Naval

Some naval design stuff, showing a few of the ships as well as the main power source for most of the Zhu sea stuff.  

Himate-Uyi

Another creature within the setting, this beast of burden is more used for transporting heavy supplies and in rural areas it transports people.

Bajin Oni Concept

 There is more to the setting than just the Zhu Empire. A major part of the early stories will also be the Baji Isles, a japan based setting within the larger world.  I couldn't do Japanese inspired fantasy without Oni so they were something I spent some time making.  I'll save the details for when they get a race post along other Bajin races, but here are the ideas behind them.

The base idea came from sort of the modern view of them, large orge like creatures who love to drink normally have red skin and horns.  Kept that for both male and females, but took the anime route and made sure they look humanish in the face. I went with the more humanized ideas of them and gave them distinct cultures and societies with customs beyond base urges. I based their cultures loosely on the old pop culture view of Native Americans, with a little mongol thrown in.  Making them quasi nomadic tribes with their own specific customs based on the area they are found in.  Known to be aggressive towards outsiders but can be reasoned with and have established trade relationships with certain settlements. They are the most physically dominant race in Baji in my setting and you will often see them in physical roles in any appearance in my games normally solo against groups of humans.

Qi-Koto

Qi-koto, one of the primary forms of ranged weaponry within Zhu. Fires magic projectiles or pure weaponized chi in older models. 

Zy-Karo

Zy-Karo are the primary method of long distance communication within the Zhu Empire. They are small discs made out of various types of local stone that can serve as energy conduits (the more complex ones using higher quality/rarer stone). It is activated by the user connecting their own internal energy to the disc which fills the center and illuminates the carvings. from there it can access any other Zy-Karo with an energy signature that the user is familiar with this is normally done by the users energy manipulation but some can be built to allow users to manually scroll through on more advanced ones.  While these are located across all of Zhu society they are not mass produced in factories, which each one hand made by a group of craftsmen specializing in chi works. This manner of creating them means more advanced and larger ones can be hard to replace if they become broken or damaged. And outside of nobility it is normally weeks before someone can get a new Zy-Karo. 

Rak-Zanu

I'm going to be going through old entries and updating them soon, so they may be worth re-looking at in a week or two.

But this is an explanation of what Rak-Zanu are.

Rak-Zanu is a term exclusive to the Nobility of the Zhu empire, and represents something that only applies to them. While servants can be bought or inherited by any member of society, Rak-Zanu are a special rank of servant that swears a life oath to any rank of noble. A Rak-Zanu is the heard servant of said noble and becomes the equivalent of one rank below them, granting them status and protection from laws that would otherwise affect them. They spend the rest of their lives (though they get off days, outside of emergencies) protecting and serving the noble and helping to achieve whatever their goals are.  Most Rak-Zanu are primarily bodyguards and as such extensive combat training is required for the position, but some serve other roles such as adviser or caretaker if the noble is a young child; a few Rak-Zanu are even personal chefs. Rak-Zanu are the responsibility of their masters and they are legally allowed to ignore all but the most sacred of laws and traditions if it will protect the noble they serve.  When one becomes to injured or old to effectively serve they instead become the assistant of their replacement, or in some cases the coach.

Zhu Race Sheet/Info

Art by http://starduo.deviantart.com/

Native to the kingdom of Xerathis are the Zhu race known as Xerin. Outside of the Zhuni the Xerin are the most populous Zhu race within the Capital Kingdom. Appearance wise they look like Zhuni with fox ears and tails naturally growing on them, the tails ranging anywhere from 1 to 9 in number. With more tails being a sign of higher magic potential (3 Being the average 9 being very rare) and being one of the biggest status symbols among each other. Unlike the Zhuni who live as individuals and small family units, Xerin tend to be divided in much larger clans with all of their communities both in their own kingdom and within the greater Empire being made up of people within the same or closely related clans. The clans that the royals come from is often a subject of heated debate among Xerin and can get ugly fast, and they will frequently go and try to speak to the Empress about how the certain clans shouldn't be allowed to.

Culturally they are very similar to Zhuni when it comes to how important Honor is to them but differ when it comes to their primary form of worship. Whereas for Zhuni it is discipline, for Xerin it is grace resulting in their major form of expression being not in the martial arts but in elaborate dances. Through these dances they activate their chi much how a Zhuni would with a stance, allowing them to manipulate their own and nearby energy as they do so. These dances range from forms of complex communication (Zhu Races can see more layers of the dance than other races) to ways of dueling, and when large numbers of them do certain dances they are known to directly alter the weather of their kingdom. This results in them mostly being support units in military situations, dancing from behind the front lines to aid the more directly combat minded Zhu in a battle. Their dances can easily be altered for battle though and many of the stronger ones are more than capable of channeling up waves of mystical energy and such. 

Native to the capital, Zhu Shang, and the majority Zhu population overall are the Zhuni. Appearance wise they are very human, specifically appearing as humans from the region of East Asia. That appearance extends to the common aesthetic of many buildings and the majority of their clothing, resulting in the superficial feel of being in ancient china to travelers from Earth. The most major difference between humans and Zhuni is of course that that as Zhu, Zhuni have a different form of chi and extra senses built solely around energy. In general Zhuni are also physically greater than humans in every aspect, although with significant training a human could bridge the gap on most. They as a whole tend to look pretty fit, with the partial energy being state of their existence pretty much making even the unhealthy Zhuni rarely look it unless the result of a powerful poison or illness. When it moments of high emotion or stress their eyes tend to glow whatever color their chi tends to manifest itself as, their aura subtly becoming visible around them as well. Appearance wise the sexual differences between men and women are the same as with humans, though it mostly ends there. Physically speaking there is no difference between Zhuni men and women in regards to strength, speed, or toughness; though the women tend to be lighter and thus easier to knock backwards. In regards to the Dantian women have a much wider center and their chi reserves go deeper on average, with men having a narrow dantian that makes using chi easier but normally weaker.

Zhuni have a very stable birth rate and although spikes occur they mostly keep around the same population for extended periods of time, with the majority of people almost always being in their teens and 20s. The average life expectancy is around 55 although through magic and chi control one can live to be hundreds of years old, it simply takes too much to be a practical solution to most. For the same reasons the physical effects of aging rarely show on Zhu outside of their 20s, their bodies keeping a mostly consistent form no matter how old they get and only the energy itself beginning to wear down. Most couples have their first child between the ages of 15 and 17 and another one shortly after; the Zhuni having a pregnancy of only 4 months makes many births end up closer together then on Earth. The family duties are pretty evenly split although with the fathers normally having a much larger role than the mother while the first child is a toddler as she will be in the military and on active duty in most cases. A mostly matriarchal society (this extends to the most other Zhu races also), the Zhuni mothers are head of the household and tend to be who makes all the major decisions involving a family or clan.

Culturally they are a society that admires strength and martial prowess above most things, resulting in the highest levels of fame being that of great warriors and martial artists. To keep that focus all women are forced to undergo military training and brief service upon graduation from school, with men being able to choose if they want to. They are deeply entrenched in tradition and it shows in their extreme respect for their environment, animals, and the importance of family. They are bound by the concept of honor to such a degree that if known for having been dishonored you are treated as subhuman by many and stripped of your job in most cases. Entire books and branches of government exists to help define what things are dishonorable and honorable as well as to what degree since it is such an important part of life within the nation. 

The Xenkor are a Zhu race who mostly stay within their own kingdom (Xenkor Hu), with very few full bloods living in the other Zhu kingdoms, although Zhu Shang has more than others due to being the capital. Their most distinct physical feature is the fact that they all have gray skin and bright red eyes, making their very human appearance seem very alien. These gray skinned Zhu's kingdom is on a world where barely any sunlight gets through, resulting in most areas being in complete darkness. As such Xenkor have weak eyesight/ extreme light sensitivity only being able to see up close and in low light, them being completely blind during a sunny day on another world or even a well lit room. As such they primarily see through energy perception and a form of echolocation allowing them to maneuver around and go about their lives with very little problems, as they are able to get all but the small details of people and things.

The main cultural distinction between them and the other Zhu is that they value cunning as second to honor. The Xenkor people are just as aggressive and violent as the Zhuni can be only they don't brawl in the streets like their siblings, instead they goad, trick, and trap each other when they have problems. Moving up in a position is all about persuasion, it's not enough to have the needed skill you have to convince or trick the others into agreeing with you. They are very rapid thinkers, their minds thinking things about everything they know to aid them the second they learn something. Their chi tends to be less refined than the others as they use it primarily as a way to survive, but it allows them to require next to no training to use it as a sense augmenter and they even are born being able to use it to substitute breathing for a few minutes at a time. In the military Xenkor tend to be assassins and spies and stick to ranged energy based combat when in direct fights. Given their methods of seeing, they are virtually impossible to sneak up on, and also make good look outs. While not normally trained beyond basic level martial arts, the Xenkor that do decide to become more dedicated warriors are very feared given their unique way of seeing and rapid minds making misdirection and feints all but useless on them.

Making their home in arid Galkahr region of the planet Ternu Si, are the race known as Ethera. They are one of the younger Zhu races, one of the last few to be created and the most recent to be reintegrated. Their appearance is that of humans with very rich solid red and pink skin tones and often glowing chi points across their body in tattoo like patterns. They tend to be heavier than most other Zhu races, their bones being very dense and their muscles capable of growing at a moment's notice. They are the most naturally gifted of the Zhu races in terms of power both physical and magical, quickly coming upon more potent applications of their abilities with little to no training. They are capable of boosting their abilities even more by going into a berserker state known as Qi-Zan where their chi pushes itself into overdrive their bodies becoming harder to damage and all of their abilities vastly increasing as their mind does nothing but pump the energy out at whatever is before it. The ability is very powerful and hardwired into their genes, occurring on its own both whenever stressed until they learn to control it. During the state they have difficulty stopping themselves until they run out of energy and fall asleep, or are incapacitated. While various objects and methods arose to snap them out of this, the only reliable way was through special signals sent from chi of other Zhu races or by something or someone they have a strong connection to. The most effective and reliable method is through the dancing of talented or powerful Xerin, the dance calming them back to normal rather quickly in most cases.

When the Zhu races were split apart tens of thousands of years ago, the Ethera handled the isolation the worst. Their natural aggression and uneasy mental state made them quickly become enemies with other intelligent species on the planet their home ended up forming on. Eventually they ended up the only species of any intelligence left on the planet, resulting in a society that was only stable long enough to rebuild after it destroyed its cities fighting itself. When they were found by the rest of Zhu and their world reconnected to the Empire they were immensely grateful, and have reformed their actual Zhu society with the help of their sister races keeping them calm.

Rontu

art by http://danillovesfood.deviantart.com/

This is a domesticated equine like creature within the setting called a Rontu. Some more info follows.

They are the most common form of personal transportation among the Zhu people. Most households own at least one and is used for quick transportation between 1 to 2 people. As such Cities have locations to leave them at, and many stores have lots made to hold them. It is also common for cities to have fields specifically for you to leave them in upon entering the area, where they will be called back when you are done. They are treated as any other property with laws differentiating no different than any household item and less than weapons. As such they are thought of as living items and not really as pets.

Lifespan: 5 to 10 years

Behavior: They are docile creatures towards people, rarely showing signs of aggression unless attacked by them. Towards other animals they are the same unless it’s a predator in which case they will try to run away. Generally speaking a Rontu will wander around, eating and running in a large circle when left alone by its owner. They’ll try to stay in the area for a day, after which if no sign of their owner they’ll leave to head home. 

library spirits preview

A first look/preview of the spirits that work in the Palace library and at various other mystic locations within the palace area for the game.  

Outfits part 4

Some more awesome Zhuni outfits by Sara and Gi (links are in the artist tab) for my various projects. The rest of  the Mid class Fu set

Outfits part 3

A few more awesome Zhuni outfits by Sara and Gi (links are in the artist tab) for my various projects

Outfits part 2

A few more awesome Zhuni outfits by Sara and Gi (links are in the artist tab) for my various projects

Rich Neighborhood

A recent concept of a building within the wealthier part of a Zhu city, and the neighborhood around it.

Done by http://danillovesfood.deviantart.com/

Qizhou

The Qizhou are the primary form of law enforcement in the Zhu Empire.  These men and woman can be found  in large numbers within every city, and smaller outputs out nearby more rural areas so they can patrol villages.   They are highly valued members of society that can be from any background, giving an effective way to bringing one's family honor if they are willing to go through the training.  Though they are loved by the Zhu people, immigrants are sometimes not as comfortable around them due to the very few regulations and oversight of the organization, allowing them to pretty much enforce law as they see fit.

Apperance/Equipment:

Qizhou don't have any real uniform that they have to wear, the closest thing would be the blue metal masks that low level warriors have to wear.  Once beyond the entry level positions Qizhou can wear pretty much whatever they want to, normally in line with their own abilities and attributes.  The only thing they all must have is the Qizhou symbol somewhere visible on their armor, clothing, or body whenever they are on duty.  Those that want armor have it supplied to them by the government, a generic suit at first but as they move up armor will be custom made for them to their needs.  Alternatively one can pay for their own armor if they have a more trusted smith or simply want something harder to get.  Either way as long as it has the symbol, it can be made from anything or look any which way they chose.

For weaponry the standard weapons are a form of spear with chi enhanced tip and metal pole, or a simple short sword with chi augmented edge.  They are all equipped with a small set of chains that turn into energy shackles for quick arrests, an average Qizhou carrying 3-5 on them to arrest multiple people in one patrol.  As they move up in rank they get more unique and devastating weaponry, some beginning to specialize in ranged equipment of both lethal and non lethal means.  Some also specialize in more trapping based equipment over actually fighting the criminals they are after.   Outside of that they carry specially crafted Zy-Karos that broadcast to all other Qizhou in their direct station, and normally have specially augmented shoes to allow them to run faster and longer.

Job/Status:

The Qizhou carry out the will of the law in Zhu society, from street level crime to corruption in companies and people of power.   They operate as a well oiled machine with various different departments and positions working together to reduce, stop, and solve various crimes that go on every day.  There are the warriors who patrol the streets and respond to reports which tend to be the people most seen and  thought about  when Qizhou are brought up.  Within the stations are people who handle the reports and negotiations with various groups who either need help or want a reduced sentence/punishment.  There are more heavily armed and powerful units of Qizhou who handle raids and serious threats to society, such as holding off hostile forces until military aid can arrive.  There are various detectives and magi who specialize in figuring things out, such as who a criminal was, and how exactly someone died.  Smiths employed to forge the equipment along with old warriors to train the recruits.  And of course various leaders who run the local stations and assign everything. 

When a report is given the Qizhou normally send someone to investigate, a warrior if it's still going on and a detective if it's an older crime.  If a criminal is found on the spot the Qizhou can do whatever they personally deem necessary to bring them in, and can kill them if they chose to, assuming it's a violent criminal.  They don't find one a case is opened where depending on the priority the leader will set up a certain amount of people to search through various ways of finding the criminal, generally speaking they can search anyone or any place or bring in any person for questioning simply because they think it will help and need no form of review or consul beyond asking their commander if the person is protected.  In all but the most extreme cases the Qizhou themselves set up what a criminals punishment will be and operate the prisons and talks with servant agencies themselves, acts of high level terrorism and magic based crime are handled by Royals and School of Magi accordingly. 

While some outsiders view such aggressive power as uncomfortable most Zhu are fine with it, being a society that is quick to handle their problems any way they can.  The Qizhou are regarded as heroes and given respect all through Zhu, from free food and services, to the unmarried men and women receiving dozens of marriage offers.  The few years of training needed makes it a very attractive looking career path but the dangerous nature means less actually stay then would like to, as they openly get into fights to the death with various killers, gangs, and cults.  Regardless successful Qizhou are important members of the community and the commanders are considered high ranking government officials in their own right giving them the authority to change or completely overturn sentences as long as they get at least two other commanders to agree, regardless of who the criminal was (unless a Royal family member overrules it).

The Kougari

Beneath the surface(One could say the entire Crust) of Kios exists a place known as the Dark Realm, a forever separate yet connected world beneath what most people call Kios. Drawing it's named from the sky only alternating between dark gray and dark red, this world within a world is the source of all dark energy and black magic within Kios. Like most realms it has its own ecosystem full of unique plants and animals dotting it's jagged landscape. Most importantly however are the intelligent life forms that evolved there. As in known with Kios, energy only can build up for so long before it ends up changing form. In the Dark Realm that energy became Kougari (closest translation would be demon).

In the ancient days of Kios, the buildup energy began to draw in thoughts from the realm above, the powerful emotions reacting with it and forming the ancient Kougari lords of old. Hungering Kiku-Tunka, Bahu of Shadow, Lunkr of Filth, Painful Cen Hup, and Rageborn Ri-Sun. These ancient demons were masters of their realm, soon spreading out to the other parts of Kios and making their mark known. They were still new to life, obsessed with bringing their bodies and minds newfound pleasure driven by impulse and little more. They spread untold destruction across all planes of Kios, until one by one they were forced back into the dark Realm with Kiku-Tunka and Cen Hup being sealed between realms in a state between life and death. When they returned those things were different, there were other Kougari now, weaker yet more complex ones, it had became a species. With very rarely ones like them forming from individuals drawing in so much magic over time and becoming a unique entity.

The Kougari are a collection of intelligent life forms formed from the dark energy of the world, while they had roots in random formation they are now creatures in every sense of the word reproducing through sex and needing "food" to survive. They lack any form of true society their species too diverse for its own good as they have thousands of variations with vast differences; most preferring to live in packs of their own kind so they can focus on fulfilling their desires. Every now and then individuals crop up who want to forge more but all attempts fail, or only last for either short term of small groups normally resulting in the more social Kougari to move into Raiki cities and live among them.

The countless variations normally saw their genesis in a reflection of a fear or thought from the surface, creating things such as succubi/incubi, rage beasts, love demons, fear feasters, etc. As such many feed on raw emotion, ideas, and concepts instead of actual physical meals although many are capable of doing so. Their natural connection to the energy that forms their realm allows them easier access to the other realms much like their ancestors before them, making their primary hunting ground against the races that live on the surface. Their hunts shaping the various species as great enemies of the majority of intelligent life living above them, the Kougari themselves having no organized view on other creatures and simply hunting them because it was fun and useful to them some actually liking them.

They have a rather unusual biology in the sense that the magic within them allows them to breed either any life form no matter how radically different from them. If it can reproduce sexually they can impregnate it or be impregnated by it, the Kougari normally taking said creature back into the dark realm with them making it not an uncommon sight to see non demons or Raiki amongst Kougari packs or settlements but such are normally slaves or toys, and only rarely are they there out of love. Mixed children with the Kougari are always Kougari but possesses traits from whatever the other parent species is ones that happen a lot becoming their own sub races over time.

Priestesses

General

The primary and most common job regarding the religion is the all-female staff that are the public's guide and aid to the faith.  They are government employees that work at the temples closest to their home, aiding in prayer, teaching religious tales and lessons, group meditation, consoling,  as well as more specialized tasks of dealing with spirits and demons, and protecting people they care for.  Priestess are required to always be willing to help those who are in need, and if a dishonorable person seeks redemption they are required to aid them in the task and speak on their behalf in regards to any trouble they've got in.  This isn't a get out of jail free card for the criminal since the priestess has to actually believe they want to change, and even then it only reduces the sentence and not actually removes it all together.  They are well respected in the community and serve as sort of community mother and big sister figures to many people of all ages for how much they assist others and their warm friendly attitude.

To become a priestess one has to go through a year of classes which take place every day at the temple, and once they prove they have learned the basics and concepts they are made a priestess in training where they shadow a more experienced Priestess for several years learning more and more of the practices as well privately studying with them to ensure they become as dedicated and understanding as the job requires.  As time goes on they are allowed to do more and more things on their own until they are allowed to take a final test to prove they are ready.  The test involves memorization of several legends and holy texts, at least a basic understanding of how to do magic, consoling a person in need while the Head Priestess observes, explaining how the Tenets of Faith apply to  them on a personal level, and the sacrifice of their great accomplishment (if it's not a physical object then a symbolic sacrifice of it) on an altar to the Great Mother.  

Caretakers 

The Caretakers are the most common form of Priestess, and the one most people think of when they hear the word or think of temples.   Serving as the face of the religion these women can be found in the temples all day, the younger members of the order actually living inside of them.  During their 12-18 hour shifts they walk around the complex praying, meditating, and maintaining the building as they wait for people to enter.  If the day is slow they will send a few of the women out into the streets in order to help random people with their daily tasks or anyone they notice is in need.  When people are there they lead in group meditation, personal prayers, and tell stories of the faith to children. They are who Zhu confess too when it comes to being dishonorable and they serve as counselors for various trouble for life, ranging from marriage issues to business deals.  They are obligated to help anyone regardless of who or what they are, and are the people who talk on behalf of prisoners to get reduced sentences or second chances.  They feed and provide blankets for the homeless every day, often bringing the younger ones and letting them sleep in the temple. 

Galeizou 

Galeizou tend to have their own buildings, but they are often smaller additions to an existing temple or the top floor of a particular large one.  They serve as a form of healer for the spiritual ailments, though they do have a moderate degree of skill in physical healing as well.  They don't have specific shifts such as caretakers most of them instead being on call, with one or two left in the building to document the needed cases.  When they are told about a spiritual issue such as possession, a mystical curse, or in some cases malevolent spirits lurking around they quickly assign someone to go and look into it.  While there they will uses their various magical and specially attuned chi to deal with the threat or ailment, often carrying a spell book of sorts with them though more experiences Galeizou end up memorizing the entire book and creating their own methods.  At least once a year every Galeizou is required to do a pilgrimage across the entire kingdom that they live in, walking across the landmasses and helping everyone and everything they come across with spiritual issues.  This period is also treated as a time to seek out spirits that lurk in the outskirts of settlements and deal with them. 

Slayers

Slayers tend to have their area in the basement of temples, the floor normally filled with training equipment as well as various texts for them to look into.  They are known as Slayers because it is their job to deal with the more "earthly" plane of magic, them combating demons  and monsters instead of just raw spirits like their sisters.  They use magic but it is normally either to enhance their equipment or to summon benevolent allies, their primary fighting method utilizing chi attuned to the needed energy signature for the threat.  Their job is equal parts preparation as it is actual fighting, them spending countless hours researching the threat and fine tuning their traps and equipment before actually engaging and enemy.  While small ones can be dealt with by a single slayer, most creatures are attacked with a group and through planning, scouts constantly on the lookout for new ones and listening to every report they come across.  

A Piece of Folklore

This is a piece of In-universe folklore written by a friend/contributor to the projects by the name of Jonathan Duckworth. There will be a couple of these over time to help give a look at the sort of stories that inspire the people within the setting. 

The Tale of the Two Fisherwomen and the Unlung

(A Lesson for Children)

The tribals tell a story that may be of edification for the children of the empire. The story goes that on a lesser island that has long since been swallowed up by the ages and the sea’s foam, there lived two fisherwomen. Their names were Lumang and Kunang. Kunang was short and boisterous and let her hair, which should have been quite beautiful, turn to knots, while Lumang was tall, soft-spoken, and sad eyed. She kept her hair oiled and tied neatly. From childhood they fished together, they built their huts next to one another, and even married a pair of brothers so that they would not be apart when living every third moon with their in-laws, as was the custom of this island. They lived a simple but happy life. The reefs around the island were blessed with bountiful fish, and for many generations hunger was unknown to its people. But all this changed one year when Lumang and Kunang were young women—an exceptionally long Sa came to pass, ripping the clouds from the sky as one sweeps away cobwebs. For many moons the reefs were always plunged in light, and the fish were driven mad by the constant trailing on of their own shadows, and too frightened in the clear water of predators to even eat. So the fish deserted the reefs, and the people began to starve.

At this point it should be said that she was lazy and her chi weak, Kunang was a clever young woman. There was a spring on the island—a sacred spring from which the islanders derived the greatest share of their drinking water. The spring was guarded by a spirit called an Unlung, a creature not quite of Kios but also not quite of The Dark Realm, born instead in one of the deep wells that exist on the edge of The Dark Realm . The Unlung was a dangerous but fair creature, allowing the islanders to take water from her spring provided they paid the proper respects, only taking as much water as they needed in specially-blessed sea-shells and never touching the water with anything else, or the Unlung would eat their Chi and leave the husks as warnings to others. But even knowing this, Kunang suggested that she and Lumang fish from the spring.

“This is foolishness, sister-mine,” Lumang said. “Everyone knows that the Unlung guards that spring and will not allow anything but a shell to enter it. If we were to put our hooks down—”

“I have already thought of that,” Kunang said, “It is said that the Unlung will only allow us to dip our shells in the water to take that which we need to sustain us. I see no reason why we cannot take fish as well as water, for that is what we need to sustain us now.”

“But how will we take fish from the spring with a shell?” Lumang asked.

Kunang explained her plan, which Lumang accepted, for Lumang was too hungry to argue with her friend’s cleverness. First they found the widest, deepest shell they could in one of the reefs and then had it blessed by the island’s priestesses. Once this was accomplished, Kunang weaved a line from the reef-spider webs—a strong material, but so thin that is almost invisible, thus the Unlung would not notice it—and with the shell and the webbing made a tool something like a bucket-and-rope in a poor farm’s well.

“So we have this contraption—but the fish will not bother with it without bait, and we cannot put bait into the water without angering the Unlung,” said Lumang.

But even here Kunang had a plan. She waited by the spring for the salamanders to come onto the banks to sun themselves and recharge the fire in their throats, and once they were on the banks she captured several of them and chopped off their tails, tying the tails to the shell with more spider line so that they would not drift away when put in the water.

“These salamanders and their chi are native to the spring—the Unlung will not notice the difference,” she explained.

Now came the last part of the plan: Lumang’s part. Lumang, tall and strong in body and chi, operated the shell and line, dropping it into the spring, waiting for the fish to smell the salamander tails and then, once the fish had started to nibble, pulling it up with such force and speed that the fish would be dragged out of the water and thrown to the shore. The plan worked. Thanks to Kunang’s cleverness and Lumang’s strength, the pair caught no less than ten fish in an hour, each one longer and heavier than the last.

“That’s enough, we have enough fish for a week now,” said Lumang. “Longer if we crush the bones into flour.”

But Kunang was too excited. “Enough for us, perhaps. But what of the rest of the island? Think of it, Lumang, we could feed everyone—they’d all be in our debt; we could be the queens of the island!”

And though Lumang felt great trepidation in her breast, she also desired to feed her family and her neighbors and so continued. Five more fish were dredged up by her mighty arms, but then came the sixteenth fish. This one was so large that it swallowed the shell, and when Lumang pulled it pulled back, dragging Lumang into the water. Kunang watched from the banks as Lumang disappeared, horrified that her friend was gone.

But the bubbles kept coming up. Then blood started to rise, staining the pristine surface of the spring. Lumang’s beautifully oiled hair breached the water. She was dragging up the dead fish—a fish almost twice her body’s length, so large that one would wonder how it could fit in such a small spring—by its tail, while clenching her bloody stone knife in her teeth.

“They’ll sing songs of you, Lumang!” Kunang cheered, kissing her friend on her lips, concerned not one bit over the taste of fish blood that covered every inch of her now.

For a moment, Lumang’s sad eyes became happy, like two perfectly carved pieces of blue coral in the sunlight.

But Kunang’s cheering turned to screaming, and then the screaming died too. Rising from the spring water, coming to tower over the fisherwomen was the Unlung.

She was fearsome and beautiful, pale as a fish’s belly. Instead of legs she had a long, scaly tail like a serpent’s. She had five eyes—two on each side of her egg-shaped head and a big, burning one at the center—, six breasts, and too many arms to count. The arms started were a person’s arms would be, but more arms grew along her side, becoming increasingly smaller until by the fifteenth row one could hardly distinguish the arms from little white hairs. When she spoke, she spoke with the voice of a woman underwater, and so it was difficult at first for the fisherwomen to understand her. The fisherwomen put water in their ears, and then they understood her perfectly.

“You have committed a great sin,” the Unlung said. The fisherwomen tried to speak, but the Unlung waved her thousand hands and they fell silent. She picked up Kunang’s device and inspected it. “Very clever,” she said. And even now, even frightened close to death, Kunang felt pride at this compliment. “Who crafted this?” she asked.

Kunang had a chance to accept her responsibility, but she was too frightened to speak. But Lumang, being the braver of the two, spoke up. “It was my fashioning, Great One.”

The Unlung did not believe her. “You? No, I sense no cleverness in you. Are you sure it was not your friend?”

Now Kunang had a second chance to do what was right, but still she was too afraid and Lumang spoke up for her.

“I’m the clever one, Great One, it was my folly that despoiled your spring. And besides, I touched the water, not her.”

The Unlung knew better, but she was awed by Lumang’s bravery and loyalty to her friend, however misplaced it may have seemed.

“I will give both of you the chance to beg for your lives,” she told them. “But only one may keep their life, while the other will be paid with death.”

Now Lumang was silent. She had no interest in begging for her life, and she would rather die than live without her friend Kunang. But Kunang was different. Kunang was quick to jump on the chance of saving her life, and so supplicated herself before the Unlung. Kunang did not have time to even cry out a farewell to Lumang before the Unlung descended on her, plunging her long tongue through Lumang’s navel and sucking out her chi as a woman sucks the juice from a fruit. She ate Lumang’s flesh and bones and hair, leaving only a shriveled skin. Kunang wept, horrified that her friend was gone and would not even pass on to the Sea of Chi. She prepared to run from the spring, but the Unlung held her there.

“I did not speak idly when I said one of you would be paid with death,” the creature said, pinning Lumang’s husk to Kunang’s back as if it were a cape. “Through my belly is direct passage to the Sea of Chi, your friend will be happy. But you—you must live with what you have done. You will walk throughout this island with your friend’s skin on your back. Everyone will see you and know that you have let your friend die, that you are a coward without honor.”

And so the Unlung sent Kunang off. Kunang’s husband would not touch her anymore. Her parents would not speak with her. When the fish eventually returned to the reefs, they would not even nibble Kunang’s hook. So it passed that a woman who dreamed of being queen of the island became its lowest outcast. She survived on tree roots and rainwater and the charity of strangers. As she grew older, the skin on her back seemed to grow longer and heavier. There came a time when the skin came to outweigh Kunang herself, and she could no longer move. Pinned, unloved, and broken, Kunang looked up to the sky. It was Fu now, a very severe Fu indeed, and the rain started to fall. She opened her mouth to the rain and let it fill her, now longing for death. But when death came, the weight of the skin held her chi in her body, keeping her far from the Sea of Chi and her friend, Lumang. Even after the island sank below the water, it’s said—by the tribals of the lesser islands—that Kunang still exists somewhere deep in the sea, lost to honor but perhaps not to mercy, for there may come a day when Lumang, eternal friend, comes to collect her. Or so the tribals say. Wise children should know that Kunang would not have to wait if she’d done the right thing in the first place.

Phoenix Warriors

Art by Henry

Normally I'd put the concept for this specific character, but instead I'll put the in universe explanation of the group he represents in his appearances

Northern Spirit- Vesta
Southern Spirit - Kon'Shu
Western Spirit - Ralvir
Eastern Spirit- Loc'Tun

In the Early days of the universe, when Kios formed from the ambient energy between the various planes of existence 4 spirits were birthed from the left over energy. The spirits were birthed in the form of massive bird like creatures of spiritual fire, these forms soaring across the various planes of existence for millions of years, watching over the state of affairs and seeing how things were meant to be. Over time things began to change, various life forms began to form all throughout the realms and those life forms attracted those who sought to end the balance. Beings from beyond sought to disrupt it, and various creatures from within sought to control or end it. The spirits were powerful in their home realms but had little influence outside, yet they all knew they had to uphold their duty of protecting the balance somehow. To solve this they each sought out a life form on or near the planet Kios, each having their own reasons for who they chose. They gave these beings power and the freedom to use it as they pleased as long as they became their avatars and defended the various planes from all who threatened the delicate cosmic balance.

The spirits each take up residence in a different sector of the planet's spirit realm watching over the various planes that intersect with that sector and sending any needed information to their avatar. How they communicate various from spirit to spirit, as does their criteria for choosing an avatar two things that have been shaped by their various experiences over their infinite life span.

Each Avatar is transformed into a new life form that straddles the line between the various planes, them gaining the ability to step into other realms and dimensions as needed, their bodies components changing if needed. They are given intimate knowledge of an ancient fighting art crafted by the spirits, and a superhuman body to match it. They all have a natural attunement to flames of the soul, a fire that burns both the body and the spirit as its user wishes. The specifics of the fires look and other uses vary from avatar to avatar, normally based on the persons mental state. The most notable gift each avatar is given, is the gift of immortality they become immune to age and illness and will regenerate from any fatal wound (no matter how extensive), slightly more powerful than before. All avatars hold the memories and experience of all previous avatars of their particular spirit.

Despite this they don't last forever, every so many years the spirits fight their avatars in order to test if they are still worthy. Every time the spirit loses it returns multiple times stronger than before forcing the avatar to constantly improve, the moment they don't is the end of their service as they are defeated and stripped of their powers allowed to live out the rest of their days as a normal person or be killed if they seek a warriors death. One can also willingly give up their powers but such a thing is very rare

Outfits part 1

A few Awesome Zhuni outfits by Sara and Gi for my various projects

Nisu Concept

Art by Henry

 

Since very early in the creation of the setting, I decided the Zhu Empire had multiple races that made up the central Zhu species.  One of the more populous of which was Xerin, a kitsune inspired race that I will write about later. And so it only made sense that I should have one of them as a central character in what is planned as a big exploration into the setting.  Working with the theme of change and growth decided a young not so special character would fit best into the role. So went with a girl in her early teens, to have the most room to work and to go with the still in training princess Xing Yi.  Only instead of straight martial arts training and warrior spirit, showing the other side with magic and religious work within their culture.  Yeah not a whole lot to what sparked her creation, but there it is.