Giri
Gimu
Meiyō A Samurai is ultimately the one true judge of his honor. The decisions you make and how you carry them out are a reflection of who you truly are. Meiyō is that sense of internal honor and integrity.
Starting Passions
|
Starting Passion |
Value |
Directed |
|
Giri (Lord or Lady) |
2d6+6 |
to one superior person |
|
Giri (Family) |
2d6+6 |
to parents, ancestors, siblings, children, descendants, in-laws |
|
Giri (Self) |
3d6 |
to one's own name and reputation |
|
Meiyō |
3d6 |
to others and one's self |
Note: Among the samurai, loyalty to one's family supersedes one's love for those same people. Thus, unlike King Arthur Pendragon, your character will begin the game with a Passion that reflects that overriding sense of duty, rather than affection.
The following definitions describe the pairs of personality traits that differ significantly from those presented in King Arthur Pendragon.
Fatalistic/Ambitious
A Fatalistic person is resigned to one's externally ordained fate. To the Fatalistic character, personal desires are inconsequential in light of the view that one's lot in life is dictated either by karma or by duty to one's superior, and more likely both.
To be Ambitious is to possess a desire to improve one's lot in life. The ambitious individual is the master of his own fate, constantly aware of any opportunity to get ahead, ready to seize them as they appear, and possibly at the expense of others. Ambition may still be reconciled with karma, as one's lot in life may well be to rise to the top.
Merciful/Cruel
To be Merciful is to display ninjō, or compassion for others.
A Cruel person is disdainful of the feelings of others.
Proud/Humble
To be Proud means that your character derives satisfaction from recognition of his deeds, his ancestry, and his station in life. However, he is boastful only on the battlefield or when prompted. Excessive pride and unsolicited boasting implies arrogance.
Humble means that your character is quiet and does not seek self-glory in recitation of his deeds, satisfied merely to go about his routine. A Humble character recognises his simple station in life and derives no glory from it. Very Humble people are called reserved, perhaps even shy.
Sincere/Deceitful
A Sincere character is one who maintains the steady appearance of being honest and forthright, as opposed to the act of being honest and forthright. This isn't to suggest that one may lie outright as long as appearances are maintained. However, in the complex world of intertwined and often conflicting allegiances and obligations, a Sincere character is careful to fulfill the letter of the obligation, if not the intended spirit, as to offend none of the involved parties. Shrewd interpretation of obligations must be coupled with the appearance of sincere intent in fulfilling those obligations.
A Deceitful person is prone to lying, prevarication, and breaking promises. Feudal Japanese society holds lying, oathbreaking, and defaulting on obligations in low regard. It is a profound dishonor to be caught or even implicated in such a situation. A very Deceitful character has little regard for such dishonor.
Note: The paired traits Forgiving and Vengeful are not used in Genpei. In feudal Japanese society, forgiveness is superseded by fatalism, the willingness to overlook slights and transgressions as the inevitable product of fate. Vengeance is common among the feudal Japanese, but is a product of either wounded pride or thwarted ambition.