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Zane Juan, Organic Farmer (59)
Project: Comedy film (Western Road Trip)
Known as: The Organic Farmer
Real name: Zane Juan
Group affiliation: None
Physical description: Zane is as brown as a walnut, though it is hard to tell if it is due to ethnicity, so much time in the sun, or both. This thinning white hair is feather-light and it usually floats around his head like a dandelion seed. He is tough and wrinkled, and all in all looks like some sort of root vegetable pulled from the ground.
Personality: Zane is a passionate hippie type. Off the grid, living off the land, all-natural. Yet he lacks the mellow aspects and there is usually more than a little mania coursing through his veins. He is almost always in motion, working, and if anyone is in earshot he’ll be talking the whole time (usually pontificating on the merits of different fertilizer types). He is usually warm and kind but his intensity can turn to anger when he feels wronged.
History: Zane was born to hippie parents but had a bit of a rebellious streak and manic intensity. He went a bit Alex P. Keaton on his parents and pursued a business career. For a time, he was an extremely successful trader on Wall Street and was living life hard (ever seen Wolf of Wall Street?). Then lost it all in a recession and had a nervous breakdown.
Reinventing himself, he reembraced his parents’ teachings and became an organic farmer and part of a commune (at least, he was somewhat a part of the commune; they let him live on the fringes of the commune, but most couldn’t take his intensity). Industrious to a fault, it wasn’t enough for him to live in peace, he still wanted to make his mark on the world. He began to diligently cross-breeding plants, hoping to create something truly remarkable.
At last he feels may have succeeded. Through some unknown alchemy, he has crossed ginger, valerian, Siberian ginseng, black cohosh and okra to create a vegetable that he believes may extend life indefinitely (I mean, with all that goodness, how could it not?). Unfortunately, the part one eats looks like a small, slime-covered disfigured human infant (it smells terrible as well). It is not a high-yield plant and only fruits every other year, and he’s only gotten one plant to survive.
The travelers meet Zane and as Trip is so respectful and curious about Zane’s rants, Zane takes an intense liking to Trip. Zane currently has five ripe fruits (he calls his plant “Lifefruit”) and he decides to share with Trip. Serving one to Trip, he is surprised when Trip simply cannot eat it. In fact, Trip becomes ill and has to leave and Zane walks him to White Dragon Horse.
Two of the commune teenagers who sometimes help Zane with his farming (in return for…medicinal herbs) seize upon the opportunity. They each quickly consume one of the fruits in front of the startled Sun. The teenagers don’t know if the Lifefruit extends life, but they do know they provide one of the best highs they ever have had. They tell Sun that they will blame him for eating the fruit when Zane returns. To sell that they tried to stop him, they smash a few of Zane’s project plants.
Sun figures that if he is going to get the blame, he might was well enjoy the crime. Impulsively, Sun takes the three remaining fruits (figuring he, Sun, and Sandy might take a little “side trip”) and, upon brief reflection, grabs the plant as well. He sneaks his ill-gotten gains into White Dragon Horse and makes his escape. Zane returns to his hut, sees the smashed plants, and assumes that not only has his Lifefruit been stolen, but the plant itself has been destroyed.
In addition to the Demon Beasts, Zane Juan (Organic Farmer) is now on their tail as well.
Role in the narrative: Zane is a mild antagonist. He’ll doggedly pursue Trip and company with manic zeal but is unclear on what he’ll do if he catches up with him (his trader ruthlessness seems to be fighting with his current peaceful outlook – he debates himself out loud on what he’ll do). Ultimately when he finds his plant is still alive and it is returned to him, all is forgiven. In fact, when Sun reveals that Hawg and Sandy did indeed have nice trips from eaten the stolen goods, Sun didn’t consume his and returns it. Zane is so happy he makes Sun a blood brother on the spot (if you haven’t picked up on it yet – Zane is a little crazy).
Abilities: A brilliant stock trader (out of practice), skilled organic farmer, and surprisingly successful botanist.
Inspirations: In Journey to the West the Immortal Zhenyan offers two of his life-extending ginsengfruits to Tripitaka (they only produce fruit every 30 years; but eating one adds 47,000 years to life). More specifically, he has instructed his servants to offer them as he is on a journey himself when Tripitaka arrives. Tripitaka cannot eat the fruit (they look like 3-month old babies) and Sun Wukong sees the servants use this as an opportunity to eat the fruit themselves. Sun Wukong decides to steal three of the fruits (for himself, Pigsy, and Sandy). Angered when he is accused of the theft (which he did), Sun Wukong destroys the tree. When Zhenyan hears of all of this, he is (understandably) upset and ends up capturing the questers a couple of times. Ultimately, Sun Wukong begs a goddess to restore the tree, and all is forgiven (Zhenyan even makes Wukong his sworn brother).
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