Prince Kublai's Motley International Martial Arts Crew...

[Ken Cheng]

...that would have been a great title (and cover photograph) for a 1960s acid rock hippie band.

That aside, the crew of martial artists that Prince Kublai hired during ROCH was one of the most multicultural groups in the history of wuxia. It featured an ethnic Mongolian (in previous editions, Tibetan) in the Golden Wheel Monk, a Persian in Wan Hak Sai, a Miao in Siu Seung Tze, and an Indian in Lui Mor Singh. Not sure what ethnicity Ma Gorn Jor belonged to (his surname suggests that he's a Han, but he might be a Uighur), but Yeung Gor (who briefly joined this unmerry band) was definitely a Han.

If I were Jin Yong, I would have added a few more guys to represent an additional few additional ethnicities: a Cossack or White Russian, an Arab, and perhaps a Zulu (though that would be stretching it because the Mongol Empire never reached Africa).

[Mandred Skavenslayer]

I would have added a Samurai and a Viking.

Japan was geographically close enough for Kublai to hire warriors from and it would be interesting to see the Heavy Iron Sword go up against a katana. (Playing a bit fast and loose with history but so did JY)

The Vikings raided far and wide and there are some evidence of than reaching the middle East and further (again history is not being followed but its fun)

[pannonian]

I would have added a Samurai and a Viking.

Japan was geographically close enough for Kublai to hire warriors from and it would be interesting to see the Heavy Iron Sword go up against a katana. (Playing a bit fast and loose with history but so did JY)

The Vikings raided far and wide and there are some evidence of than reaching the middle East and further (again history is not being followed but its fun)

Or the Heaven Sword or Dragon Sabre against Syrian steel swords, which were the best in the world and which lay within the Mongolian empire. With the commerical network that the Mongols set up, if Khubilai had wanted some merchandise from some far corner of the Mongolian empire, he could have traded with his cousins for them (or brother, in the case of Hulegu).

[Ken Cheng]

If I could travel into the world of ROCH, I'd bring a camera and have my picture taken with these guys. It'd make for a *great* photo.