Character Creation

TRANSPOSE

An important part of development for me was to personally rewrite Christian’s story allowing my creativity to flow freely. I don’t want to waste a great deal of time researching into what seems pointless information during the time period if 90% of it is to go unused (my practical direction). This is why I kept research to a minimum only gathering enough in order to reiterate the story and gain an idea of the period. I cutback the characters within the story keeping only the ones I thought I may use for my final production. The story lacks detail, but follows in a similar style to that of the original. 

STORY

The training season burst into bloom, flocks flooded to see such an event. Hundreds of young noble men gathered for soon these, novice inexperienced men would become professional warriors of battle, Samurais. Soon to become of them many responsibilities await, bound by codes of loyalty and honour to their assigned Daimyo’s.  A young peasant gentleman in the crowd had always pondered such a lifestyle, reality was dull and such a fantasy became an idyllic escape route. He was at the age now where life could move no further, age was affecting him and possibilities had worn thin. In a moment of no hesitation, the peasant jumped into a line of marching men passing him by. He was old and wise enough to understand trespassing would earn him nothing other than a death penalty but with nothing to lose and no hope of salvation he carried on with a march in his step.

Months passed, completely unnoticed. The peasant was trained alongside the other men and soon developed a skill set to make him a worthy Samurai. Training was commencing a close where one night the peasant confined in a soon to be a sworn enemy. His fate was sealed now, with his secret in the open he ran far from camp a wanted man. Days past and at this point he was far from any danger where suddenly he abruptly bumped into an old woman whom seemed rather distressed.

“Dearest lady, what be the matter with you” he ordered.

“I’m terribly troubled; could you spare a moment of aid? Such a strong and noble gentleman surely has the courtesy to help a lady in distress” she murmured.

He agreed, after all he had nothing better to do with his time. She explained her past, how she used to be a servant for the emperor. She told tales of rape and beatings, orders and commands, how she watched civilization turn for the worst and a prophecy of how politics would soon consume the country.

“Such a terrible time indeed” he agreed, as the solider had been away for months he’d become unaware of how the real world was evolving.

She went on to explain how infuriated she was one evening, so infuriated in fact she had planned to run away. Her intention was to steal something from the royal keep before she left in which she could sell to start her new life with. It had to be something they wouldn’t notice, and something which could easily be sold. So one night, she stolen an ancient book and ran during the night. But upon later reading she soon discovered this particular book told tales of the most powerful Samurais and their training techniques. How the weakest of men could be made into almighty warriors, the book was destined to be destroyed as in the wrong hands it could cause wars.

“I only had good intentions” she cried “I stole the book and ran for my life; I knew if I was to be caught I’d be murdered”

“Well of course!” he shouted, “Did anyone see you? Are you mad, stealing from the Emperor?”

Before selling the book to a merchant, she realised with this book she could start an army. She thought what better than money but power.

With this in mind, and being very persuasive she gathered men and women from across towns who agreed with her views. Together they’d all been living underground in an old worn cavern training for the day where they’d raid the city and take over, “with us in control, I’d reshape the world” she stated.

“So what’s this got to do with your sadness?” the man demanded. It turns out she’d ordered an attack, the group was incredibly unprepared and most men and women died in the process with only three surviving. The survivors took the book from her and banished her from returning – if she was to do so they’d kill her. She asked the man to go down into the cavern and retrieve the book to her – in return she’d give him anything she desired, he agreed.

He went down into the cavern and found the two men and one woman who’d survived, but to the ladies deception he was on their side all along. He spoke with them and together they created a plan with this intelligent stranger to take over the city – a more realistic plan. All four returned to the old woman, and one gentleman struck her with a blade instantly slaughtering her as they couldn’t let her get in the way.

The plan was to kidnap the Emperors daughter, an impressionable woman. They’d force her into a marriage – then, when granted access into the royal keep the peasant would murder the Emperor in his sleep leaving him next in line. With this power, they’d take rain of the city. The peasant had to go alone as the three warrior’s faces were recognized within the city, then at night they’d kidnap her. The warriors were extremely talented, agile and quick on their feet. They were so confident in fact they had no issues with this plan at all, they were also confident enough to know the peasant would do exactly as they ordered – otherwise he’d be a dead man.

The peasant took enough gold from the three warriors in order for him to buy some elegant robes and find a suitable place to rest as the next day the warriors would bring him the princess. So as one sun and moon passed he waited very patiently in his chambers for the warriors to bring him his new wife. As the clock struck 6am there was 5 precise knocks on the peasants door, low and behold there the princess stood. The princess who couldn't have cared less about being kidnapped took one look at the man and fell in love. She explained how she despised her farther and was happy to get away, they shared their plan and she agreed to cooperate.

Unfortunately the warriors had been followed; the emperors knights barged through the doors and grabbed both the princess and the man, the three warriors had fled by this point. The man was locked into a cell and had been given the death penalty. He only wished he could get a message to the warriors so they could save him, and that was when opportunity struck. A young boy ran past, a shoemakers boy. The man cried for his attention and the boy ran over, he was used to answering to commands. The man asked for him to fetch the warriors and in return he’d give him gold and fortune – the young boy agreed and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. When he returned, the warriors stood by his side. This was their chance; everyone was gathered in one area waiting for the man to be killed for his treason so they chose this time to attack. The skilled warriors killed knights, men, woman and finally the emperor. All the cities people were so afraid they offered they take the emperors place, they turned this offer down but demanded the man behind bars be the new emperor and the princess to be his wife. They all agreed, the peasant man was now a ruler and the warriors stood by his side.  

REFLECTION 

After rewriting the story I became fixated on the shoemakers boy. The character himself is only mentioned briefly within both mine and Christians story but I believe that's what reached out to me the most - because it's what's unsaid which makes my mind wander. After the story is finished, there are endless possibilities to what may have happened to the boy. These different directions are what influenced me to chose him. Below I've written three different outcomes, the reasoning behind this is so when designing my silhouettes I can follow various different style paths - hopefully that will mean that my silhouettes will differentiate rather than all look similar.

OUTCOME 1

The boy is never repaid for his favour. He returns to poverty and continues to help his father make footwear for the rest of his days.

OUTCOME 2

The new emperor is forever in the boys debt, after all his life was weighed in the boys hands. The emperor brings the boy into his royal keep and trains him as a servant - a far more pleasant lifestyle than making shoes. 

OUTCOME 3

The emperor is ecstatic that his life was saved by the boy. He can see the boy is young and impressionable, fast, agile and keeps to his word. The emperor takes the boy back to the royal keep and trains him to serve by his side, as a protector, and as a friend and one day, maybe even the new emperor.

Next step - now I've a character in mind, different styles to follow, and information which I can reference too I shall start developing my silhouettes.