In Torg (and Storm Knights, my Torg rewrite), every Reality has a tag:
• Tharkold, the Technohorror Reality
• Aysle, the Reality of Magic
• The Nile Empire, the Pulp Reality
The reason is this: it's a trans-genre game. A game where:
A cyberpunk pit fighter, an embittered 1920's gumshoe, and a valiant, medieval knight in enchanted armor hunt a cruel vampire hiding amongst the passengers on a steampunk airship a mile above Shanghai.
Each Reality reflects a genre (fantasy, cyberpunk, horror, pulp), but in a loose way. Aysle is a fantasy Reality, but not a generic one. It has unique aspects, aspects that give it color.
My approach, when rewriting cosms for my campaign, has been to create whole worlds, worlds that are as perfect and unique as I can. Then I pick a tag that summarizes the world in a concise way.
• The Living Land, the Lost Worlds Reality
• Kadandra, the Cyber Pulp Reality
• Victoria, the Gothic Steampunk Reality
The cosm is the key, the tag just describes it.
Which brings us to Nippon Tech. I've been using a temporary tag while I work on it, something that reminds me of where I'm going, of what my core idea is. But this tag will not work forever. I'll explain why next post.
The Essential Nippon Tech
My revised Nippon Tech is an amplification of the canon. "Turn it up to 11", as the cliche goes. Take the good elements, and magnify them, make them bigger, bolder, and more interesting.
What good elements? Martial arts, hyper-tech, intrigue and espionage.
These are the core of Nippon Tech. They are fun and interesting, and must be highlighted. So I made them the core of the new Nippon Tech.
The Wuxia Technothriller Reality
Nippon Tech is the Wuxia Technothriller reality. It is based on Chinese Wuxia fiction, including Wushu martial arts (think the flashiest sorts of kung fu abilities from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" or "The Matrix"), wandering heroes fighting for the oppressed, and a mystical Otherworld.
Nippon Tech is also a hyper-tech sci-fi dystopia, almost cyberpunk but not quite. Technology marks the gulf between the powerful (who enjoy the latest and greatest) and the oppressed, who live without. And while technology is a tool of oppression, it is also a means to combat it.
Secrets, factions, and conspiracies about, secrets of martial arts, technological secrets, secrets of the links between the mundane world and the Otherworld. Factions — martial arts clans, corporations, government agencies, criminal syndicates — possess these secrets, and fight to defend them or steal them. Agents infiltrate enemy factions, listening in on communications, breaking into secured areas, and suborning marks, all so they can or simply steal what they need.
The cosm's mythos ties these disparate elements together in a cool and interesting way, and the whole works as a standalone setting and as part of the Possibility War. But...
While "Wuxia Technothriller" is a great development tag, a temporary handle for the Reality, it won't work on a permanent basis. As Silverlion pointed out last night, "Wuxia" (a Chinese literary and cinematic genre) just doesn't mesh with "Nippon" Tech.
(At its simplest, people will assume I'm too ignorant of my source material to have done a good job with it, and dismiss a really cool setting.)
My hope is that I can post some details about the Reality and get some suggestions for a genre tag that describes it.
One issue being that more than other aspects of TORG, Nippon Tech is out of date. In some cases like Orrorsh and Nile Empire, that's the point. But Nippon Tech is supposed to be just a little past "cutting edge" and it reflects the culture of a time when Japan's corporate culture was supposed to be eating America's lunch. That's not the case anymore. Now China is actually a better candidate for "Asian tiger", but it still maintains capitalism strictly as a life support for one-party communism, and the benefits of corporatization are even more hollow and uneven than they are elsewhere.
JG
Quote from: James Gillen;733760Nippon Tech is out of date.
[...]
Nippon Tech is supposed to be just a little past "cutting edge" and it reflects the culture of a time when Japan's corporate culture was supposed to be eating America's lunch.
I agree. Fortunately, this Reality isn't "The Megacorporate Reality", where Japan's megacorps are going to come and buy everything up and own the world.
It's about "wire-fu" and psychic powers, day-after-tomorrow tech, and intrigue and espionage. It's also about the powerful and greedy oppressing the masses.
That last bit isn't just corporations. It's also about organized crime and street gangs. It's apathetic and oppressive government bureaucracies. It's rich and connected individuals and companies. It's martial arts clans and guilds of assassins.
All can be villains (though a tiny few are not), all fight each other, all conspire with each other, and all oppress the helpless and weak and poor.
In other words, this Reality invaded in Japan, but itself isn't "Japanese". It's not a parody of Japan or a caricature of Japan. We Earthers call it "Nippon Tech", but those from the cosm call their world Tellus, and it isn't a world-wide Japan.
I really didn't want to make a Reality that was a pile of Japanese stereotypes. Nor is this Reality a pile of Wuxia tropes.
Yes, the Wuxia genre informed the design of the cosm. But it is (I hope) a whole and real world, with it's own metaphysics and cosmology, and the "genre" is just an inherent and inevitable consequence of a unique Reality.
I've got some more posts about it that'll explain more, I just didn't want to drop them all at once.
Quote from: James Gillen;733760Now China is actually a better candidate for "Asian tiger",
I originally had this Reality invading in China, with the name "Sino Tech" (hence the Wuxia elements). For several reasons, I started the invasion in Japan and kept the classic name. (Though it would invade into China very quickly.)
EDIT:
The mark of a good Reality is that it can invade anywhere. By that standard, the new Nippon Tech passes with flying colors.
It could invade anywhere on Earth, and make sense.
• Government oppressing the powerless? That's everywhere.
• Criminals victimizing the helpless? Where doesn't that happen?
• Political corruption and influence peddling? May as well invade here.
• Secrets, intrigue, and espionage? Blogger please, ain't you been reading the news?
Martial arts and psychic abilities are less universal, in the "oh, my God that's happening here" sense, but these sort of things are common in all cultures. (Google "General Butt Naked". That's not a joke, sadly. Just have a strong stomach.)
This Reality isn't about parodying Japan, or even China, or the artificial imposition of a genre. It's an alien world, an alien Reality, that nonetheless makes perfect sense and could invade anywhere, even other worlds.
Suppose Aysle were just another cosm, not an Invader. A victim. Nippon Tech could invade there — Aysle has corrupt people and organizations that oppress the weak and helpless. Ditto the Living Land, Magna Veritas, and so forth.
This is a Reality, not a cliche or a pile of cliches. Which is why I think it works.
If I could only come up with a goddam tag.
Wuxia + Technothriller?
All of Torg's realities blend two seemingly disparate genres into one compelling setting. So how does "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" blend with "The Bourne Supremacy"?
Wuxia fiction centers around Wushu martial arts. Clans of martial artists (each with their own secret Wushu techniques) fight each other, seeking to prove the superiority of their own brand of Wushu (while also stealing the Wushu secrets of others). It is also a genre of oppression, where corrupt government officials, cruel landowners, or vicious criminal syndicates oppress the powerless. Wandering martial arts heroes, the Xia, fight for the oppressed against their oppressors.
The Technothriller aspect of the reality is essentially Cyberpunk without cyber. Cyberpunk is a genre of technology. Corporations, governments, and criminals all fight over technological innovations, and engage in espionage, intrigue, and covert wars to defeat their opponents. It is also a genre of oppression. These same groups oppress common citizens, and (in many stories) rebels and lawbreakers strive to defeat them.
In other words, the reason these two genres can be combined in one Reality is that they parallel each other in so many ways. Wushu secrets : technological secrets. Wushu clans that war for secrets (via intrigue, espionage, and combat) : corporations, governments, and criminal syndicates that war for secrets (via the same methods). The powerless being oppressed, and heroes and rebels who fight for them.
The two genres almost seem made to mesh with each other. Take one hyper-tech dystopia, rife with infighting, intrigue, oppression, and war. To this add Wushu martial arts, warring martial arts clans, and Xia. The result? Nippon Tech, the Wuxia Technothriller reality.
In its simplest form, the Reality is this: Martial arts and hyper-tech, the powerful oppressing the powerless, and rebels and heroes who fight on their behalf. (The parallels with the canon Nippon Tech are clear.)
The actual Reality is more complex, of course. These various elements combine and contrast in interesting ways, and there is a cool mythos to tie all of them together. Next message.
Wuxia literature has a key element I didn't talk about in my last post. But it is this element that provides the vehicle to meld ancient martial arts and a hyper-tech modern dystopia. This element is a mystical otherworld, called Jianghu.
Jiagnhu is another world alongside the modern, a realm of ancient civilizations, great Wushu abilities, and honorable heroes. This otherworld is the key to the mythos of Nippon Tech.
A Mythos of Two Worlds
The home cosm of Nippon Tech is comprised of two parallel worlds, geographically identical but otherwise vastly different. Tellus, the mortal world, is a near-cyberpunk dystopia. Jianghu (also called Gokuraku, Sukhavati, and a thousand other names) is a world of feuding martial arts clans and ancient civilizations.
In Jianghu, wushu is practiced openly, and wandering monks and heroes fight battles against cruel despots, corrupt landowners, and criminal clans. On Tellus, the same abilities are available, but are hidden secrets known only by a few. These few fight secret wars for control of Qi and all existence.
Qi (also called ki, prana, elan vital, and a thousand other names) is the source of Wushu abilities — Precognition. Telepathy. Telekinesis. Martial arts. And more.
Qi suffuses Jianghu, and it is in Jianghu where it is most understood. Qi Masters exist in both worlds, but the Qi Masters of Jianghu are by far the most powerful.
There are portals between the two worlds, and from these portals the Qi energies of Jianghu enter Tellus (and vice versa). Ribbons of Qi energies flow through Tellus, and each ribbon can be traced back to a portal.
As in Jianghu, Wushu clans developed on Tellus. Inevitably, such clans built monasteries near one of these rivers of Qi energies, or (preferably) on a portal itself.
The energies of the portal enhanced their wushu, making it more powerful, more potent. Such locations were highly desirable, and various clans would fight to claim them.
Qi is the breath of life. All living things partake of it. When one is conceived, Qi quickens one's being. When one dies, the mind returns to nothingness, but one's Qi returns to Jianghu.
The sole exception are those rare individuals who have attained true enlightenment, and become one with Qi. When such Qi Masters die, they enter Jianghu, there to exist forever.
A Mythos of Two World, cont.
Qi is a force of energy neither miraculous nor magical. On our Earth, it would be called psychic or psionic energy. It is the energy of life, of the mind, of the body. And Jianghu is the world of Qi.
Jianghu can be thought of as a parallel dimension of psychic energy, like the Akashic Record. Only, instead of a library of all that has happened, it is a living world, a world with its own inhabitants, cultures, governments, traditions, and cultures. (Most of which reflect ancient cultures of Tellus.)
Mortals can enter this other world temporarily, through portals. But the truly enlightened can, upon death, become one with Jianghu, one with Qi. Enlightened Ones don't live on as souls or spirits, but as natives of Jianghu. There they live forever.
(People can die in Jianghu, but they are sooner or later reincarnated. No native of Jianghu ever truly dies, though in extreme circumstances they can be destroyed.)
Attaining true enlightenment is the highest goal of mortal life.
Jianghu is not an afterlife. Tellus, the cosm, has no afterlife. No souls, no miracles, no Divine forces or entities.
Tellus has no religions and no religious beliefs, no manifestations of spiritual power at all. What Tellus has are philosophies.
The many philosophies of Tellus each teach different methods to achieve enlightenment. No one knows which is true, or if all are, or if all are false.
Studying to achieve enlightenment means studying Qi. Studying Qi lead to the discovery of Wushu. Hence these philosophical schools became Wushu clans.
Qi has a strong effect on the minds of the living. As various clans established monasteries on or near portals, they affected the flow of Qi around them. This flow affected the minds of those living nearby.
Each monastery became a beacon for its philosophy, and those who lived nearby unconsciously began to follow the tenets of the clan's philosophy.
For most of history on Tellus, this made little difference. All clans believed in achieving enlightenment, and hence the belief in Jianghu and belief in striving for moral and mental perfection was a constant.
Then came the Authority. Their philosophy was radically different, and their pursuit of ways to enter Jianghu corrupted Qi everywhere in Tellus. Their philosophy became the world's philosophy. The hearts and minds of people were corrupted. And Tellus became a dark and corrupt world.
Um, i'm almost sorry for asking, but i don't really see the problem with the "Wuxia Technothriller" tag.
Quote from: Catelf;734445Um, i'm almost sorry for asking, but i don't really see the problem with the "Wuxia Technothriller" tag.
I appreciate that.
"Wuxia" is a Chinese genre, part of Chinese culture. It's as much a part of Chinese culture as the Western is a part of American culture. It's uniquely Chinese, emblematically Chinese.
And Nippon is, well, Japan. Wuxia is not Japanese.
The name of the Reality, in conjunction with the tag, might give the impression that the jerk who picked the tag knows nothing about either Japan or Wuxia.
It's like referring to "Chinese Samurai" or having a Mafioso character who's Irish. It can make you look ignorant.
So I'm trying to come up with something different.
EDIT: Though right now I'm leaning towards keeping the "Wuxia Technothriller" tag, and including a small note explaining the incongruity.
Chinese and Japanese don't like being compared too much. ;)
JG
Quote from: Daddy Warpig;734446I appreciate that.
"Wuxia" is a Chinese genre, part of Chinese culture. It's as much a part of Chinese culture as the Western is a part of American culture. It's uniquely Chinese, emblematically Chinese.
And Nippon is, well, Japan. Wuxia is not Japanese.
The name of the Reality, in conjunction with the tag, might give the impression that the jerk who picked the tag knows nothing about either Japan or Wuxia.
So it is that picky, hm?
Ok.
......
Japanese Super Sentai and Kamen Rider share some aspects with Wuxia.
...
What stops you from using the variant of "Nippontech" (the one with the other name) that originated from China?
China might embrace it in order to best Japan.
Hm, there might be a mess mixing Japan and China anyway, if it is that sensitive ...
What if it originated from Hong Kong instead?
Why call it "Nippontech" at all?
Except for varying forms of Tokusatsu (Sentai & KR mentioned above), as well as some Manga and Anime, it do not seem like Japan has anything near Wuxia as a style.
Personally, it seems like the problem is more in the name "Nippontech" than in the definition "Wuxia Technothriller".
Quote from: Catelf;734471What stops you from using the variant of "Nippontech" (the one with the other name) that originated from China?
That would be "Sino Tech", the original name of the Reality. So, I've considered it. ;)
But, just today I realized a far better tag for the reality is this:
Martial Arts Techno-thrillerTakes in Wuxia movies and novels, Chanbara, martial-arts oriented manga, anime, and manhua, Kung Fu movies, Hong Kong action cinema, and a whole lot more. It takes in everything from street-level brutal battles to "flying swordsmen" duels. Rainy alleys where motorcycle gangs fight with Jackie Chan moves, to palaces and groves where dedicated students fight for the secrets of their clan.
It's a Reality that can invade in Japan and spread across Asia (which this one does). And the "technothriller" part brings in espionage, high tech, and gunplay.
That's not bad.
Quote from: Daddy Warpig;734525Martial Arts Techno-thriller
Well, if you think it is enough to cover Wuxia, then do it!
:)
This is the Authority.
Hundreds of years ago a cabal of Qi Masters from across Tellus came together, to seize control of the portals to the Otherworld. Most were near death, but far from achieving true enlightenment. By seizing the portals, they sought to cheat death and enter the Otherworld.
Their philosophy taught that one didn't have to earn ascendance to the Otherworld through enlightenment, but that ascendance could be seized. If you had enough power.
So their members fought to become the most powerful individuals they could be. Strong in Wushu. Strong in Qi. Strong in wealth. Strong in political power. Strong in every way they could be.
Yet none achieved enlightenment. Faced with death, they decided to seize ascension. They launched a war against the other martial arts clans, a war to seize all portals to the Otherworld. Though they did not succeed in ascending, they did manage to capture most of the portals and destroy many opposing schools, driving the rest underground.
By war's end, they'd become the most powerful organization on the planet. Control of so many portals made their Wushu unbelievably strong. Using it, they dominated the world.
Control of the portals also meant their philosophy of maximizing personal power at the expense of others, became the dominant moral code for the entire cosm. On Tellus, the powerful seek more power, and the powerless are held in contempt. This belief is nearly universal.
Save for the Youxia. These are the rebels, those who reject the philosophy of power. Many are wushu warriors, and some are Qi Masters. Others are hackers, sneak-thieves, and political rebels. Also spies, wealthy businessmen, and great leaders.
All Youxia oppose the selfish moral code of the Authority, and protect the powerless and oppressed from the depredations of the powerful. They also seek to destroy the Authority's monopoly over Qi, to destroy their monasteries and liberate portals to the Otherworld.
Now that the Authority has invaded Core Earth, the Youxia have come here to continue their war. Here they hope to find allies. Here they hope to defeat the nearly-omnipotent masters of Tellus.
This all sounds very much like Feng Shui, which given the similarities to TORG is only appropriate. :D
JG
Alot of recent Wuxia movies and techno thrillers have started to be made in korea recently as china has sorta become abit tough to deal with for international buyers(in some cases they're already overcharging for films before they're even made), why not slap it down over south korea instead? they already have plenty of awesome tech gadgets and wuxia techno thriller stuff would work just as well there without the need for sino or nippon classifications.
Quote from: Broken-Serenity;734722Alot of recent Wuxia movies and techno thrillers have started to be made in korea recently
I'm gathering a list of martial arts books and movies for research. It sounds like I'll have to look these up. Thanks. :)
Quote from: Broken-Serenity;734722why not slap it down over south korea instead?
Like this: http://goo.gl/PVxmOR ? ;)
(The next move is, of course, is to cross the East China Sea into Shanghai.)
Quote from: Broken-Serenity;734722without the need for sino or nippon classifications.
Well, the Reality is Nippon Tech, because it is. That's what it's called in
Torg.
But
Martial Arts Technothriller doesn't stumble across the same problems, includes the inspirations I wanted to, and allows for an even wider variety of source material. For me, it works.
Quote from: James Gillen;734714This all sounds very much like Feng Shui, which given the similarities to TORG is only appropriate. :D
I hope it's not coming across as a ripoff of
Feng Shui, because that's not my intent. I did read the game a year or two ago, and I definitely took some inspiration from it, but my original inspiration was:
•
Big Trouble in Little China (hidden fantastic martial arts world)
•
Far West (the first time I'd ever heard of Wuxia)
•
Push (Chinese psychic wars, because it was cool)
After that I started looking at other sources, including
Feng Shui. (Originally just to get a list of Wuxia books and movies. It's surprisingly hard to find that information on the web.)
Feng Shui is a great game, and I don't want people to think I ripped it off, when there's so many other works I did rip off. :)
Quote from: Daddy Warpig;734761I'm gathering a list of martial arts books and movies for research. It sounds like I'll have to look these up. Thanks. :)
Like this: http://goo.gl/PVxmOR ? ;)
(The next move is, of course, is to cross the East China Sea into Shanghai.)
Well, the Reality is Nippon Tech, because it is. That's what it's called in Torg.
But Martial Arts Technothriller doesn't stumble across the same problems, includes the inspirations I wanted to, and allows for an even wider variety of source material. For me, it works.
Your link is restricted but i suspect i have a rough idea what your talking about, if you can find it give a film called Natural City a watch its a korean(though some people seem to think otherwise) scifi techno thriller type movie that has been compared to bladerunner by some, also there are a few comedy wuxia type films coming out of korea these days that may be of use for research (Woochi the demon slayer being a damn good example).
Quote from: Broken-Serenity;734876Your link is restricted
Mother-
Google. Sorry about that. It should be fixed.
http://goo.gl/PVxmOR (http://goo.gl/PVxmOR)
Quote from: Broken-Serenity;734876if you can find it give a film called Natural City a watch
Definitely. Thanks!
Quote from: Daddy Warpig;734771I hope it's not coming across as a ripoff of Feng Shui, because that's not my intent. I did read the game a year or two ago, and I definitely took some inspiration from it, but my original inspiration was:
• Big Trouble in Little China (hidden fantastic martial arts world)
• Far West (the first time I'd ever heard of Wuxia)
• Push (Chinese psychic wars, because it was cool)
After that I started looking at other sources, including Feng Shui. (Originally just to get a list of Wuxia books and movies. It's surprisingly hard to find that information on the web.)
Feng Shui is a great game, and I don't want people to think I ripped it off, when there's so many other works I did rip off. :)
Well, it's just that the concept of elites from various dimensions/timelines seizing control of the metaphysical real estate is something that both Feng Shui and TORG have in common.
JG
Quote from: James Gillen;734915Well, it's just that the concept of elites from various dimensions/timelines seizing control of the metaphysical real estate is something that both Feng Shui and TORG have in common.
That honestly hadn't occurred to me, but you're right. Huh.
(One of the last couple of posts.)
The World of Nippon Tech
Tellus, the home cosm of Nippon Tech, is a near-Earth cosm. It has nearly the same continents, the same ethnicities, cultures, and languages, and a surprisingly similar history.
Like Core Earth, modern Tellus is a patchwork of various jurisdictions, some nations with billions of citizens, others city-states of a few thousand. Some are dictatorships, others democracies, yet others monarchies.
Calender-wise, Nippon Tech is about 10 years ahead of Earth, but technologically it is roughly 30 years ahead. Its computers are 30,000 times as powerful, and there is a corresponding increase in the ubiquity of computer usage and computer networks. AI's are common, though none are yet sentient. Wearable computing is ubiquitous, as is "augmented reality". Info-overload is a real problem, for those wealthy or connected enough to afford access.
Medical technology is greatly advanced, and some form of in vitro genetic engineering (increasing strengths) or surgery (removing genetic flaws) is common for most affluent people. Many other science-fictional concepts have been realized, including prototype cybernetic implants.
The many nations of Nippon Tech compete on a technological and military basis. Espionage and industrial espionage is common, as is counter-espionage. Spy wars are an endeavor all pursue, and when that fails, there is always war.
The Authority's moral code is nearly universal. Be they government leaders, criminal kingpins, or captains of industry, the powerful command great resources and use them to increase their own power. The powerful rule for their own benefit, and the oppressed suffer.
But above even the powerful is the mysterious Authority itself, whom all give precedence. Authority agents have carte blanche everywhere, and no one dares openly oppose them. Though rarely seen, they are universally feared.
The only hope for Tellus is the continued survival of the Youxia, the wandering heroes who fight for the oppressed against their overlords.
Psychic Thriller Anime reality? It has many similarities to anime in that area.
Quote from: Nexus;735218Psychic Thriller Anime reality? It has many similarities to anime in that area.
Yeah, there's definitely a lot of anime that GM's could take inspiration from for Nippon Tech adventures. (As well as manga.)
(Last post, I think, for now at least. Thanks to everyone who chimed in. Cheers!)
The World of Nippon Tech, cont
Qi shapes the morality of Tellus, and powers the fantastic abilities of Wushu. On Tellus, the Authority has a near-monopoly on Qi. It uses visions of the future to control the planet, and its powerful agents (all Wushu-trained warriors) to police the masses.
Despite this, the Authority isn't primarily interested in worldly power. It is seeking to invade and conquer the Otherworld. So far, it has failed.
Outside the Authority, only a rare few master Qi disciplines, and none practice them openly. Those who do have found ways to use Qi to enhance nearly any endeavor, including physical combat, gun fighting, and even computer hacking. The Youxia depend on Qi heavily, as it is what gives them the edge over those they fight, whether the footsoldiers of the powerful or agents of the Authority.
The portals that link Tellus and the Otherworld allow for travel between the worlds, though this requires the cooperation of those who control the portals. Adventuring in the Otherworld is a very different experience than adventures in Tellus, though there are strange parallels.
Youxia go there to discover new Wushu techniques, to use against the Authority. The Authority travels there (with difficulty, the Otherworld seems to mislike their agents) both to discover Wushu secrets and to establish dominion over the land. It is the Authority's belief that if they conquer enough of the Otherworld, they can enter it at will, and achieve their ancient goals.
Nippon Tech on Earth
Nippon Tech's invasions are stealthy affairs. The Authority, the head of which is the High Lord of the cosm, infiltrates their agents into existing institutions and uses them to facilitate their invasion.
In Japan, government ministers and politicians, heads of corporations, and street gangs and Yakuza have all become arms of the Authority. They serve Authority interests and are unwitting allies in its plans to conquer Earth. Similar infiltration and co-optation has occurred in South Korea and China.
At some point, Japanese Storm Knights will meet the Youxia and learn of their country's invasion. Working together, the two may yet defeat the Authority and save Asia and Core Earth.
(Eh, one more long post. Part of rewriting the Invading Realities has been trying to get inside the mind of the High Lords, to explain how they became master of their Reality. This is a piece of campaign background that tried to encapsulate what Kanawa is all about, and where he came from.)
Ryuichi Kanawa
In the Days of His Youth…
A young man, a wealthy man, a man of boundless ambition. Heir to a fortune, he travelled the globe with other moneyed dilettantes, indulging his whims to the fullest, whatever he desired: galas, fine clothes, rare wines, ease and luxury.
Wealth meant nothing to him: luxury cars, personal jets, sumptuous mansions filled with tanned and slender women from dozens of countries. He had everything; he wanted for nothing. He lusted for more.
He found a special delight in manipulating others, softly shifting their attitudes with subtle insinuations. He had a talent for discovering weaknesses, then using them to destroy.
He seduced men's wives, and rejoiced as their marriage collapsed. He set friend against friend, poisoning their admiration, turning them to bitterest enemies. He spun vast webs of financial chicanery, skillfully persuading investors to commit their money to failed causes and faked inventions, then smiled the tiniest and cruelest of smiles as the companies collapsed, leaving behind emptied accounts and impoverished investors.
He made money, of course, most of the time. The money didn't matter to him. The point wasn't profit, it was power. It always is.
Power. The power to earn trust, then betray. The power to hide behind a smile, while coldly plotting revenge. The power to murder without consequences. The power to command others, to force them to act the way you willed, to bring them ruin and pain, to make them suffer. He spread suffering the way the wind spreads dandelion seeds. It was his joy.
He caused careers to crumble. He had weeping men jailed for grotesque indecencies they were innocent of. He bribed public officials, solely for the pleasure of watching them betray their beliefs for money. He destroyed many. But it wasn't enough. He lusted for more.
He set himself to matters financial, expanding his holdings with a ruthless will. He bought business after business, wresting control from investors and owners alike. He became the owner of industries on a world-wide scale.
He bought government bonds in massive quantities, until he owned the debts of whole nations. He grew practiced at arbitrage, causing national currencies to collapse. He cut wages and benefits in his many factories, forcing workers to strike, then watched as critical needs went unmet and those without food or medicines fought for scraps or laid down and died. As impoverished people rioted in the streets, he watched the chaos and basked in the suffering.
Cities burned at his word. Power. It wasn't enough.
He turned to matters political. He earned the loyalty of thugs and generals, politicians and terrorists. He supplied them weapons and training. He watched as country after country — overburdened with debt and besieged by a rioting citizenry demanding food and medicine — fell to palace coups and ideological revolutions. The victors took the throne, the losers were shot en masse in the courtyards of presidential palaces.
He watched the news on his television, lingering over shots of piled corpses and burning cars. After the chaos, the new rulers remembered their benefactor, as they remembered what he could do to them.
Nations bowed before him. He wanted more.
He turned to his industries and bade them make weapons of war. Swift spreading diseases. Potent and persistent toxins. Small explosives that produced megaton explosions. To his many client states, and many more beside, he offered these weapons at discount prices. International tensions, already high because of the wave of ousted regimes, ratcheted higher and higher and the newly empowered nations made demand after demand, not loudly rattling their sharp new sabers. The tension couldn't last.
Some besieged nation — maybe Israel, maybe India, maybe China — found itself pressed to the edge of collapse. A smaller neighbor, radiating smug glee because of their newfound power, made demand after demand. When the larger nation would not or could not comply, the smaller moved to take what they wanted, secure in the knowledge that no one would stop them. (Of this, Kanawa had well assured them.) To their shock, the larger nation fought back.
Thousands of soldiers rolled across their border, swamping their armed forces (still recovering from purges and civil strife). Their tanks and planes were destroyed, shot down by missiles two generations more advanced than any knew about (built, surprisingly, by a Kanawa-owned industry). The invaders pressed in, their regime crumbled, and in their terror and rage they unleashed the unthinkable.
Cities vanished, burned in an instant. Tens of thousands died, spasming violently as caustic chemicals burned their skin. Thousands of others fell in the streets retching, blood dripping from their pores and tear ducts.
The wars were horrific beyond imagining. Starting as regional wars, the multiple flashpoints threatened to go global. Nation after nation sent panicked delegates to warring states, begging for a ceasefire. The smaller nations, the larger nations — these both turned their backs to the diplomats and began planning revenge. Nations closed their embassies, evacuated their citizens. A small lull descended, but it was only a brief pause before all-consuming war erupted everywhere.
At this moment, an unknown young man stepped out onto the international stage. Quickly, quietly he used his connections and influence to reach the unreachable men with their fingers on the triggers. In each ear, he whispered the same words: Prosperity. Renewal. Rebuilding. Peace.
He flew from capitol to capitol, breaking the wills of the iron dictators. Great men, confronted with evidence of the deaths they caused, broke down in tears. How had they, a professor, a farmer, a loyal soldier become such a monster?
Against all rational expectations, against all belief, the armies retreated, across broken battlefields and away from the smoldering cities. Returning home, it was the same there. Torn up fields, collapsed silos. No spare parts, no oil, no gas. It would be famine.
Kanawa's industries began shipping relief packages in massive quantities, distributing food and medicines. Survivors slept on Kanawa's bunks, survivors ate Kanawa's food, survivors were treated with Kanawa's bandages and medicines. Kanawan nurses tended wounds, Kanawan doctors set bones, Kanawan engineers began removing debris, rebuilding bridges, clearing minefields, building shelters.
His aid in the crisis, his masterful diplomacy, the vast outpouring of generosity: the whole world knew him and all blessed his name. He was the most renowned man on the planet, a benefactor of humanity. He had more influence than most continents. He ruled the planet, in all but name.
Power, more power than had ever been granted to a single man anywhere, anywhen. The power to shape nations, to guide international organizations, to dictate policy and treaties to the whole world. The whole of the Earth was his.
It wasn't enough.