Japanese combat fan and The Steel Road ~ and shameless self-promotion

Art by: Zachary Viola
From the working draft ~ grammar and spelling edits are forthcoming

When I created the list of weapons to include in The Steel Road, the tessen was a weapon I knew I wanted.  Tessen show up in the history of feudal Japan in unexpected ways. Whether being used to prevent Oda Nobunaga from killing you with a door (seriously, this is believed to have actually happened!), or deflecting the sword of a young general trying to kill his adversary in his tent, the stories associated with this elegant weapon are always interesting.

In RPG moments, the tessen has fantastic opportunities to shine in social encounters that turn violent.  Are you attending a ball thrown by a local count and can't bring your sword?  Bring the your tessen, just in case things go badly.  Were you disarmed by guards and locked in a cell?  Having a tessen with you provides a discreet weapon that is often overlooked. 

Don't miss the opportunity to boast of your victory. "He pulled a dagger from under his coat, so I beat him unconscious with my fan,"  is a fantastic story to tell.

Look for the tessen, appearing in The Steel Road,
coming to KickStarter May 24th, 2018 at 7:00PM (EST)

*****

If you've been following this blog you know I talk mostly about my experiences in game design, writing and self-publishing.  The above segment is an obvious plug I slapped together to remind people of the coming KickStarter campaign. 

When you are working to promote yourself, please provide something for people to enjoy.  I like the history of the tessen as a weapon.  I wanted to share some of that with people because I think other people would enjoy it too.  Make a point to provide people with that kind of value.  Give something interesting and genuine in your promotional efforts.  I'm sure you'll find it both rewarding and rewarded.

I do hope you'll come out in support of the KickStarter on Thursday.

I also hope I'll see you here next time as we continue the adventure into game design, writing, and self-publishing.  I hope I can encourage you to launch your own creations, explore your own writing, and to create fun games for people to enjoy.

I'll see you next time!