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The Power of 10
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© 1999 Tobin James Mueller, Steven Hägg Ståhlberg, John Spirko, Danny Falch, Ian Brand, Fred Simmons and Kim Vanderhyden.
Feng Shui Chins

Note: This is an "open notebook" page
on which the authors of The Power of 10
are working out concept ideas to parody the fictitious
undergound Chinese terrorist clan, "The Feng Shui Chin."
For the main Power of 10 page, see "Contents."

Feng Shui Mountain Dragon
Graphic showing how the Feng Shui Dragon places itself with relation to the terrain, and how the Chinese artist uses the terrain to bring the dragon to life. From Sarah Rossbach, "Feng Shui, The Chinese Art of Placement."

Dragon Draft
First draft of one of the Feng Shui dragons that come to life in the latter stages of The Power of 10
by Tobin James Mueller


Truong Desk
Truong-Ha's Desk
Fred Simmons
The Feng Shui Chin's desk from which he hopes to manipulate the Mountain Dragon.

 
Earth
Fire
Metal
Water
Wood
The 5 Elements.

The Five Courses doctrine consists of two fundamental principles:

The Five Courses destroy one another.
The Five Courses produce one another.

The order in which these principles are exhibited is of great significance and some considerable variation. The earliest cyclic order systems are the Mutual Destruction Order and the Mutual Production Order:

Water destroys Fire. Wood Produces Fire.
Fire destroys Metal. Fire produces Earth.
Metal destroys Wood. Earth produces Metal.
Wood destroys Earth. Metal produces Water.
Earth destroys Water. Water produces Wood.

On the basis of the two fundamental principles, two secondary principles are derived:

The principle of control
The principle of dissolution.

The two secondary orders are as follows:

Wood destroys Earth. Metal controls Wood. Fire dissolves Wood.
Metal destroys Wood. Fire controls Metal. Water dissolves Metal.
Fire destroys Metal. Water controls Fire. Earth dissolves Fire.
Water destoys Fire. Earth controls Water. Wood dissolves Water.
Earth destroys Water. Wood controls Earth. Metal dissolves Earth.

In addition to the fundamental and secondary cyclic principles, there is also a third principle, known as "masking" order, and four so-called ennumeration orders. These are as follows:

Fire Masks Wood.
Water Masks Metal.
Earth Masks Fire.
Wood Masks Water.
Metal Masks Earth.
Origination Order: Water, Fire, Wood, Metal, Earth.
Production Order: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water.
Destruction Order: Wood, Earth, Water, Fire, Metal.
"Modern" Order: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth.

The sha are noxious channels, or, in the alternative, evil influences or stagnant exhalations. Sha are bad vapours or inhibiting courses.

The doctrine of the Five Courses is supposed to be first systematically expounded by Tsou Yen, a scholar during the Warring States period, between 350 and 270 B.C., whence it passed in application to scientific and political matters and divination. This supposition cannot be correct, as the Five Courses doctrine is evident in the earliest forms of Chinese divination.

Ways in which Feng Shui dictates architecture and how the FS superstitions create urban planning problems, as well as problems for Brogdrog:

 

Ways in which Feng Shui beliefs and superstitious bahaviors get in the way or parody the ninja and terrorist actions and actitivies of the FS-Chin:

 

Ways in which the coming of the dragon story and eventual manifestation of dragons works into the Feng Shui belief system (both a reality and in our own fictional version of Feng Shui mythology, superstition and behavior):

 

Please comment, amend, edit, expand on and help complete the Premise Discussion.

For discussion of Characters and Synopsis, click here!
For a verbal Storyboard of upcoming Illustrations, click here!
For a detailed Plot Discussion, click here!


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