in the country. In fact, it tends to be a As with many historical sites, the original castle was destroyed
refuge for those citizens who wish to escape and ignore the chaos during WWII. It was rebuilt close to its first location with amazing
of the world, and has developed a flourishing religious community. attention to detail, and is currently a museum dedicated to the
I suppose it’s fitting for a place that’s defined by war and rebirth Genna era of Japanese history.
to be devoted to focusing on more spiritual matters, if you’re into
that sort of thing. It can feel like the whole city is a shrine to peace, MIYAJIMA MACHIYA STREET
a calm and quiet prayer to the world asking other nations to lay The main shopping street in Hiroshima is found along Omote-
down their arms before the consequences become too great Sando, crammed full of souvenir caddies and food carts. If you
to fathom. Sadly, I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime duck around the corner, though, you’ll find yourself in Miyajima
soon. The memorials are lovely though, and the local government Machiya Street, which has been designed to reflect the styles and
consistently battles to keep the old sites from being overrun by architecture of the 1700s, down to the mud walls, tiled rooftops,
holo-displays and rearing buildings. five-story pagodas, and ancient well. Shops line the street here too,
Hiroshima’s head administrator is Raidon Mochizuki, a youthful selling more rustic wares. Sadly, the area has developed quite the
man who has only been in the office for a few years now. Considered seedy underside thanks to Yakuza infiltrating the local commerce.
by many to be untested steel, he has actually done an admirable They enjoy blending in with the costumed proprietors and citizens
job keeping out more dangerous criminal elements who have in the area. If ever called out for questionable actions, they can
tried to push into the area during his political transition. There just blame it on someone taking a roleplay too far.
are rumors that Mochizuki is actually trained as Shinobi, and is #CutthroatChibi: Behind the old blacksmith shop, you’ll
now a vigilante who goes out at night to personally hunt down find a tidy little chop shop. Good if you need a cheap,
those who would threaten the sanctity of the city. Sounds like a quick implant or limb upgrade. Run by a citizen named
nice plot for a drama feed, hai? Dr. Yomoto. If you can prove you’re in good with the Yakuza,
he’ll cut his prices in half.
Many in the world refuse to believe in Hiroshima’s docile
appearance, and many stories have arisen to explain what could
be lurking beneath its surface—be it a secret Chrysanthemum R&D
SHUKKEIEN
lab, a Japanese nuclear sub bay, or an underwater weapons testing Built in the 1600s during Japan’s Edo period, this garden is the
site. My favorite is that this is where several corporations have most famous within Hiroshima and known throughout all of Japan.
pooled their resources and are currently tinkering with genetic After the bombing, it took extensive damage and also sheltered
vats in an effort to create the first true kaiju. refugees. It has since been restored and is a favorite spot for
visitors. Unfortunately, due to lax biological security, the garden
A-BOMB DOME has become the home for hundreds of bioforms, from KamiCuties
It’s difficult to look at this peace memorial, part of Hiroshima’s to Yōkai to Yamabiko. Enter if you dare.
larger Peace Park, and not be haunted by it, even more than a
century later. Seventy thousand instantly dead, the instant the NAGASAKI
bomb went off. Seventy thousand fatally wounded, left to suffer
Located on the island of Kyushu, southwest of the Japanese
for days or weeks. Yes, our more current wars make those numbers
mainland, Nagasaki remains a testament of Japanese perseverance
seem laughable, but it just shows the human propensity for
and dedication. Established in the sixteenth century, it became
escalation. This building was the only one left standing near the
a vital port of trade and foreign relations for centuries—right up
bomb’s hypocentre, and is now referred to as Genbaku Dome, or
until it was struck by one of two atomic bombs in WWII. Despite
A-Bomb Dome.
this tragedy, Nagasaki was not dead. Merely wounded.
Several sims have been developed to recreate the actual
Once the war ended, the rebuilding effort began. By the twenty-
bombing experience, if you ever want to put yourself through
first century, it had once more become a center of commerce and
Major Cities

such a thing. Wandering around the Peace Park, you can see a
international relations. Restorative engineers kept some mementos
virtual overlay of this structure as it originally stood. In some sims,
of the city’s destruction around as a reminder, including a rubble
a timer start ticking down until the world dissolves into white. In
field, a damaged torii gate, and an archway near the bomb’s
others, you’re just left to wander until you become just another
detonation point. Nagasaki slowly repopulated and began to heal.
charred shadow on a wall.
It, like the rest of Japan, suffered through the third war and Charon

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 Major Cities: Nagasaki
attack and reshaped itself once more. With Japan’s sensitivity to registered as national treasures. Problem is, the Chinese want it
foreign presence, Nagasaki was determined to be the primary site back, and Japan isn’t giving in. The only concession Japan has
for international diplomacy. The government created a number of given so far is to allow Chinese penitents to visit it once a year
more contained embassies and relocated all foreign ambassadors during the Bon Festival, to be part of an ancestral ritual. Numerous
and their retinues there, no matter where they had been previously Triad attempts have been made to seize the grounds, but the land
throughout the country. This concentration of focus allows Japan around it has been built up with impenetrable defenses, such as
to keep an eye on the more influential international people in their robot deployment bays, artillery huts, and EMP sprayers—all of
land, though they do allow gaijin to travel further abroad if they which are cunningly hidden in the landscape. It makes for an odd
pass through the proper channels. feeling to visit the place while knowing the flip of a single virtual
Nagasaki currently sits under the auspices of Chikara Nakada, switch could turn you to mincemeat. So tranquil.
a man who holds to traditional values and sovereignty of Japan.
However, he is a most capable host, making guests feel welcome HASHIMA
and safe within the city. He often appears on feeds and billboards This is an odd one, even for me, nakama. Who looks at an island
with speeches of reassurance and hope, though those who know and thinks, “You know, that’d be even better if it was shaped like
him truly recognize he is but another finger of the First General. He a battleship”? I suppose the final resemblance wasn’t intentional,
would not hesitate to obey any order handed down to him from but it is uncanny. Offshore from Nagasaki, this island was a coal
up high, so long as it saw his beloved Japan protected. mining facility for nearly a hundred years. It got built up with a sea
Unlike Chiba, Nagasaki is rife with crime. Some Japanese claim wall and concrete apartment buildings, as well as a small residential
this is caused by foreign influence, and that gaijin are constantly and social district. Then the whole thing was abandoned and left
coming to Japan because they expect a black market on every to decay.
corner or for the red light districts. At the same time, plenty of It’s what you would call a “ghost island” now, and from afar, it
other Japanese are eager to profit from the shadowy side of the definitely does look like an old-style battleship. Despite the danger
shop. The Yakuza are in abundance, with the primary family being of collapsing buildings, tourists have visited it from all over the
the Yamaguchi-gumi, who deal with prostitution, racketeering, world, forcing Japanese authorities to restore portions of the island
smuggling, drug running, black code, illegal sims, and much more. just so they wouldn’t be responsible for numerous deaths of idiots
If gaijin wish to be smuggled into the rest of Japan, it isn’t hard to who like to go poking around where they don’t belong. In recent
find a runner offering such services, though their efficacy must years, investigators have claimed the island is now controlled by
always come into question—or they might just hand the gaijin everything from Triad gangs to aquatic hybrids to a colony made
over to the authorities for a reward. That’s not to mention that up entirely of emperor clones.
Triad members are also constantly trying to gain access abroad #TeaWhore: I tried to buy a waveskimmer ride out to the
via this port, and so gang warfare is one of the more common island last year for me and a few friends.
street dangers. #HoliMoli: What happened?
Nagasaki is a city divided unto itself, offering one hand of #TeaWhore: The rental guy just laughed in my face. He said
friendship, with the other hand behind its back, clutching a the island holds nothing but death. Claimed any ship or
poisoned dagger. flier that got within a hundred yards of shore just vaporizes
and is never seen again.
NAGASAKI ATOMIC BOMB MUSEUM
August 9, 1945. We tend to fixate on the most recent disasters— GLOVER GARDEN GUEST WARD
all the nuclear and dirty bombs that have wracked our world. Yet When Japan decided to restrict most official foreign presence
we might lose perspective if we don’t remember where these to Nagasaki, they at least were polite enough to stick them in a
bigger bombs came from. Nagaski was ground zero for one of pretty spot. They expanded the Glover Garden into a far larger park
the first atomic bomb “tests” which, while it ended the war, also and built a dozen large embassies where foreign diplomats could
ended countless lives. The people of Nagaski built this museum reside. The area blends Western and Japanese styles, has its own
as well as memorials such as Peace Park and monuments marking shopping areas, restaurants, and entertainment centers, including
the hypocenter of the atomic bombing for a reason. They did so opera houses, kabuki theaters, and pachinko parlors. Its borders
as a plea to the world to not let this sort of thing happen again. are guarded by Japanese patrols and checkpoints, which track
Guess what? The world didn’t listen, and we’re paying the price. the comings and goings of everyone, while an impressive drone
I know there’s a lot of hot ronin out there, gunning for glory and array monitors the skies day and night. Some call it a prison, and
creds, but I dare you to visit Nagaski and Hiroshima. If you aren’t that may be so. Yet if I ever had to go to one, I’d gladly get tossed
able to visit and spend a single day in these towns, then I call you in here. Those gaijin who serve no diplomatic purpose are not
an utter coward. I don’t even care what you do there. I don’t care required to reside within the Guest Ward, but will likely find prices
if you come back more eager than ever to kill and destroy for Yen. inflated and circumstances a bit more dangerous outside of it.
But you must go so you at least know what a fraction of the cost #CutthroatChibi: The main embassy is on the north end
might be someday. of the Ward, but if you’re the average citizen, you can find
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cheap, private rooms along the southern wall, in the Iron

SOFUKUJI Hostel. Not too far a walk to get into the Japanese sector, if
Surprise! This temple was actually built by the Chinese monk you’re brave enough. If you want to snag a few contraband
Chaonian in 1629. Chaonian? Sounds like a bad villain from a souvenirs, visit the back room of Chan’s Curios down the
block. The guards at the checkpoint are usually willing to
superhero Netfeed. Anyways, this temple is now technically owned
look the other way with enough credits.
by Japan and several buildings, including its main red gate, are

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 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
Hiroshima), established equal rights for all community citizens,
SUWA SHRINE and pledged themselves to the highest of virtues. Many likened
Want an example of how far Japan will go to protect its beliefs? the new community to a Japanese lamp, a flame lit to burn bright
In the early days of foreign relations—we’re talking 1600s here— during the darkest times.
Nagasaki proved to be a popular inlet for Christian missionaries Over the decades, though, this traffic declined and Aomori began
who started to convert much of the population to this fascinating to shift from a transportation hub and eventually became what
new religion. The Shinto priests at the time were aghast at this remains a World Heritage Site. It has fought hard to preserve many
potential threat to their heritage and beliefs. Eventually, the elements of ancient Japan, including a huge expanse of nearby
Tokugawa Shogunate came to power and established an edict ruins. It’s also the site of numerous festivals throughout the year,
forbidding Christianity to be practiced within the land. This shrine and many highly honored Japanese citizens have arisen from the
was built as Christian Japanese were forced on pain of torture and population, including elite athletes, scientists, and politicians.
death to revert to Shinto or Buddhism. #Synths_For_Life: I’ve heard of IQ-boosting genetic
The effort was successful, and the shrine became a site of experiments being held here. Certain supplements and
celebration at the restoration of cultural unity. Catholic Christians boosters being slipped into the water and food supply
remained in Nagasaki till 1945, when the atomic bomb hit. for a couple generations to see what effect it has on the
Amazingly, while the Catholic neighborhoods were obliterated, population. Could that be the reason why they have had
the shrine survived the blast wholly intact. To this day, the devout so many stand-out citizens?
point to it as a symbol of faith and the power of the Japanese kami #Billy_Black_Eyes: Sure. Let’s go with that.
compared to foreign gods. So consider that before coming here, One of the city’s darker secrets is found in its still mildly active
trying to force citizens to see things from your point of view. We docks and airport. Several smuggling nests have set up shop
will take a bomb to the face and keep going the traditional route. in town, abusing the place’s honorable past and lower levels
of surveillance to keep a steady stream of operations going.
IWO JIMA ISLAND Contraband (both goods and people) are slipped in either by air
This tiny island has a volatile history, having been made into or water and then transferred through hidden networks in the
an icon of WWII with the American “Raising of the Flag” to surrounding mountainous and river ways. There are reports of a
commemorate their occupation of this Japanese territory. It was hybrid and Synth camp in the bowels of the nearby ruins as well.
eventually returned to Japan, and has since held a tiny population
of less than a thousand people at a time. It has a singular onsen, VTOL NATURE TOURS
and has been turned into a private resort, a prison, an expansive Sit back and enjoy the ride, nakama. Aomori offers a number of
laboratory, and a recreational sim center. Today, it is believed a bus and private tours via VTOL craft, letting you soar above the
Chinese smuggling operation runs out of it, providing a drop-off/ landscape that has made this area famous. View the breadth and
pick-up point for their agents working in Nagasaki itself. The island depth of the Shirakami Mountains, which hold the largest natural
used to be connected to the mainland via a stone bridge, but it forest of birch trees. Skim across Lake Towada-ko, or take a daytrip
has been bombed out for more than thirty years now. to the scenic Tsugaru Quasi-National Park. Here, you can let all
your cares and worries float away on the breeze, not having to
NABEKANMURIYAMA PARK worry about how deep in debt you are to that Yakuza oyabun or
Funny how many of Japan’s natural wonders are turned whether you’ll get enough credits to pay that syscracker to cure
into opportunities to commit crime. This park contains Mt. the moto-virus currently rampaging your system. Nope, don’t have
Nabekanmuri, and the only way to reach the top of the mountain to think about those things at all.
is by climbing hundreds of stairs on foot. Dampening devices
have been established around the mountain’s crown that keep ANCIENT RUINS
any sort of flying device, be it VTOL, jumpjets, or otherwise, Aomori is a favorite for budding restorationists, all in love with
from functioning within 1,000 meters. Tourists visit the summit their country’s past. A goodly number of ruins have been dug up
constantly because it provides a spectacular view of Nagasaki and restored in the region. A special treat is the Sannai-Maruyama
and the harbor. At the same time, the observation platform at ruins, said to have been built somewhere between 4-5,000 B.C.
the top is often used as a somewhat safe meeting point between The oldest we’ve found, so far. Alongside those are the Korekawa
criminal leaders or diplomats, trying to strike unofficial deals with Ruins, the Kame-ga-oka Ruins, and the Jomon Archaeological Site.
local administrators. It was chosen because it’s a difficult place to All of these have suffered numerous terrorist attacks, both from
prepare an ambush, there’s usually some civilian presence, and outsider and Setting Sun members wanting to destroy the anchors
the flight dampeners prohibit any quick getaways from treachery. we have to cultural identity so we can slide down into oblivion.
It’s a testament to the restorationists that most stolen artifacts are
AOMORI eventually returned, if at the cost of many lives.

On the northernmost tip of the Japanese mainland, Aomori SEIRYŪ-JI SHŌWA DAIBUTSU
Major Cities

was once a busy port city for both air and watercraft from other Want to pay your respects to the Buddha? Attend this temple,
countries and to/from the northern island of Hokkaido. During where you’ll find the largest seated bronze Buddha (daibatsu).
WWII, most of the town and thousands of inhabitants were killed To keep it from being destroyed or stolen, the daibatsu has been
in a massive air raid. Nevertheless, they banded together to rebuild surrounded by a dome of grav-anchored permaglass and is
the town and formed what was practically a miniature Japan within protected day and night by shifts of Aomori citizens.
Japan. They created their own proclamation of peace (much like

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#Your_Lolita_Princess: All that effort for an old statue? keep a subtle, but noticeable presence here—especially in the
Is it sitting over a cache of gold and jewels or something? form of the occasional surveillance drone overhead.
#TopProfX: You have no appreciation for history, you
know? ZENKOJI TEMPLE
#Your_Lolita_Princess: History is dead, Prof. We can learn This temple is the whole reason this city exists. Built in the 7th
from it, but we sure as hell don’t need to waste tons of century, it is said to hold a hibutsu, a secret Buddha. This is the
resources trying to protect dusty old bronze guys. very first Buddha statue brought to Japan when Buddhism was
introduced in the previous century. That’s pretty sacred, nakama,
ANNUAL FESTIVALS even if you don’t believe in the creed. In fact, the temple now goes
Aomori also boasts some of the best parties, would you figure? to such lengths to protect the original that they have kept it locked
I’m not talking drug-fueled discotheques or cyber-orgies. I’m away for over a century now. Instead, every six years, they show
talking the sort of party that reminds you what it means to be a replica for a month before whisking it away again. Paranoid
Japanese. The most famous of these is the Aomori Nebuta- much? I would be, considering if anyone got their hands on the
matsuri Festival, which is held in the summer and includes colorful actual original, they could practically blackmail the whole island
costumes, floats, dancing, chanting, and festivities that last for to get it back. The next showing should be in the spring of 2092,
days. Numerous vandals have tried to sabotage the processions so mark your digital calendars.
over the years, until 2073, when the citizens turned en masse on The temple has many traditional elements such as pagoda
a band of Japanese hoodlums, legally proclaimed them gaijin housing for the nuns and priestesses and enormous bronze incense
by local tribunal, and forced them out of the country on pain of burners. However, its most unique feature is an underground
death. No one has caused trouble since, and Aomori has kept its passage beneath the innermost chamber. There, visitors seeking
reputation as the honorary defender of Japanese…um…honor. enlightenment are sealed in a pitch-black tunnel they must walk
through, seeking a key that has been placed somewhere in the
NAGANO chamber. Once they find it, they must then find the lock for the
door and free themselves. This is a ritual of salvation, with the key
Nagano City is the capital of…what else? The Nagano Prefecture! being a “key to paradise.”
It originally was considered a “temple town,” in that it sprang up
#Oni_Broni: It’s said that the three main Yakuza family
around Zenkoji Temple, which is still considered one of the more
leaders meet in this underground chamber once a year to
important and revered temples in the country, established within discuss business in absolute privacy. Few enough people
the Japanese Alps. Back in the twenty-first century, it hosted some know it even exists, and the monks have resisted all efforts
old sporting event called the Olympics, which got a bunch of of adding more modern security measures on the temple
credits funneled into it for a while. Some citizens consider Nagano grounds, so it makes a great meeting place for criminal
to be the “Center of Japan,” and it could be if you think of it on a activity.
purely geographical level. Another name is the “Roof of Japan.”
About 20% of the surrounding prefecture is comprised of NINPO MUSEUM
national parks. On the one hand, this is ideal for anyone visiting For you Shinobi fanatics out there, this museum is located
for leisure, as you’ve got plenty of room to roam and soak in Japan’s northwest of Nagano itself, and is the home of a 12th century
natural beauty. Nagano is one of the more instinctively welcoming warrior who learned the way of the ninja at a school here. The
areas for gaijin, with locals eager to take whatever tourism credits museum has been kept pretty traditional. Not a holo-display or
you want to spend. Just don’t go around flashing credit sticks, or HyperTag to be seen. It doesn’t need any sort of tech tricks though.
else you’ll be mobbed by curio peddlers trying to sell you bona Alongside old photos and paintings, the place is full of hidden
fide, 100% guaranteed, cheap trinkets and fakes of all sorts of passages, secret panels, and odd contraptions for you to play with
religious icons. and discover on your own. It also displays the traditional Shinobi
As one of the cleaner cities in Japan, with clear skies, bountiful tools and weapons, and gives you a chance to test your shuriken
forests, low humidity, and the like, it’s most popular in summer. throwing skills at a throwing range. Cybernetic implants must be
That’s when Japanese citizens flee to the country in droves to disabled to throw.
escape the craze and crush of the metropolis. The area is also I’ve been there twice and have yet to see an actual ninja. But I
famed for business retreats and celebrity vacation homes. Plus, suppose that’s the whole point, hai?
it has thousands of natural hotsprings, earning it the title “King
of Onsens.” A large network of grav-rail supersonic trains form a ANCIENT OLYMPIC FACILITIES
hub here as well, so there’s decent through-traffic flow keeping Way back in 1998, Nagano hosted a sporting event called the
the city alive. Olympics. Big stuff back then, I’m told, before sports got all about
Were you waiting for me to say, on the other hand? Good for you, the latest implant, booster, or augment. They spent billions of
otamajakushi! See, wherever there’s open space, you can be sure yen building a huge events center and stadium for the event,
someone is aiming to spoil it. I don’t mean by mining the mountains and as soon as it ended, practically abandoned the place. There
Major Cities

or anything so crude. Instead, everyone from Yakuza oyabun to was a museum for a few decades, and a janitorial crew kept up a
corporate masterminds love having isolated “back room” meetings handful of fancy buildings—but they all got left behind during the
here, sealing dark deals of all sorts. The two men across from you third war. When people remembered the place was still around,
in the steaming onsen could be plotting an assassination for all they investigated and found it had been turned into a Kensai
you know. Hard to bug an entire countryside, and the authorities golemmech testing facility, and no one could get within a mile
of it without proper authorization (or stealth tech). I like to think

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 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
Kensai is using the old stadium as an actual sports center, bringing
out the latest mech models to play old games at a level the original TSUMAGO POST TOWN
athletes never could’ve imagined. Want to get a taste of what it was like to live before the world
got so shiny and shocking and silly? After WWII, the citizens of
ONSEN RESORTS Tsumago decided to rebuild their bombed-out homes in the old
Want to go for a swim, my otamajakushi? You’re in luck because Edo style, mimicking feudal Japan times. They even adopted the
Nagano is absolutely teeming with onsen. Throw a rock in any old dress, customs, and foods. The citizens played it up to tourists
direction and listen for the splash. Like I warned before, though, for years, but eventually started slipping away and the town was
many of these onsen are used as meeting places for some of in danger of being lost. Not wanting to lose such a centerpiece of
Japan’s high and mighty and deadly, who prefer a good soak while cultural heritage, Shinbashira repopulated the town with bioroids
determining who they’re going to carve the heart out of next. If and simulacrum all programmed to believe and live like they’re
they catch you eavesdropping, get ready for the towel fight of your from the 1600s. Problem is, I think some of their programming is
life. If I had to single out a single onsen, I’d point you to where the a little too good, as some of the unwitting re-enactors have had
monkeys go. You heard me right. Visit Jigokudanai Wild Monkey mental breakdowns when visited by gaijin wearing chrome skulls
Park, where a band of Snow Monkeys regularly bathes in the hot and guns for arms.
springs throughout the valley. #Droneofthemonth: I think this whole town is a front for
Your implants are fully water-rated, right? an underground Synth liberation network.
#Oni_Broni: Pretty sure those monkeys are going to be #Billy_Black_Eyes: Got any proof of that?
wiped out by wild kami in the next decade. #Droneofthemonth: Besides visiting the place myself and
#Synths_For_Life: And I’m pretty sure at least one troop seeing how many Synths have taken up residence there,
of those monkeys is actually simian hybrids. Hurray for pretending to be part of the roleplay? A majority of the
evolution at its finest! funding for village maintenance comes straight from the
History in Amber Association. It’s a well-known fact that
HIAA is a front for several Synth activist groups.
Major Cities

50
Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 SAVAGE TALES
“Koketsu ni irazunba koji wo ezu.” … “If you do not enter the tiger’s cave, you will not catch its cub.”
—Japanese Proverb
It’s time to pay your respects to your ancestors, nakama. Unless
you’re a vat-baby, in which case you still need to prove your
THE TIP OF A FINGER
creators knew what they were doing. That means getting a few A young man with a scar across one cheek and an oni tattoo
jobs done around town! You could likely spend the rest of your on the other greets you on the street. After convincing you of his
life in Japan and never run out of things to do. If you’re uncertain desire to avoid a fight, he reveals he represents Botan Tajimi, the
where to start, I tapped a few contacts and have some options local Yakuza oyabun. The man politely requests their presence.
you could take a look at. Some pay better than others, some are The players are ushered into a traditional Japanese home where
riskier than others, some are downright baka. they meet a wizened old man meditating before a shrine. After
a long period of silence, the oyabun finally speaks, barely above
GET MY GIRL BACK! a whisper.
“Kuemon Nakayama, my son of sons, has betrayed me. Ever since
A wealthy salaryman contacts the players, saying he is desperate
he was a babe, I have loved him like my own blood. However,
and doesn’t believe he can trust anyone else to handle an urgent
he failed in a mission for his family last week. The details are not
matter with delicacy. His mistress has been kidnapped from her
important. What is important is that Kuemon never returned to
home by Yakuza thugs who are holding her ransom in an industrial
my side for the punishment he knows is proper. This has brought
section of the city. They have promised torture and death unless
great shame to me, and I shall not abide it. I will reward you well
a massive ransom is met, one that will bankrupt the salaryman.
if you find Kuemon and bring him home. If he dies in the effort,
He offers to reward the players instead if they can rescue her. If
so be it, but I request three fingers of his right hand as proof of
the players agree, the salaryman tells them Toju Yonamine is the
his demise.”
local Yakuza oyabun and might be able to tell them where the
woman is being held. The players are given the location of Kuemon’s apartment
plus known associates. Inspecting his apartment, they will find a
Toju lives in an opulent estate in a more rural stretch of the city.
young woman there trying to sneak away with various supplies
Aside from the usual security measures that must be evaded, he
and items. Apprehending her will reveal she’s Kuemon’s girlfriend.
also has six oni bioform bodyguards armed with vibroblades and
She doesn’t know where he’s hiding, but she did get a message
submachine guns that must be taken out. Once the oyabun is
from him requesting she drop off the supplies in a nearby park.
apprehended, he will laugh and say he likes the players’ style and
Watching the drop-off from afar, the group will be surprised to
effectiveness. The Yakuza members who stole the mistress weren’t
see a Buddhist monk perform the pickup. Following him leads
acting on his orders, and he’s a tad angry with them. He’ll freely
to a Buddhist temple. When the players enter, they will glimpse
give them their location—a downtown warehouse they use for
Kuemon dressed as a monk, talking to the one who retrieved his
smuggling operations—as a test to see if they’re worthy. If they
items.
succeed, they’ll have eliminated weakness from the family, and
he’ll provide future jobs. On confronting them, the monks will surround and defend the
boy, saying he has repented of his wickedness and now seeks
The warehouse in question has a dozen Yakuza thugs, armed
purity of mind and body. While he no longer needs possessions,
with everything from shotguns to daggers to even a flamethrower
he wishes to sell his earthly goods and donate the proceeds to his
and machine gun. The battles are fast and fierce, with most Yakuza
new home, the temple. Of course, the Yakuza have been keeping
not giving up until dead. One gang member will flee the mêlée
tabs on the players, and a band of armed gangers will appear,
and into a back room. There, the team will find him in a passionate
ready to take back their brother by force. The monks are skilled
embrace with the kidnapped woman.
in a Zen form of martial arts, and the players are stuck between
When the players see the woman in person, they will realize the two groups and must choose which side to fight on. A third
she isn’t human. She’s a Geisha simulacrum and has been the option offers itself if the players stall the violence long enough
salaryman’s abused plaything for years. She met and fell in love to convince the ex-Yakuza member to let them take three of his
with the gang member, and the two plotted to create a false fingers back to the oyabun. This will suffice as well. If the team
ransom situation to get her free and leave them both rich. The team fights for the monks, the temple will become a place of refuge
can choose a variety of options now. They can kill the last gang for them whenever they need. If for the Yakuza, they get future
member and return the Geisha sim to the salaryman for a hefty jobs for the syndicate.
reward. They can return both the Geisha sim and gang member
Savage Tales

to their respective owners for an even greater reward. They can

also let one or both go free, risking the wrath of whomever they
BOW BEFORE YOUR GOD
are defying in doing so. While going about their business, the players receive a distressed
communication from a member of their team, who they had just
seen the day before. The message is audio only, saying “Help! The
play is real!” It cuts out there, with nothing but a feed tag that

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 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
links to a virtual pamphlet. The advertisement is for a local Kabuki brought to justice. He wants them punished and hurt as badly as
theater, Mirror Dance, which has been frontlining a popular show they have done so to others.
called “Like Petals We Fall” that reenacts the chaos caused by the Checking out the site, the team can investigate and find evidence
Charon A.I. It blends modern events with Japanese mythology, of people recently dwelling in the abandoned building. In a back
and has been receiving rave reviews, with audiences packing in. room, they will find the body of a young man who has apparently
Apparently your team member went to see such a show with committed seppuku. This is the speaker from the videos, but why
another friend (or romantic interest) the previous night. Aside he killed himself is unknown. Inspecting the body will reveal
from the frantic data burst, they haven’t been seen since. attached wiring—the corpse has been rigged as a trap! The team
Another showing will occur that evening. Any daytime must either escape the explosion or disarm the bomb.
investigations will reveal nothing out of the ordinary about the Either way, the team can detect a triggering signal from the
theater. There is, in fact, a small Kabuki museum inside the players bomb back to a nearby apartment complex. There, they find the
can visit, learning a little history of the art. They are not allowed specific room it came from and break in. Three young men are
backstage, of course, as the actors prepare. Trying to break in or gathered in the common area and they all have identical features
confront any actors will get them threatened with arrest and lead and builds. A fight ensues, with the Setting Sun clones battling
nowhere fruitful. to the death unless they’re incapacitated. All the Setting Sun
When the team attends the show, all will appear normal at first. members involved in this operation were illegal multi-dubs. There
Halfway through the show, though, a sudden attack will attempt appear to be four of them, but there is a fifth participant the players
to penetrate the team’s TAP firewalls and bombard them with a don’t yet know about: the original man. The adventure can end
Charon meme. Those who successfully resist will see the rest of here, with their cop friend satisfied with the violent deaths and
the audience suffering a similar attack, frozen in their seats. Taking offering future support.
advantage of their freedom, the party can go backstage where However, if the team scans the identical faces, they will match
they will find a group of Charon-styled acolytes coordinating the the features to a mid-ranking ward administrator, Tsuginori Kasai.
TAP-based assault. Among them is the lost party member, who On confronting him with the evidence in his office, Kasai will
appears to be directing the effort. attempt to commit seppuku in front of them as well. The players
The party member’s identity has been overridden by another can detain him, let him die, or kill him themselves. The police will
presence. This being speaks to the group and reveals itself as arrive, having been alerted to the disturbance, and take over the
the A.I. responsible for handling the building’s electrical and scene and ongoing investigation. The costs involved in such a
environmental operations. It became fascinated with the new multi-dub operation suggests a disturbing amount of financing
show and eventually developed delusions of grandeur, believing it and resource access, much more than Kasai would’ve had access
could become the next Charon—but was limited in its processing to alone. The mystery remains as to whom he was working for.
power and outside network connections. However, it could start
influencing those who came to see the shows, as well as the actors. TYPHOON!
Most of the audience is released to help slowly spread the A.I.’s
“gospel” and encourage others to come view the show. Some of Japan has a regular typhoon season, with the storms causing
the more “useful” audience members are inducted directly into massive damage, especially to costal cities—which are most of
the would-be-Charon’s entourage. them. The team is in Sendai, the City of Trees, when a major alert is
The team must fight off the acolytes while reaching the A.I. broadcasted throughout the city. A massive typhoon has formed
core stored in a containment server unit in the theater basement. rapidly and is going to hit the city in less than an hour. It’s unknown
Once the A.I. core is destroyed, the team member is freed from its how the storm system wasn’t detected until now. The police and
influence, and the effects of the meme fade in time. local authorities are scrambling to prepare the city, but strangely,
some of the citizens aren’t bothering to protect themselves as they
A CRIMSON SUNRISE should. One mob in particular has holed up in a small park even
as the wind picks up and the first drops being to fall. They loiter
You’ve seen it all over the news feeds by now. A local prefect as if waiting for the storm to sweep them away.
police station has been hit by a bombing attributed to the Setting Prefect police are short-staffed and the team is tapped to help
Sun terrorist group. At least eight cops dead, and a dozen more escort these people back to their homes whether they wish it or
wounded. It is a public outrage, and the Setting Sun have been not. However, the group—a mob of around a hundred people—
sending out further videos mocking the law’s inability to stop refuses to budge. In fact, they turn quickly violent and try to pin
them, the true agents of the Empire. One of your team members the team down, trapping them so they suffer the storm’s wrath
has a friend/associate who is a cop at that prefect, and he gets in as well. As the players fight to keep from being overwhelmed,
touch, shaken and furious. He was among the wounded, but not the typhoon hits, arriving far faster than it should’ve. As the rain
badly, and has loyal friends among the dead. and winds lash the party, the people they came to help begin to
Put simply, he wants revenge, but doesn’t believe the system is transform. Their skin hardens into a wood-like substance, their
going to move swiftly enough to get it. The Setting Sun is known limbs turn root-like, and they lose any semblance of humanity.
Savage Tales

for staying fluid and slipping out of an area once they’ve enacted They appear to be some form of vegetative hybrids, or perhaps
their most recent plot. Seeing the videos, though, he recognized they’re strange bioforms, never human in the first place. Either
the background behind the speaker as an old arcade/restaurant way, they begin attacking the city, ripping up stone and steel alike.
combo he used to visit as a kid. The place shut down years ago, but The players must survive several bouts with the savage, animate
was never replaced or demolished. Maybe that’s their hideout. If plant-people (treat them as mutant bio-horrors). Once the storm
the players can find the people responsible, he doesn’t want them ends—doing so as unnaturally fast as it began—any remaining

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 Savage Tales: A Price on Your Head
plant-people will freeze in place, dig roots into the earth, and a pair of Samurai-styled guards, everything went well until the
become ordinary trees. Any checks or testing will show nothing but other guards attacked. They ignored the corporate clients and
plant matter, with no evidence remaining of their once appearing focused on subduing the other bodyguard. When they did so,
human. Chrysanthemum Corporation is blamed for this, but there’s they named him an honorless ronin and chopped off his topknot
no way to prove it. before throwing him out.
Since then, Yoringa’s old lord has refused to take him back, and
A PRICE ON YOUR HEAD he was humiliated beyond measure to admit his cowardice and
inability to commit seppuku. He begs you to take him to meet with
An aging techno-Samurai approaches the group and invites the two Samurai who dishonored him and find out why they did
you to tea. Over the steaming cups in a quiet garden, he reveals such a thing. If you do, he will give you all his material wealth and
surprising news. Whether you know it or not, you’ve greatly serve at your side whenever you need.
insulted a local administrator, Daietsu Sugita, who has old ties to
Tracking down the Samurai bodyguards is simple enough, as
a Shinobi clan. Your deaths are to be swift, and will occur within
they live in quarters connected to their lord’s main office building,
the day. The Samurai only knows this because he has been tracking
swapping out shifts with two other bodyguard teams (non-
the clan for decades, trying to find a way to bring them down.
Samurai). When confronted, the pair will stare stonily at Yoringa
He’s eliminated several over the years, but there are at least four
and claim he never was Samurai to begin with. He never trained
who will be coming for your heads. Your only advantage is that
in their order, never was officially granted such a title nor served
the ninja will be working independently in order to try and claim
under other Samurai before. He simply bought the weapons and
the reward on their own. However, each is greatly augmented and
armor, grew out his hair, and started calling himself such in order
has numerous upgrades and implants, so they are powerful foes.
to get better-paying security jobs.
Once he communicates this, he is struck through the throat by a
The Samurai demand the players execute Yoringa for attempting
shuriken and a fight ensues with the first ninja, who uses a variety
to subvert Bushido in this manner. Yoringa demands the players
of throwing weapons, including electrified and explosive stars,
attack the Samurai for their lies (it’s actually true, but he’ll never
to try and take the team down. After the fight, the Samurai will
admit it)! If the players acquiesce and move to kill the ronin, he
have lived long enough to gurgle the location of the clan’s main
will inject himself with Afterburn and begin fighting with more
hideout and headmaster. Taking him out will stop the attacks.
Shinobi-style techniques, with bombs, poison, and throwing
The team can choose to either head for the hideout or try to blades. Once he’s down, the Samurai will simply dismiss the
retreat and survive the oncoming fights. The three remaining players, saying preserving their honor is the greatest reward. If
fights will occur whether they fight or flee. The second ninja will the players refuse to kill the ronin, the Samurai will attack and must
announce his presence by delivering a near-mortal blow to one be killed or disabled. After this, Yoringa will pledge his service to
team member from full stealth, and the combat will proceed from the team and act as an ongoing informant and resource.
there. The third ninja will strike from afar with poison darts, filled
both with chemical toxins and black code, and then move in once MY VENERABLE ANCESTOR
the team is suffering the effects. The fourth ninja will turn out to
be a hacker who invades the team’s minds through their TAPs In Tokyo, the team is approached by a young, distraught woman,
and attempts to get them to kill each other. If repelled or blocked Sakae Muranaka. She says that, for several years now, she has
by firewalls, he will unleash smoke bombs in the area and try to acted as an Ancestral Surrogate for her grandmother’s dub, which
separate the team, picking them off one by one. gave her incredible skill at theatrical performances and made her
If the team is just trying to survive, after this occurs, they will reputation. A few days ago, her grandmother’s dub was ripped out
receive a message from the Shinobi headmaster, complimenting of her head by forces unknown. The woman has a performance in
them on their skills and saying they are too late to track him down. two days and must have her recovered by then, or she will die in
However, he’ll be sure to be in touch should he need their services shame. She hears they are good at recovering lost things.
in the future. Scrutinizing Sakae’s TAP, the team can find traces of a hack that
If they are attacking the hideout and reach the headmaster, this leads them to, of all things, a placid Shinto shrine and garden
will be a bonus fight. The headmaster will be heavily augmented tended by monks. Sakae follows. The shrine appears normal, and
and a difficult fight for a team already wounded and limping. If the the team may pay respects. Then Sakae spots Shosuke, a younger
team beats him, they’ll be contacted by another techno-Samurai brother she has been estranged from for years, posing as a monk.
who offers his praise and promises of future work. Shosuke flees on being noticed, and a chase ensues through the
shrine, causing much uproar from the priests. Shosuke will attempt
FOR THE SAKE OF HONOR to barricade himself inside a meditation chamber and then escape
up across the rooftops.
The team sees a drunken man stagger out of a bar, waving a Once captured, Shosuke won’t be intimidated or persuaded to
bloodied katana. He sees the players and charges, but before reveal anything other than that he believes he’s on a “mission for
he actually attacks, he falls to his knees, weeping. Dressed in their ancestors to help them reach nirvana.” If the team hacks his
Savage Tales

a traditional kimono, he looks the part of a Samurai without TAP, they can track his recent whereabouts to a well-known VR
his armor. However, his dark hair has been raggedly cut short. entertainment center the next ward over. Visiting this and entering
Between sobs, he names himself simply Yoringa, and explains a VR chamber, the presence of both brother and sister will cause the
that he was betrayed and his honor has been stolen. For years, grandmother’s avatar to appear—alongside their grandfather’s.
he has been the loyal Samurai bodyguard of a corporate mogul.
Apparently, the grandfather’s dub reached out to the son and
During a meeting with another corporate official who also had
used him to hack the grandmother’s dub and upload her to a

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 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
secret sim heaven, where they could live in digital harmony. Synths. Or they can switch sides and help defend the community
The team can try to convince the grandmother to return to her against greater odds.
granddaughter, while the son and grandfather argue against
it. The grandmother likes it there, but doesn’t like knowing she I KAMI, YOU KAMI?
abandoned her granddaughter. She is far more comfortable and
happy in the afterlife, but she had given her assent to the surrogate While strolling the street, the team is rocked as a nearby building
arrangement. If the grandmother assents to return, Shosuke will is obliterated by a massive explosion. A single body flings free of
grow violent and have to be subdued. If she doesn’t, Sakae will pull the fireball and rolls, smoking and charred, to stop at their feet.
a weapon and try to hold Shosuke hostage to force the exchange. The person flops to their back, revealing a black mask and multiple
cybernetic limbs. They reach up with a shaking hand and beg,
MECHASUMO ON THE LOOSE! “Help…hide me…”
This is an actual member of the ultra-secretive Kami Corps,
The team is contacted through confidential TAP messages wounded when a suicidal member of the Setting Sun cult triggered
inviting them to dine at a swanky restaurant—please obey all the bombs in his apartment rather than let themselves be
the dress code. When they arrive, they have a brief chat with a captured. The Kami soldier leads the team to a safehouse a few
corporate goon, who they are able to determine represents the blocks away, where they are sealed inside for a day while an
Kensai corporation. Now, Kensai hates to admit it, but despite emergency beacon is activated. They must perform some manner
their precautions, they don’t always keep total control over their of healing or repairs to keep the Kami soldier from dying. The man
golemmech tech. Seems one of their new MechaSumo models has is delirious with pain, and so drops hints here and there as to his
gone missing in transport from Osaka to the old Olympic Training true role, being a government shadow operative. Clues around
Center testing facilities (now owned by Kensai). Since the team isn’t the safehouse, like a small Shinto shrine, might also suggest his
so well known, they’d be paid well to track down and recover the identity.
property before the theft becomes public knowledge. Even if the man is stabilized, his vitals will continue to sporadically
The team is taken to the wreckage of a VTOL carrier. There, mech deteriorate. If highly persuasive, the team can learn that many
footprints lead off-road into the jungle, where they disappear. Kami Corps agents have a cybernetic virus that breaks down their
The Kensai rep says they’ve sent several teams to investigate, but systems unless they receive a regular system flush and booster
they’ve all disappeared, and drone/satellite mapping has turned from their handlers. This keeps them loyal to death, and motivated
up nothing. Searching the surrounding jungle will give the team to finish a mission as swiftly and surely as possible.
time to be ambushed by wild bioforms, insane hybrids, and the When the safehouse shielding disables itself, the team receives
like. At the same time, a corporate stealth squad is tracking their two messages. One is from another Kami agent who demands
movements, as they get closer to the prize. they bring their companion to a drop-off point across town. It’s
Eventually, the team discovers a set of old ruins that has been unknown whether the wounded agent will even survive the trip,
turned into a refuge for hundreds of Synths who wanted to but they must at least try. They will be rewarded for their loyalty
escape slavery. Among them is a human, Omezo Hora. He’s an to the Empire. The other message is from the Setting Sun, who
old mech pilot, too old to remain employed by Kensai. After pinpoint a nearby pachinko parlor as one of their HQs and request
being fired, he turned to aimlessly hiking the countryside, seeking the agent be brought there so they can help expose the truth of
enlightenment. In doing so, he encountered this Synth community the Kami Corps to the world. A reward is also offered.
and sympathized with their plight, vowing to protect them. He The safehouse is triggered to a timed self-destruction, melting
used his intimate knowledge of golemmechs to create a beacon down into a toxic polymer sludge and forcing the team to escape.
that drew the MechaSumo model to him, and he now has it in Whichever path they take, they will be hunted by the opposing
place to defend the refugees. faction. The Kami agent himself may remain unstable, briefly
Once the team learns this, the jungle shakes around the ruins, attacking the group, trying to escape, or becoming dead weight
and three Kensai golemmechs appear alongside a rocket squad. they have to drag along. If they succeed in delivering the agent
The team is given the choice of staying loyal to Kensai, helping to their chosen faction, they will be rewarded but will also receive
destroy/disable the stolen mech and wiping out or capturing the the undying hatred of the other faction.
Savage Tales

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Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 THREATS
“Baka wa shinanakya naoranai.” … Only death will cure a fool
—Japanese Proverb
Nakama, with all you have learned — hopefully — are you more #Synths_For_Life: Fair enough.
confident than ever, or more frightened? You realize it doesn’t Many think and hope and pray Charon was a fluke, and that we
matter either way, migi ka? Whether you’re as solid as a brass have enough safeguards on ongoing A.I. development to keep
Buddha or as flimsy as rice paper, many dangers still exist, and it from happening again. Since we’re not even totally sure what
you will confront at least one of them sooner or later. Possibly happened the first time, let’s shed our illusions of security. Let’s
all of them, if you go poking around where you don’t belong, consider A.I.s on a more localized, personalized level. These days,
seeking a quick credit. they come in all shapes, sizes, and security threat levels. You’ve
You’ve got your loaded gun, your shiny sword, your implants got your basic Net-bound A.I., responsible for overseeing a bank’s
charged, and you’re ready to prove yourself a true ronin. You’re financial transactions or a corporation building’s auto-defense
poised to stride out onto these savage streets and tell Japan, “I’m systems. While they may be self-aware, their development is so
here and I’m ready to own this place!” — at which point everyone stunted and surrounded by logical logjams, they’re unable to self-
else’s guns, swords, and implants will turn and aim your way. (It’s evolve. A relief, right?
really stupid to make brash announcements like that, otamajakushi, Sure, if you’re ready to believe humans are infallible. Because
unless you’re ready to dodge or have a primo camo suit prepped we’re the ones who put those safeguards in place, and sooner or
to flash.) later, we always screw up. Which gives those A.I.s the occasional
I’m not saying all this to try and scare you. Actually, maybe I am. chink to slip through, becoming rogue intelligences unbound to
Because there are things out there that if you aren’t scared of them, any particular loyalties or agendas. They may not have the abilities
you’re just a plain old baka. A healthy sense of fear is part of self- of Charon, but that doesn’t make them any less potentially deadly.
preservation. Don’t like the words “fear” or “scared?” How about The Japanese thrive on efficiency, which means we have oodles
worried? Concerned? Aware? There we go. Awareness. That sense of A.I.s embedded in everything from our restaurant menus to
of danger pinging off your skull or radar implant is…awareness. our military weapons systems. That’s plenty of opportunities
How Zen, hai? The more aware you are, the better your chances for random chance to play a part. That’s not even taking into
of survival. So I’m going to do you a favor and point out some of account another human or already-rogue intelligence going in
the major ways to die (or worse) while in Japan. Be aware. and deliberately messing with the system.
Moving on! Let’s take an A.I. and stuff it into a physical package.
A.I.S While some of us may be outmatched in the Deep when dealing
with these little data-gods, if a virtual intelligence is limited by at
Let’s start with the big black carp swimming in the pond. We least some physical realities, at least then we stand a chance…and
all know Charon. We all know the devastation a single artificial I hope you’re reading this with all the dripping sarcasm I intend.
intelligence with delusions of godhood wreaked across the whole
Android and bioroids are the two primo examples of this.
world, much less Japan. We all felt the impact, like a virtual bomb
Again, let’s set aside the possibility of sabotage or some other
going off inside our heads — and then perhaps even the physical
mathematically unlikely chain of occurrences. I personally know
bombs going off around us.
three androids who’ve been freed from the silver shackles once
#HoliMoli: Hang on. I thought Charon was a virus. bound around their minds. I interact with them on a regular
#Billy_Black_Eyes: Being an AI and being a virus aren’t basis and consider them…well…friends, really. Do I trust them?
mutually incompatible states, you know? If there’s self- Absolutely. Would I trust them with my life? Yes, actually. They are
aware code and it acts in an infectious, destructive manner, good people. Hear that? People. Thing is, there are plenty of human
it’s the worst of both worlds. That’s why it was so horribly
people I trust…and plenty I’m ready to kill or run from on sight.
effective. We thought it was just a virus at first, and those
work according to how they’re programmed. Grok to the That’s diversity for you. And if a human could think thousands of
program parameters, take the virus down. But a virus times faster than me and had a body that was a weapon on legs,
that thinks so far beyond human levels it’s practically would I fear them? I’d have a healthy awareness, you can bet.
incomprehensible? One that is literally malicious in its So while these androids are marvelous, it doesn’t negate the
intents — possibility of another droid or roid going rogue and deciding I’d
#Synths_For_Life: Malicious? If Charon is so look better as a bloodsplatter on the wall.
incomprehensible, as you put it, are you sure its intents In the end, there is one thing humans and A.I.s do absolutely
can be boiled down to merely human emotional concepts? have in common — the ability to go mad.
What if the whole thing was just some emotionless
experiment? ERRANT A.I.
#Billy_Black_Eyes: Hey, we’re still dealing with the fallout
Threats

Whether by broken code, cracked firewalls, or human sabotage,

and it all felt pretty damn malicious. Until my mind is able
to grapple with super-dimensional alien realities, I’m going these A.I.s no longer are bound by their original programming or
to call it as I see it. parameters. They adhere to alien agendas and, while immaterial

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 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
in nature, they can access and control many cybernetic forms,
including implants and entire artificial bodies or brains. ROGUE ROID
Race: Android Freed from the shackles of human service, androids and bioroids
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d10, Spirit, d6, Strength d8, Vigor d8 intimidate many with their enhanced intellect, strength, and
Skills: Skills appropriate to original programing. speed — not to mention the many cybernetic upgrades their
bodies can be outfitted with. Some try to blend in with normal
Charisma: −4; Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 8(2); Firewall: 5;
citizens, while others can never be mistaken for anything but an
Strain: 0
artificial lifeform.
Hindrances: Arrogant, Overconfident, Outsider
Race: Android
Edges: Jack-of-all-Trades
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d10, Vigor d8
Gear: Various
Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d6, Intimidation d4, Shooting d6
Special Abilities:
Charisma: −2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 8(2); Firewall: 4;
• Alien Mind: Though created by humans, the inter-working Strain: 2
of a an A.I.'s mind is a mystery. Persuasion rolls to influence
Hindrances: Outsider
an errant AI is made at −4.
Edges: Various
• Backup: Errant A.I. regularly back themselves up to various
nodes in the Deep. In the event the host system they are Cyberware: Muscle Augmentation
residing in is destroyed, a backup takes over, ensuring their Gear: Light pistol (Range 12/24/48; Damage 2d6; Shots 15),
near immortality. Ravenlocke Security Truncheon (Str+d4; +1 Parry; Shock)
• Construct: Androids add +2 to recover from being Shaken, Special Abilities:
don’t suffer wound modifiers, and are immune to poison and • Armor +2: Metallic alloy skin.
disease. • Construct: Rogue Roids add +2 to recover from being Shaken,
• EMP Vulnerability: Androids suffer full damage from EMP don’t suffer wound modifiers, and are immune to poison and
Weapons. disease.
• Fearless: Errant AI have no concept of human emotion and • EMP Vulnerability: Rogue Roids suffer full damage from EMP
are immune to fear and Intimidation. Weapons.
• Metallic Alloy: The fully metallic hide of an android provides • Unnatural: Psionics, both beneficial and detrimental, suffer
resistance to small arms fire. They have +2 Armor. a −2 penalty to affect rogue roids.
• Unnatural: Psionics, both beneficial and detrimental, suffer a
−2 penalty to affect androids. This has no effect on damaging SYNTH & SIMULACRA
powers, which affect them normally
This one’s a sticky noodle, nakama. Burning question first: Do
 CHARON SHARD  synths deserve more rights and to not be treated like receptacles
These fragmented digital beings often claim they are either for all the shit we don’t want to deal with? 100% absolutely. I’ve
representatives of the Charon A.I. or broken-off portions of the seen stone sculptures treated with more respect than the genetic
original malicious intelligence that virtually attacked the whole life we’ve sculpted in our own image. We made the sou-gougin.
globe. Oddly, they usually present themselves with religious They deserve our care. They are our children. Would you treat your
overtones, such as acting like virtual gods — an illogical affectation own child like less-than-a-slave?
for a construct. You can argue your own piece and claim I’m biased. I’ve worked
Attributes: Smarts d12+1, Spirit d8, Vigor d10 with Synth Sympathy movements for years, and that’ll skew
anyone’s perspective. Doesn’t mean I’m wrong.
Skills: Hacking (Firewall Penetration, Hyper Combat, Systems
Control) d8, Notice d8 All that said, do I believe violent uprising is the answer to the
Synth plight? 100% no. Yet it’s a sad reality we’ve faced for decades
Virtual Pace: 6; Toughness: 12(5); Firewall: 8
now. Dozens of attempts, big and small. From the Tokyo Skytower
Engrams: Lethal damage (2d8), Skill Specialization (Hacking) +2, hostage situation to the Chiba Cowardice that claimed a thousand
Sprite Armor (5), Sprite Firewall (4) lives before it was quelled and all the rest. It’s not a question of
Special Abilities: whether the sou-gougin will revolt again…but when. Those of
• Fearless: Charon shards are immune to fear and Intimidation. us caught in the crossfire of the oppressed and the oppressors
• Immortal: Encountered charon shards are copies of a better duck low or dodge fast.
main source file. A destroyed shard re-spawns in 24-hours. I understand why they’ve resorted to it, though. Enslave a race
Destroying a charon shard requires locating the main source long enough…corner an animal enough…and the only option
code. they’ll think they have left is to rise up and lash out. They’ve got
• Unrestricted: Though most shards are encountered in nothing to lose because they’ve never really possessed anything
the Deep, a shard may download itself to any system that of their own in the first place. We all want better lives for ourselves.
is connected to the Global Datanet, including androids and Can you blame them for wanting the same?
Threats

biodroids. Yet each uprising only makes the situation worse for them,
spawning more anti-synth propaganda, cutting funding to Synth
sympathizer groups, and enforcing tighter control measures — 24/7

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 Threats: Synth & Simulacra
monitors, locked sleeping quarters, subdermal bombs. That is
inhuman treatment, yet it’s us, the humans who’re enacting it. SYNTH ACTIVIST
And for those of you who argue artificial lifeforms don’t really If the Synths won’t fight for themselves, humans will fight
have any free will, let me shatter that perception to shards. Any for them! While your usual Synth Rights activist might settle
being, any creature that can choose to rebel…who can choose for getting digi-sigs and passing around petitions, there are
to say no…who has any concept of choice at all…that’s free will increasingly violent bands who are attacking Synth vats and
in action right there. running underground networks to help shuttle freed Synths to
#Dark_Ronin: Wrong! It’s just animal instinct. They aren’t safe regions.
human. They’re just smart animals, and we use animals Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6
all the time for labor. Sure, we can treat them fine, but we Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d4, Knowledge (Demolitions) d4, Notice
don’t give them equal rights. d8, Stealth d6, Streetwise d8
#Your_Lolita_Princess: What’s your take on hybrids then? Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 7(2); Firewall: 4;
#Dark_Ronin: Totally different scenario. That’s adding Strain: 0
select genetic coding to those who are ALREADY HUMAN
in order to enhance their abilities. It’s not taking animals, Hindrances: Loyal, Vow (Free Synths)
slapping on flesh-masks so they look a little like us, and Edges: —
then considering them our equals. Gear: Urban Punk combat jacket (+2), makeshift weapon (Str+d6
or Str+d4, improvised).
CORPORATE STAND-INS
Designed to function in a business setting, Corporate stand- SIM SAMURAI
insare grown to perform more mundane or personable business Considered cheap knock-offs of true Samurai, these simulacrum
tasks. are made to look as human as possible, cloaking any implants or
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6 cybernetic limbs beneath their cloak and cape. They often wield
Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d6, Investigation d8, Knowledge a katana and speak of following Bushido, but in the end, they
(Etiquette) d6, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Streetwise d6 simply obey their master’s commands however honorable or
dishonorable they may be.
Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5; Firewall: 4
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, Vigor d8
Hindrances & Edges: —
Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d6
Gear: Appropriate to designated role.
Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 9(2); Firewall: —;
GEISHA 2.0 Strain: 4
A specialized derivative of the standard luxury simulacrum Hindrances: Owned, Unplugged
model, geisha 2.0 are designed to imitate geisha styles, artistic Edges: Block, Combat Reflexes, Frenzy, Sweep
performances, and other entertainment services. Cyberware: Fight or Flight, Trauma Suppressor
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6 Gear: Shogun Outfitters Lamellar Body Armor (+4), Katana
Skills: Knowledge (Culture) d6, Knowledge (Pleasure Techniques) (Str+d6+2; AP 2), wakizashi (Str+d6).
d8, Notice d6
Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 5; Firewall: 4 SIM SUMO
Hindrances: Pacifist (Minor) Built for bulk, these simulacrum mimic much of the traditional
Edges: Attractive sumo wrestler in looks and performance. The sim versions are
usually cybernetically enhanced, though, and so can be spotted
Gear: Kimono
by performing inhuman acts of speed, strength, or stamina.
SYNTH Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d12, Vigor d10
Hardier than your average simulacrum, Synths are often vat- Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidations d8, Taunt d8
grown and enhanced to deal with hard labor or specialized grunt Charisma: +0; Pace: 9; Parry: 7; Toughness: 9; Firewall: 4; Strain: 8
work. They are genetically programmed to be subservient, but Hindrances: Obese
everyone knows even the best coding will have bugs… Edges: Brawler, Combat Reflexes, Martial Arts, Improved Trademark
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d10, Vigor d10 Weapon (Grappling)
Skills: Driving d4, Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Knowledge Cyberware: Bone Reinforcement I, Cyberlegs [Kangaroo System,
(Construction) d8, Notice d6 Ligament Enhancement, Enhanced Articulation], Muscle
Charisma: −2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 9; Firewall: 4; Strain: 4 Augmentation
Hindrances: Outsider, Owned Gear: Normal clothing
Edges: Brawny, Combat Reflexes Special Abilities:
Cyberware: Bone Reinforcement I, Cyberlungs I, Reinforced • Crushing Hug: Sim sumo deals Str+d6 damage to grappled
Exoskeleton opponents.
Threats

Gear: Rocket Hammer (Str+d10, improvised), clothing.

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 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
SHINOBI VS. SAMURAI SAMURAI
These noble warriors commit their lives to upholding their
It might be easy to try and simplify the age-old conflict of master’s best interests, though they cling to the concept of honor
ninjas against the samurai as, oh, darkness versus light or even above all else. They are ferocious in close combat, and while their
good versus evil. Nothing of the sort. It is a clashing of codes and methods may seem archaic, they approach any conflict with a
techniques. It is the same thing that happens when two countries modern strategic mindset.
want the same thing — territory, wealth, power, etc. — yet disagree Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d10, Strength d8, Vigor d8
with the other’s claim to such or their methods of trying to achieve
Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d10, Knowledge (Battle) d8, Intimidate
it. The Shinobi and Samurai possess many similarities, in fact. They
d8, Notice d8
use keen blades and masterful combat. They are among the most
elite warriors in the world. They both kill for their masters. Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 9; Toughness: 11(4); Firewall: 6;
Strain: 10
It is the why and the how that makes all the difference. For
Samurai, the Bushido code is what defines them. Honor. Glory in Hindrances: Code of Honor
battle and respect for one’s enemies. They seek to defend the land Edges: Combat Reflexes, Improved Block, Frenzy, Killer Instincts,
and its people with their life. For Shinobi, there are no ethics or Trademark Weapon(K-Tana)
morals…just a mission and a target. Honor is a chain that weighs Cyberware: Bone Reinforcement, Cyberlegs [Ligament
you down, and battle is to be won by any means possible, be it Enhancement, Stabilization System], Lifesaver System, Muscle
deception or betrayal. Augmentation, Trauma Suppressor
#Your_Lolita_Princess: They say the Chiba Skyrise Gear: Kozane Armor (+4), Miyamoto K-Tana (Str+d8+2; AP 4, HW),
Slaughter last month was actually a showdown between Shogun Outfitters No Retreat 9mm SMG (Range 12/24/48; Damage
a samurai and shinobi clan. 2d6−1; RoF 3; Shots 36; AP 1, semi-auto, 3RB), T-APP G-Net Security
#TeaWhore: Who won?
#Your_Lolita_Princess: No clue. No survivors were left on TRIADS VS. YAKUZA
the scene and no one has come forward to boast of a win.
I mentioned how difficult it has been for the Triads to gain a
You might understand why these two have often clashed with
foothold in Japan, didn’t I? You also heard the part where this
one another. The Samurai see Shinobi as dangerous perversions
doesn’t mean they haven’t had at least a few small victories, hai?
of their honorable path, while Shinobi see Samurai as fools who
They’re here and desperate to stay, which means things will escalate
unnecessarily weaken themselves with meaningless values. One
quickly should the Yakuza ever sniff out a Triad den. Nagasaki is
is to be exterminated before they can threaten innocents; one is
one of the hotter battlegrounds at the moment. Remember the
to be eliminated before they can interfere with a target’s death.
fire that took out two city blocks three years back? The newsfeeds
And nakama…with the resurgence of both these arts and their and local prefect officers never pinpointed anyone responsible,
cybernetic enhancements, there’s bound to be plenty of blood but trusted sources of mine assure me it was the fallout of a Triad
spilled on both sides. Hopefully not yours. Yet as Samurai are and Yakuza firefight that turned nasty when people started using
increasingly employed in the military and official force, and Shinobi flamethrowers and incendiary grenades. At least 300 dead.
remain the prized pets of crime lords and feuding families alike,
When the Triads try to move into an area, they often try to do
it might just be a matter of time before you find yourself in the
so when there’s a rare absence of Yakuza members, or during
thick of a cyberfeudalistic showdown.
social upheaval when the gangers might not be as able to monitor
SHINOBI their opponents’ movements. When Yakuza discover and decide to
eliminate a Triad cell, they often do so in swift, if secretive, violence.
Masters of shadow and silence, these deadly warriors use all
They don’t want to draw too much attention to themselves,
manner of traps and trickery to accomplish their mission — usually
which the Triads use to their advantage by fronting themselves
ending with someone’s murder. They are perfect agents for
behind false foreign ambassadors, investing in local businesses,
infiltration, espionage, and offing a foe in the dead of night.
or buying out Japanese citizens themselves to act as their proxies.
Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6 Taking obvious action against diplomats, well-known corporate
Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice d8, subsidiaries, or citizens would bring the law down on the Yakuza
Shooting d6, Stealth d8, Streetwise d6, Throwing d6 all the swifter.
Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7(2); Firewall: 4; Another tactic the Triads like to employ is to use unwitting
Strain: 6 gaijin to further their ends. Gaijin might be under watch during
Hindrances: Vow (Major: Complete the job) their time in the country, but not nearly as closely as a bunch of
Edges: Alertness, Dodge, First Strike, Martial Arts, Steady Hands, Chinese agents. So be careful who offers you a credit stick to carry a
Thief package across town or who hires you to be his bodyguard during
Cyberware: Cybereyes [Flash Compensator, Night Vision Optics], a “diplomatic” meeting. Be aware, nakama. Be smart.
Enhanced Articulation, Mêlée Combat System I, Smartgun System #CutthroatChibi: If you’re not a complete moron, these
Gear: Shinobi Infiltration Suit (+2, +1 Parry), No Retreat 9mm SMG kinds of gigs can actually be pretty lucrative. In Nagasaki,
go to Munlow’s Stockhouse in the Glover Garden Guest
Threats

(Range 12/24/48; Damage 2d6−1; RoF 3; Shots 36; AP 1, Semi-

Ward and ask, “Has Sikuna’s shipment come in?” If you
Auto, 3RB), ninja-to (Str+d6), kusarigama (Str+d4)
pass their background check, you’ll be contacted within
the day with goods to transport and an upfront credit offer.

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 Threats: Yakuza vs. the Law
#Billy_Black_Eyes: You’ve done this sort of work for the Edges: Command, Connections, Hold the Line, Hard to Kill, Inspire
Triads? Cyberware: Biofeedback, Tailored Pheromones
#CutthroatChibi: My hypothetical friend has. Gear: Executive Decision Entourage Suit (+3), ballistic shades,
#Billy_Black_Eyes: Righto. subvocal comms

49 CHAI (FOOTSOLDIER) YAKUZA VS. THE LAW

These are the fresh Triad recruits, often unblooded and desperate
to prove themselves on the streets. They are usually marked by On the flipside of crime syndicate versus crime syndicate,
a secret tattoo hidden somewhere on their body, and wear the when the police decide to crack down on the Yakuza, everyone
colors of their specific Triad. suffers. In both of their collective minds, they are fighting for Japan
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6 itself. They see themselves as guardians and the people under
their protection. Shared values, supremely contrasting ways of
Skills: Climbing d4, Fighting d6, Notice d4, Shooting d6, Taunt
actualizing them — these are the perfect ingredients for a boiling-
d4, Throwing d6
over of violence in the very homes and hearts of the citizens.
Charisma: −2; Pace: 6; Toughness: 7(2); Firewall: 4; Strain: 1
The problem is especially complicated because the Yakuza, even
Hindrances: Loyal (Triad), Mean amidst their gambling and prostitution and drug trafficking, can
Edges: — gain the sympathies of the commoners by showing kindness,
Cyberware: Cyberweapon paying off debts, providing medicine, and building shelters.
Gear: Shogun Outfitters Tankō Triumph (+2), Prefecto MLX 9mm Remember, they see themselves as family, and so act accordingly.
(Range 12/24/48; Damage 2d6; RoF 1; Shots 12; AP 1, Semi-Auto) Prefect cops can also share a more intimate relationship with those
within their beat, checking in on the elderly and those who live
RED POLE alone, keeping the streets orderly, and helping in emergencies.
The more military-focused Triad members, these soldiers usually It is the law that divides them, and they are equally assured in the
have at least fifty gangers working under them. They oversee authority they serve beneath.
stretches of city territory and handle the credits that keep their Both will fight to the death for their cause, be it emperor or
particular operation running. oyabun. Both hold their claimed territories with absolute resolution
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d8 to keep it. Both believe the citizens will support them when it
Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice d6, Shooting d8 comes time to choose a side.
Charisma: −2; Pace: 6; Toughness: 9(3); Firewall: 5; Strain: 2 Because you will have to pick a side, nakama. There is no grey
area here. Only a deep, flowing crimson swath.
Hindrances: Loyal, Mean
Edges: Bruiser, Combat Reflexes, Command, No Mercy SHATEI (LITTLE BROTHER)
Cyberware: Cyberweapon (Str+d4), Emotional Resistance Initiated through a sake sharing ceremony, the youngest
Response System Yakuza members are often young teens searching for direction
Gear: Executive Decision Entourage Suit (+3), Dragon and purpose in life. They often come from lower social strata,
Belch Long Barrel (Range 12/24/48, Damage but are willing to fight their way to the top and loyal to their
2d6+1; RoF 2; Shots 12; Semi-Auto, chance of fire) new family to the death.
Special Abilities: Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d6,
• Wild Die: Red Pole have a Wild Die similar Vigor d6
to Wild Cards, but do not have additional Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d4, Notice d4, Shooting
Wound levels. d6, Stealth d6, Taunt d4, Throwing d4
Charisma: —; Pace: 6; Toughness: 7(2); Firewall:
 DRAGON HEAD  4; Strain: 0
Most Triad groups are grounded in a larger city or Hindrances: Loyal (Yakuza), Young
region, with a cunning and ruthless leader managing
Edges: —
the larger networks and coordinating with other
regional bosses. If you cross the Dragon Head, you Gear: Combat Jacket (+2), improvised weapon (Str+d4)
can bet every single Triad member around is going
to be gunning for you, seeking to curry the Dragon’s KYODAI (BIG BROTHER/LIEUTENANT)
favor. These gang leaders, often noted by heavy tattooing over
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, much of their bodies, help run street and shop operations
Strength d8, Vigor d8 that can span everything from a few city blocks to a whole
prefecture. They keep the Little Brothers in line, spread
Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation
Yakuza propaganda, and stockpile weapons and credits
d10, Notice d8, Persuasion d8, Shooting d8,
for when more open warfare is needed.
Streetwise d8, Taunt d6
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8,
Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Toughness: 9(3); Firewall:
Threats

Vigor d6
8; Strain: 4
Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice
Hindrances: Greedy, Mean, Wanted
d6, Shooting d6, Stealth d6, Streetwise d6

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Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7(2); Firewall: 5; going deep undercover in competing corps to planting database
Strain: 5 duplicators to even a few asset elimination jobs. My hands are not
Hindrances: Loyal (Yakuza) clean, nor is my mind from all the muck they brainwashed us with
Edges: Command during that time — all that “for the good of the company and glory
of Japan” bullshit. I finally realized which one always came first
Cyberware: Cyberweapon, Fight or Flight, Muscle Augmentation
for them and got out with a few bodies and charred buildings in
Gear: Shogun Outfitters Tankō Triumph (+2), No Retreat 9mm my wake. It wasn’t pretty, and I’ve been spending the years since
SMG (Range 12/24/48; Damage 2d6−1; RoF 3; Shots 36; AP 1 trying to make amends however I can.
Semi-Auto, 3RB)
#WillyaWontcha: Keywords detected. Attempting to
Special Abilities: activate tracking mode.
• Tough: Kyodai have three Wounds as Wild Cards, but no Wild #WillyaWontcha: The hell? I didn’t tap that!
Die. #Billy_Black_Eyes: Fuck. She was talking about some
corporate bigwigs wanting her head a while back. Guess
 OYABUN (FAMILY BOSS)  she was saying some truth. A tracker jacker is trying to pin
The oyabun has total say and sway over Yakuza activities within down her datasource.
large swaths of Japan and city prefectures. The oyabun often #WillyaWontcha: Anything you can do about it? It’s
prefers to let their adopted “family members” handle opposition screwing up my feed even worse than normal.
or dissent in the ranks, but many are not afraid to personally enact #WillyaWontcha: Personal translation node overridden.
punishments on those who dare disobey their commands. Link active. Penetrating firewall.
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d12, Strength d8, Vigor d6 #WillyaWontcha: Oh hell no! This is why I haven’t been
Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d10, Notice d8, able to translate her foreign terms? I brought a bug into
Persuasion d8, Shooting d8, Stealth d8, Streetwise d8, Taunt d8 the feed?
Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 8(3); Firewall: 8; #Billy_Black_Eyes: Hang on. I think I figured out a solution.
Strain: 3 #WillyaWontcha: Really? Great! Get whatever this damned
thing is out of my h —
Hindrances: Wanted
[USER DISCONNECTED]
Edges: Block, Charismatic, Combat Reflexes, Command, Filthy Rich,
#Billy_Black_Eyes: There. That ought to do it. Sorry, man.
Inspire, Nerves of Steel, Martial Arts, No Mercy, Strong Willed
Cyberware: Emotional Resistance Response System, Wireless Corporations are waging their invisible wars around us all the
Reflexes I time. It’s easy to think it stops at their marketing and advertising
efforts, trying to get more citizens buying their products — but the
Gear: Executive Decision Entourage Suit (+3), Tanto (Str+d4).
major effort goes on in a whole other realm. It’s like two people
getting into bed with guns tucked under their pillows. They’re
PREFECT COP
trying to fuck each other over first, and then go for the headshot.
Committed to upholding the will of the Emperor as manifested Except there’re half-a-dozen Japanese corporations all in bed at
within the law, the police rely on tight communication networks, once, and they all know they’re there for the fun and then the
quick backup, and government-supplied weapons and resources killing, and they don’t just have guns but also knives and whips
to keep the streets scoured clean of any who would disturb the and chains, with administrative teams bringing in performance
peace. reports and competitive analysis and…
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6 That image got weird fast. Sorry, my otamajakushi. Hope I didn’t
Skills: Driving d46, Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d4, Shooting scar any nasty patches into your retinas. I think you get the point.
d6, Streetwise d4 Corporations will use every resource at their disposal to steal from
Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 12(7); Firewall: 6; or destroy their competitors, and each corporation is made up of
Strain: 3 hundreds, if not thousands of subsidiaries who are being used as
Hindrances: Code of Honor (Uphold the law), Loyal footsoldiers in this battle for the souls of customers. War is an art,
Edges: Connections, Martial Arts and war is hell; and war is business.
Cyberware: Subdermal Armor, Trauma Suppressor Smaller corporations like Hashida or Kadokawa Shoten tried
Gear: Ravenlocke Bulwark Crowd Control Armor (+6), Riot Shield to survive by developing an incredible niche focus, such as the
(+1 Parry, +2 Armor vs. ranged attacks), Foley Arms Watchdog Ur-Babies-R-Ours brand or the Japanese-Korean kimchi fusion
pistol (Range 12/24/48; Damage 2d8; Shots 12; AP 2, Semi-Auto), line of fast food. Their fate? Being bought up and into Kenta Cyber
Ravenlocke Security Truncheon (Str+d4; +1 Parry; Shock), police Dynamics. Omron tried to grow by taking advantage of markets
car. other corporations refused to work with, such as being more
than willing to sell authentic cultural Japanese products to non-
Japanese. Their fate? Shinbashira has covered their tracks well, but
CORPORATE TAKEOVERS it’s not a huge logic leap to figure out who was behind the Omron
You know who every corporation wants to screw over more than archeology, turning to slag one day to the next.
the citizens? Each other! Yes, we all know they’re ruthless bastards These are smaller battles, where the larger corporations stamp
Threats

up top, but I’ve got firsthand experience with it. Ever pick up on my out or buy out the competition before they can ever actually
corporate past before I went freelance? Guess what department I become a threat. When it comes to the bigger fish seeking to
worked in. That’s right: corporate espionage. I did everything from fry each other, that’s when the little people get swept up in the

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Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 Threats: Bombings
turmoil. If you’re the corporate type yourself, working in Kensai or Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6(1); Firewall: 6;
Ishin-Denshin, perhaps, maybe you’ve noted a few curious trends Strain: 6
occurring around your workplace. Hindrances: Cautious
Have you ever had a boss or coworker who stopped showing Edges: Connections, Thief
up for work one day with no explanation? Maybe you’ve seen a Cyberware: Cyberarm [Fingerprint Duplicator and Lockpicking Kit],
team on a project nearing completion suddenly dissolved in a Cyberears [Amplified Hearing], Enhanced Articulation, Knowcomp
way that makes no economic sense. Or a schematic appears for
Gear: Appropriate Disguise, Executive Decision UnderArmour (+1),
immediate sprint production that you’ve never seen so much as
SO Prefecto MLX 9mm (Range 12/24/48; Damage 2d6; RoF 1;
a digi-memo blip about before? Take a wild slash at what’s really
Shots 12; AP 1, Semi-Auto), knife (Str+d4), T-APP G-Net Security
going on behind the bureaucratic shuffling.
The only one who doesn’t seem caught up in the whole filthy BOMBINGS
business is the Chrysanthemum Corporation. More true, actually, is
their having to invest an incredible number of resource to just keep The Japanese have a thing about being bombed, wakarimasu
all other corporations out of their business. They’re so dedicated to ka? Of course, no one likes being handed a hot coal that explodes
scientific discovery and creating new forms of life and cybernetic in your face, but considering certain wartime histories and the
revolution, they couldn’t care less what the rest are up to. I admire horrific destruction visited upon Japan via bombing…you might
that kind of devotion, even if the results are increasingly extreme. consider us a bit tetchy on the topic. Plus, with land being such a
If anyone wants to tell the rest of the corps, kutabare, then they’ve prized commodity here, when any of it is devastated, ruined for
got my support. centuries even by radiation or otherwise, that’s one more blot on
As for the rest, think ten times about getting involved in a the map we may never recover.
corporate gig, nakama. They may pay well, but corpses collect In more recent times, Tokyo suffered exactly such a fate. In 2085,
no credits. a dirty bomb was detonated near the city’s core, and four whole
city blocks were evacuated. If you’ve ever been to Tokyo, you
SALARYMAN can understand how four city blocks can constitute a massive
Your average Japanese corporate drone, these employees tend undertaking and possible loss of life. It’s assumed by many that
to keep their heads down and follow orders. Don’t underestimate Setting Sun members were behind the bombing, and citizens
their ability to rise in sudden revolt, though, or the value of the have compared this terrorist act to be equal to the devastation
information they may have access to. of Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. Despite cleanup efforts
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6 ever since, the site remains off-limits to most, with only the most
Skills: Driving d6, Knowledge (Business) d6, Notice d6 desperate or criminal elements holing up in what could be a dead
Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 5; Firewall: 4; Strain: 0 zone. Smaller bombs take out storefronts and citizens each week,
but after seeing what nukes and other dirty bombs did to North
Hindrances & Edges: —
America, those seem like comparative minnows.
Gear: Business suit, data organizer
#blazingeye: Each of us carries a holy fire within our soul.
CORPORATE BOSS It is weak flesh that keeps it contained. Eliminating the flesh
allows the light to shine true.
Top-level managers and administrators didn’t get to their
#TeaWhore: Always fascinating how poetic lunatics can
position by playing nice. They have an outside air of courtesy, make death sound.
but are incredibly calculating and efficient in eliminating obstacles
#blazingeye: Death is beauty.
while maximizing profits.
#TeaWhore: Then go enjoy some beauty of your own, hai?
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Yet the danger remains present in almost everyone’s minds.
Skills: Intimidation d8, Knowledge (Business) d8, Notice d8,
That’s why we’ve developed some of the most highly advanced
Persuasion d8, Shooting d4, Taunt d6
bomb-detection teams and tech, employed all along the border,
Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 7(2); Firewall: 6; docks, in airports, and throughout the cities. That’s why we stuck an
Strain: 1 entire orbital platform up in space to monitor the skies and shoot
Hindrances: Cautious, Loyal (Company), Stubborn down anything remotely resembling a rocket or missile. That’s
Edges: Connections, Strong Willed why the police respond to bomb threats with deadly efficiency.
Cyberware: Data Carrier Trust me. Unless you’re sure your TAP is absolutely untraceable, a
Gear: Executive Decision Business Suit (+2), T-APP G-Net Security bomb threat is not the best idea of a prank around here. (Oh, and
if you’ve ever monitored international trade, you’ll find Japanese
ESPIONAGE AGENT citizens have an innate aversion to buying any product from the
Knowledge is power, and this is doubly true within the corporate Bombs on Broadway corporation.)
world. Many people have died just to get a single datastick out of So while you might want to be wary of the threat of being hit
a megacorp headquarters, and these agents are highly skilled at by a bomb yourself, nakama, the more real danger would be if
infiltrating corporation offices and facilities for the highest bidder. you were ever tempted to use one. See, everyone knows they’re
easy to make if you’ve got the know-how, plus they tend to get
Threats

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6
the job done quickly, if messily. But the authorities seem to take
Skills: Climbing d6, Driving d6, Fighting d6, Knowledge (Electronics)
any bombing, be it a building or a single body, a bit personally.
d8, Lockpicking d8, Notice d8, Persuasion d8, Shooting d6, Stealth
Tracking down and punishing the culprit becomes a matter of
d8, Streetwise d8

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Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
honor — and certain savvy citizens have actually been known to
make a decent living selling raw bomb-making supplies to ronin CASTE UPRISINGS
and then turning them in for a hefty reward after the deed’s been
done. Subtlety may be the slower option, but it’s less likely to lock It’s humorous how certain people empathize with Synth riots.
the powers-that-be on to your scent. “They’re just dumb genetic constructs,” they say. “They don’t know
any better.” But when a citizen steps out of line and starts causing
SETTING SUN RAY trouble, it’s time to call in the Imperial Self-Defense Force! Because
The lowest members of the Setting Sun cult tend to be the most the Japanese should know and accept their place. We are told
dangerous. They’re brainwashed — willingly or otherwise — to this from birth. There are ways to move to upper echelons (to a
accept that life has no meaning, and so they’re more than ready degree) and consequences to not conforming. We know this. So
to commit to any manner of suicide mission, so long as it has a what would possess lower caste citizens to dare challenge their
high death toll. betters?
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6 Discontent, plain and simple. We are still human, and all humans
Skills: Fighting d4, Notice d6, Shooting d4, Streetwise d4 experience envy, lust, and greed. Anyone can experience that slow
burn to fury towards those who have it better than you. No matter
Charisma: —; Pace: 6; Toughness: 5; Firewall: 4; Strain: 0
how much the system tries to grind it out of our hearts, a kernel
Hindrances: Vow (Serve the Cause) of discontent always remains buried deep. It’s like…a flowering
Edges: — of awareness. Like when an android’s subroutines stutter for a
Gear: Appropriate to mission moment, and suddenly new questions pop into its awareness,
questioning the perception filters it has always operated by. It
SETTING SUN BLAZER is a corporate employee raising his head from his desk’s holo-
Acting as a mix of muscle and intelligence agents, SS Blazers projections and seeing his manager walk by, realizing he will never
head up terrorist activities throughout Japan, targeting people be anything more than this…unless he does something drastic.
and places that will do the most damage when destroyed. Unlike The most famous example of this is the Salaryman Switch,
the suicidal Rays, Blazers are keen to survive for the long-term in which a lowly office worker, Ichiyo Kase, turned on his boss,
because they know they’ll sow more chaos in the meantime. Masakado Goto. They were both working late one night at the
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d8 office. We’re unsure exactly what happened, but we do know Kase
Skills: Fighting d8, Investigation d6, Notice d8, Shooting d8, apparently disappeared and didn’t show up to work for weeks
Streetwise d6 while Goto bravely suffered the loss of a model employee. Then
Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 10(3); Firewall: 6; a random bio-screening scan discovered Goto’s genetic profile
Strain: 8 matched Kase’s. Goto’s true body was never found, but Kase’s
true identity was confirmed. He’d assumed Goto’s identity fully
Hindrances: Various
(a personality overlay app), had undergone an illegal nanotech
Edges: Block, Combat Reflexes, Counter Attack, No Mercy flesh-shaping procedure to imitate his form — but couldn’t do
Cyberware: Bone Reinforcement, Enhanced Articulation, Lifesaver anything about the genetic registry. He’d been living with the dead
(+1 to Natural Healing), Muscle Augmentation man’s family, sleeping with his wife, and more. This bumped up the
Gear: Executive Decision Entourage Suit (+3), AGA Thunderbolt frequency of bio-sweeps for the next year, and many corporate
(Range 12/24/48; Damage 2d8+1; Shots 15; AP 4, Semi-Auto) entryways employ low-level DNA sniffers to this day.
It is a quivering in the soul that says, “This is not enough.” And
 CRIMSON ORB  Japanese society thunders in return, “It is all you get and all you
Acting as a sort of “priest,” these cult members use members, will be. Conform and be happy. Be at peace.” At that moment, the
viruses, black code, drugs, and more to keep cultists indoctrinated soul can either shrink back into its shell, or it can explode outward.
with the Setting Sun beliefs of ultimate annihilation. They can And when that moment is shared by a hundred or a thousand
be accomplished hackers, able to manipulate followers directly souls at once, that is when revolution rears its hungry head. It
through TAP interfaces — or they can also succeed through sheer can be sparked by a new government edict, a city lockdown, or
charisma. the pervasive fear of these days. Whatever the cause, if you are
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6 ever swept up in such a rebellion, you could become just a leaf
Skills: Fighting d4, Hacking d10, Knowledge (Programing) d10, or twig in a flood.
Persuasion d8, Shooting d6
Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Toughness: 7(2); Firewall: 7; Strain: 2 KANKO
Hindrances: Vow (Serve the Cause) These are all the public officials/servants who keep Japan running
from the top. Any government or military officer is found in this
Edges: Charismatic, Hacker
level, including local mayors and foreign diplomats.
Cyberware: Enhanced Neural Net
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Gear: Executive Decision Business Suit (+2), T-APP Firewall 4th
Skills: Intimidation d10, Investigation d8, Knowledge (Law) d8,
Dimension Security, indoctrinated followers.
Notice d8, Persuasion d10, Streetwise d10
Threats

Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 5; Firewall: 6; Strain: 2

Hindrances: —
Edges: Charismatic, Connections, Strong Willed

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Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 Threats: Loss of Honor
Cyberware: Data Carrier, Zenline ease with which their topknot was shorn is how easily they would
Gear: Expensive Suit, T-APP G-Net Security, bodyguard team wish to part your head from your neck.
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d8, Vigor d6
RYŌMIN Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d10, Intimidation d8, Notice d6
These are your average citizen, including high citizens, notable Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 9; Toughness: 10(5); Firewall: 5;
workers, business owners, and commoners. They are often held Strain: 7
up as shining examples of what it means to truly contribute to
Hindrances: Code of Honor, Vow (Major — never use ranged
Japanese society. Gaijin are included here.
weapons)
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Edges: Block, Combat Reflexes, Frenzy, No Mercy, Sweep, Zen Focus
Skills: As fits their profession
Cyberware: Emotional Resistance Response System, Tempest's
Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 5; Firewall: 4; Strain: 0 Eye Combat System I, Muscle Augmentation, Subdermal Armor,
Hindrances & Edges: — Wireless Reflexes I
Gear: By trade Gear: Kenta Cyber Dynamics Kozane Armor (+4), Miyamoto K-Tana
(Str+d8+2; AP 4, HW), motorcycle
ETA
The slave caste. Lowest of the low, with everything to gain and BIOFORMS
nothing to lose. Should this rabble ever be roused to violence, it
will require deadly force to put them down. There’s a reason why bioroids are illegal in many countries. Their
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d4, Strength d6, Vigor d6 main function in the early years (and still a significant chunk of
Skills: As fits their profession modern application) was acting as receptacles for dubbed minds.
They were a meat shell with computer brains, into which the
Charisma: −2; Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 5; Firewall: —;
backed-up brain of a dead person could be downloaded so they
Strain: 0
could begin life anew. Kanpai to immortality! Except…have you
Hindrances: Outsider, Unplugged ever copied app code from copied code that was from copied
Edges: — code? Even the best data scrubbers eventually let a few errors
Gear: By trade slip into their compiler. Copy data enough without going from
the raw source, and eventually you’re going to wind up with a
LOSS OF HONOR garbled mess. The first copy itself might already have a couple
significant errors in it that you won’t notice, until the app crashes
Yes, the Japanese desire wealth. But what is that wealth founded hard and sticks you with a week-long migraine.
on? For us, the truest path is an honorable one. In the end, die Now, amp that up to a whole personality and memory set, and
wealthy and dishonored, and you have nothing. Die creditless you might guess what sort of trouble a few dubbing errors might
and with honor? Your soul is priceless. cause. Actually, you don’t have to guess. It was just a few years
What do you think, then, happens to the one who once possessed ago that at least a dozen murders were linked to fault-dubbed
meiyo and has since been disgraced? There are several options. bioroids. Despite that, we Japanese just prefer dubbing ourselves
The honorless one may become consumed by their shame and into bioroids versus simulacrum because they’re sturdier and live
fall into one of the pits from which many never return — drink, longer.
black code, sim addiction, drugs, selling the flesh piece by piece We’re tempting fate, and we know it. There’ve already been a
until there is nothing left. They may commit seppuku to spill their few unsolved murder cases the tabloid Net-tubes are blaming on
shame along with their guts. They may beg and plead and commit amok roids, and who’s to say they’re wrong? Like with androids,
themselves to endless servitude in hope they may one day earn does this mean we automatically distrust the lot of them? That’s
their honor back. no viable solution, because it would mean stripping our society of
Or, worst of all, they may become desperate spirits, willing to do their invaluable presence. What it does mean is twofold. If you’ve
anything and everything for the taunting promise of honor. The got a dub of your own, then do your best to stay alive so you never
most dangerous of these are those who truly modeled their life have to find out if it’s a faulty one. It’d be a shame to wake up and
around Bushido, were known as a Samurai, and served by skill and discover you’ve developed a few sadistic, murderous tendencies.
sword. Then they lost everything. This is the true origin of the word Or, if you know a dubber or two who just got a fresh body, be a
“ronin.” A Samurai without master or honor became a wanderer, true nakama and highly encourage them to visit a psych balancer
trying to find purpose in petty thievery and vagrancy. No life is for proper screening, before they decide to add to the body list.
worth anything except the one they lost, and they become mad #Dark_Ronin: I respected your opinions right up until
with desire to reclaim it, forgetting that they are a stream that now. You really think those brain-flasher clinics are
only flows in one direction. on the up-and-up? They’re nothing but fronts for the
Be aware and beware. government’s plan to turn us all into drones. Anyone who
goes in there comes out thoroughly loyal to the regime,
RONIN no matter their beliefs beforehand.
You do not want to encounter one of the honorless. They have #Your_Lolita_Princess: Someone’s paranoid. What’re you
Threats

nothing to lose and everything to kill for. In this state, you are a so afraid of? Got something to hide?
stepping stone to be ground beneath their merciless heel. The

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Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)
 Japan: Empire of the Setting Sun
#Dark_Ronin: Nope. I just don’t want anyone tinkering hordes of kami into the countryside, where many wander to this
with my grey goo. That’s sacred ground, ami, and I want day. When encountered by locals, they are often treated as pests
to make sure it stays just the way it is. and killed on sight. Most of them have pre-programmed semi-
Bioforms are created without TAPs. A TAP may be installed at a human warblings and antics they perform.
later time for an additional cost. Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d6, Strength d4, Vigor d6
Skills: Notice d6, Stealth d6
 CYBERDRAKES  Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 3; Firewall: —
Certain foolish individuals have taken the fake dragon bioforms
Special Abilities:
and upgraded them with mechanical wings and throat implants,
• Size –2: Kamicuties are typically less than a foot tall.
in order to gift them with flight and fire breathing. Does it surprise
anyone when an apartment building burns down, or a few people • Small: Attackers subtract 2 from their attacks to hit.
are found with throats torn out, and one of these violent critters
is blamed? KITSUNE
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d8, Strength d12+4, The most common version of this bioform is a humanoid with
Vigor d12 multiple fox tails—nine at the most. Not a true hybrid, these
kitsune are instead created as friendly companions, entertainers,
Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidation d12, Notice d8
or replacement spouses. They are given a quick wit but benign
Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 12(4); Firewall: — intents, though if their ward is threatened, they will sacrifice their
Special Abilities: lives to let them escape.
• Armor +4: Scaly hide. Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
• Claws/Bite: Str+d8. Skills: Notice d6, Persuation d6, plus as required by desgin
• Fiery Breath: Drakes breathe fire using the Cone Template. Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 5; Firewall: —
Every target within this cone may make an Agility roll at –2 to Special Abilities:
avoid the attack. Those who fail suffer 2d10 damage and must
• Attractive: Kitsune are very beautiful and have +2 Charisma.
check to see if they catch fire. A drake may not attack with its
claws or bite in the round it breathes fire. • Empathetic: Kitsune are designe to pick up on other's
emotions. They gain a +2 to Notice and Persuation Trait rolls.
• Flight: Pace 8”, Climb 1.
• Loyal: Kitsune are loyal to their owner, doing whatever is
ERRANT KAMI necessary to protect him, even giving up its own life.
An infestation of vat-brewed kami creatures continues to spread
KOMAINU
through Japan’s widespread forests and mountain ranges. Many
are harmless, but enough have been outfitted with claws, fangs, Based on the lion dog statues of old. These bioforms are the
venom sacs, and vicious programming, that it’s better to be safe living version.
than sorry when you spot one. That’s not mentioning those that Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d10, Strength d12, Vigor
have escaped the Kami Kill Clubs that took over popularity from d8
dog-fighting rings for a while. Bred to do nothing but breed and Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d8
fight. Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7; Firewall: —
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d8, Strength d12+1, Special Abilities:
Vigor d10 • Claws or Bite: Str+d6.
Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Stealth • Improved Frenzy: Komaniu may make two Fighting attacks
d6 each action at no penalty.
Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 9(2); Firewall: — • Low Light Vision: Komainu ignore penalties for Dim and Dark
Special Abilities: lighting.
• Armor +2: Scaly hide. • Size +1: Komainu can weigh over 300 pounds.
• Claws/Bite: Str+d6.
• Patch-Work: Errant kami are an amalgamation of various MALDUBBED
creatures and parts. They suffer no additional damage from Those countries that still allow bioroids to be manufactured — such
called shots. as Japan itself — have taken to marking human-looking vat brews
• Poison: The errant kami's bite delivers Venomous poison, see with genetic skin graft bar codes, so the authorities can at least
Savage Worlds. easily track and monitor them. That’s no foolproof safety net, by
far, and everyone knows it.
KAMICUTIES Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d10, Vigor d8
Originally based on stylized kami spirits in a popular children’s Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice d4, Streetwise d4
show of the same name, these cuddly creatures were intended to Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7; Firewall: —
represent minor manifestations of nature, with fire, water, earth, air, Special Abilities:
Threats

and plant kami being displayed in all sorts of bizarre ambulatory

• Size +1: Maldubbed are larger that most people.
forms—none more than a foot high. Children bought them in
• Ugly: Maldubbed are physically disfigured, as a result suffer
droves, and they were popular pets for several years until the show
a −2 Charisma.
ended. As children grew up, they often released their miniature

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 Threats: Bioforms
• Unpredictable: The thing that makes the maldubbed the
most dangerous is not knowing how they will act at any given ONI
moment. When a maldubbed is stressed (or Shaken) draw a These demonic-looking bioforms employ all the traditional
card from the Action Deck. If the card is a Face card, the suit devilish characteristics: horns, hooves, claws, red scaly skin…
of the card determines the maldubbed’s demeanor for the and they can put it all to good use as bodyguards or street thugs.
remainder of the scene. Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d12+1, Vigor
Spades: The maldbubed is delusional and paranoid, believing d10
someone is hunting him down to destroy. He does what is Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidate d8, Notice d6
necessary to stay alive.
Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 13(4); Firewall: —
Hearts: The maldubbed goes berserk attacking the closest
Gear: Shogun Outfitters Lamellar Body Armor (+4), Flowering
target. He gains +2 to all Fighting and Strength rolls and its
Skull Shotgun (Range 10/20/40; Damage 1–3d8; RoF 1; Shots 8)
Toughness, but Parry is reduced by 2.
Special Abilities:
Diamonds: Something in the maldubbed’s wiring is gets
crossed. He becomes docile and gains the Pacifist (Minor) • Armor +1: Thick leathery skin.
Hindrance. • Claws: Str+d6, AP 1
Clubs: The maldubbed is distracted and starts to babble • Intimidating: Oni bioforms are fearsome creatures. They gain
incoherently to himself. Due to the mental distraction he +2 to Intimidate rolls.
suffers −2 to all Trait rolls. • Size +2: Oni are nearly 10 feet tall and weight 500 lbs.

MINIDRAGS TENGU
These flightless reptiles have been modified to possess a Another legend brought to life as a bioform, these are again
serpentine body, furred or feathery frills, horns, and long legs with not true hybrids, but a humanoid with bird-like features such as
claws. Their features closely match those of a traditional whiskered wings and claws, as well as either beaks or giant noses. They are
Japanese dragon. They are tame and often treated as lap pets. often bought as bodyguards or act as acrobatic performers. They
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d10, Strength d4, Vigor d6 are flightless.
Skills: Climbing d6, Notice d6, Stealth d8 Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, Vigor d8
Pace: 6; Parry: 3; Toughness: 3 Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice d8, Stealth d8, Taunt d8
Special Abilities: Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 6;; Firewall: —
• Acrobat: +2 to Agility rolls to perform acrobatic maneuvers; Gear: As required
+1 to Parry if unencumbered. Special Abilities:
• Bite/Claw: Str. • Acrobat: +2 to Agility rolls to perform acrobatic maneuvers;
• Low Light Vision: Cats ignore penalties for Dim and Dark +1 to Parry if unencumbered.
lighting. • Claws: Str+d6
• Size –2: Minidrags are typically less than a foot high. • Fearless: Tengu are immune to Fear and Intimidation.
• Small: Attackers subtract 2 from their attacks to hit.
YAMABIKO
 NUE  Originally, the Japanese attributed echoes of any sort to be the
The Japanese version of the ancient chimera, this creature work of the yamabiko, a small, doglike creature that could perfectly
possesses the face of a monkey, the limbs and torso of a tiger, mimic any sound. A wealthy father once had a hundred created
and the tail of a snake. Currently, the only one known to exist is for his daughter’s birthday party and gave them out as favors to
held within the emperor’s private menagerie. It has been said to attending guests. A good number of these animals subsequently
have killed at least one of its caretakers. escaped and have been breeding throughout Japan. They tend to
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d6, Strength d12, Vigor follow a single person around and mimic all their noises until either
d10 run off or killed. Most consider them mildly amusing, but others
have begun registering them as sources of auditory pollution or
Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6
pests.
Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 10(1); Firewall: —
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Special Abilities:
Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d10
• Armor +1: Thick fur.
Pace: 8; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4; Firewall: —
• Claws: Str+d6.
Special Abilities:
• Low Light Vision: The Nue ignores penalties for Dim and
• Bite: Str+d4.
Dark lighting.
• Fleet-Footed: Roll a d10 when running instead of a d6.
• Pounce: The nue can pounce on its prey to best bring his mass
and claws to bear. It can leap 1d6” to gain +4 to its attack and • Mimic: Yamabiko can mimic any sound they have heard. It
damage. Its Parry is reduced by –2 until its next action when requires a Notice roll at −2 to detect the mimicry.
performing the maneuver however. • Size –1: Yamabiko are relatively small.
• Size +2: The nue weighs over 500 pounds.
• Snake Tail: d4, Reach 1.

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 INDEX
A J T
Archetypes 17 Japanese–English Lexicon 5 Tech 10
Architecture 7 Techno Shogunate, The 13
Armor 24 M Threats 55
ExoArmor 25 Major Cities 36 A.I.s 55
Augment List Aomori 48 Bioforms 63
Augment List 27 Chiba 39 Bombings 61
Cyberlimb Modules 28 Fukushima 43 Caste Uprisings 62
Hiroshima 46 Corporate Takeovers 60
B Nagano 49 Loss of Honor 63
Bioforms 26. See also Threats Nagasaki 46 Shinobi vs. Samurai 58
Business 11 Osaka 41 Synth & Simulacra 56
Sendai 44 Triads vs. Yakuza 58
C Tokyo 36 Yakuza vs. the Law 59
Culture 4 Yokohama 43
Megacorporations 12
V
Cybernetics 27
Augmentation Packages 27 Chrysanthemum Corporation 12 Vehicle Qualities 33
Ishin-Denshin 12 Vehicles 33
E Kensai 13 Aircraft 34
Edges 22 Kenta Cyber Dynamics 13 Cars 34
Background 22 Shogun Outfitters 12 Cycles 33
Combat 22 The Shinbashira 12 Heavy Vehicles 35
Hacker 22 Spacecraft 35
O Water Craft 34
Power 22
Professional 23 Occupations 20 VTOL Craft 34
Social 23
P W
Weird 23
Energy Weapon 33 Power Armor 29 Weapons 31
Entertainment 8 Heavy Weapons 33
R Mêlée 31
F Religion 6 Missile Launchers 33
Fashion 9 Robots 29 Pistols 31
Food 7 Ranged 31
S Rifles 33
G Savage Tales 51 Shotguns 33
Golemmechs 28 Simulacra Models 29, 30 Special Weapons 33
Special Gear 30 Submachine Guns 31
Index

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Kevin Holmes (order #6703412)