Setting

+news Setting


Roughly speaking, NarutoMUSH is set in a period similar to the late Taisho
and early Showa period of Japan, which took place between the 1920s and
1930s. Ideas and technology originating from Western culture have been
circulating around the continent for a few decades. Things like steam
technology, basic electronics (like radio-wave transmitters, telegraphs,
flashlights), and even electric household appliances have begun to gain
popularity, and are a more common sight.

This setting represents a period of considerable flux and conflict. Ideas
from the West clash with the traditional concepts of life, family, and
station. Many have called for civilization and enlightenment (the tag-line
of Western ideas), but equally have others recoiled from these new
approaches, clinging to traditional ways of life which have existed for
centuries. For example, consider the kimono, which had literally been the
standard of dress for all citizens, regardless of gender, age, or station.
With modernization, however, men began to abandon this garb, opting instead
for trousers, shirts, suits, and bowler hats. Women, too, donned
high-button boots, and gowns.

Of course, in the ninja world, fashions and practices are ruled by their
own bizarre conventions (shinobi sandals, for instance), but they are still
very much a reflection of the time. That said, ninja have always been a
strange and eclectic lot, so if you do not wish to base your character too
heavily on the 1920s aesthetic, that is fine. Simply do not exceed the
technological or social limitations of the time.

(Continued in +news setting2.)

(Updated by Nunchuk on: Sun Aug 19 11:22:40 2012)


+news Setting2


A note on technology: it exists, but is clunky and usually unreliable. The
short-band throat microphones popular in the Naruto series have yet to be
introduced to the continent. Most ninja still rely on a combination of hand
signs, nonverbal cues, and a lot of practice to coordinate their movements.
Horses are still the dominant mode of conveyance. Power lines have been
laid in some urban areas, but are hardly the norm in most homes and
villages. Only the wealthy enjoy access to power on a daily basis, and
things like lighted chandeliers are considered opulent displays of power
and modernity. Guns are virtually unknown, for no self-respecting ninja
would consider using such an inaccurate, slow, and ineffective device in
favor of the wonders of Chakra.

Finally, a word on social norms. Traditional ideas of fealty and piety have
been eroded by modern concepts such as equality and democracy. This is
evident even in the ninja world, where the ancient Clan structure has been
usurped (or at least displaced) by the new Hidden Village model, which is
considerably more democratic than what previous ninja generations had
probably known. Loyalty to the clan and to the family - once the root of a
ninja's service - has become corollary to loyalty to the Village (a sort of
nationalism which is entirely new in this part of the world). Ideas about
the roles of men and women have begun to shift as well, evidenced by the
changes in dress of the genders. Both men and women alike are turning their
backs on traditional gender roles, and are embracing a new level of freedom
and equality. In the ninja world, this is the case as well: the idea that a
ninja can move up the ranks of their Village based on merit, rather than
birthright.

(Updated by Nunchuk on: Sun Aug 19 11:22:55 2012)


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