Old Notes - Jian and Jack Rose

#Old Notes - Jian and Jack Rose

Zhuzao Ying - not!Dashi? Shanghainese/Shanghailanders 1894 war btwn china and japan opened shanghai's ports to japan Mao Tun author Radical scholars in post-boxer Shanghai advocating for political freedom Anti-American boycott 1905

Oct 10, 1911 riots break out in response to anti-govt plot

Nov3 shanghai's independence is declared

Jack Rose is considered in great danger of "going native" by his gov't contacts, who might think him unreliable, and by his remaining friends of the family, who worry about him on his parents' behalf - he's kept his short-term relationship with the Japanese princess a secret because even though she's a /princess/ she's still Japanese Southern Imperial gov't vs northern Imperial gov't? - double check who the Brits were supporting around 1908. "Pohu, 'Smash the Tiger,'" Jack read the name of the tiny Northern village on the map and translated it for himself. "Do you get a lot of tigers this far north?" "They used a different character when the wall was built," Bai-Ling said without emotion. "It's still read as 'smash the foreigners.'" Travel to Siberia and meet a young female Russian dr. On the way they pass through Xique's hometown. The dr gives Xique the info they need to find the god shard but Xique and Bai decide to go without them - Xique wants the shard for herself so she can acquire the power to help her family and Bai is trying to acquire it for her boss. It's Xique who activates it - she has the right resonance. After Xique goes insane w/power, the remaining three go after another shard, the water dragon. To their surprise this god is awake and will only accompany them in a body. Jian agrees to do it to stop Xique. One stone for each of the five Chinese elements? (Five directional animals - Dragon, tortoise, tiger etc?) Tortoise (Black Warrior) = North, Winter, Black, Water White Tiger (Kirin) = West, Fall, White, Metal Red Bird (Phoenix) = South, Summer, Red, Fire Dragon = East, Spring, Blue/Green, Wood (water) dragon - dragon's lair is (fire) salamander - salamander's lair is a great nest high in the Siberian mountains, with round, thick windows made of rough glass, eggshaped and blurry. salamander is asleep, so all Bai-Ling and Xin-He find there is the stone, about the size of two fists and hot to the touch. (wood) (metal) (air) bird - mountains of Tibet, probably - very high up. maybe the first expeditions to scale Everest were actually an attempt to get to this stone. Early on show the Emperor pleased with himself for building clockworks that are powered by tiny precious stones - this is the remains of the fifth stone, the one that was supposed to represent heaven's will, but they don't realize that until the end when it was their beat hope to but they don't realize that until the end when it was their beat hope to but they don't realize that until the end when it was their best hope to stop Xique. Antagonists: Empress Dowager Cixi Bai's immediate supervisor The British, at some point German mad scientist - I kind of totally want to keep the robot vikings. When did Germany get out of the area? Maybe he's an over-the-hill, kind of sad mad scientist that Jack's fought before. http://beyondvictoriana.com/ http://www.doctorfantastiques.com/steampunksaroundtheworld.htm http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=122&catid=4&subcatid=16 http://www.behindthename.com/nmc/chi.php http://charma.hypermart.net/devcenter/createachar.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexagenary_cycle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ethnic_groups_in_China http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/ssu-ling.shtml Name: Age: Race/ethnicity/what have you: DOB/Sign: Hair: Eyes: Height/Weight: Alignment: Weapon(s) used commonly: Personality: Appearance: Abilities: Miscellaneous Talents: Strengths: Weaknesses: Likes: Dislikes: Name: Yung Jian-Tzu (icon by ) Age: 16 Race/ethnicity: Han Chinese DOB/Sign: Water dragon - April, 1892 Birth Hair: Black and straight, worn long and usually plaited back out of the way Eyes: Dark brown Height/Weight: 5 foot 2 inches, 130 pounds Alignment: Lawful good, I suppose? He believes in the idea of the Imperial throne much more than he believes in any individual emperor or empress. Weapon(s) used commonly: He favors hand to hand combat, but not so much that he would not use a sword if that gave him better odds of winning the fight and getting the job done. Personality: Jian is serious about virtually everything - his training, his duty, his relationships, and even his free time. Because of his seriousness, other people sometimes have trouble taking him seriously. The only thing he really enjoys is practicing his fighting. History: Jian was born on a farm, the youngest son to parents who were not well-off. When the temple located him and asked to have him sent for training, the consented easily. He grew up in the temple and was just recently given over to civil service, where he was partnered with Xiu-He. Appearance: Unless he's intentionally dressing up - perhaps to accompany the emperor, or to travel to a certain place without drawing attention - Jian does his best to look like any middle-class man on the streets might. He is sometimes mistaken for someone studying for the civil service exams, and takes advantage of this when it suits him. Abilities: Jian can read and write - he was trained in it in the temple - and is also a superb fighter. He speaks English with only a hint of an accent. Miscellaneous Talents: His foremost talent is in fighting, but he also has a gift for impersonation and fitting in - he would tell you it's due to his water nature. Strengths: He's smart and good at strategic planning. He's also very fond of Emperor Guangxu even if he doesn't necessarily think he's good for the Empire. Weaknesses: Jian tends to be too easy to believe those in power have peoples' best interests at heart, even if he doesn't believe they're capable of actually serving the people well. He can also be arrogant when dealing with people he feels are unworthy of his attention - generally people who are lazy and don't want to improve their situation. Likes: Simple food. Intelligent conversation. A challenging sparring match. Sunrise in the country. Clear, starry skies. Dislikes: Fancy things, especially things that are overdone for no good reason. In particular, he finds it almost impossible to sleep in beds that are too soft. Name: Song Xiu-He (icon by , Tessanne Chin) Age: 22 Race/ethnicity: Mongol/Manchu Chinese DOB/Sign: Fire dog - December, 1886 Hair: Red and wavy, her distinctive hair is what caused the temple to investigate her as a possible elemental affinity and convince her parents to let her study there. Eyes: Brown Height/Weight: 5 foot 3 inches, 150 pounds Alignment: Chaotic good; she wants to do the right thing, but is increasingly finding that the right thing and the thing that her job requires her to do are different. Weapon(s) used commonly: Xiu-He favors magic over physical fighting. Personality: True to her element, Xiu-He is impulsive and willful, passionate and often joyful. Though she seems not to be concerned with anything beyond the current goal, she can and does nurse grudges with surprising vehemence, and when she feels wronged, she will not shy away from looking for opportunities for payback. History: Xiu-He was born into a once-great aristocratic family that had fallen out of favor and on hard times. Her mother raised her and her siblings on stories of corrupt emperors, courtesans and eunuchs. When she was discovered by the temple, she was already older than most of their new recruits, but she was talented and quickly rose through the ranks. She was honored when she was sent to the Imperial palace as a guard and the junior representative of the temple, thinking that perhaps there she would find the means to restore her family's honor, but the longer she knows the Emperor, the more she doubts he can help. He seems to her like a lonely man who's too fond of his clockwork toys and not enough of his duty; she cares for him and protects him, but can't say she sees him as an authority, let alone as a Son of Heaven. Sometimes she wonders if he doesn't need saving as well. After her partner died defending the palace, she became even less sure this was the path she wanted to walk. Appearance: Among the delicate, cultured, and pale women of the court, Xiu-He's dark skin and red hair stands out. Remembering her mother's scathing words about the people at court, Xiu-He cultivated her reputation as a wild woman, walking barefoot to flaunt her unbound feet and leaving her hair loose. Abilities: She grew up speaking both Mongolian and Manchu at home, and learned Mandarin at the temple and has picked up several languages at court, including bits of Cantonese, English, Latin and French. She is a trained fighter, as well, but she's not excited about physical fighting the way Jian is. Miscellaneous Talents: Xiu-He is particularly good at fire magic, but she also has a talent for seeing through magic used by others. Strengths: Xiu-He is a strong, independent young woman with an ear for language and an eye for magic. She's not worried about what others think, only about doing her job and helping her family. (She sends most of her stipend home to her mother.) Weaknesses: She is inclined to do things herself to prove that she can. Her reputation preceeds her, and sometimes that can work against her as well. Likes: Freedom. Striking jewelry. Her family. Cool weather. The clockwork toys the Emperor gives her. Dislikes: Those who curry favor with the emperor. Fish. The Dowager Empress. Name: Hsu Bai-Ling (icon by ) Age: 27 Race/ethnicity: Han Chinese DOB/Sign: Metal snake - July, 1881 Hair: White Eyes: Pink-grey Height/Weight: 5 foot even, 100 pounds Alignment: Lawful good, insofar as she believes in following the rules. However, "the rules" do not always translate to "the law". Weapon(s) used commonly: Bai-Ling favors a pair of twin daggers, but she likes to keep her skill with them under wraps when possible. Personality: Bai-Ling is, to all appearances, a well mannered and intelligent young woman. She is all these things, as well as many more she was trained to hide. Very few people see her true personality, which is much more icy and formal than the genial one she wears in public. History: Bai-Ling was born to a merchant family in southern China. Her parents were initially wary of her appearance but found that many of their European business partners were fascinated by her appearance. They taught her to entertain them and made sure she learned the art of charm as well as giving her lessons in singing and playing music. Her multi-talented status and family connections brought her to the attention of her boss, who offered her a way out from under her parents' thumbs- training and service as a diplomatic consul whose job was to entertain diplomats' wives. Somewhere along the way the focus shifted, and she was pushed aside when a scandalous affair with a young French woman was discovered, but her new boss is happy to turn that bitterness to the revolution's advantage. Appearance: Bai-Ling's most obvious trait is her albinism. She's come to embrace her distinctive appearance and usually dresses in either very dark or white clothing to emphasize her looks. Abilities: She was raised speaking Cantonese, Mandarin, both pidgin and proper English as well as French. She reads, recites poetry, sings and plays instruments. Miscellaneous Talents: Bai-Ling is actually very skilled at glamour and charming people, but for obvious reasons does not advertise this. She also has an excellent voice. Strengths: She is good at hiding her true feelings and reactions, ferreting out information, and making friends and allies. Weaknesses: Because of her condition, her eyes are sensitive to bright light and her skin is easily sunburned. Likes: Beauty. The opera. Traveling. Dislikes: Air travel. Uncomfortable accommodations. Rumor mongers and gossips. <img src="http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn205/pitotheface/nano/Untitled-155.jpg align=left> Name: John Nathan Fitzsimmons "Jack" Rose (icon by ) Age: 42 Race/ethnicity: English DOB/Sign: Fire tiger - March, 1866 Hair: Red Eyes: Blue Height/Weight: 5 foot 6 inches, 180 pounds Alignment: Chaotic neutral; Jack fancies the idea of himself as a modern Robin Hood, helping people in distress and ripping off those who deserve it, but in practice he is easily distracted by whatever promises to please or amuse him. Weapon(s) used commonly: Jack is more than happy to use whatever comes to hand; on his ship, that could be almost anything. Guns, knives, and shuriken are all likely to be found on his person at any given time. Personality: He's wild, careless and immature, but he means well and even manages to do the right thing in the end. Usually. Sometimes he thinks he'd like to settle down, but not enough to actually do it - he suspects he would be miserable in about six months. History: Jack was born in Calcutta. His father was a British officer there and a friend of Prince Albert and Jack had the best upbringing his parents could arrange -until he decided he was tired of England, dropped out of Cambridge, and got on the first ship he could find back to Asia, where he's been getting into trouble ever since. He apprenticed to an airship pirate, battled clockwork vikings, almost eloped with a Japanese princess, and played both sides for fools in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. The British consulate considers him a loose canon and general opinion is that he went either native or crazy, possibly both, as a young man, and he is actually used as a bogeyman figure to scare new arrivals into leaving their wise and children in England. Appearance: Jack is in his early forties but can pass for younger if he needs to. Abilities: An accomplished airship captain (or sky ninja, as he called himself as a young man), Jack is trained in navigation and minor ship repairs. He speaks Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Russian and Hindi, all of them with terrible accents, and can hold his own in most fights. Miscellaneous Talents: Jack's main talent is his luck- he regularly stumbles across magical artifacts by accident, stumbles drunkenly into important meetings, and just happens to arrive at a club the same time as the man he's looking for. Strengths: Jack can be charming in a laid-back way, and won't hesitate to talk Brits in circles to get what he's after. Lots of people owe him favors for things they'd rather forget, as well. Weaknesses: Pretty ladies, especially pretty ladies in distress. Gets sick from spicy food. Probably has a death warrant on his head in Japan. Likes: Winning. Getting away with it. Pretty ladies. ;) Dislikes: People trying to kill him. People doing things for his own good or in his best interests. Being shot at. http://hilohello.insanejournal.com/25754.html http://asylums.insanejournal.com/yourfacehere/5677.html http://asylums.insanejournal.com/costume_trunk/41081.html http://community.livejournal.com/ragingxblood/15521.html#cutid1 - #s 50 & 51 http://asylums.insanejournal.com/embargo/351578.html http://smallbatchicons.dreamwidth.org/33612.html - Bai's boss, maybe? http://www.satanjewels.com/tonycurran.html http://asylums.insanejournal.com/blevcons/165974.html http://asylums.insanejournal.com/autoicons/16035.html#cutid1 - correct age Jack

Jian and Xiu-He consult with the emperor as a part of their regular duties, and then are assigned (by the Empress Dowager?) to find the stones
The meet the "diplomat" they're supposed to take with them - enter Bai-Ling - and are told they're traveling in an unorthodox manner to stay under the radar - enter Jack Rose
How do they get a lead on the stones in the first place? Maybe an ancient scroll. All the stones are hidden in remote locations. None of them are labeled.
Travel to Peng Lai in northeastern China - the magical island is a mirage at sea that only appears for those with great spiritual potential. Xue-He is probably attracted to the gemstone trees. The rice is tasty. They try to look carefully for god stones but have no luck.
One of the immortals explains that the gods are the stones. Nobody's giving up a stone for the empire - none of them are worthy yet. But hey, keep trying, you can always come back later! Maybe.
Travel to Fu Sang, in the East - this is technically part of Japan
The Sun is there. It is pointed out that you really don't want to take the heart of the Sun away, and the party is forced to conceed the point.
Hey, did you know there's a price on Jack's head in Japan? He sure did! The rest of the party did not.
Robot vikings battle, though the vikings don't put up much of a fight at all really. Jack remarks that they seemed a lot tougher last time.
Neither does their creator, whom Jack knows. He mentions having had a stone like they're looking for. Jack talks him into letting them pass and they continue to the hiding place.
There's nothing here but a few small shards. They return and talk to the German some more. Turns out the shards of this stone are what the old man was using to power his vikings.
Travel to the Himalayas? Kun Lun? looking for the garden of Xi Wang Mu, where a stone is supposed to reside. Some comment about short-cutting the Journey to the West.
Xi Wang Mu won't give them her stone, saying she has removed herself from the politics of dynasty.
Last lead on an immortal with a stone - when they get there the immortal up and left fifty years ago, and his last servant just died.
Descend into hell to get some more leads from the servant!
Travelogue of hell. Servant says his master didn't tell him where she was going, only that it was the cold north.
Travel to Siberia and get info from female Russian doctor
Bai-Ling and Xue-He travel alone to retrive the stone, Xue keeping them warm with her magic
Xue-He consumes the spirit from the rock and embodies the Phoenix. Jian and Jack catch up just in time to pick up the pieces - literally - of the broken stone. Jack puts them away for later.
Well, so much for that option! Bai-Ling takes a moment to reflect that she's suddenly really glad Xie-He got there first. Now it's even more important they find the other stone.
Looking at the stones Jack picked up, Bai-Ling is reminded of the clockwork the emperor gave Xue-He and realizes what the emperor's fi liang shi must be - the stone of the dragon, symbol of the empire, and the power that balances the phoenix
Rush back to Beijing to ask the Emperor about his stones, but they are relatively powerless and there's no sign of the dragon in them.
"Oh, you wish to speak to him," the Emperor said quietly. He lead them through the Forbidden City. ("None of you are meant to see this," he told the three of them.)
So it turns out they awakened the dragon a little while ago, but the Emperor was not interested in playing host for him and the dragon would not live in the unwilling heart. They threw a few others at him, but the dragon would not live in the weak-willed heart either, and it ended badly for them, so they stopped throwing things at him and decided to go after the other stones.
The dragon questions each of them. Bai-Ling and Jack both tell him they won't ask to play host, because they know they would be used. After considerable thought, Jian accepts.
EPIC BATTLE WITH XUE-HE
Xue-He is imprisoned in a puzzle box. I'm keeping that because LOL.
DÃ©nouement - Jian takes his leave, probably dramatically.
Ending - Jack and Bai-Ling part ways. Jack thinks maybe it's time to retire and open a little shop or something.
Epilogue, later - Jian gives Jack the box for safekeeping in his shop.

Chapter One â€“ In Which Jian and Xiu-He consult with the emperor as a part of their regular duties, and instead find themselves abruptly reassigned Chapter Two â€“ In which we meet the diplomat Bai-Ling and it is made clear just how unorthodox a manner of travel they will be using Chapter Three â€“ In which an ancient scroll is presented that contains directions to recover the hidden stones Chapter Four â€“ In which our heroes travel to Peng Lai, a magical island, and the catering is very pleasant Chapter Five â€“ In which an immortal explains what the stones actually are and why our heroes have a more difficult journey ahead of them than they thought Chapter Six â€“ In which our heroes travel to Fu Sang, in the East - this is technically part of Japan Chapter Seven â€“ In which the Sun introduces himself and discusses some very important practical concerns that have heretofore remained unexplored Chapter Eight â€“ In which even more practical concerns come up, and the others learn new things about the captain of their airship Chapter Nine â€“ In which there is a battle with robot Vikings Chapter Ten â€“ In which we meet the creator of the robot Vikings and logic is applied Chapter Eleven â€“ In which there is no stone where the stone should be Chapter Twelve â€“ In which our heroes journey to the west in search of the garden of Xi Wang Mu, where another stone is supposed to reside Chapter Thirteen â€“ In which even goddesses are tired of politics Chapter Fourteen â€“ In which our heroes pursue their last lead and death is inconveniently timed Chapter Fifteen â€“ In which there is a descent into hell because it seems the most expedient way to solve the problem Chapter Sixteen â€“ In which various and sundry hells are toured in search of a hint, and one is finally received Chapter Seventeen â€“ In which it is very, very cold Chapter Eighteen â€“ In which the ladies are doing it for themselves Chapter Nineteen â€“ In which things begin to go really, really wrong Chapter Twenty â€“ In which the others reflect on what's come before and wonder what to do next in search of the last stone Chapter Twenty One â€“ In which Bai-Ling has a revelation whilst going through Xue-He's luggage Chapter Twenty Two â€“ In which we return from whence we began and break into the Emperor's private chambers Chapter Twenty Three â€“ In which certain areas of the Forbidden City are seen by outsiders for the first time, and the Emperor is not particularly bothered Chapter Twenty Four - In which things are explained that probably should have come up much earlier Chapter Twenty Five â€“ In which everyone is offered what they thought they wanted, and two of them refuse it Chapter Twenty Six â€“ In which the inevitable finally happens Chapter Twenty Seven â€“ In which judicious use is made of a very small box Chapter Twenty Eight - In which farewells are said and metaphysical questions are unanswered Chapter Twenty Nine - In which further farewells are said Chapter Thirty - An epilogue in which certain ends are tied http://www.nau.edu/hanyu_dictionary Shiny Rock - fÄ� liÃ ng (shine, shiny) jiao (sparkling) rock (cao) shi (stone) Locations: Mythical places Xuan Pu (çŽ„åœƒ xUan2pu3), a mythical fairyland on Kunlun Mountain (å´‘å´™). Yao Chi (ç‘¤æ± yao2chi2), abode of immortals where Xi Wang Mu lives. Fu Sang (æ‰¶æ¡‘ fu2sang1), a mythical island, often interpreted as Japan. Que Qiao (éµ²æ©‹ qUe4qiao2) the bridge formed by birds across the milky way. Peng lai (è“¬è�Š peng2lai2) the paradise, a fabled Fairy Isle on the China Sea. Long Men (é¾�é–€ long2men2) the dragon gate where a carp can transform into a dragon. Feng Du the Chinese hell

http://costumemercenary.blogspot.com/2010/06/ricepunk-traveller-ru-ku-waistcoat.html http://costumemercenary.blogspot.com/2010/06/ricepunk-buckle-cheongsam.html http://expandedhorizons.net/magazine/?page_id=1464 http://freetheprincess.blogspot.com/2010/08/guest-post-japanese-steampunk.html http://iheartthreadbared.wordpress.com/2010/06/25/war-and-the-clothes-brought-home-punk-planet-flashback/ http://coilhouse.net/2008/08/kowloon-walled-city-the-modern-pirate-utopia/ http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90782/90873/7140112.htmlp

The box was red wood, polished to a perfect shine. Jack ran his fingers over the tiles, feeling them shift slightly against the pressure of his touch. "Stop," was the order from Jian. "I didn't do anything," Jack answered, trying not to sound petulant. It was strange to be suddenly be taking orders from this boy, even if he knew Jian was no longer just a boy. "You were thinking about it," Jian frowned. "Magical puzzle boxes come sealed for a reason, Jack." "Apologies," he sighed. He knew Jian was right. But something about the box kept drawing his attention despite himself. Like one of Professor Rotwang's experiments in magnetic attraction, he couldn't stop. He let his fingers rest against it. Jian murmured something in Mandarin, too quietly for Jack to make it out. The tiles moved beneath his fingers. "What was that?" he asked, his voice higher than necessary. "The box is empty." Jian said as he took it away. "It draws you in because it wants to be filled."