Japanese Artifacts

Hello Folks.

It's been a while since I have posted here, but Im back. I used to post here all the time. I even wrote an essay that was published here On The Raider.Net. http://www.theraider.net/features/articles/adventure_movie.php

Anyway Im working on a Movie script for an Adventure Film Inspired by Indiana Jones and other Adventure Serial/ Pulp Comic style media. Such as Sky Captain, The Rocketter, Doc Savage, It's about an american secret agent durring WW2.

Anyway in the intro of the film Im opening with a grand action scene. I wont get into the details, but I will tell you that Im in need of some help. The scene involves the villian having aquired some sort of artifact a japanese artifact. Now I need this artifact to be able to do a few things.

I need it to be able to perhaps raise an undead army of japanese warriors from the underworld. Also to give it's possesor great powers. Are there any legends or myths of any artifacts that was said to do this, stuff dealing perhaps with Oni Japanese Demons?

A freind of mine suggested that I use a scroll dealing with Tokugawa Ieyasu who founded the the Tokugawa Shogunate at the beginning of the Edo period, 1603. Tokugawa had the help of a sorceror by the name of Kenji, in his triumph over the enemies of the Imperial dynasty.

Now this scroll was the last writing of Kenji. It was sopposed to bring forth The eternal Samurais of Hokkaido. Banished by the ancient Emperor of Kyoto to the northern island. There they waited for hundreds of years, until Kenji found them, and used them in the service of Lord Tokugawa.

Now this is great stuff and all, but I need the artifact to be more tangible than a scroll, something like a jewel or something. Something that can be shattered and broken. I have this idea in my head of The Hero fighting Undead Japanese Samurai and other warriors, sort of like in the last few levels of Indiana Jones and The Emperor's Tomb, now of course that was chinese and In my story it's japanese, but you get the point.

I want something dark and supernatural. So can anyone here help me out? I figured that if anyone could help me it would be here.

Thanks

Ronald C

Hey, I think I may just have the perfect thing. The mythology behind this artifact is a bit odd, but you can use the significance of the beads to your benefit. The magatama necklace of Yasakani no magatama. This is a neclace, with magatama beads on it - these are shaped like commas. These beads are representations of the human soul. Pretty good, huh? Human soul beads, extrapolate what you will.

Thanks this sounds interesting.

Any other ideas?

Does anyone else have any other ideas? Im looking for some sort of Japanese artifact attached to some sort of myth or legend about it providing great power and raising an undead army of japanese warriors.

Ronald C

You're being a bit too specific there... you might be able to make something up by extrapolating on a certain artifact. I looked around for a while for something like this, but it's pretty hard to find something like this.