Thursday, December 16, 2004

Nakasendo Road
So, I started to work on the 'fic last night, which is very much based on Fullmetal Alchemist but is set in 17th century Japan so the plot isn't anything NEAR the same. The same characters, the same elements... just very much not the SAME. Oh, this is more fun that I should rightly be having.

I'm setting the village that I was trying to place along the Nakasendo road... all you RK fans out there, it's similar to the Tokaido route Kenshin took to Kyoto, but it goes through much more mountainous terrian. It connects Kyoto and Edo as well. I'm not going to specify much more than the village became a shiki, and it's along the Nakasendo road. I don't know much more about Japan's geography, so vagueness=SHINY!

I'm renaming just about everyone, as well. Since, you know, they wouldn't HAVE names like "Maes Hughes" in 17th century Japan. Hughes is one of the ones I've yet to rename, which is bothersome. Havock too. Of course, they haven't shown up yet so I've got a little bit of time on my hands.

So many things are different, but it all works so well. Ed's name is still Edward though, because his father sailed off on a Dutch ship to study abroad and when he returned, decided his offspring needed gai-jin names. His mother particularly likes the name 'Edward', which irritates our boy to no end because he doesn't LIKE the gai-jin name. XD Which is why he doesn't spazz when the Roy character refers to him as "Hagane", he prefers that over "Edward," and actually uses it as his name.

*claps hands together* I'm having FUN. XD

I'm still working on how automail/mechanical limbs will work in this world. Equivalent trade/toukan koukan is still very important in this story, but the characters didn't grow up studying alchemy so it's a bit harder for them to grasp. The only reason Ed is studying alchemy at all is because it's the only thing that can defeat the obakémono (homunculus) they've run across, and one homunuculus in particular has Ed's daishou, so he's rather persistant in chasing this guy.

And then there's the military aspect, which I worked in as well. A lot of this takes place in the daiyamo Hokori's lands, but none of the characters wear his mon. Roy-tachi is a small group, consisting of Roy, Hughes, Hawkeye and Havock -- all ronin from a dishonored daiyamo -- and they work as freelance assassins and soldiers. Roy's been sticking close to Hokori's lands, though, because Hokori pays well. That's more or less a disguise because he smells a rat, and believes Hokori to be one of the anti-Shogunate plotters. So, he's keeping an eye on things.

Ed wears no crest, he has pledged no fealty to any daiyamo. He is considered ronin since he chose no lord to serve. As much as he dislikes Roy's group, they always end up in jams together and after a while, Hawkeye 'adopts' him into the group.

Later on into the story, Roy will pledge his group to Hakori and they'll all enter the daiyamo's service, which really pisses Ed off since he had other plans. But it's all part of Roy's grand scheme to expose Hakori and make the man commit seppuku.

... I'm having WAY too much fun with this, really I am.

But what of Al, of Winry and other characters? Trust me, they have their parts to play. I've been working out Al's for a while now, Winry's as well. Winry is a dynamic personality, without automail as an industry she'd be shoulders-deep into something else.

Her role is very important but I"m still fleshing out the encounters so that's all I'll say in that regard.

And yes, the Philospher's Stone will play a part in the story, this is me I involve it whenever I can.

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...feel free to massacre at will. XD
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