WUXIA INSPIRATION: THE LEGEND OF THE BLACK SCORPION (THE BANQUET)

Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate draws on a number of sources for inspiration. I watch a lot of wuxia movies and TV shows, and these have had a big influence not only on Ogre Gate, but on Sertorius and many of my d20 campaigns. I am hoping to share some of my favorite movies and shows in the genre here as we work on WHOG.

Note: I am writing these as a fan of the genre. I am not a movie expert or an expert in asian cinema. These are my own observations based on what I have learned by watching wuxia and kung fu movies, and by reading about them through interviews and books. But my knowledge is quite limited and I am an English speaker. So understand that my commentary comes from this perspective. 
Note: This review contains many spoilers.

The Legend of the Black Scorpion* was released in 2006 (also under the name The Banquet) and was directed by Feng Xiaogang. It stars Zhang Ziyi (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and House of Flying Daggers), Daniel Wu (Tai Chi Zero), Zhou Xun (Painted Skin, Flying Swords of Dragon Gate Inn and Cloud Atlas), and Ge You (Farewell My Concubine and Sacrifice). The action choreography was done by the great Yuen Woo-ping (Drunken Master, The Matrix, Kung Fu Hustle, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Fist of Legend and Kill Bill**). 

THE LEGEND OF THE BLACK SCORPION

The storyline for Legend of the Black Scorpion is loosely based on Hamlet. It is set at the end of the Tang Dynasty on the eve of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. 

It begins with a narration that leads into a gorgeous musical pantomime scene in a rural theater amid the wilderness. There we meet the chief protagonist, Prince Wu Luan (Daniel Wu), who has retreated from the world to learn acting and poetry after a losing his love, Little Wan (Zhang Ziyi), when she marries his father, the emperor. The narration informs us that the emperor has just died and his position usurped by prince Wu Luan's uncle Li. Emperor Li (Ge You) marries Empress Wan (formerly Little Wan) to secure his position and dispatches a group of assassins to the the theater to kill his nephew. 

This opening sequence sets the tone for the rest of the film. It alternates between the languid and the abrupt, as the crude and black-armored assassins descend on the ethereal actors who dress in white gowns and masks. One by one they brutally murder the actors, seemingly trying to find the crown Prince. A few of the actors prove difficult to kill, taking out several assassins and on the verge of escape before being impaled or beheaded. This has all the flowing and stylistic choreography you expect from a great wuxia scene but it makes a point of reminding you that blades are designed to cut flesh and stop life. You find yourself getting lost in the beauty of the movement, only to have the spell broken by the crashing reality of dripping blood and snapping bone. The shots don't just show you what happens, they explain what it means to be cut and bleeding. 

We are led to believe that Prince Wu Luan dies a few times before we find him hiding below the waters of a nearby river. The film then cuts back to the palace where Emperor Li is trying to seduce Empress Wan. She agrees to consummate their relationship when the emperor agrees not to harm the prince. She also gains the Emperor's trust by leading him to believe he is a greater lover than his brother (something he seems particularly keen on establishing). 

Zhang Ziyi as Empress Wan
Ge You as Emperor Li

Prince Wu Luan returns to the capital and appears in Empress Wan's room wearing his pantomime mask. He has with him his Yue Maiden Sword and a scroll containing a musical verse. He and the Empress spar and she expresses her disappointment that he has acted to take the throne for himself. He then shows her the verse which is about loneliness and loss of love. 

Empress Wu goes to visit Qing (Zhou Xun), her lady in waiting and the daughter of Minister Yin. Qing had been engaged to the prince and the two discuss his return to the city, with the Empress' jealousy becoming clear. 

The films develops into an involved political drama filled with chess-like moves between the different characters (mainly this is a game between the Emperor and the Empress). We see one particularly brutal execution of a governor who tries to turn the court against the new Emperor in favor of Empress Wan by indirectly calling him a usurper. This execution very much encapsulates the tone of the film, where it is violence beautifully displayed mindful of its consequences. 

Eventually Prince Wu Luan learns that his father was poisoned by his uncle and at the Empress' coronation he puts on a play illustrating how the deed was done. In an effort to eliminate his nephew as a threat, the Emperor says he is impressed with the performance and feels it is time for him to take on more responsibilities, so he sends him to be the ambassador to the Khitans. In reality this is a hostage exchange with each side giving a prince to the other. However the Emperor knows that the Khitans have sent him a nameless beggar and plans to have Wu Luan killed before he reaches his destination. 

The Empress takes Minister Yin's daughter Qing and uses her to convince the son (who is a general) to save Wu Luan and help fake his death. This effectively forces them to aid her in a a plot to kill the emperor (because they are her accomplices in the deceit). 

Upon hearing news of Wu Luan's death, the emperor says he will hold a banquet the following day. His prime minister informs him the day is inauspicious but the emperor insists. 

At the banquet the Empress attempts to poison the Emperor by lacing her own cup and giving him a toast. However she is interrupted by Qing who, believing Wu Luan is dead, offers to give a dance performance in the prince's honor. The emperor seems touched by the gesture and offers her to drink from his toasting cup, which she accepts. After performing the dance, she falls to the ground and dies (from the Emperor's poisoned cup), with all knowing the Empress has just attempted to kill the Emperor. 

Zhou Xun as Qing about to perform a dance

In the chaos, Wu Luan returns and says he wants revenge for his father. Initially the king protects himself with his bodyguards, but when the prince says he wants a duel and doesn't want to kill any innocents, he lets him through and willingly drinks from the poison cup on his own. 

The Empress approaches Wu Luan and tries to declare him the new ruler, but he is reluctant. 

Qing's brother, who is enraged over her death flies over the crowd with a knife and attempts to stab the Empress. Prince Wu Luan grabs the blade with his hand to stop the attack but Qing's brother says it is poisoned. The Empress then stabs the brother in the throat and Wu Luan dies. 

Daniel Wu as Prince Wu Luan

After the coronation we see Empress Wan clutching a red sheet and reflecting on her rise to power. She remembers that she used to be called Little Wan and asks how she forget. The Yue Maiden sword flies into her back and through her heart. She clutches at it as someone else pulls it from he body. We never see the attacker but we see the look of confused recognition on her face before she dies. 

BONE SNAPPING BEAUTY

Surprisingly, when I first watched this it took me a while to realize it was essentially Hamlet. Once I did of course, I pretty much knew everyone's fate. I found the familiarity of the storyline refreshing because normally wuxia films are taken from sources not available in English or (occasionally) available in translation. 

The Legend of the Black Scorpion is interesting, it blends imperial drama with wuxia and achieves a nice balance of ruthless grittiness and poetic swordplay. That may sound like a natural fit but I don't think I have seen many movies that blur the line so effortlessly between blunt stabbing violence and the more dreamlike and flowing fight choreography you see in movies like Hero. There was a sharp internal contrast where one moment you have a hero effortlessly dodging dozens of sword strikes in soundless steps, only to have him impaled. This film is both soft and sharp. Sometimes the action is gentle and serene, other times you can hear the harsh crunch of bone and rasping gurgle of blood. I found this quite striking. 

While the movie isn't packed with fights, it has plenty given the story. Each one is riveting in its own way and multi-layered. You are not just getting action in these sequences, you are getting little stories. 

The movie is a bit graphic at times. There are beheadings, impalements, and many shots intended to make the viewer cringe. There is also a somewhat confusing rape scene. I didn't think I could explain it adequately in the overview, but I mention it here because it may trouble some viewers if the decide to watch The Legend of the Black Scorpion. 

The Pantomime Theater

The acting is marvelous and the use of the Hamlet storyline works very well. Ge You is highly effective as the scheming and lusty emperor, while Zhang Ziyu brings the complicated character of Empress Wan/Little Wan to life. Zhou Xun and Daniel Wu give great performances also. Xun gets a lot less screen time than the main actors but stands out as always. Wu handles the fight choreography smoothly and plays a convincing lead. 

In terms of gaming there may be something her for more political campaigns. It really shows the chess-like nature of dialogue in the imperial court and a GM could make good use of that. Other than that it isn't quite as good in terms of gaming inspiration, though the forest theater at the beginning of the movie might prove an interesting locale. 

I highly recommend this movie for anyone likes wuxia. I was struggling to find the right words to describe the action, but it really is some of the more compelling stuff I've seen. 


*The Chinese Title is Ye Yan
** Additional fight choreography credits also include Fearless, The Grandmaster, Forbidden Kingdom and many more. 

IN DEFENSE OF THE CLASSICS (WUXIA INSPIRATION)

I've been making a point of watching a wide range of wuxia movies while we work on Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate, spanning decades from roughly 1966 to the present. While I have to admit I've long had a soft spot for older martial arts films, one thing that really stands out to me now is the quality of some of these earlier efforts. Even ones I may not personally care for, I can see the importance of. 

Hsu Feng in A Touch of Zen

A lot of people are hesitant to watch these older movies, and I think that is understandable. The image quality is often poor because they were not well preserved and the pacing and editing are very different from what modern martial arts audiences are used to. The last two in particular are quite a hurdle for people. Modern editing techniques enhance fight choreography a lot, and fight choreography itself has made enormous leaps. But like anything else, there is a trade off, and one of the trade offs of slick editing, is you can't always see everything the actor is doing. I am not going to lie, a 1960s Shaw Brothers movie does not look like a Jet Li action film. For one thing, the swordplay is less stylized, though often athletic. But that doesn't mean you should dismiss the earlier films. In fact if you go back and watch them, you'll find it enriches your viewing of more current movies because there are so many call backs to what came before. 

Cheng Pei Pei in Come Drink With Me

Yes earlier movies can be grainy at times, but many of them have been remastered or were well preserved. The ones from the late 60s and 70s that were filmed on sets seem to hold up well for some reason. The Dragon Dynasty DVD series is a great source for remastered classic martial arts movies. 

Films from the 60s and 70s may also seem slower at first. We are accustomed to very efficient editing that removes extraneous material. But one thing you find when you go back and look at older movies (and this applies to all movies, not just wuxia) is the extraneous is rather subjective. If you look at dialogue for example, it has gone through peaks and valleys over the years in terms of efficiency. There is such a thing as too much editing. You find this in music as well. We have gone through periods filled with baroque style frills and technique, but then often experienced minimalist reactions. That doesn't mean the best songs are always simple. It doesn't mean rock music hit its apex in the 90s. I would argue it is important to have a range of approaches and that efficiency is not always a virtue. 

Jimmy Wang in The One-Armed Swordsman

With martial arts movies the same thing applies. I love modern wuxia, and I really love stuff from the 90s, but I also can enjoy the more relaxed pace of an old Golden Harvest or Shaw Brothers flick. If you are accustomed to the new stuff, yes the change is a bit alarming. It is similar to going from a busy life in the city to a vacation cabin in the woods. The pace is maddening at first because your attention span is accustomed to everything moving quickly, but you adapt within a matter of days to the new pace of life. 

One of the advantages of films like King Hu's Come Drink With Me (which at the time introduced a lot of newer and faster editing techniques) is it takes the time to build the story. It helps create atmosphere and establish characters. Another King Hu movie, A Touch of Zen, simply wouldn't work if it picked up the pace. 

I think the biggest thing for most people though is the fight choreography and editing. This is something where I do think there have been many advances. It is hard to deny that a movie like The New Dragon Gate Inn or House of Flying Daggers isn't visually spell-binding in no small part because of the fantastic editing techniques and stylized fight choreography. You will get a lot less of that in an older wuxia movie, but you will still get plenty to feast your eyes upon if you can adjust to the difference. One thing I do when I view the older movies is concentrate more on things like footwork. Lady Hermit is a good example of this, where the movement is captivating and dance-like, but still different from the intensity of stuff that you see today. 

Lily Ho and Betty Pei Ti in
Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan

The other nice thing about these older films, which I've already mentioned, is you can see the actor's entire body and you often get a much better view of what all the participants are doing. That does mean you also get a better view when performances lull or dip, so it isn't without a downside. However I do appreciate being able to see things clearly and not lose sight of what is going on as the action blazes. 

I should point out that the earlier movies (especially before the 70s) have much different fight choreography. It often looks more swashbuckling in nature, and while I find it entertaining, it is worth mentioning so folks are not surprised. 

None of this is to diminish the value of more recent movies. I personally tend to alternate between the two. The point I am trying to make is it is a matter of adjusting to a different style and once you do, you will find it enriches your viewing of modern movies. One strong example of this is Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. If you liked that, you'll certainly enjoy watching many of the earlier movies that it made reference to. In many ways it is a highlight reel of the best of wuxia. It is no coincidence that Cheng Pei-Pei makes an appearance in the movie. There are several allusions to films she herself stared in (notably Come Drink with Me but other ones as well like The Jade Raksha and Dragon Swamp). 

WUXIA INSPIRATION: TRAIL OF THE BROKEN BLADE

Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate draws on a number of sources for inspiration. I watch a lot of wuxia movies and TV shows, and these have had a big influence not only on Ogre Gate, but on Sertorius and many of my d20 campaigns. I am hoping to share some of my favorite movies and shows in the genre here as we work on WHOG.

Note: I am writing these as a fan of the genre. I am not a movie expert or an expert in asian cinema. These are my own observations based on what I have learned by watching wuxia and kung fu movies, and by reading about them through interviews and books. But my knowledge is quite limited and I am an English speaker. So understand that my commentary comes from this perspective. 

Note: This review contains many spoilers.

Trail of the Broken Blade is a Shaw Brothers film released in 1967. Directed by Chang Cheh (The One-Armed Swordsman, Golden Swallow and The Five Venoms), the film stars Jimmy Wang (The One-Armed Swordsman, Golden Swallow and Chinese Boxer), Lisa Chiao Chiao (The One-Armed Swordsman), Chin Ping (The Magnificent Trio, The Sword and the Lute), Chiao Chuang (King Cat), Tien Feng (The Shadow Whip, Raw Courage,and The 14 Amazons), Paul Wei and Chen Hung-Lieh (Come Drink With Me). 

THE TRAIL OF THE BROKEN BLADE

The film's first scenes are initially confusing, but the plot soon becomes clear. It begins with Li Yueh (Jimmy Wang) killing an imperial official responsible for a false accusation that led to his father's execution. This is a murder of vengeance, and clearly a just end for a corrupt man. The act forces Li Yueh to go into hiding as wanted posters with his likeness are pinned across the empire. 

Next we are introduced to the other major characters. Li Yueh has already assumed a new identity and we encounter the son of the master of Flying Fish Island, Tu Hu, who sets his sights on Yueh's former love, Liu Chen-er (Chin Ping). As Tu Hu and his men start a row the Liu family villa, wandering swordsman Fang Junzhao (Chiao Chuang) of Wudang arrives and fends them off. In the battle he wounds Tu Hu with a dart, forcing him to flee in a bloody trail. 

Chen-er

Tu Hu makes it back to Flying Fish Island, as his father is killing some prisoners and testing out his new black net technique. He clings to life long enough for his brother, Tu Long (Chen Hung-Lieh), to embrace him as he dies. Their father, Master Tu Qian Qui (Tien Feng), examines the dart and concludes it belongs to Fang Junzhao. Tu Long vows revenge and takes a group of men with him called Jiao's Four. 

In the meantime, Fang remains at the Liu family villa where Chen-er's father encourages him to spend time with his daughter, hoping she will forget about Li Yueh. Chen-er realizes that Fang is falling for her, but explains that she wants to be reunited with Yueh. Putting aside his own feelings for Chen-er, Fang vows to find him, no matter how long it takes. 

Li Yueh has assumed a new identity in a remote town as a horseman for a stable at an inn. There he is in close contact with the owner of a local gambling house named Shi Gan (Paul Wei) and his daughter, Xiao Mei (Lisa Chiao Chiao). 

Fang (left) and Yueh (right)

Xiao Mei and Hu Zi (who works at the gambling house) have a scheme where they steal the winnings from gamblers who have a good night at her father's establishment. One evening Li Yueh sees them and intercepts their efforts, revealing himself to be a martial expert in the process. He reprimands Xiao Mei but when her father comes to him with a bribe the next day, he realizes he may have exposed himself too much. He smooths things over with Shi Gan, who is worldly but proves to be loyal (initially it is unclear what his intentions or character are). 

Tu Long

Fang eventually passes through town and notices Li Yueh lift a large trough with just one hand. Impressed he spends time with Yueh and the two become close. Fang believes Yueh has a natural talent for martial arts and wants to take him to Wudang. 

Tu Long and Jiao's Four arrive in the town and find Fang, facing off in Shi Gan's gambling house. This proves to be an engaging scene, with the gambling hall providing plenty of visual fodder. They exchange banter over a number of games of chance, slicing dice and then fusion them together with Chi energy, before a battle breaks out. Yueh arrives in time to save Fang and kill Jiao's Four. Tu Long flees but promises to return in a month for revenge. 

Things get a bit complicated as Chen-er follows a trail of her own to the town. Just as she arrives and Fang, Yueh leaves for Flying Fish Island to defeat Fang's enemies for him. In a note he explains that Fang is a righteous man and can take care of Chen-er, that they are ideal for one another, and that he as a man on the run could offer her no real future. 

Tu Long confronts Fang 

The pace picks up considerably here as Yueh slices his way through Flying Fish Island and Fang and Chen-er rush to help him. Yueh faces off with Master Tu while Fang and Chen-er negotiate their way through pits and traps, eventually facing and killing Tu Long. Yueh and Master Ta each deliver a fatal blow to the other and die. When Chen-er finds his body, she takes a sword and kills herself. We then see their spirits ascend together. 

RIGHTEOUS FRIENDSHIP AND TRUE LOVE

This is a solid movie, but certainly not Chang Cheh's best effort. Jimmy Wang plays a strong lead as always and Paul Wei stands out as the indecipherable Shi Gan. It was nice to see Lisa Chiao Chiao and Jimmy Wang (who are lovers in The One Armed Swordsman) share scenes, though in Trail of the Broken Blade the love is unrequited.

The action is more traditional swordplay, like you see in a lot of these earlier Shaws Brothers films. I rather enjoy this. While I love modern wuxia with its sharp editing, one of the nice things about movies like Trail of the Broken Blade is you can see the actor's entire body and movement in each shot. It isn't nearly as fancy as the stuff we have grown accustomed to, but it is very real and requires a good deal of athleticism from the actors. One downside is mistakes are not as buried by the editing, each misstep is magnified. 

The swordplay itself is good, but not great either. It has strong moments. However it isn't really the focus of the film. The beginning and end have plenty of action, but the middle of the movie, though it has some brief encounters, is devoted mainly to the characters. The final battle itself is considerably entertaining and has a few surprising moments. 

The line between good and evil in Trail of the Broken Blade is stark, with The Flying Fish Island sect taking delight in mayhem, while Fang (A Wudang Swordsman) and Li Yue are the epitome of selfless righteousness, sacrificing their own happiness for others. Ultimately it is a tragic story where our righteous heroes are doomed by their very nature to unfulfilling ends. On the other hand, the film's final sequence, where Yue and Cheng-er ascend together as spirits, is hopeful. There seemed to be a theme of righteousness ultimately being rewarded, even if it means suffering in this life.

The movie reminded me of Last Hurrah for Chivalry with its focus on true friendship in a world that cynical and filled with betrayals. It is unapologetically sentimental and I have to admit I really enjoy that. One of the pleasures of wuxia is it can walk the line of acknowledging the grim realities of life, pointing out hypocrisy and corruption, but also leaves room people whose hearts and deeds align in moving displays of fidelity. 

Villains of Flying Fish Island

The friendship between Fang and Yue is central to the story. It also serves as a vehicle for highlighting their moral character. In fact all the relationships do this. A common theme in wuxia is putting the happiness of those you care for before your own. Fang loves Chen-er but in order for her to be happy, and because he feels Yueh is a good man, he devotes himself to re-uniting the couple. Yueh loves Chen-er but lets her go because he has no future and knows that Fang would make a worthy husband. Chen-er is willing to die for her love and Xiao Mei, who loves Yue, emulates Fang and works to reunite them toward the end of the movie. This is certainly a confusing network of feelings, but it makes sense as the film plays out and it works well to emphasize importance of selflessness. 

Trail of the Broken Blade has a lot of classic wuxia elements that can inspire Gamemaster. It really does have it all: love, loyalty, tragedy, grudges and larger than life heroes/villains.

The premise of the hero in hiding, would be an interesting way to introduce an NPC but could also arise as a development for a party of characters on the run. The movie highlights some of the challenges such characters might face.

Flying Fish Island

This could also work as an adventure, where the players need to track down a person's lover who is in hiding from the law. It creates an interesting basis for an investigation where the PCs would need to be careful so they don't inadvertently bring the person they are tracking down to the attention of authorities. 

Flying Fish Island would make a spectacular location for adventure, with elaborate traps (including caves filled with poison gas) and a stable of villains worthy of any campaign. 

I would certainly encourage both game masters and wuxia fans to check this one out. 

INTERVIEW WITH JACKIE MUSTO (THE BOOKSTRAVAGANZA KICKSTARTER)

I recently spoke with illustrator Jackie Musto, creator of Kay and P and The Adventures of Lady Skylark, about her upcoming kickstarter. Jackie is also responsible for most of the interiors in a number of our own products from Bedrock Games (including Servants of Gaius, Sertorius and the upcoming Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate).

Jackie's Kickstarter, the Bookstravanganze, is aimed to support a print release for her Lady Skylark and Key and P comics. You can find the kickstarter here: BOOKSTRAVAGANZA

Brendan Davis: Tell me about the Bookstravaganza Kickstarter. Why did you decide to do a Kickstarter for this project?

Jackie Musto: I've actually used Kickstarter a couple times before for smaller projects, and they turned out really well! Usually when a new book is coming out, I set it up as kind of a "pre-ordering" system. Since the artwork is completely done before I start the campaign, there is less worry or risk involved for backers—they know they're going to get their product. This project is actually even more important than the previous ones too—I self publish and that is very costly when it comes to printing color. Usually, I can only order a small amount of books so when I sell them, I really only make enough back to cover the book. My printer has offered me a sweetheart deal though, and since I have a whopping five books to print if I order a large amount of them they'll cut me a better deal. This means I can finally offer them in bookstores, which is a really big deal. Kickstarter is great for this because it allows me to reach a pretty grand audience and offer some cool extras like buttons, stickers and t-shirts.

BD: Lady Skylark is steampunk pirate adventure while Kay and P is more modern with a dose of the supernatural and heavy focus on characters. Why these two genres and how do you manage doing two separate comics?

JM: Well I super love fantasy in all its forms. It should come as surprise to no-one that I've been an avid gamer since I was about twelve years old, and often made up elaborate stories for my toys going on adventures before that. The modern fantasy of "Kay and P" evolved out of wondering what it might be like to have a magical best friend, and then how you'd try and deal with that. Sometimes I'd be trying to get on a crowded bus and wonder: "If I had an invisible friend, how could I get them on here?" or something like that. It was fun to puzzle the logistics of it.

I think that it's also interesting to have these kind of weird creatures that have real lives as well. Just because you're an animal person or a minotaur doesn't mean you don't have to work! 

On the flip side of that, Lady Skylark is heavier into the fantastical side of things. There is straight-up alchemy magic, flying ships and giant sky beasts. It's actually a really nice contrast to have a heavy action sequence in comparison to the often more subdued modern setting. I think steampunk is a really interesting "what-if" scenario as well. I really dig Shadowrun and cyber-punk as well, so finding out there was a historical version instead of a sci-fi version was pretty neat.

As far as how I manage—ha, lots of coffee! Really, it's planning and scheduling. Once I got quite quick at my technique, it was easier to estimate how much time I was going to need per page and schedule around it. I can't stress enough to aspiring comic artists out there to really sketch out your panel layouts and script and such way in advance so you can foresee any problems ahead before it's too late!

BD: What is your writing process for the story lines? The art?

JM: When I'm writing Kay and P, I think of it as episodic. Each issue of a comic is around 32 pages, so that's what I place a story arc in. I begin by drafting an outline of what I want to happen in an issue, often referring back to the giant whole-story timeline I have and what scenes or characters will be there. Then I break that outline down in specific actions or details in each part, and then edit! It's important to realize sometimes stuff can't fit and needs to be cut for time, or isn't required to move the story along. It's very valuable to spend sometime working the scene and characters before as well (figuring out the room layout, what a character is going to wear, and of course sketches of new characters). I then work the paneling and script in tandem. I layout a thumbnail of each spread of pages (so I know what the left and right pages will look like next to each other) and start scripting underneath. I write out the scene, actions and dialogue. Above, I loosely pen in the frames of the panels, and sketches of the contents of these panels (including the speech bubbles). When I'm satisfied with the sketch, I move onto the computer and draw directly there — I find it really easy to manipulate the art and move things around if I need. Once I'm in the computer, it's surprisingly like a traditional comic: I pencil, ink, color and add the text. Lady Skylark is a little different as I am following a script in that one, but otherwise the process is rather similar.

BD: How long does it take you to develop each issue?

JM: From concept to finished pages, I've ground it down to about three weeks (though not all in a row). I spend a couple days on outline and sketching, then I can handle about two pages a day if I'm on a roll. It actually takes a lot longer for it to come out than it takes to produce. Kay and P updates twice weekly and Lady Skylark on the weekend.

BD: Who are your biggest influences?

JM: It's a weird list, but: Alphonse Mucha, Rankin & Bass, Jim Henson, and a lot of the wonderful female contemporary indie comic artists out there. I'd name them all, but we'd be here all day. I think it's important as an artist to take a look around and see what is being made along side you. Get inspired by their awesome skill and determination—it can help when you're feeling a little stuck or down yourself. I grew up with tons of fantasy as well, so I am sure that has really shaped how my ideas form and what I think is interesting.

BD:  One of the things I appreciate about your work (particularly in the Lady Skylark Series) is how alive your characters seem. Their personalities glow and are visible to the reader. I am curious how you approach giving this kind of life to lines on a page.

JM: I'm going to spill one of my true secrets here: I have a mirror next to my desk and I make faces into it all day long. Seriously! Whenever I need a face, I make it so I can see what it looks like. In addition to that, I once had a drama teacher who told me: "In life, you are volume 5. On stage, you're 11!", meaning that you almost want to over-act a little if you want your message to come across to an audience way out there. Subtle movements can be lost, so a big facial expression or movement is super helpful. I also thank my love of animation— if you pay really close attention to the masters, they make shrink and stretch do magic. The gesture of a form moving is really what makes it exciting - if you make all your characters look like they are on coat hangers, it's not quite as fun!

Links:

Kay and P - http://www.kayandp.com

Lady Skylark - http://www.ladyskylark.com

Kickstarter - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1167986238/kay-and-p-lady-skylark-bookstravaganza

FB - https://www.facebook.com/JackieMustoIllustration

tumblr - http://kayandp.tumblr.com/

twitter - @kayandp

THE SECRET OF JE VALLEY PART TWO (WANDERING HEROES OF OGRE GATE)

This campaign is set ten years after a previous set of adventures (HERE). This is the second session of the campaign (see the first entry HERE).  


Characters:
Xue Lingsu (Purple Cavern Sect)
Kang Xi (Affiliated with Mr. Red Claw)
Zhi Zhu (No Sect)
Long Shu (Purple Cavern Sect)
Rong (Tree Dwelling Nun Sect)

We continued where we left off with Zhi Zhu dragging Kang Xi and Long Shu from the Golden Grotto Academy and Xue LIngsu bringing the daughter of the city engineer (Su Long) to Poet Hong's residence after rescuing her from the Grotto. 

As the three party members stumbled out of the academy they met a Tree Dwelling Nun sect member named Rong, who offered to assist Zhi Zhu carry her incapacitated friends. Reluctantly she accepted, handing Kang Xi over. 

Upon their return to Hong's residence they connected with Lingsu and asked Rong about her background, who expressed further interest in traveling with them. Though suspicious of her motives, they brought her into the party. 

Poet Hong toasted the party for rescuing Su Long's daughter, Yuyan. He gave them several hundred taels in a well crafted box and hosted a meal in their honor. They decided to take Yuyan with them to the Inn of the Emerald Monk where they still needed to dismantle the water clock so it wouldn't activate and drain the local martial heroes of their Qi. But before they departed, Long Shu arranged a meeting with Headmaster Mu, hoping to convince him to take a different path. By Long Shu's account of the meeting, he appears to have succeeded. 

As they left Chen on the southern road, the party was confronted by a group of mystic sword disciples led from the rear by a man on horseback (who they would later learn was Lying Tiger). Lying Tiger demanded they turn over the report of the Phoenix Crown and attacked when they refused. The battle was quick, with the party dropping the disciples right away, but Lying Tiger released his Sword Whipping Strike, allowing him to strike everyone in the party with a green ribbon of energy. They did manage to wound him with a blasting blade attack and tried to retreat. Zhi Zhu nabbed him with her Arms of Silk technique, unfurling her robes to engulf him. This worked for a time, but he struck with his Whipping Blade once again and the party thought it safer to let him flee. 

When they reached the Inn of the Emerald Monk, the party reunited Yuyun with her father (who had been onsite building the Water Clock). They also detained the foreman of the project, a Golden Grotto Academy master, who Lady Tao had beheaded. 

Lady Tao thanked the party for their performance and assigned an easier job of transporting the body of local bean curd merchant to his ancestral home in Rong-Yao. The body would require the Spirit Keeping Rites for the journey's duration, which meant they had to hire a Yen-Li priest or shaman. 

They went to the Celestial Spirit Temple, where they met the head priest. He talked them into hiring him personally for the job at about 80 spades a day. The first day of travel went well, but that night the Celestial Spirit priest looked sick and said the Spirit Keeping Rite was more difficult than usual to perform. Because the ritual appeared to be harming the priest, they decided something was amiss and opted to bury the body there in the road. As they were digging a grave, the priest keeled over and the coffin began to shake. Zhi Zhu tried to contain the coffin with her Arms of Silk but it burst open and the stiff body emerged with a gaping mouth. Kang Xi recognized it as a Hopping Ghost, and told the party to burn it. They took torches from the camp and oil and set to the task. Though it nearly managed to bite a few members of the party, they escaped certain death and put it to flames. When the fire died, they inspected the body, opening an incising that had been made on its chest. Inside they found a paper note attached to a bronze rod that read "REMAIN". 

They purchased another coffin at a neighboring village and continued to Rong-Yao where they delivered the body. Then the party headed back to the Emerald Inn and explained what had happened. Lady Tao believed the note was left by the man's wife and said she would take care of the matter. She also informed them that Lying Tiger had been to the Inn looking for them, and that she couldn't employ them so long as they had a dispute with Mystic Sword Sect. 

After discussing the issue, the party decided to forge a copy of the Report of the Phoenix Crown identifying false locations for its possible current whereabouts. They didn't want Lady White Blade to obtain the crown because it might enable her to claim leadership over the martial world. Xue Lingsu spent the night making a forgery and when he found out Lying Tiger was staying at the inn, he brought it to him. Lying Tiger accepted the book and thanked Lingsu. He also asked if Lingsu knew anything about the disappearance of his sect member, Iron Ghost (who the party had helped kill in Chen). Lingsu lied that he did not, but said he had heard One Armed Fiery Demon was after him. When pressed further he described the one armed swords woman in greater detail. 

After their meeting, Zhi Zhu remained on the roof near Lying Tiger's room and eavesdropped. Speaking with one of his junior disciples, Lying Tiger speculated that One Armed Fiery Demon was his former traveling companion, Min, who had stolen the Wind Saber of Sunan from Heiping Temple (her own sect) to give to her husband Leng. In the end, Lying Tiger betrayed his companions to his own master, Lady White Blade and they were defeated in the Battle of Je Valley where Min lost her arm, Leng was killed, and Shu (the third member of the group) was blinded before falling to his death in a deep canyon. The final result was Lady White Blade took the Wind Saber for herself. 

After resolving the matter, Lady Tao was still reluctant to hire the party until she knew there was no issue with Lady White Blade. So the group decided to investigate the whereabouts of the Phoenix Crown. The book mentioned three places it might be: With the Kushen, With One Armed Fiery Demon and with Heiping Temple. They decided to find One Armed Fiery Demon as their first point of investigation. 

The group went north again but on the road to Water Village (Naam) they were ambushed by the Nephew of Master Ta, Flying Hawk, who wanted revenge for Madame Hamaya (someone they killed last session). His men blocked their path and he struck from behind. Luck was not with Flying Hawk as the players quickly overcame him and dispatched his men (without killing them). They bound Flying Hawk to a tree and made it to Naam where they found One Armed Fiery Demon at the local Inn. 

This is where the session ended.