Tale of Ronin becoming a reality

Tale of Ronin - a role playing video game that I was interested in several years ago, but then went radio silent for a long time (to the point I completely forgot about it), looks like is actually going to be available soon.

This popped up on my Facebook feed the other day and completely shocked me.

Now, I'm not really into gaming so I'm not sure how much I will pursue it, but you never know. Maybe it is time for me to give gaming a try, I need something to fill the Karate Kid void that Cobra Kai has left.

(from their Facebook page)

After years of development, we’re ready to let players in for the first time.

Our Steam Playtest is now live. The demo represents the core experience we’re building, a narrative RPG set in feudal Japan, where you live as a ronin and face the consequences of every choice.

This is an early build. We want to know what resonates and what doesn’t. There’s a feedback form directly in the game’s main menu, please use it.

Request access for the demo on Steam:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/791630/Tale_of_Ronin/

Playtest closes May 5, 2026.

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https://taleofronin.com/#home

 

Haiku and Samurai Death Poems

(from medium.com)

The haiku is one of the most recognizable poetry forms in the world. It consists of seventeen syllables arranged in three lines: five syllables, seven syllables, and five syllables again. Many people, poetry enthusiasts and laypersons alike, know that haiku is a Japanese form of poetry. However, the history and cultural legacy of haiku are also important to consider. This applies even more when speaking about the Edo period — the era in which haiku became a revered form of poetry.

Haiku has its roots in the 13th century with an older form of poetry called renga. Renga was a much longer style of oral poetry that was often a hundred stanzas long, also composed syllabically. The opening lines of these poems were known as haikai or hokku. In the 16th century, these opening lines broke away to become short-form poems in and of themselves.

As a general rule, haiku describe a brief moment in time, usually with significant nature symbolism. These poems often incorporate provocative and colorful images and are meant to leave the reader with a sense of enlightenment. The ideal haiku can be read in a single breath and imparts great insight.

The haiku form was often used for death poems, which were written by samurai and other literate people just before their deaths. Here’s an example written by Matsuo Basho (1644–1694), famed 17th-century haiku poet:

On a journey, ill: My dream goes wandering Over withered fields.

Tabi ni yande Yume wa kareno o kakemeguru

Haiku will be one of the poetry forms featured in Tale of Ronin. The samurai class was expected to be educated and well-studied in literature and other scholarly pursuits, including poetry. Even the most destitute ronin players meet on the road may be able to compose a haiku on the spot.

https://medium.com/@taleofronin/haiku-and-samurai-death-poems-7ace71aa2288

Ronin: the Unemployed Samurai

from medium.com

The samurai is one of the most iconic figures in Japanese history, but the ronin is one of his only rivals. Ronin, meaning “wave man,” refers to masterless samurai who were no longer retainers serving a daimyo. Although warriors had served daimyo — and lost them — during most of Japanese history, ronin were especially prominent in the years between 1168 and 1868. Tale of Ronin takes place during the early Edo period, when it was very easy to become a ronin… and very difficult to become a retainer again.

During the Sengoku period, Japan had been in a state of near-constant warfare. This led many daimyo to gather large numbers of retainers for safety and conquest. However, the birth of the Edo period meant the end of that turbulent age. Daimyo no longer needed so many retainers, so being hired as a samurai became difficult. At the same time, the Tokugawa Bakufu reduced the territory of daimyo families and outright abolished many of them. This created a massive population of wandering ronin.

Ronin were still considered samurai by the Edo period’s standards, meaning that they could legally kill people and were permitted to carry swords. But they lacked the stability of a clan, a fief, and, most importantly, a lord to serve. In a time when the samurai code of Bushido was being made into a comprehensive system of ethics, ronin were left to wander across the land like waves. Although the ronin has been mythologized as a one-man army carving his way through impossible battles, actual ronin often didn’t fare well in the changing world. Many of them were poor, feared, and utterly alone.

https://medium.com/@taleofronin/ronin-the-unemployed-samurai-ec9240f7063

Ronin (1998) - Japanese Legend - Robert De Niro - Michael Lonsdale

A classic scene from a classic movie.

Artwork by Prince Mahlangu (artstation)

 "Ronin (play me your song)"

Ready for battle

Vengeance cometh

47 Ronin woodblock print

One of the many woodblock prints done depicting on of the 47 Ronin.

A ronin makes his plans

Ronin and temple

artwork by Ling Xiang

Ronin in the snow

 

るろうに剣心  by  逸

Traveling warrior takes much needed break

A ronin life

A short Ronin life, a long list of bloody deeds, a force of nature.

from the Samurai Tears tumblr page

Ayase Haruka in "Ichi" (2008)

The Dokkodo - 21 rules of the Ronin

In the final days of his life, the mythical Japanese samurai Musashi Miyamoto retreated to a cave called the Reigandō. (Spirit Rock Cave) In that cave he spent the final months of his life meditating and writing his views on the world. While secluded in the cave he wrote two works. The Go Rin No Sho (Book of Five Rings) and the Dokkōdō. The Go Rin No Sho he imparted with all of his samurai martial arts. The Dokkōdō contains his very own soul. Each of these books are the result of years of his life spent as a samurai and ronin. While the works themselves speak of Japanese culture and sophistication, especially in the warrior class, he also speaks of strategy, combat, and of the arts.

Both of these works are dedicated to his favorite disciple Terao Magonojo.

see the 21 rules here:

https://owlcation.com/humanities/Dokkodo

Tale of Ronin artwork

www.taleofronin.com

Not a ronin, but maybe what I imagine a ronin would look like

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(edit, October 31, 2020)

His name was Oda Nobuyoshi and he was a dentist and an activist.

You died the moment

 

Ronin