Rhoderic III and counting | 26 Feb 2015 11:50 p.m. PST |
In trying to actually use figures I've bought and painted in the past, I'm crafting a little wuxia-style Chinese fantasy adventure/skirmish campaign. It's very much a case of making do with what I've got, at least in regard to figures, although I'd like to make a few special terrain pieces to go with the scenarios. One scenario is going to have a few evil warriors raiding the ancestral shrine (or some other sort of sacred site) of some relatively primitive tribesmen (represented by Tribal Infantry from the Curteys Sung range). I have no idea what that shrine should look like. It could also be some sort of a burial monument, or possibly a shaman's residence or something – basically, any kind of location that could be thought to house a magical/heavenly artifact that bad guys would want to steal, but something more interesting than a generic hut, and more "tribal-looking" (and easier to scratchbuild) than the sort of elegant and architecturally advanced shrines and temples that most of us probably think of when we think of China. Meanwhile these tribesmen would not be quite so primitive as to not know masonry. At any rate, I can't quite visualise the terrain piece I'm wanting to build. It doesn't have to look authentic, but it should have an East Asian feel to it. I've done some Google image searches on Chinese shrines, primitive Chinese architecture and the like, but nothing jumps out at me. I'm hoping TMPers who are more at home with Chinese culture could point me in the right direction. Like, the religious architecture and statuary of less advanced tribal cultures in the historical Chinese world, or of early proto-Chinese civilizations. Right now, the ideas I'm trying to sketch up end up looking more like something out of the Celtic world. |
Pedrobear | 27 Feb 2015 12:06 a.m. PST |
Goggle-image "Chu Tomb Guardian" :) |
Narratio | 27 Feb 2015 12:15 a.m. PST |
I'd recommend a larger scale figure, preferably posed at attention. Remove the weapon, blob it up a bit with green stuff or plasticine to get a roughly carved effect. Paint it up in grey stone. You then stick small coloured clumps to the base representing flowers or votive candles. A few thin lengths of red or yellow coloured paper are wrapped around it to represent sacred clothing or prayer messages. That should cover you for all generic Asian ancient idols or sacred spots. |
GurKhan | 27 Feb 2015 5:02 a.m. PST |
Perhaps consider the Naxi pillar at link |
Rhoderic III and counting | 27 Feb 2015 6:52 a.m. PST |
I like these ideas. Some sort of statues, then, perhaps of a rather freakish appearance with antlers like those Chu tomb guardians, and with votive offerings and bits of colourful cloth to ward off evil spirits. Probably a bit of a mishmash of distinctly separate Chinese cultures, but it's for fantasy so I don't care. |
axabrax | 27 Feb 2015 8:23 a.m. PST |
Bunch of really cool ones here: link (Scroll down) Also, how about the Renaissance minis small temple? Not "primitive" but still will look good on a table: link |
bsrlee | 27 Feb 2015 9:14 a.m. PST |
Check out the aquarium decorations at the local pet store. They often have 'Chinese' pagodas, which are a very common feature throughout the Chinese cultural area, and there is evidence for them going back pretty much to the discovery of pottery. They started out as granaries, village chief's 'keep' and general storage buildings well before they were adopted as memorials or religious buildings. Put a wall around the village with a few minor buildings and the pagoda on a mound, foo dogs or other small Asian mythical animals can also be found in the pet store or at various bargain shops. |
Pedrobear | 27 Feb 2015 6:02 p.m. PST |
As a Chinese, I can tell you that the Naxi pillar is *da bomb* for me. The half-man-half-snake motif comes from a very ancient part of the mythology, what you would call primitive or Proto-Chinese. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%BCwa It's especially spooky for me because even though these people are "Chinese", their culture is really very foreign. |
Rhoderic III and counting | 28 Feb 2015 4:41 a.m. PST |
It's especially spooky for me because even though these people are "Chinese", their culture is really very foreign That's perfect. A "different" but endemic culture within a Chinese context is exactly what I'm aiming for in this specific scenario. Sort of like including Sami in a Norse fantasy campaign or Basques in a Spanish/French one. I'm also visiting the Museum of East Asian antiquities in Stockholm today. They have a great exhibition of "China before China" that I felt the sudden urge to see again. |
HMS Exeter | 28 Feb 2015 11:28 a.m. PST |
This may be a tad off topic, but I was nosing around to try to find something like what you were seeking (Dollar Tree used to have all sorts of useful stuff) and ran across this. Not what you were seeking but pretty cool anyway.. auction |
number4 | 05 Mar 2015 5:46 p.m. PST |
Wow, that Chinese house is awesome! I can just see it working for Korean War scenarios…. |
Lion in the Stars | 06 Mar 2015 12:43 p.m. PST |
If that's the same Chinese house that I have (looks like it is), it's about perfect for 28mm minis. I also spent a lot more on mine, so if you want that, jump on the evilbay listing. Mine also came with some nice yellowish lights. |