====== OOC Notes ======

===== Pronunciation Guide =====

While we don't expect you to memorise this or even apply it fully, below is a handy pronunciation chart for added authenticity:

| c  | //ts// as in //nets//  |
| ch  | as in //chat//  |
| g  | as in //girl//  |
| j  | as in //jingle//  |
| q  | //ch// as in //cheese//  |
| x  | //sh// as in //sheer//  |
| y  | as in //year//  |
| z  | //dz// as in //adze//  |
| zh  | //j// as in //John//  |
| a  | //e// as in //pen// in yan, jian, qian, xian; otherwise as in //father//  |
| ai  | as //aye//  |
| ang  | //ong// as in //wrong//  |
| ao  | //ow// as in //now//  |
| e  | //e// as in //yet// in ye, -ie, -ue; otherwise as //e// in //the//  |
| ei  | as in //neigh//  |
| en  | //un// as in //fun//  |
| eng  | //ung// as in //rung//  |
| er  | as //are//  |
| i  | //i// as in //sir// after c, s, z; //ir// as in //sir// after ch, sh, zh, r  |
| ie  | //ye// in //yet//  |
| iu  | as in //yoyo//  |
| ong  | as in //Achtung//  |
| ou  | as //oh//  |
| u  | after j, q, x, and y as //ui// in //suit//; otherwise as //u// in //rule//  |
| ua  | after j, q, x, and y as //ue// in //duet//; otherwise as //wa// in //water//  |
| uai  | as //why//  |
| ue  | as //ue// in //duet//  |
| ui  | as //way//  |
| uo  | similar to //o// in //once//  |

===== Inspirations =====


==== Books ====

The main two inspirations are:

  * //Journey to the West// by Wu Chen'en
  * //Bridge of Birds// by Barry Hughart

To a lesser extent:

  * Liam Hearn's //Tales of the Orochi// trilogy

==== Movies ====

=== Wuxia ===

There's a lot of them, among the best are:

  * //Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon//
  * //Hero//
  * //House of Flying Daggers//
  * //The Bride with White Hair//
  * //Iron Monkey//

=== Others ===

These aren't really wuxia, but inspired certain aspects of the setting

  * //Kung Fu Hustle//: Comedy/parody of wuxia
  * Almost anything by Akira Kurosawa, especially //Rashomon// and //Seven Samurai//
  * //Red Cliff//: a chinese historical epic, not quite wuxia but has lots of nice scenes of battles
  * Disney's epic //Mulan//
  * A whole bunch of Hong Kong action movies, mostly starring either Chow Yun Fat or Tony Leung such as //God of Gamblers// and //Internal Affairs//.

==== Video Games ====

There aren't many, but Bioware's //Jade Empire// was very influential.