AWESOME. That's exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for. Thank you so much!! *hugs* I can definitely use all of that as a starting point. I'm not totally fixated on Saga itself so much as that general area, and am willing to adapt. I'll be looking at Hakata as well.

The general concept behind the character is twofold: I've been told that early Kamakura is the best time period for an onna-bugeisha, which I would prefer to be, and I am totally making up an excuse for my persona to be in "Europe" -- i.e., the Barony of Calafia (yes, we know there was no contact between Japan and Europe at this period; SCA rules require Eastern personae to be visiting European holdings).

At the moment, I'm claiming that my daimyo is concerned about the developing Mongol threat and has sent me to do a preliminary scout of their land holdings. My goodness, do they have land holdings. O_O I am finally out the other side. (;

Thought I suppose if I wanted to be a pirate, I could just have gotten blown *seriously* off-course. (;

I am totally going to go look all of this up. *very happy muppet dance* (: I will be delighted to take more suggestions if you have them, or suggestions/corrections to the persona concept if you've got ideas. If I'm going to do something this far out of SCA-norm, I want to do it *right*, you know? Thanks again! <3