Post by seanlennon on Aug 10, 2011 13:11:18 GMT -5
Karone - Mkay. Well there are some pretty basic things, but a lot of the time those are some of the best. So first question would be why the Phoenix? What drew you to playing them and an Agasha in particular?
Miga - The answer is quite simple. The first L5R character I played was a Phoenix, though it was an Isawa samurai-ko. I love the concept of the shugenja and wanted to play one. This time I was looking for a more ground-based character though, not a library nerd. So the concept of the Agasha with a twist of hunting skill was appealing.
Karone - Well cool; Your experience shows and it's always nice to put a new twist on a classic character as it were by putting a new twist on the concept and taking it down a new path. What about the name Miga then? Where did it come from? Does it have any particular meaning to you or in general?
Miga - It's a no-brainer. My real name is Miguel. Need I say more? Don't know if this word has a special meaning in Japanese. :-p
Karone - Ah, just that simple. *chuckles* So how do you feel with Miga on the Council? Does it mean anything in particular to you, or to him for that matter?
Miga - It's very special because, at first, Miga was not designed to be a leader of the Phoenix Clan. At the beginning, I really put a lot of my energies into the concept of a battle-mage / underhand of the Clan. This fork happened at the battle against the Yobanjin. I clearly went a path where I wanted to become the one that would do what is needed to be done, in a kind of way to "shield" the rest of the members of the Clan from doing so. That's why I gain some infamy (not that much of course). But my role in the Clan evolved as we got more organized between Clan members. I saw my experience (I'm 37 in RL) was appreciated and my advice were listened to. So when we allowed the Council seats to the players, I felt it was my duty to step up.
Karone - *nods* That makes sense. Next a RP question; Regarding the Council, how does Miga feel about the rest of the Council members? And how does he feel about being an Agasha on the council when it's normally Isawa while the Agasha tend to lay low because of their heritage?
Miga - That's part of the magic of the RR setting; we can digress a bit from the original L5R setting. I must confess I hadn't actually thought about the Agasha in that way. I'm not very experienced with the nuances of the Phoenix Clan leadership system.
Karone - Ah. And as far as the other Council members then?
Miga - I feel on the same level as the other Masters. In fact, I feel a bit more like Mirumoto Ojii-san, the old Dragon sensei. I see myself as a more experienced character who is giving back to the Clan; I never felt being an Agasha was an issue in relation to them. More or less, he sees himself as an advisor; Shodai is a quite strong Void master, but perhaps the others aren't as experienced, with all respect due to them.
Karone - One more question about the Phoenix then, turning the last question towards how Miga feels about Kazuma the Clan Champion, and his relationship with the council in EE.
Miga - Yes, we had that debate inside the Clan.
Karone - I recall being part of that debate at some point...
Miga - He-he. Personally, I think Kazuma-san is a rising star. His presence has been strong since he first came onto the RR forums. He made a lot of connections with the other Clans, and developed delicious RP threads. He also brought special actions to the Phoenix lands (with the Champion's nomination).
Karone - Well more precisely, how did the debate in the Clan end up, and were there any conclusions drawn?
Miga - Miga is comfortable with the Council having decision power with everyday matters and letting the Champion deal with diplomacy, war... things that have to do with the other Clans, as much as possible. That's the choice we made. An exception to this rule came with the Toturi crisis; there were many opinions about who we should side with. Then I suggested to take the pole with Shodai for a time, so we can support the Emperor; that way if Toturi wins the war, it will be easier for Kazuma to step up and assume leadership while we amend for our "errors". We respect Kazuma a lot because he's proven himself very capable and devoted to the Clan.
Karone - Ok, so a quick out of Clan question; How does Miga feel about the Spider? And how would he feel if the Emperor agreed to legitimize them?
Miga - Miga has developed in some ways like an Inquisitor; So since the very beginning, he's been very suspicious about the Spider, not to say he considers them a threat to the Empire necessarily. He doesn't buy the concept of "those strong enough to support the taint” are the Empire's messiahs. The Phoenix histories have their own share of dark stories about people who tried to control the taint and ended up being burnt by it, so Miga is convinced everyone who think they can use it without succumbing are just ticking time bombs; they're deluding themselves. In the same way, he is very suspicious about the dark mines that appeared in the Empire and the rise in the Bloodspeaker’s activity. Even if there is no official evidence of a connexion with the Spider, Miga thinks that all taint-related issues in the Empire must be linked in some way.
Karone - And the issue with the Emperor?
Miga - He deeply hopes the Emperor won't accept the help of the Spider, for it would give a strong argument to those who think Hantei the 40th is mad. If he does, it's going to be a deep dilemma, and the result would probably be the Phoenix troops avoiding the Spider, refusing to fight alongside them. Also having a great fear that the Spider could turn away from defending to breach Toshi Ranbo's defenses. So we would have to maintain some reservations about them. We don’t know exactly what the Spider have in mind, but Miga feels like it’s a brilliant move in order to raise more turmoil. Not only that, but the Spider know that with them being supported by the Emperor, it would make the other Clans more likely to join Toturi, making them an invaluable part of helping to defend the Emperor; it would be a hell of a strategy.
Karone - Well, speaking of that situation, how would Miga like to see things end up with this in the future? What would his ideal path be with the realities presented in Rokugan at the moment?
Miga - Hm, that's a large question. First off, he thinks that a lot of people have been misled into the belief that a good general would make a good Emperor; Kaneka has proven himself as a good army leader, but what does he know he know about things such as diplomacy, politics, or economics? The life of an Emperor is not only battle. The second thing about the situation is that Miga wants to spare as many lives as possible in the crises. Any way that could be used to prevent a major conflict is something he would consider. He believes that the Empire is in too much need of all of our arms in order to deal with the rise in Bloodspeakers and the Yobanjin threat. His biggest hope right now is that the Scorpion side with the Emperor; they've played neutral and thus exposed the rebels. Now they have the chance to renew their pledge and confirm their role as the Emperor's protectors and underhand. If the Scorpion join Toturi, Miga sees little chance to avoid great bloodshed.
Karone - Philosophically, how would Miga answer those who argue that the answer of wanting peace is cowardly and that the Samurai class was born for war?
Miga - It is clear for Miga that Rokugan's system is a feudal one, and that a Lord is promising protection and support of his people in exchange with their allegiance. The role of the samurai then is much more to preserve the peace and protection that system promises than to wage war like barbarians.. In other words we're not crusaders, we're defenders. It's no shame to act in a peaceful way, to the contrary; It means you are working on a long term basis to help assure prosperity for our land and people. Not that there shouldn't be battles and wars, but they're simply a tool, not a way of life. Some say if we don't battle though, we can't be ready for a threat that comes up, and it's true in some kind of way. But we have enough threats to handle right now in the Empire to use out militaries against and keep them prepared to battle fiercely where the meaning is our own lives.
Karone - What does Miga think about the virtues of Bushido? What does he think is the most important to his life? The least important?
Miga - Well, this is how he thinks of them; Duty is to help your master play his role in the universe, helping him to achieve what is for the best sake of the Empire and its people, even if you do not understand how. Compassion is to not forget that your foe is often your brother an that he also serves the Emperor. Honor is being true to yourself while doing your work. Loyalty is respecting your oaths and trusting, for suspicion is the worst poison. Sincerity is to express what you feel in your heart. Honesty is to live true to yourself. And Courtesy is to maintain the standards of society so people feel respected.
Miguel Levasseur
2 hours ago
Miguel Levasseur
Here is the text. (2nd part)
Thanks again for your patience!
Please, confirm you have all you need.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Karone - And in their relation to him?
Miga - For the most important virtue... I shall say Miga favors Duty. He is ready to do whatever he can for people if it can make things better. In other words, he's willing to compromise his own ideals for his duty if it means for the good of others. As far as the least important... it's hard to say. To Miga, the virtues are like the elements, all an essential part of the universe. So it's like asking if earth is more important to the universe than air. But as far as what Miga is the least in tuned with... I'd say Sincerity. Miga is not that inclined to speak about himself or be open. He will share his experience but he's reserved. He believes in honesty and justice, but he's logical, quiet, and pragmatic. I think we can say he only shares what he needs to others.
Karone - A few more, these about Miga as a character. First off, who would Miga consider his greatest ally in Rokugan? His greatest enemy/rival? His greatest inspiration?
Miga - Well, his greatest inspiration comes from Mirumoto Ojii. He is a good friend and I love the way he's developed his character. I am trying to adapt a similar concept for Miga; the guy who isn't the most powerful but who always has knowledge and tricks up his sleeve because his wealth of life experience. I cannot say that Miga has developed strong ties in the Empire though, so he doesn't really have many strong allies willing to sacrifice themselves for him. If he has a closest ally he feels it would be Shodai, since they share a lot of things in their personal visions. Enemy-wise, Miga got Daigotsu as a sworn enemy, and considering Miga's vision of the Taint and his disdain for the Spider, I think we can clearly say he considers Daigotsu as a major threat even if he doesn't feel personally attacked by him. In fact, with how unclear that is, it might be more clear to say he could be more stigmatized by the leaders on Toturi's side, because he is the one who announced the Phoenix's position. So Takezo and the others might be perceived as more practical potential foes.
Karone - Another one about Miga's past; what would Miga consider his greatest accomplishment in life? What would he consider his greatest regret?
Miga - Miga felt a great sense of accomplishment at the MWK battles. He worked very hard and in doing this, he took a lot of time to help the injured samurai and keep the morale of the troops up. He also felt very proud of helping to find a cure for the mysterious plague. But the time he felt like he made the most difference is in getting the Phoenix to support Hantei. He invested in over 100 personal favors to bend the balance and make sure his voice counted in the end for the good of the Clan. He also feels like he is taking a lot on his shoulders for this, as I explained before, so it has to do with feeling he is complying with his Duty. His biggest regret on the other hand would be still being single. He hasn't married yet, and he doesn't have a child to educate and train to maintain the lineage of his family. He has worked hard in his search recently, but he feels so unsure about the Empire’s future (and his own!) that he doesn't want to engage yet.. He's a bit tortured by this.
Karone - A kind of odd one; What are some of the things Miga has the greatest attachment to? In other words, what are some of the places and possessions that mean the most to him personally?
Miga - Possession-wise his light armor. It reminds him that he is a man of Duty, always ready to fight tirelessly to achieve great things. Since it's so unusual to see a shugenja in armor, he had to learn to work around those difficulties, and he feels he has grown closer to the bushi through the process. Closer to the action to change the Empire and a real life. As far as a place, he has very fond memories of his time on the Wall. It was some time ago, but he enjoyed the satisfaction of being in the center of the battle to protect the rest of Rokugan.
Karone - Ok, last one and always a big curiosity; What are Miga's personal goals? What does he want to do with his life.
Miga - Miga is not sure if he would consider himself old or simply experienced. He often feels like he is getting close to retirement, but he is compelled to rise to the challenges he sees coming in Rokugan. At the time I was developing its "field agent" side, Miga's dream was to become some kind of a general, maybe to command some elite troops to make commandos in the Shadowlands or the Bloodspeakers. For now, he is more drifting toward the diplomatic thing, so I expect him to finish as an ambassador or some kind of special adviser to the Imperial families or the Emperor himself. He would also enjoy a chance to battle against the Shadowlands. Hopefully something like Jay-sama developing combat actions deep in the Shadowlands to fulfill this aspiration. Something like a big oni fight or similar.
Karone - So perhaps he has nothing to fear except dying unknown toward fulfilling such aspirations?
Miga - He-he. Miga doesn't look for glory. But his actions always bring some glory back to him. I think Miga has reached a great maturity as a character. He is not a dominant one, but has achieved some level of influence and potential. So there is still plenty of room left for him to explore. And I enjoy that perspective.
Karone – Cool. So last thing before we end things, if Miga had some thing he could say to the Empire, one sentence, what would it be?
Miga - He would say something like "Never let things in life pass you over, stand your ground" Stand your ground and embrace life!
Karone - Makes sense as an earth shugenja.
Miga – Maybe. But Miga’s passion is more like fire. Like a grounded fire. I like this quote. "Be life a grounded fire; stand your ground but keep passionate about life".
Karone - Well thanks much for your time Miga-sama!
Miga - The answer is quite simple. The first L5R character I played was a Phoenix, though it was an Isawa samurai-ko. I love the concept of the shugenja and wanted to play one. This time I was looking for a more ground-based character though, not a library nerd. So the concept of the Agasha with a twist of hunting skill was appealing.
Karone - Well cool; Your experience shows and it's always nice to put a new twist on a classic character as it were by putting a new twist on the concept and taking it down a new path. What about the name Miga then? Where did it come from? Does it have any particular meaning to you or in general?
Miga - It's a no-brainer. My real name is Miguel. Need I say more? Don't know if this word has a special meaning in Japanese. :-p
Karone - Ah, just that simple. *chuckles* So how do you feel with Miga on the Council? Does it mean anything in particular to you, or to him for that matter?
Miga - It's very special because, at first, Miga was not designed to be a leader of the Phoenix Clan. At the beginning, I really put a lot of my energies into the concept of a battle-mage / underhand of the Clan. This fork happened at the battle against the Yobanjin. I clearly went a path where I wanted to become the one that would do what is needed to be done, in a kind of way to "shield" the rest of the members of the Clan from doing so. That's why I gain some infamy (not that much of course). But my role in the Clan evolved as we got more organized between Clan members. I saw my experience (I'm 37 in RL) was appreciated and my advice were listened to. So when we allowed the Council seats to the players, I felt it was my duty to step up.
Karone - *nods* That makes sense. Next a RP question; Regarding the Council, how does Miga feel about the rest of the Council members? And how does he feel about being an Agasha on the council when it's normally Isawa while the Agasha tend to lay low because of their heritage?
Miga - That's part of the magic of the RR setting; we can digress a bit from the original L5R setting. I must confess I hadn't actually thought about the Agasha in that way. I'm not very experienced with the nuances of the Phoenix Clan leadership system.
Karone - Ah. And as far as the other Council members then?
Miga - I feel on the same level as the other Masters. In fact, I feel a bit more like Mirumoto Ojii-san, the old Dragon sensei. I see myself as a more experienced character who is giving back to the Clan; I never felt being an Agasha was an issue in relation to them. More or less, he sees himself as an advisor; Shodai is a quite strong Void master, but perhaps the others aren't as experienced, with all respect due to them.
Karone - One more question about the Phoenix then, turning the last question towards how Miga feels about Kazuma the Clan Champion, and his relationship with the council in EE.
Miga - Yes, we had that debate inside the Clan.
Karone - I recall being part of that debate at some point...
Miga - He-he. Personally, I think Kazuma-san is a rising star. His presence has been strong since he first came onto the RR forums. He made a lot of connections with the other Clans, and developed delicious RP threads. He also brought special actions to the Phoenix lands (with the Champion's nomination).
Karone - Well more precisely, how did the debate in the Clan end up, and were there any conclusions drawn?
Miga - Miga is comfortable with the Council having decision power with everyday matters and letting the Champion deal with diplomacy, war... things that have to do with the other Clans, as much as possible. That's the choice we made. An exception to this rule came with the Toturi crisis; there were many opinions about who we should side with. Then I suggested to take the pole with Shodai for a time, so we can support the Emperor; that way if Toturi wins the war, it will be easier for Kazuma to step up and assume leadership while we amend for our "errors". We respect Kazuma a lot because he's proven himself very capable and devoted to the Clan.
Karone - Ok, so a quick out of Clan question; How does Miga feel about the Spider? And how would he feel if the Emperor agreed to legitimize them?
Miga - Miga has developed in some ways like an Inquisitor; So since the very beginning, he's been very suspicious about the Spider, not to say he considers them a threat to the Empire necessarily. He doesn't buy the concept of "those strong enough to support the taint” are the Empire's messiahs. The Phoenix histories have their own share of dark stories about people who tried to control the taint and ended up being burnt by it, so Miga is convinced everyone who think they can use it without succumbing are just ticking time bombs; they're deluding themselves. In the same way, he is very suspicious about the dark mines that appeared in the Empire and the rise in the Bloodspeaker’s activity. Even if there is no official evidence of a connexion with the Spider, Miga thinks that all taint-related issues in the Empire must be linked in some way.
Karone - And the issue with the Emperor?
Miga - He deeply hopes the Emperor won't accept the help of the Spider, for it would give a strong argument to those who think Hantei the 40th is mad. If he does, it's going to be a deep dilemma, and the result would probably be the Phoenix troops avoiding the Spider, refusing to fight alongside them. Also having a great fear that the Spider could turn away from defending to breach Toshi Ranbo's defenses. So we would have to maintain some reservations about them. We don’t know exactly what the Spider have in mind, but Miga feels like it’s a brilliant move in order to raise more turmoil. Not only that, but the Spider know that with them being supported by the Emperor, it would make the other Clans more likely to join Toturi, making them an invaluable part of helping to defend the Emperor; it would be a hell of a strategy.
Karone - Well, speaking of that situation, how would Miga like to see things end up with this in the future? What would his ideal path be with the realities presented in Rokugan at the moment?
Miga - Hm, that's a large question. First off, he thinks that a lot of people have been misled into the belief that a good general would make a good Emperor; Kaneka has proven himself as a good army leader, but what does he know he know about things such as diplomacy, politics, or economics? The life of an Emperor is not only battle. The second thing about the situation is that Miga wants to spare as many lives as possible in the crises. Any way that could be used to prevent a major conflict is something he would consider. He believes that the Empire is in too much need of all of our arms in order to deal with the rise in Bloodspeakers and the Yobanjin threat. His biggest hope right now is that the Scorpion side with the Emperor; they've played neutral and thus exposed the rebels. Now they have the chance to renew their pledge and confirm their role as the Emperor's protectors and underhand. If the Scorpion join Toturi, Miga sees little chance to avoid great bloodshed.
Karone - Philosophically, how would Miga answer those who argue that the answer of wanting peace is cowardly and that the Samurai class was born for war?
Miga - It is clear for Miga that Rokugan's system is a feudal one, and that a Lord is promising protection and support of his people in exchange with their allegiance. The role of the samurai then is much more to preserve the peace and protection that system promises than to wage war like barbarians.. In other words we're not crusaders, we're defenders. It's no shame to act in a peaceful way, to the contrary; It means you are working on a long term basis to help assure prosperity for our land and people. Not that there shouldn't be battles and wars, but they're simply a tool, not a way of life. Some say if we don't battle though, we can't be ready for a threat that comes up, and it's true in some kind of way. But we have enough threats to handle right now in the Empire to use out militaries against and keep them prepared to battle fiercely where the meaning is our own lives.
Karone - What does Miga think about the virtues of Bushido? What does he think is the most important to his life? The least important?
Miga - Well, this is how he thinks of them; Duty is to help your master play his role in the universe, helping him to achieve what is for the best sake of the Empire and its people, even if you do not understand how. Compassion is to not forget that your foe is often your brother an that he also serves the Emperor. Honor is being true to yourself while doing your work. Loyalty is respecting your oaths and trusting, for suspicion is the worst poison. Sincerity is to express what you feel in your heart. Honesty is to live true to yourself. And Courtesy is to maintain the standards of society so people feel respected.
Miguel Levasseur
2 hours ago
Miguel Levasseur
Here is the text. (2nd part)
Thanks again for your patience!
Please, confirm you have all you need.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Karone - And in their relation to him?
Miga - For the most important virtue... I shall say Miga favors Duty. He is ready to do whatever he can for people if it can make things better. In other words, he's willing to compromise his own ideals for his duty if it means for the good of others. As far as the least important... it's hard to say. To Miga, the virtues are like the elements, all an essential part of the universe. So it's like asking if earth is more important to the universe than air. But as far as what Miga is the least in tuned with... I'd say Sincerity. Miga is not that inclined to speak about himself or be open. He will share his experience but he's reserved. He believes in honesty and justice, but he's logical, quiet, and pragmatic. I think we can say he only shares what he needs to others.
Karone - A few more, these about Miga as a character. First off, who would Miga consider his greatest ally in Rokugan? His greatest enemy/rival? His greatest inspiration?
Miga - Well, his greatest inspiration comes from Mirumoto Ojii. He is a good friend and I love the way he's developed his character. I am trying to adapt a similar concept for Miga; the guy who isn't the most powerful but who always has knowledge and tricks up his sleeve because his wealth of life experience. I cannot say that Miga has developed strong ties in the Empire though, so he doesn't really have many strong allies willing to sacrifice themselves for him. If he has a closest ally he feels it would be Shodai, since they share a lot of things in their personal visions. Enemy-wise, Miga got Daigotsu as a sworn enemy, and considering Miga's vision of the Taint and his disdain for the Spider, I think we can clearly say he considers Daigotsu as a major threat even if he doesn't feel personally attacked by him. In fact, with how unclear that is, it might be more clear to say he could be more stigmatized by the leaders on Toturi's side, because he is the one who announced the Phoenix's position. So Takezo and the others might be perceived as more practical potential foes.
Karone - Another one about Miga's past; what would Miga consider his greatest accomplishment in life? What would he consider his greatest regret?
Miga - Miga felt a great sense of accomplishment at the MWK battles. He worked very hard and in doing this, he took a lot of time to help the injured samurai and keep the morale of the troops up. He also felt very proud of helping to find a cure for the mysterious plague. But the time he felt like he made the most difference is in getting the Phoenix to support Hantei. He invested in over 100 personal favors to bend the balance and make sure his voice counted in the end for the good of the Clan. He also feels like he is taking a lot on his shoulders for this, as I explained before, so it has to do with feeling he is complying with his Duty. His biggest regret on the other hand would be still being single. He hasn't married yet, and he doesn't have a child to educate and train to maintain the lineage of his family. He has worked hard in his search recently, but he feels so unsure about the Empire’s future (and his own!) that he doesn't want to engage yet.. He's a bit tortured by this.
Karone - A kind of odd one; What are some of the things Miga has the greatest attachment to? In other words, what are some of the places and possessions that mean the most to him personally?
Miga - Possession-wise his light armor. It reminds him that he is a man of Duty, always ready to fight tirelessly to achieve great things. Since it's so unusual to see a shugenja in armor, he had to learn to work around those difficulties, and he feels he has grown closer to the bushi through the process. Closer to the action to change the Empire and a real life. As far as a place, he has very fond memories of his time on the Wall. It was some time ago, but he enjoyed the satisfaction of being in the center of the battle to protect the rest of Rokugan.
Karone - Ok, last one and always a big curiosity; What are Miga's personal goals? What does he want to do with his life.
Miga - Miga is not sure if he would consider himself old or simply experienced. He often feels like he is getting close to retirement, but he is compelled to rise to the challenges he sees coming in Rokugan. At the time I was developing its "field agent" side, Miga's dream was to become some kind of a general, maybe to command some elite troops to make commandos in the Shadowlands or the Bloodspeakers. For now, he is more drifting toward the diplomatic thing, so I expect him to finish as an ambassador or some kind of special adviser to the Imperial families or the Emperor himself. He would also enjoy a chance to battle against the Shadowlands. Hopefully something like Jay-sama developing combat actions deep in the Shadowlands to fulfill this aspiration. Something like a big oni fight or similar.
Karone - So perhaps he has nothing to fear except dying unknown toward fulfilling such aspirations?
Miga - He-he. Miga doesn't look for glory. But his actions always bring some glory back to him. I think Miga has reached a great maturity as a character. He is not a dominant one, but has achieved some level of influence and potential. So there is still plenty of room left for him to explore. And I enjoy that perspective.
Karone – Cool. So last thing before we end things, if Miga had some thing he could say to the Empire, one sentence, what would it be?
Miga - He would say something like "Never let things in life pass you over, stand your ground" Stand your ground and embrace life!
Karone - Makes sense as an earth shugenja.
Miga – Maybe. But Miga’s passion is more like fire. Like a grounded fire. I like this quote. "Be life a grounded fire; stand your ground but keep passionate about life".
Karone - Well thanks much for your time Miga-sama!
