#auranova26

[auranova26]

Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling Lore Bits 4

I had made mention of bringing up some new information that came to mind during my research. And now, I am ecstatic to share! 😄Brace yourself for not only cool additions to their lore, but some Mandarin Chinese script here and there. 🧧

The Igyou Tenshin no Jutsu (いぎょう-てんしん-の-じゅつ) was the name of the art used by their mother and them in the original lore. However, that name is Japanese. After finally getting a translation of this skill (Change Oneself to a Strange Form Technique) then finding a way to translate that into Mandarin, I finally have a name for the art in Cryas Darkstalkers!

異形變形術 (Yìxíng Biànxíng Shù) is the new official name of the art. In English, it means Irregular Shape Change Skill. Also for fun, the simplified script for ya'll: 异形变形术

Jiangshi can enter into a state known as 狂暴 (kuángbào). Basically, translating to 'frenzy', this is a state where a jiangshi is driven into an unpredictably violent rampage for Qì if they have gone too long without feeding.

Hsien-Ko is no different in terms of the requirements to enter kuángbào. However, as she still possesses a conscious, unlike most jiangshi that come into existence. When in frenzy, her body forces her mind to be locked deep away as the desire for Qì takes over.

Even if Qì is obtained, the frenzied Hsien-Ko would still go on a rampage as with her mind locked away, Mei-Ling can't influence Hsien-Ko. The only way to stop her is for Mei-Ling to reattach in her talisman form and bring back Hsien-Ko.

As she is also a jiangshi by nature of the Yìxíng Biànxíng Shù, Mei-Ling does require Qì. However, she doesn't enter into kuángbào via a hunger for Qì. Only via sufficiently strong magic interference can cause her to go frenzy.

When Mei-Ling does get hungry for Qì, she tends to get lethargic and irritable.

Mei-Ling can transform into a form known as 護身符 (hùshēnfú). With her role as 'the mind', she has to help regulate the flow of Qì in Hsien-Ko to allow 'the body' to function at full power while also having control of said power.

While the term hùshēnfú basically translates to amulet/talisman, the specific form she takes on is joss paper, 金紙.

金紙 (jīnzhǐ) translates to 'golden paper. The texture of her form is that of coarse bamboo paper, the traditional material for joss paper. Interestingly, the golden color is a signifier of being an offering for deities.

The script on her form translates to 'keep this on your body to keep you safe'.

While in her talisman form, Mei-Ling has a special enchantment on her granted by the Yìxíng Biànxíng Shù. This enchantment is known as 奇異守護 (Qíyì Shǒuhù).

Qíyì Shǒuhù, or Strange Protection, allows her to be able to perform her function as 'the mind' by granting her hùshēnfú form total immunity from practically any form of magic. The only real way to 'damage' her is to physically break her talisman form to force her back to her true form. Ripping, shredding, and cutting the form are the best ways.

Even when her form is attacked by physical means, Mei-Ling's true form doesn't suffer actual harm. However, she can't change back for some time as her Qì needs to reconstruct the form internally. This can not only leave her vulnerable to genuine harm but means that Hsien-Ko can't be at full strength for the time being.

Mei-Ling did attempt to reverse engineer the Qíyì Shǒuhù to provide Hsien-Ko with this form of protection. Years of tinkering, she eventually had to stop by the pleads of Hsien-Ko.

Despite the fruitless endeavor, her trying to figure out this enchantment did help her eventually craft one for Hsien-Ko that allowed for the phasing of her body through clothing, along with manipulation of it. Something that would be applied to the clothes that she would make for Hsien-Ko in the future.

轉生術 (Zhuǎnshēng Shù) is the final art taught to Xiānshùshī who have been recognized with the title of Shīfu. Translating to 'Reincarnation Skill', Zhuǎnshēng Shù is said to allow the caster's soul to be able to safely depart for the afterlife.

Because the Yìxíng Biànxíng Shù transformed them both to jiangshi, their souls have been tethered to their bodies as a fuel source to allow them to continue living and replace the metabolic functions of their bodies.

The sisters are incapable of passing on via natural causes. The only ways the sisters can truly die is either being killed or allowing their bodies to fully consume their souls. The first option is not a way that either sister wishes to die and the later would lead to their erasure. A true death in a way.

The Zhuǎnshēng Shù is the only means that allows the sisters to pass away peacefully. Once they save their mother and have a final conversation with her after awakening from a long coma, Mingxia bestows not only the mirror and necklace back as a gift to her daughters, but also the knowledge of the Zhuǎnshēng Shù to recognize them both as Shīfu.

As mentioned above, the Yìxíng Biànxíng Shù turned Hsien-Ko in the body of a jiangshi and Mei-Ling into the mind of a jiangshi. The rest of this Lore Bits shall be dedicated to what the Yìxíng Biànxíng Shù did to Hsien-Ko, to Mei-Ling, and to both. First, to both:

Metabolic functions ceased in both sisters. For all intents and purposes, they are dead.

Qì is required to not only satiate their bodies, but to allow for limited bodily functions, like their digestive systems, movement, and brain function.

Neither sister needs to breathe oxygen.

Innately, both sisters are granted the ability known as Qì Absorption. This art is executed by a focused deep breath that allows for spiritual energy to flow from the target into their bodies.

Both have a high tolerance for temperature variance. The only way they can feel hot or cold is via extremes of either.

They possess a sensitivity to the presence of living beings and of stray spiritual energy.

Both have the ability to walk on air for brief periods of time.

They age physically very slowly.

Food can be eaten, and liquids can be drunk and processed by their digestive systems. The energy obtained from this can be used, but since their bodies require Qì to make their digestive systems work in the first place, this can't be a substitute for consumption of Qì, only slow it down.

As for how Hsien-Ko is specifically affected:

Sunlight debuffs Hsien-ko, specifically during the times when the sun is up directly in the sky. The reason for this is that the amount of energy from direct sunlight disturbs the imbalance of Qì she suffers innately from.

Thankfully she is not harmed by the rays of light, but she can feel its effects on her.

Unlike when she was human, Hsien-Ko is incapable of properly controlling her Qì.

Thanks to the innate imbalance of Qì flow in her, Hsien-Ko requires the consumption of more Qì compared to Mei-Ling.

Being 'the body', Hsien-Ko possesses a healing factor. The more Qì she has in reserves, the better her regenerative abilities are.

Despite the lack of full control of her Qì, Hsien-Ko innately has greater physical strength than she could ever achieve with Qì control as a human.

Hsien-Ko's nails have the ability to grow to 152cm (5ft). They are very durable and can be used to slash or pierce particularly vulnerable targets.

Hsien-Ko's body can easily contort into very unnatural poses and directions.

Oddly, her tongue can extend her tongue by 92cm or roughly 3ft.

While the best way to consume Qì is via Qì Absorption, Hsien-Ko can also sap Qì via physical contact. But this is less efficient.

Hsien-Ko cannot enter REM sleep naturally. In fact, she hardly needs to sleep. While initially seen as cool, Hsien-Ko desperately wanted to experience sleep, especially during the times she must be in the coffin. With help from Mei-Ling, she found ways to be able to rest.

The only way Hsien-Ko can enter REM sleep is via talismans crafted by Mei-Ling with the enchantment to allow it.

As mentioned above, Hsien-Ko can enter kuángbào via a hunger for Qì. However, she also can enter the state via being too far away from Mei-Ling for too long or via a disturbance to her Qì at an extreme caliber.

If not in kuángbào, should any talisman be placed on Hsien-Ko, she will be left paralyzed. However, if commands written in Manchu or Chinese scripts are on the talismans, she will be forced to obey the commands against her will.

The only commands she will not obey are ones that bring harm to Mei-Ling, her 'mind' to her 'body'.

Hsien-Ko undergoes the most physical changes to her form. Her skin is now a shade of light blue. Her eyes are that of a golden yellow. Her hair color is now a deep blue violet color, along with a wilder style.

Moss does grow on Hsien-Ko. However, she does strive to get rid of it when grows sufficiently on her body.

Finally, how Mei-Ling was affected:

Unlike Hsien-Ko, Mei-Ling didn't experience many physical changes. Her hair changed style and color to of a more umber shade rather than her original near dark brown color. Her eyes changed to that of a brilliant jade green.

The only giveaway that Mei-Ling is not human to the average individual is her lack of body heat.

Mei-Ling in her talisman form can possess other individuals, the ability of control varying.

Being 'the mind', Mei-Ling has a deep sensitivity to Hsien-Ko's thoughts and emotions.

When she sleeps, often enough she will suffer nightmares, ranging from reliving the night her mother sacrificed herself to the time her frenzied sister nearly killed her.

However, some nightmares are the perspective of Hsien-Ko's fears and memories.

Not only does she serve to stabilize Hsien-Ko's Qì, but also her emotional state as to ensure Hsien-Ko can serve her function in combat. A negative filter in a way.

While she can and does strive to work through this, there are times where she will breakdown and require comfort from Hsien-Ko. In turn, Hsien-Ko does her best to maintain a cheerful mood that is born from her being in a good headspace and not because Mei-Ling had to absorb some of the brunt of her emotions. Plus, to also make her big sister feel better. 🥹

After being comforted, Mei-Ling generally is capable of experiencing pleasant dreams. Assuring both sisters are in a great mood.

Mei-Ling generally sleeps for about 7 hours.

That should end this Lore Bits. Quite a lot to go through, but finally happy to get this out! 😎 Hope you enjoy learning about Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling of Cryas Darkstalkers. 😊

[auranovabloggers]

Paper Mario the Thousand Year Door Marathon

Electric boogaloo, the marathon continues! Nameless Frank has joined forced with the shadow, Vivian! Can we reclaim our true self? Will I beat a Crazy Dayzee? And will my arm stay attached to my body? Find out and chill with me. :)

[thek0ifish]

My friendship between Me and Auranova26 in a nutshell:

[dxrknessembr8ced]

BIOHAZARD

X

LIKE A PANDA

{ バイオハザード: パンダのように }

[masterartlocked]

RAGING BOLT Commissioned by @auranova26 :)

[biggs-regretti]

Render Commission of Hsien-Ko Shao and Mei-Ling Shao of the Cryas for the wonderful @AuraNova26 

[snailsaalt]

Hello, I would like to ask which cartoon is your profile picture and is there a link? I want to see it. My country can't watch it. I apologize if I disturb you.

Don't worry about it! My profile picture is from a vampire savior anthology comic, specifically this one: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1So2kHM1qsRr2P8mohjHJl_1IPt0EovSV the artist in particular is G=Hikorou (you can find more of their art in the other anthologies) and credits to @auranova26 and @yourweebmystic for organizing this google drive! it's got every single darkstalkers comic.

[dash-n-step]

@auranova26, notably, I think this is the only official mention of this comic existing by Udon Entertainment, and still no Mei-Ling

AFTER THE FELICIA COMIC THEY'RE DOING A HSIEN-KO SOLO?

DARKSTALKERS HSIEN KO #1 Not dead but not quite alive, the Darkstalker hunter Hsien-Ko hunts down only the most malevolent creatures of the night. But she'll need every trick up her sleeve when she encounters the horror known as... Nurse Noir! On sale in October.

[makairealm]

//DRIVE UPDATE//

Thanks to AuraNova26, ASCII Comix’ Vampire Comic, has been officially added to the Darkstalkers manga drive! 

Please take a look!

[auranova26]

Happy Birthday!!

In Cryas Darkstalkers, Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling were both born on February 17th, 1730. Today now marks their 294th birthday! Wish both of these wonderful women a Happy Birthday!🥹🥳💙💛

[auranova26]

Hsien-Ko Design Notes and Inspiration

One thing about Cryas Darkstalkers is my desire to not only write and think of the characters differently based on official information and headcanon, but also try to redesign them to fit the world I imagine and their personalities in the mythos. Today, I want to talk about my process and notes regarding the official design of one of the main protagonists of Cryas Darkstalkers: Shao Hsien-Ko!

Compared to her original version, she actually isn't too drastic of a change. Honestly, her original design is already really well done and awesome. However, I had some ideas and thoughts to make her stand out from the original. For the foundation I stuck with the design of her from Vampire Hunter/ Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge.

If you were not aware, Hsien-Ko basically has two official designs. This version of her and the one from the official art for Darkstalkers Resurrection. I chose the Hunters design as I generally really love the overall idea of the qipao for this version of her. The DSR version goes for a qipao with two flaps, front and back. I am not a fan of that on top of the change to her hat where she has a bell on the top rather than a ball.

Now what about that necklace she wears? Probably the most notable feature of her, I actually do have an inspiration. The idea of the necklace stems from the story 'Monsters and the Secret of Immortality'.

Hsien-Ko's overall design is interesting in that story as she is portrayed as much wilder and psychotic in her demeanor. But I also think aspects of the design are… well too busy. But among the design elements, the necklace caught my eye the most. In Cryas DS, to mirror the… well mirror that Mei-Ling has, Hsien-Ko wears the necklace that her mother wore as a physical memento of her on her journey to save her. The character on her necklace was changed to 邵 (shào), her family name in Cryas Darkstalkers. Now while in the main timeline it is 少 (shǎo), I already was too used to 邵 that I decided to stick with that pronunciation and way the character is written.

The two yellow strings that follow along the side of her breasts and torso were inspired by a piece of art I saw that showed an idea of strings on her qipao, granted they were much smaller elements. I would share the art, but honestly unless it is official art, my art, or art I commissioned, I would rather not share. Even with giving credit, it just wouldn't feel right. However, one piece I will share is this:

The way Casa drew Hsien-Ko here, specifically the way the strings were attached to her qipao were different compared to how I originally did it. I loved the idea and made that official to her.

What about the flower on the flap of her qipao, you may ask? Honestly, I never came across a design that inspired me, it was more so something involving the origins of Hsien-Ko's name in Chinese, 仙姑 (xiāngū). Her name derives from the Xian that is among the pantheon of the Eight Immortals of Chinese mythos, 何仙姑 (hé xiāngū). In tellings of the story, the Xian is said to hold a lotus flower and in general seems to have a strong association with the flower. Because I wanted to still add something more to Hsien-Ko without getting too extremely away from the core of her generally simple design, I thought it would be lovely to add a lotus flower design to her qipao. Not only pretty but tapping more into her Chinese roots. While her old hanfu and dudou have a more traditionally designed lotus flower, the one on her current garb is a more stylized take on the flower, courtesy of Mei-Ling.

Another minor detail, but one I wanted to still bring up. The story 'Lei-Lei (Hsien-Ko) Returns' by Takashi Mibu is another excellent anthology story centering around the Shao sisters. I love the general expressions they draw Hsien-Ko in, really showing off her fangs. But what I wanted to bring up is the trim on her qipao. You can see here that rather than be flat, it is made to have volume. Like a stuffed trim. I liked that and rolled with it.

While initially I somewhat stuck to the general shape of Hsien-Ko's hairstyle in the main timeline, it evolved into something more wild and less rigid. As time went on, while the general idea of her hair fanning out reaching towards the length of her shoulders was still the same, the shape it took on was more claw and fang like. Wild you could say. While not exactly the same, these characters Daisy and Sabrina were ones to sort of plant the seed.

The idea of describing it as wilder, I say I can still somewhat also point to 'Monsters and the Secrets of Immortality's design of Hsien-Ko for that.

Because I genuinely get sick of Hsien-Ko being draw in such small/thin/…. well anime proportioned manner, I wanted to go back to what Vampire Hunter established in official art and her sprites in game: her muscles. Granted, I took it a step further as I altered the general shape of her body to be more muscular and wider build. One could say thicc, I prefer warrior build. I can point to three sources that I think of when I think of her body shape. Kratos from the modern God of War era, a sketch my friend @yourweebmystic made some time ago, and the way an artist who goes by the name Rayluaza draws the character Chi Chi. To show an idea of Rayluaza's way of drawing strong women, I'll share a commission I got from them of my Hsien-Ko. Honestly, Rayluaza did a perfect representation of what I believe for Hsien-Ko in Cryas Darkstalkers in terms of her body shape and build.

That sums it up for Hsien-Ko, but there is more to her than her base state. Let's take a moment to talk about the design elements of another notable power of Hsien-Ko in Cryas Darkstalkers: Xié è De Yōngbào/Dark Embrace.

The Dark Embrace Burst was based on something for one of my OCs in terms of a Burst they have of a similar name: Ebony Embrace. Now that individual is a single person, but Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling are two people who are closely connected. In essence, like as jiangshis, they are two halves of the idea of this whole Burst. Hsien-Ko is the wild, raw power of it. Her upper clothes tear away only because that is where the shadow attaches to her body when Mei-Ling attaches. The hat vanishes to help accentuate the wild look to her. Seeing her hair full on. The markings? An underlying thing about the Burst is its connection to the substance, Corriyami. Norocier, a Corrian, is a being that was born from the substance. In a way, it is a physical manifestation of those with this kind of Burst would look like if they were Corrian. Now the markings took on different ideas over time. Two sources I can fully acknowledge that helped to steer the course of the markings were these two pieces.

The first is done by the artist tana_taka_3rder and the second is done by my friend @capyguava

A small detail, but still important to me. Initially, Hsien-Ko's eyes in the Burst were more so based on the idea of glowing eyes I saw with the likes of Anti Form and Rage Form Sora.

However, when I saw this art that was made by Alejo, I then went with the idea that their general eye shapes stayed the same. When in most states of mind/ levels of emotion, they had lines to represent their iris. But when sufficiently enraged or in a high state of negative emotion, they disappear to give off a more intimidating appearance.

While art tends to vary between artists about the eye color of Hsien-Ko officially, I stuck with Yellow. I feel the color contrasts well, even compliment her blue skin. Plus if you think about Chinese color theory and beliefs, one of the ideas is that yellow is symbolic with heroism. This is something very prominently used in the Kung Fu Panda series as the main protagonist Po is seen quite a lot with the color yellow. The villain of the first film, Tai Lung, had Yellow eyes. This went well where he felt like a wronged individual. A hero in his own mind. And many scenes with heroic moments or those of triumph feature the color a lot. So honestly, I think it stands Hsien-Ko sticks with that general idea as well due to her Chinese roots.

Oh, I should probably explain the ideas behind Hsien-Ko's human design. So of course I wanted her to look like a Qing woman of the 1730s-1740s since that is the time period she was alive. Skin tone and eye color were for the more typical tones that a Chinese individual could easily have. However compared to Mei-Ling and her mother, she has a bit more melanin to her.

So fun fact, in reality there really wasn't any kind of uniform for a martial artist during those time periods… or even later on in history. They would generally fight in their day clothes. So, while pertaining to the general dress idea of the Qing period, I still wanted Hsien-Ko's clothes to still look comfortable and easy to move around in. The colors scheme just works for her since she has some association with those colors. And even in some sprite art for Hsien-Ko in VHunter, her qipao was red, so a nice nod. As for her hairstyle, that was inspired by the design I saw in the Tetsujin Drama doujin. I think it is a nice contrast to what would become a much wilder hairstyle that grew from her original style.

Hopefully this gives you a good feel for the ideas I had behind redesigning Hsien-Ko. For any artist I credit, please check them out and show love to their art!

[auranova26]

Cryas Chronicles: Explorers of the Darkest Days

Been on my mind again, so I wanted to finally write something down in regard to this story idea I have been on and off about. As the title suggests, this story is in regard to my OC mythos. However, Crays Chronicles: Explorers of the Darkest Days is meant to be an AU focusing on my OC Norocier as she ends up in a world of Pokémon.

What is the premise you may ask? As stated, this is set in a world of Pokémon. However, this world is like a pseudo mystery dungeon like world in the sense that there are no humans: only Pokémon inhabit this world. While Pokémon do have some semblance of societies, none talk in the way we would assume. Primarily, they communicate as many animals would with varying means to communicate. Of course, with Pokémon there more magical/fantastical means of how they can, but still in the realm of not really 'talking'. With no humans around, there is the interesting aspect that Pokémon don't refer to themselves by the names that we as readers would know them by. And that is a key thing to keep in mind. In the following paragraphs, I'll give a synopsis in regard to the setup of the story and setting.

The colossal known as Eternatus awakens from a deep slumber as an unknown, but powerful source of energy beckons them from their millennia long stretch of rest. Drawn to what had awaken them, Eternatus happens upon a pond of a violet, thick liquid substance that lay before them. While the titan had never seen such a substance before, they can feel the incredible almost intoxicating energy emitting from the alien liquid. In no time, Eternatus feasts on the liquid, voraciously absorbing it into their energy core. Upon the completion of their meal, the creature could feel a great high of energy as the liquid empowered their core. However, as quickly as they enjoyed this rush of energy, something unpleasant was noticed by the giant. The energy levels in them were rising without any sign of stopping. As the continual rise in energy flooded their senses, Eternatus began to feel pain. Seeking to relieve this excess energy, the colossal would unleash beams of energy from their core to help with the extra energy. They have had incidents like this before, so no worry. But this was futile as the chain reaction of this substance with their energy core still continued unabated. In fact, it was getting worse as the energy levels continued to rise to painful levels that the dragon had never felt before. Again, they would unleash powerful beams of energy one after another with greater ferocity. But again, the reaction kept going. Not only was the titan panicking now from the pain, but the energy levels began to force the dragon to assume their true form. Not only was this in response to the unfathomable amounts of energy in their system, but it was also a means to relive themselves of this excess energy that they so desperately were trying to stabilize. However, the form was not only different than what they recalled eons ago, their energy core continued to grow wildly out of control. Dwarfing the hills and mountains in the immediate area, the legendary colossal unleashed a barrage of beams of unstable energy from their core and many orifices. With the ever-escalating energy in their very essence and the many beams tearing through the sky and land, the fabric of space-time was beginning to bend to the cosmic level amounts of energy being unleashed in the given vicinity. And this wouldn't go unnoticed. 

From their domain in a realm between the threads of reality, the violent hermit known as Giratina would come to attention as they felt powerful shockwaves come out of nowhere. While these waves would not come to harm the beast, they did cause aspects of their Distortion Realm to be forever damaged and warped beyond recognition. This unprovoked attack upon their domain absolutely enraged the demon. So enraged were they that they immediately sprang into action to not only find the source of the shockwaves, but to make the source pay dearly with their life as retribution. It took mere seconds to find the source: somewhere in the main realm of reality, coming from an incredibly powerful source unlike anything Giratina had ever witnessed or felt in their primordial existence. Despite this potentially dangerous foe, it did not falter the renegade's absolution into making this malefactor pay dearly for what they had done. As they flew through the boundaries of the nexus, they entered main realm of reality to bear witness to their colossal foe. But not only that, but the renegade also caught sight of two other beings they had not seen for aeons and not ones Giratina was particularly pleased to see. The embodiment of the fabric of space and the flow of time respectively, Palkia and Dialga had also come from their homes in the realms beyond. Due to the near cosmic levels of distortion and bending of the aspects of reality going on in this single area, these primordial dragons had also come to not only investigate but put a stop to it before it reached apocalyptic levels. Despite their hatred for their siblings, Giratina set aside their feelings toward Palkia and Dialga in order to take down the current target of their ire. The trio of creation would unite for the first time in countless eons to take down this threat to reality. 

Each dragon made use of their primal force of energy at full throttle in order to take down this energy dangerous titan. Palkia with a motion of their arms rend the fabric of space. Dialga roared with such a ferocious battle cry as it disrupted the flow of time. Giratina coated in the shadows of the nexus would attack with deadly force against the titan. However, while their attacks would damage the titan, it did little to stop Eternatus as it continued to unleash beam after beam, crying out in pain as they had at this all but lost control of their body. Despite this, the trio would continue their assault with steadfast resolution. For what felt like an eternity, the trio would continue to fight, here and there dodging and tanking hits from the pained titan. Despite the damage they would sustain, they would fight through the pain and continue to attack the titan. When they all but seemed like they were each at their near breaking point, the foe they all rallied against suddenly stopped. No longer did they hear the cries of pain, no long was there the storm of beams that laid waste to the land. It all just stopped. The trio witnessed the mountain sized titan change form into a relatively smaller form than what they fought against. While Giratina still in their mind sought to kill the creature in front of them, something else beckoned them to leave. It wasn't just the sheer exhaustion and pain that made them leave, but something else they nor their siblings noticed during the fight. As Palkia, Dialga, and Giratina all left for their respective domains to rest and recover, something would fester in all three of them. Unknown to them since the moment they came to fight Eternatus, they had been exposed to a form of energy radiating from the titan's core that begun to mutate, nay... corrupt their bodies. Not only would they be influenced by this intoxicating alien energy, but others would as well as the ripples of space-time during the colossal's desperate attempt to save their life would echo far beyond the immediate area. The giant would once again slumber, their form forever changed. 

 In another realm far beyond the reaches of the current crisis, Norocier had been going out for a stroll among the trees in a forest in the realm of Umbralus. She was taking this nature walk as a chance to relax from her daily life with her family. Ever grateful to have those she could not only call kin but communicate with in their own way, she did sometimes enjoy a bit of time to now see the wilderness in a new light. No longer was she just another beast out in the wilderness only seeking to survive, but now she was truly living and had been doing so for the better part of the last decade. Finding a nice spot to sit against a tree and allow her mind to contemplate many thoughts, she would eventually find herself dozing off to the sounds of the gentle breeze that snaked through the trees. With her eyes closed and her mind further drifting from consciousness, the Corrian would fall asleep; A nap to relax amongst the foliage before heading back home to her family. But unknown to her now sleeping mind, fate had different plans for her. Having awoken from her sleep, Norocier would realize very quickly something was wrong. The scents of the area were different to anything she ever smelled in Umbralus. As she looked at the sky, the alignment of the stars was not to what she was used to. Not only that, no crystal in sight for as far she can see. Norocier would come to a grave conclusion: she had somehow ended up into another realm while she slept. Perhaps a portal or distortion in space-time caused this to happen. But the matter at hand was not to figure out how she got to this unknown land, but to figure out a way home. Wondering for some time, Norocier would eventually catch the scent of something that caught her attention. While it was a familiar scent, it was one that filled her mind with dread. Upon finding the source, she was beyond all reasonable doubt at what she was looking at: Corriyami.

A general set up for the story. Effectively, Norocier via space-time distortions ends up in a world of strange creatures she has never seen before. Beyond that, she also happens to arrive as this world has been ravaged by the effects of Corriyami that somehow ended up in this world. Likely a result of those space time distortions. While that is an issue, her main problem is getting back home as she has somehow ended up in this alien realm. Eventually, she will come across and fight many of these strange creatures. Some of the ones she faces are those who have fallen victim to Corruption while others have been mutated by it. As she eventually befriends some of these mutated Corrian creatures, Norocier and her pack embark on a journey with several goals: aid those they come across, help her pack as they come to grips with their mutations, and find her a way home. I have more stuff in mind but hopes this gives a good idea of what to expect with blogs regarding this Cryas Chronicles AU story. :)

Art made by @masterartlocked! Give them a big thumbs up for helping make art for this project and just being there for me to throw ideas and get feedback. Thank you Nicole! 🥹

[auranova26]

Fundamentals of Magi Artes and Magic

In Cryas Chronicles (and to an extent Cryas Darkstalkers), magic has been a phenomenon that has prevailed for many eons in countless civilizations across the realms of the universe. Many cultures have described, observed, documented, and spread their own understanding of this peculiar ability that many lifeforms have been able to perform. In the purest understanding, magic is the ability for one to manipulate many forms of energy and the forces in the universe to heed their commands. Some cultures saw this as this work of supernatural forces beyond their understanding while others came to see these abilities with a rational, open mind worth time to study and truly understand. As the eons marched on and people discovered different forms of magic, 'disciplines' or 'elementals' of these artes were understood. While they go by different names, for the sake of you dear reader, here they are in a way you can understand: Fire, Ice, Water, Terra, Lightning, Wind, Dark, Light, Ethereal, Aura, and Astral.

One might be curious as to what these disciplines are. Fortunately, what they are and how they work will be presented

Fire and Ice share the same form of energy that is used to cast these artes: Heat energy. Where the difference lies is how the heat is manipulated. Performing fire artes has the user concentrate heat in whatever manner is desired. Ice meanwhile has the caster move heat away rapidly from an area at a need volume for the desired effect. Many forms of fire artes do take on the look of flames in various shapes and size, but the key feature is being able to concentrate that heat properly. Commonly, ice artes involve freezing particles of vapor and air to create ice crystal of various shapes and size for the need effect, though sometimes just the lack of heat to a certain degree can be more than enough. To a degree, both disciplines are intertwined enough to where some manipulators of heat will learn artes from both elementals.

Water, Terra, and Wind all use the force of gravity in order for the needed artes to be performed. At its basics, these artes require the user to both understand how to manipulate gravity and then the property of the desired substance to then move for the wanted effect. The better their understanding of gravity manipulation, the larger quantity and speed at which the substance can be moved. Due to water, the land, and air being all around for users to use, that is how these elementals got their names despite using the same force. However, there is a big difference between moving liquid particles, solids, and gases around. Practicing this is key to use either water, terra, or wind elemental.

Lightning is an elemental that involves the manipulation of electrical energy. Via this discipline, casters can either cause bolts of the largest and fiercest lightning to the smallest sparks of electricity, or even manipulate magnetic fields for whatever use is wanted.

Dark elemental is a peculiar form of magic that involves the manipulation of energy to vibrate. In essence, the creation of sound waves. While sounds are a constant in the lives of those in the universe, the particular soundwaves crafted by dark magi artes tend to involve inducing emotional response from the victim. Sometimes it can be pleasant or sometimes it can instill dread. It is up to the caster to manipulate sound for what they want.

Light magic is the manipulation of electromagnetic radiation in order cast various artes. While light is something we all see and can perceive, manipulators of light can command the various wavelengths of this energy for many applications. From clusters to concentrated rays of energy, the possibilities are endless.

Ethereal and Aura are an interesting pair of elementals as they use exactly the same energy, and both involve using that energy in the same potential ways. However, where the difference lies is how both source their energy, of which is known as spiritual energy. Spiritual energy exists primarily in a 'soul'. A soul is an extremely condensed cluster of energy that has tightly bonded in a bizarre fashion. Due to this occurrence, the energy that combines into these clusters take on special properties. These properties can potentially allow for the phenomenon intelligent life has come to interpret as a 'conscious'. While this energy is forged in by this occurrence, it doesn't have to just exist in a soul. Should something force the bonds that hold a soul together to break, the spiritual energy can scatter. No longer in its cluster, in time the spiritual energy will eventually convert into other forms of energy. It can last longer if it can inhabit other lifeforms, but in time it will lose its properties and breakdown into other forms of energy. While both elementals are capable of making use of this scattered spiritual energy, the primary draw of their abilities is the ability to maneuver through the bonds of a soul and siphon fractions of the immense well of spiritual energy. The key difference is the soul used: Ethereal draws on using the soul's of others while aura draws from the user's own soul for power. The ethereal elemental can use as many souls as needed, but due to each soul bonding in different ways, their wells to draw from need to be understood before they can cast any ethereal artes. Because an aura caster's soul is innately familiar to them, it is significantly easier to draw from this well. However, improper handling of this flow of spiritual energy can potentially be fatal. Either elemental is capable of numerous feats due to the immense amount of energy but can be dangerous is not properly learned.

Astral elemental is regarded as the oldest discipline of magic. The name of the elemental draws inspiration from the thought that all energy from the dawn of time came into existence due to the birth of stars and the cosmos as a whole. Primordial, raw energy that flows everywhere. In time, this energy and the forces of the universe allowed for the realms that would come to be. When astral artes were figured out and understood better, this allowed others to find their way to other forms of manipulating the forces and energies that exist.

Making use of Magi Artes requires one to train themselves to understand the fundamentals of the chosen elemental's discipline of manipulation. Some are only capable of one elemental; others are capable of many forms. Some individuals are natural gifted to use magic, while others require hours upon hours of training to even begin at a basic level, if they are even capable of doing so. As time marched on, people found a desire to regard certain magi artes into what are known as 'tiers'. The idea is to give people a benchmark idea that artes of a higher tier have much better effects or power, but also require better stamina and skill to even use these magi artes. The tiers of Magi Artes as follow:

Tier 1 = Neophyte

Tier 2 = Intermediate

Tier 3 = Master

Tier 4 = Arcane

Tier 5 = Mystic

Tier 6 = Ultima

Magic Artes require knowledge of the arte, stamina, and the knowledge of the needed amount of energy or force required to manipulate. With practice and experience, casters can use artes of any tier more efficiently so long as they understand their limits and the risks with each elemental. Many magi artes do require the user to be still and focus in order to properly manipulate their elemental of choice, which can be risky depending on the urgency of the situation. With that in mind, some casters found a way around this with the use of Arte Reserves. Inducing a Magi Arte into an object, casters can instantly make use of Magi Artes in situations with practically no time wasted on incantations. However, Arte Reserves are limited and thus users must keep in mind how many are still in stock lest they find themselves in a dangerous situation.

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Consider this a revision of this lore blog here:

I'd rather not completely delete this blog for the purpose of looking back on things and... well cause I don't feel like it. 😅

[auranova26]

Nǚ Jì Sī and Guì Zi Shǒu

(Credit: @masterartlocked) You may be curious what is with this art and the names? 'Those are Mei-Ling and Hsien-Ko you silly' you might be saying to me. Well, in the lore of Cryas Darkstalkers, there is an interesting turn of events due to following their journey from the beginning. When they first went about their journey, they figured that due to Hsien-Ko's appearance being overtly less human than Mei-Ling, she would need to hide her appearance from the eyes of humans. To do this, Mei-Ling made a cloak for her sister to wear in order to conceal herself in the times they walk through a village. Initially, Hsien-Ko only ventured with Mei-Ling at night to ensure she would not be recognized as being non-human. While a few close calls, they got pretty good at it. This was necessary since they did need to accept jobs of hunting and exterminating the Darkstalkers in order to get information regarding any stories about places of interest in the many vast areas of China.

Slowly over the decades however, an unintended side effect of their exploits would occur. As Mei-Ling was the one being seen and they would retread through places they have been to on many occasions over the decades, people would start noticing this ageless, beautiful mystic. Not only that, but people also realized how she and her hooded companion were effective in their job of ridding their lands of the creatures of the night. With this air of mystery, stories would begin to spread across the roads of this woman being possibly a spirit. More than that.... she could be a Xian. The stories would begin to tell of a Xian whose beauty was said to be unmatched with her elegant face, hair of many lustrous shades of umber, and eyes more brilliant than the finest jade. She was said to have descended from the heavens to finally free the people and Zhōngguó (中國) from the grasps of the demons and monsters that brought suffering and death to their livelihoods. While many names were thrown of this Xian, eventually the name of 女祭司 (Nǚ Jì Sī) would stick. This name of 'priestess' was fitting due to her appearance. Once the sisters started catching on due to hearsay they heard, artwork that began popping up, and even being greeted as such, they had their own reactions to Mei-Ling’s title. While Mei-Ling was incredibly embarrassed and flustered at this effective deification of her (especially with all the myths speaking of her otherworldly beauty), Hsien-Ko found it incredible. She loved the idea that her sister was effectively becoming part of the mythos of different cultures throughout the lands, just like the many mythical beings they learned about in their youth.

The stories didn't stop with Mei-Ling. While her sister was more prominent in these new legends that were unfolding, Hsien-Ko herself would gain titles. The most popular that stuck was 劊子手 (Guì Zi Shǒu), which means ‘executioner’. Due to the fact Mei-Ling did most of the talking, not many people knew what this cloaked individual’s relation to Nǚ Jì Sī was. Some thought they might be a follower, keeping record of the Xian’s many deeds as she traveled the lands ridding the Darkstalker threat. However, due to many stories noticing them dragging a large coffin with them, they believed this individual may actually be quite strong. Some believe they act like an attack dog on a leash, sicked on to the Darkstalkers by Nǚ Jì Sī. The gender of this being has been put into question as not many have heard their voice. However, those who have said it sounded like a woman, full of cheeriness in her tone in one moment and sounding very serious in others. Some wonder if this being is even human. Some believe she may be one that was bestowed great power by Nǚ Jì Sī. Others think she may in fact be a spirit or Xian herself. The more outrageous claims think she may in fact be a demon under the control of Nǚ Jì Sī, repenting for their past transgressions by serving the guardian deity. 

When the two learned of this via gossip and art that depicted her (in various ways based on each person’s belief), Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling had their thoughts. Hsien-Ko thought it was genuinely cool that despite not having her face being shown, she was still effectively becoming a mythical figure, like the being that she obtained her name from. She had a fondness for the title Guì Zi Shǒu. Mei-Ling on the other hand felt some sense of resentment. Considering the spotlight she was receiving despite the fact Hsien-Ko is the one putting in the hard work of defeating the Darkstalkers they faced in their hunts, she felt it was unfair, especially when some artwork depicted her sister as this demon under her control. Part of her wishes she could do something to silence this depiction of her young sister, but Hsien-Ko would calm her sister’s furrowed brow. She explains that if anything, these myths help make their travels easier since humans are more willing to provide aid to a Xian rather than some traveling hunters. And to her, she thinks it is cool that people get creative with these really cool ideas about who she is. She likes the idea of being this powerful enigma to the masses.

[auranova26]

Dark Embrace Powers and Abilities

In this entry, I'd like to go over the powers, abilities, and aspects of the Dark Embrace for Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling as they are quite a big part of Cryas Darkstalkers lore. To start out with, official ref sheets of their designs to help visualize some things that will be discussed:

To start things off, 'Dark Embrace' (Xié è De Yōngbào) is a technique known as a 'Burst'. Burst is the term used by beings in the Cryas Chronicles reality in regard to the ability of using stored potential energy in the individual to invoke a power-up in the individual. This power-up can simply be a boost to aspects of the individual's capabilities or manifest in a transformation in the user. For Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling, the Dark Embrace manifests as a transformation invoked by their Qi, mutated Corriyami, and the 'shadow selves' that were created in them thanks to the mutated Corriyami within. The appearances they take on invoke the looks of beings that would later come to be known as Corrians.

Once both sisters have enough potential energy to initiate the Burst, one sister can trigger the transformation and cause both to transform. Later on, through training they find a way to where only one sister can transform and the other can hold on to their stored energy to tag in later better utilize their stored energy in a strategic manner.

When Hsien-Ko uses the Dark Embrace, her physical strength is bolstered to further heights, allowing her to overpower quite a number of physically powerful individuals in close quarters combat. Not only that, her stamina and endurance are increased to allow her to tank her way through hits with greater ease, allowing her to get into the thick of battle and power on through with great fervor. Another benefit is her healing factor is hastened, allowing her to recover from horrible wounds quicker to allow her to get back into the battle. While it is unknown if Hsien-Ko can regrow body parts while in the Dark Embrace should they be severed, it is theorized that should the limb still be in one piece, she could attach it back and her body could re-attach to the limb. However, neither sister is in a position nor desires to test this theory.

(credit: @o-corvo-art)

An interesting quirk of the Burst is how Hsien-Ko's sleeves can move and function. While Hsien-Ko has always been able to move her sleeves with manipulating her Qi, in the Dark Embrace they move in ways as if they have a mind of their own. The sisters theorize it is Hsien-Ko's 'shadow self' that takes control of the sleeves during the Burst, allowing Hsien-Ko to more focus on what her body is doing. Because the shadow self is a part of her psyche, it synchronizes better with her movements and makes her quite a dangerous foe to face. Speaking of shadows, if Mei-Ling attaches to Hsien-Ko while in the Dark Embrace, she can call forth the Qi and Corriyami in Hsien-Ko's body in the form of an energy mass that is referred to as a 'shadow'. This mass of energy is able to be manipulated to take on the form of fully functioning limbs, weapons of varying kinds only limited by the imagination, or they can attach to the inner lining of Hsien-Ko's sleeves and drape out to give her 'wings' of sorts. These wings allow for Hsien-Ko to fully be able to fly.

(Credit: @itsununnusart) Initially, this shadow mass was only able to be called forth by Mei-Ling, but overtime as Hsien-Ko improved her capabilities with the Dark Embrace she eventually found a way to do it herself. This effectively gives her six functioning limbs to work with, making her incredibly dangerous if she is fresh and ready for battle. Another noteworthy aspect of the Dark Embrace, and the mutated Corriyami in general, for Hsien-Ko is how the influence and voice of her inner jiangshi, Xienian, are effectively nullified. However, cautions are still taken to assure she doesn't taste blood in case that still triggers this inner darkness to come forth.

(credit: @masterartlocked)

Mei-Ling, like Hsien-Ko gets a notable increase to her physical capabilities and stamina, able to match up more to her younger sister's base form. However, that pales in comparison to the other profound changes to her. The immediately noticeable feature of Mei-Ling's Dark Embrace is the shadow mass on her. When she initiates the Burst, her arms melt away as the Qi and Corriyami in her body sprout from where her arms used to be. During this Burst, her shadow becomes her arms. These shadow limbs make Mei-Ling an incredible dangerous foe to face down. These limbs are quite powerful as they are able to pulverize bodies, shatter rocks, and even pierce metal. Not only is it strong, but it is very resilient. While it can be cut off, the shadow will grow back fairly quickly from the stub left on Mei-Ling’s body, without causing pain to the jiangshi spirit. Due to their amorphous nature, they can change shape per Mei-Ling's will. Beyond simply taking on the shape of normal arms and hands, they can change size and length per her will. Should she need to, she can change the shadow to take on the form of varying weapons, of which are many thanks to her knowledge as an enthusiastic weapon master. However, one of the most prominently used forms of her shadow is that of a dragon. This 'shadow dragon' is basically a corrupted mirror image of the memory of seeing her mother's dragon form the day she sacrificed herself. It is a cathartic way for not only her mother to still be aiding her in a way, but for this corrupted image to pulverize her foes with great ferocity.

(credit: @o-corvo-art)

Beyond the shadow, another notable trait of Mei-Ling in the Dark Embrace is the astronomical increase in her magical powers. Not only are her Xianshu arts increased in their potency but so are the many magi artes she learned from her friends and allies in the other reality. So great are her magical capabilities in the Dark Embrace, she is capable of even using the powerful Jrukoshn Aarts with relative ease.

(Credit: Bunny_Bones BunnyBones ✨COMMISSIONS CLOSED✨ (@Bunny_Bones_) / Twitter)

A shared aspects with Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling in the Dark Embrace is the fact that due to the nature of how they obtained this Burst, both sisters are immune to the Corruption inflicted by Corriyami.

Powerful as the Dark Embrace is, it is not without limitations. Like all Bursts, it requires a certain amount of stored potential energy in the user in order to even make use of the Burst, of which the amount varies between each individual, each Burst, and their skill with the Burst. Once the Burst is active, the user only can only keep the Burst active for as long as there is enough stored energy to fuel the Burst. With practice, the energy consumption can be made more efficient to keep the Burst going longer, but eventually the reserves will run dry. Normally once the pool of energy is gone, the Burst will force the user to deactivate the Burst. However, individuals can force the Burst to break past this limitation and keep it going once the potential energy is gone. However, this is incredibly dangerous as the Burst is then relying on the user's own life forces as a means to fuel the Burst. Should the user recklessly keep this up, it can kill the individual. Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling nearly had this happen to them in the Void Labyrinth, the Burst only shutting off once they fell unconscious after a great ordeal. Should this happen, individuals can be left in a comatose like state as their bodies try to recover and stabilize their energy.

[auranova26]

These are official ref sheets I have made for Hsien-Ko Shao and Mei-Ling Shao of Cryas Darkstalkers. Very proud to detail not only their full designs, but aspects of their layers of clothing, tidbits about their bodies, and even how they looked when they were young humans! I did quite a lot of research into their looks and designs since they were born in 1730 AD in the Guanzhong region of what is in the modern Shaanxi province in China. That period of time was during the reign of the Qing Dynasty. Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling are a mix of Han and Manchu.