My Lizard Brain [Koyama's Q&A]

[Shinjo Koyama]

Ask awa', sassenachs!

[Jiyo Sora]

How cool was getting to rock the dragon form there at the end?

[Kyosei of the Isawa]

I don't understand why others had trouble understanding you!

O' course, Kyosei was originally a peasant, and one from mountains, so his growing up accent was not too terribly different. Since he was raised in rank, and taught magic, he was also educated in how to speak more clearly, dontchano?

But, I like Koyama, and his late turn as a Dragon was pretty cool. Was that something right from the start, or did he learn it from Shinjo?

[Shinjo Koyama]

How cool was getting to rock the dragon form there at the end?

"Made my game" level of cool.

I don't understand why others had trouble understanding you!

Mah mukker!

But, I like Koyama, and his late turn as a Dragon was pretty cool. Was that something right from the start, or did he learn it from Shinjo?

It started since mid-Dawn 1 reveal of him being an offspring of the Earth Dragon. Being able to change into a dragon form was my post-Dawn 1 goal but it was delayed because Canary and I agreed it'd be ridiculous and game-distorting if Koyama was able to do it from the start. So the how-to only emerged on the final day, but the drive had been there for long.

[Jiyo Sora]

So, we have a guy who can turn into a dragon and is lovingly married to a Kami, a guy lovingly serving the same Kami, and a guy lovingly serving the Emperor and lined up to marry the incarnation of a Fortune...

Are we the worst Kolat ever, or what?

[Shinjo Koyama]

The baddest.

We're not some ankle-biters, but real insiders.

[Jin]

I will fully admit that Jin, like Jin's player, could understand maybe 95% of what Koyama said and just ran with what he assumed he was saying the rest of the time.

[Canary]

How cool was getting to rock the dragon form there at the end?

"Made my game" level of cool.

I'm really sorry about not keeping up on threads and whatnot as well as I could have been. I know it was troubling you at a few points during game. We tried to do a little foreshadowing with Sora's vision and whatnot. The endgame scenario and the Maw ended up making a perfect opportunity to bring it out, and your posts with that were amazing. I hope it was able to make up for some of the rest.

There's still some stuff to be said and minor revelations in that conversation with your cousin if you still want to do that before we totally disband.

[Shinjo Koyama]

It was frustrating at times but I tried to moderate myself into not raising the issue since I knew all well that had you not been so swamped doing all your best in driving the main plot you would have posted more in my more personal threads. I really wanted this game to succeed and I know how much hinges on the lead GM's sustained motivation to do the big stuff, and on schedule. The least I wanted was to impede that by complaining and such. I am happy there was this oomph moment that made things meaningful at the end, it left a good feeling about the whole thing. Taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture and not just doing the navel-gazing, I think you did an amazing job here, let me say it again - amazing. The whole team was great, you, Tyrus and Bakuriel, in delivering a unique, memorable game.

Besides, I had problems with my own motivation and availability, RL hit hard at some points and momentum was hard to sustain and then regain. I've noticed that with the passage of years I have got mounting problems with generating meaningful relations with other players and have come to rely on GMs more to get the fun, which is unfair to them because they have many mouths to feed. Part of that is my fatigue with 'meet and greet' chatter and small talk which is quite necessary to go on with other stuff. Then again, playing a simpler character that has limited mental stake in some big issues and goes on self-encapsulated agendas is hence doubly self-defeating. So I have been struggling with this introversion for a couple of years now, and I have yet to find a solution.

So in the end it was I who wasn't awesome except for some rare moments. The GMs rocked.

I sure want to continue the dragon talk. Hope it's still a few days before the option gets obsolete as I've been swamped by work commitments again.

[Canary]

I sure want to continue the dragon talk. Hope it's still a few days before the option gets obsolete as I've been swamped by work commitments again.

All the time you need. I can remind you periodically, if it goes too long, if you'd like.

[Nozomi]

*stretch* I wanted to thank you for a lot of the pre-game set up with Phi (now Nozomi). I ended up loving the Hikaru interactions with her former kinsmen, and her choice to renounce the tribe as part of a monastic vow wasn't as easy as I thought it might be because she had such good relations with those two (Sure, she'll keep in touch, but Hikaru forever!)

I imagine you're planning to allow Koyama to settle into his long exploratory life alongside his wife and tribe. I don't know since he's not a daimyo if you have plans to reprise him next time around or are able to. Have you given much thought to the direction his life will take now that he knows he's secretly a dragon?

[Shinjo Koyama]

Once a Hikaru, ever a Hikaru. I've decided Hikaru is some kind of superidentity over all other faction choices we make .

I haven't done all I wanted with Koyama. His draconic lineage thing has been in the making since Dawn 1, so I somehow don't feel this is when the curtain falls, though if GMs tell otherwise, this will be so. IMHO he's not irreprisable given how arduous the transformation is and is only reserved for narrative rare cases. His human stats ensure high survivability so there's really not much mechanical incentive to just go dragon at earliest convenience. On the potential power disparity issue on narrative levels vis a vis other players, I imagine Shinjo's scolding for abusing heavenly perks and the related weight of responsibility should be enough to keep that in check. I am also pretty much a non-performing entity in social interactions, with Disturbing Countenance over my general dice-derived ineptitude, except for "Nope" power related to high Willpower, which has ever been there.

So, I don't want to overthink the reprising issue right now. It'll be what it'll be. It may be that Shinjo will depart, I with her, and the Ki-Rin won't be around for the next game at all. If this is not the case, I still have the agenda related to making Ki-Rin ride wyrms rather than horses and be the air force rather than just cavalry. I guess the issue of 'into what our children can transform, honey?" hasn't been addressed yet. If they can be flying draconids in their own right, the trope gets the perfect parallel (and my Dune-love gets petted by having elements of godliness living through the ages in the descendant serpents true warriors ride)

I loved Phi's character, your dedication in engaging with the lore, the depth of your contribution. I am so glad you're back to active role-playing. This kind of 'deep enmeshment' in setting when roleplaying has always been my golden standard but I've lost it somewhere on the way. Your take on Dawn 2 was supremely admirable from where I stand. Hikaru Kudos

[Kyosei of the Isawa]

I still have some jade dust. Want me to sprinkle it over your wound, just to be sure? Might leave you with a green scar...

[Shinjo Koyama]

I think I'm good on being green

[Wu]

I legit never understood anything you said.