#yaksha spirit post

[yakshaspirit]

Been recently playing undertale for the first Time and still like thas silly adorable Skelton

This is just a doodle btw also been a while thas i havent draw papyrus and other characters

[verysium]

『02』 原神: genshin impact recs

魈: xiao

preta by @itoshisoup

"People think that ghosts are born exclusively of resentment, but they can also be born of love. Between those driven by resentment and those driven by love, which do you think cling most strongly to their suffering?" Xiao replies without pause, his gaze unfocused yet fixed upon something you cannot see. "Love." After a yaksha saves your life on the Plains of Guili, you insist on joining him in his war against the evils of Liyue. As the two of you encounter hungry ghosts and resentful spirits, you learn about the ones haunting him. notes: incomplete but intricately woven together; heavy emphasis on chinese culture, wuxia/xianxia genres; if you have watched any historical cdrama, you will like this fic; xingqiu and chongyun are wrapped up into the dynamic; xiao wishes to protect you for centuries; him and his paradoxes; not being strong enough to be considered invincible but still strong enough to try

公子: childe

thin ice by @falconcoast

childe is that senior frat boy on teyvat university’s campus. the one who majors in economics because he’s on scholarship to play sports. the one who is way too loud and you can hear him all the way across campus. the one who’s daddy’s money rich because he’s already sponsored, even while just in the ncaa. the one who manages to get everyone to swoon over him.  oh, right. and your favorite title for him: the one hockey captain who hogs all of your free time to skate after lessons because he always steals it.  all you want to do is do your job and teach skating lessons to the kids to keep your mind off the year-old mess with your figure skating, maybe even get an hour of skating in afterwards as a reward. that is, until the hockey coach sits you down and tells you that surprise! you’re the new team manager for liyue’s hockey team! ...it can’t be that hard to manage twenty or so boys and their captain, childe, right? spoilers: it absolutely is.  notes: wonderfully curated modern skating/hockey AU; childe is so american white boy in this; teucer being adorable; diluc and kaeya sibling dynamic is well-established; university and post-grad plans; figuring out your life and then working other people into it

国崩: scaramouche

tea screen by @after-witch

The trembling voice of the tea apprentice carries through the room, and though you can’t see him, you imagine he must be shaking. Who wouldn’t be, tasked with gaining the approval from the Sixth of the Eleven Fatui Harbringers?  notes: forced marriage and abuse; tea ceremony; sort of reminds me of the edo period; examination of womanhood within a patriarchal society; sexy, sad, and scary all at once; i pity the reader at the end; cycle of love and violence

a simple cup of tea by @after-witch

You have to be prepared and poised and perfect. But it’s hard to be all those things, even with the looming threat of your husband sitting next to you, when you’ve got a secret hidden underneath your clothes... notes: reader grapples with lust and objectification; unhealthy dynamic but portrayed realistically in an almost historical setting; reader is unable to separate her identity as wife apart from her husband; women being defined in the context of men; could be a social satire on traditional gender roles if you squint

love is a dog from hell by @itoshisoup

"A will is something you don't have. That's why you'll follow mine." notes: this fic is the reason why i do not think the concept of ownership in love would translate well into real life because it would be so self-destructive; reader struggles with aftermath of abuse and mistakes possession for protection; realistic depiction of unhealthy relationships; the fatui is exactly the dark criminal organization it is supposed to be; human trafficking and child sexual abuse; scaramouche is so goddamn funny i can't

钟离: zhongli

spoil of war by @bye-bye-sunbird

In the dead of night, you hear the sea calling your name. Sometimes the sound is as soft as a love song, gracing your skin in a gentle breeze that lures you to the seashore where the waves can finally lay claim on you. Other times, the sea strikes the land in a deafening, challenging roar. "Really now... How long do you think those mountains of his will stand in my way?" notes: accurate depiction of characters because archon war morax was genuinely terrifying; zhongli trying to deny his obsessive tendencies; rivalry with osial; reader is essentially sanctified as a symbol of innocent purity; imagine having two spiritual gods pine after you while you are helplessly stuck in the middle of their tug-of-war and simultaneously trying to mourn; that is basically the entire premise of this fic

迪卢克: diluc ragnvindr

the parent trap by @falconcoast

twelve years ago, you got married to a man who had swept you off your feet in a little under two years. diluc was like a prince out a of storybook; effortlessly charming, strikingly handsome, and a kind man. you were supposed to live happily ever after at that winery, running a wedding planning empire, having a family, and growing old together.  until it all goes off script with a divorce. flash forward, and the only remnant of diluc that is with you is your daughter, dawn. the only piece of you that remains with diluc is your other daughter and dawn’s twin sister, phoenix.  it isn’t until both of your children get you and your ex-husband in a bit of mess that you realize that maybe, just maybe, you still harbor feelings for diluc.  or maybe it’s the wine talking. notes: one of my favorite comfort fics; i am a sucker for second-chance romance; diluc and reader now older but still being the same bumbling idiots they were when young; at this point the children have more situational awareness than them; based on the original movie; treat yourself to a cup of tea and a friday night with this work and trust me life will be good

博士: il dottore

deus in absentia by @bound-in-parchment

The first time was a coincidence. The second time was a fluke. But the third time? You were starting to think it was fate. Or, more likely, a calculated trap. notes: at this point we can just scrap whatever mihoyo puts out and use this work as canon instead; the world building is so originally creative; this author must possess such a giant sexy brain; reader is basically adopted by dottore and forced to be his apprentice/assistant; idea of losing yourself to your own ambitions; slow-burn to the max; reader is oblivious to full extent of feelings until it is too late; tragic to the point i need a time machine to resurrect them

dream a little of me by @bound-in-parchment

Celestia had a cruel sense of humor. He knew this, even before his days as a student. But to be given a soulmate? Now, when he openly blasphemed against the cursed island in the sky? He would outlive you and the dreadful fated bond that haunted your shared dreams. There was little point in this. He could at least put a Vision to good use. People were nothing but disappointments. He had no use for you. Until you pulled the bow across your instrument and awoke a part of him long buried by self-hatred and arrogance. notes: soulmate trope but with the two most aromantic fools to ever exist; zandik drowns himself in the river of denial; comic dynamic between segments; music and failed dreams; reader actually has a backstory dark enough to match dottore's character; does not shy away from the uncomfortable and gritty aspects of trauma, abuse, and literal mental insanity

chemistry / magnum opus by @jessamine-rose

In the realm of science, love and insanity are closely intertwined mysteries. Disillusioned with the world, you had long forgotten its beauty until the wise doctor gives you a change of perspective. notes: by far the most accurate characterization of akademiya zandik; he hates you then hates himself then hates the world for allowing your paths to cross; treats you as an objective experiment but then wonders why he's suddenly humanizing you; slow-burn; zandik is selfish and machiavellian and somehow you fit into that equation

the only hope i had was the freedom of death by your hands that held me together by @tiens-letters

It was a burden. The weight of the power you hold in all the land. Any human who has enough ambition would dare to covet it and any god even given divine powers would lust after it. You were powerful, able to end civilizations and make a new world altogether. Many would think that you are a sovereign being but you too are limited to mortality than what most would believe. You were human with a blessing of a god and you felt cursed and dirty. notes: honestly the ending made me so mad but take it as a good sign; basically entails the circumstances that would drive dottore to become somewhat capable of love; what is done cannot be undone; zandik finally meeting someone who is wiser and more depressed than him; deluding himself into thinking he could ever be domestically normal; somewhat idolizes/idealizes reader; themes of betrayal and misunderstanding

富者: pantalone

house cat / alea iacta est by @jessamine-rose

Your entire life has been a gilded cage. The gods refuse to grant your greatest wish, and so you have resigned yourself to the will of destiny. But what happens when the red string of fate is severed and replaced with the silver chains of the Regrator? notes: liyue nobility; dishonest business and financial deals; reader is a cat hybrid but i didn't notice until part two because the plot was so good; pantalone is the mastermind behind all his interactions with reader; heavy manipulation and orchestrations; wolf in sheep's clothing; alternate ending found here

隊長: il capitano

herbarium / fairytale / forget-me-not / astilbe by @jessamine-rose

You had long given up on wishes and happy endings. After what you believed to be the end of your tragic story, you resigned yourself to a shadow of a life with only your books and flowers to keep you company…until the vestiges of Windblume brought forth a mysterious stranger and a new ending for your dark fairytale. notes: capitano being the strong stoic protector of a delicately fragile reader; manipulation is so subtle and that is what makes it alarming; somewhat stirred my daddy issues because he is so parental; reader struggles between accepting his love versus hating him for taking away her personal agency; flower motifs

[laurasimonsdaughter]

Genderqueer Folktales (part 2)

I’ve gathered some new gender nonconforming folktales since making part 1, so it’s time for a new post! Again, please keep in mind these are all translations and products of their time. I will still attempt to put some modern-day labels on them to make them easier to navigate:

The Story of the Maiden-Knight Indian legend, published in 1916, based on the Mahabharata.

[Cw: being outed, threat of violence, awkward use of pronouns.]

A king prays for a son to go to battle his enemy, but the god Shiva reveals to him that he “should have a son who should first be a daughter”. Accordingly the child born to them – Shikhandi – is raised as a boy and married to a princess. When he finds out the situation the bride’s father is furious however, and wants to go to war over it. Shikhandi goes into the forest, in the hope that without him there will be no war. There he meets a kind Yakshas (nature spirit) who is willing to lend Shikhandi his manhood until he has saved his father from this threat. But when the king of the Yakshas finds out about this he decrees that the Yakshas will not get his manhood back until Shikhandi’s death.

The Stirrup Moor Albanian folktale, published in 1895.

[Cw: violence, king attempts to steal son’s wives, some uncomfortable descriptions of a black person.]

A prince, through his many adventures, wins the love of three wives: one human lady, one jinn princess, and one Earthly Beauty (a type of fae-like spirit from the underworld). The latter of the three regularly changes between her supernatural female shape and her chosen human form, that of a black man. In this male shape he is a formidable warrior and helps protect both the prince and the other wives. All four eventually live happily ever after.

The Boy-Girl and the Girl-Boy A Gond folktale from Central India, published in 1944.

[Cw: attempt at being outed, awkward use of gendered terms and pronouns, some doubt as to whether the AFAB protagonist is completely happy with the physical change.]

An AFAB child is adopted by a Raja, who accepts him as his son. Near the palace an old woman raises one of her many AMAB children as a girl and arranges a marriage for her. The young couple is very startled at finding out they have “the same parts” but there are not other repercussions. Later the young wife doesn’t dare to go bathing with the other women and meets the Raja’s adopted son, who has run away and changed himself into a bird. The bird offers to “exchange parts” and both protagonists end the story with a body matching their presented gender.

The Girl Who Became a Boy Albanian folktale, published in 1879.

[Cw: preoccupation with sexual ability, attempts to kill protagonist.]

AFAB protagonist answers the king’s call for warriors, dressed as a man. After several great deeds the young man wins a princess’s hand in marriage in another kingdom. He is liked at the court, but they feel obliged to get rid of him because he seems unable to consummate his marriage. He survives every dangerous task, however, and finally is sent to confront a snake infested church. The snakes curse him to become a boy, after which he returns to the court and all ends well.

With an affectionate mention for the 13th century French poem Yde and Olive, which was brought to my attention by @pomme-poire-peche. You can read about this brave princess-turned-knight married to a loyal princess here.

[dailydemonspotlight]

Kumbhanda - Day 130

Race: Haunt Arcana: Hermit Alignment: Dark-Chaos October 18th, 2024 (Posted October 21st, 2024)

Buddhist mythology, contrary to a lot of popular belief that it only consists of prayer and spiritualism, has a lot of spirits, deities, and the sort making up its many pages. We've talked about this plenty, of course, throughout this series, but it still amazes me how many little-known beings there are in Buddhism, with so many representing what may happen if you break from virtue or otherwise being entities that represent aspects of Buddhist life- what to avoid and what to strive for. However, there are also plenty of Buddhist beings that are not that, and are frankly just strange and incredibly interesting in equal measure, and today's Demon of the Day is just that- the Kumbhanda.

Curiously contrasting their portrayal in SMT, a Kumbhanda is contemporarily seen as a very short, squat, and plump figure in much the same vein as a Preta. Mentioned alongside Nagas, Yakshas, and Asuras, a Kumbhanda is, in effect, one of the many Buddhist minor deities, this time being a creature who is, in effect, an alternate form of a Pisahcha. Not a lot is known, if even said about Kumbhanda's, which isn't even said to be their real name according to the article linked- according to the article, their real name, which was Prakritized into Kumbhanda, is actually Kushmanda, meaning Pot-egg. On top of this, while some sources state that the Kushmanda are horse-like in appearance, the real truth appears to be that they're black-skinned, long-nosed figures carrying ropes and weaponry, tying them together even more with Pisacasa's.

Kushmanda's were given the primary job of punishing people in hell, being short, pot-bellied figures wearing nothing but a loincloth who would beat and punish people who had committed grave acts. They seem to be described as the most 'powerful' of these servants, but I can't really concretely state this to be true- not a lot is said or even known about Kushmanda's, as they're a very obscure proponent of Buddhist mythology as a whole. Minor deities are many in many Indian religions, of course, but there's far more to work off of with, say, Raksha's than there is to work off with Kushmanda's. After all, one of the most prominent fun facts I see about them is that they have giant balls. Seriously. Still, given the relative lack of information, the design of this horse-like monster in SMT stands out as a personal favorite of mine, and for many reasons.

While not accurate in the slightest, the snout of this demon calls back to the conflation between it and another horse-like being in Buddhist mythology that is mentioned in the primary article I worked off of for this DDS, and most everything else is taken from the main sources- black/bluish skin, weaponry and ropes, and the... uh, genitals in prominent display actually all are very accurate to most depictions of Kumbhanda's that I am aware of. Besides, for the relative lack of sources to go off of, I'm surprised they got such a cohesive and intimidating design, and I absolutely love it for what it is.

[grislyintentions]

|| Commentary: Adepti Lore ||

NOTE: Spoilers included if you haven't played through Chenyu Vale things Strap in for the incessant chatter folks.

Things discussed:

Mythology involving the "nature" of adeptus and gods + common themes discussed/covered in chinese mythological drama/stories

Fujin, Herblord and Xiao relations to one another

Cultural significance of Jade and it's value

The Nature of "Good" and "Evil" (Spiritual Karma)

As I have previously shared here in this post, we do not consider spirits to be inherently good or evil in nature. Every living thing accumulate karma in their lifetime based on their actions and motivations: even the divine are not exempt from this and can very well be judged based on that -squints at neuvillette-

These voicelines comment on exactly that:

With regards to Fujin's comment about no one remaining an adeptus forever and my previous post covering how the lingering grudges/remnants of deities cannot be completely erased, it ties into soul/spirit cultivation.

While the divine cannot truly be "killed" in the conventional sense, they can lose their abilities as well as physical form. They can undergo things like erosion, corruption and become tainted. They can lose their divine nature, their spirit can be dispersed and linger in specific areas where they have strong emotional ties to. Over time, they vanish and lose all ability to be able to interact with the current plane of existence they are in. Eg: traces of the fallen Yaksha can still be detected but their will can no longer be returned/coalesced. Remember what happened to Yelan and company in the chasm quest? Yeah.

Fujin, Herblord and Xiao Relation:

From Fujin's narration of the past, there might be a possibility that she, Herblord (likely Changsheng) and Xiao all served under the Goddess at one point. (This may also be why Xiao recognised Baizhu in the doctor's story quest.)

I theorise that when Fujin and Herblord defected, Xiao remained behind. Given references to Xiao's character story (4th one), it is implied that he was kept captive by means of the 'cruel god' exploiting his weakness and used as a "bloodhound" in his youth. He was subsequently rescued by Rex Lapis and in Fujin's statement, she spoke of a goddess seeking power/security yet ultimately being overpowered by Morax. What better way would a god seek power/safety by ensuring that the ability to grant the dreams of others remain solely her own? And the will to take it away also remain hers (by means of having an adeptus who can devour dreams be by her side?). More elaboration on her intentions and use of Xiao here in this post.

Cultural Significance of Jade and it's Value:

Even today, Jade is highly valued for it's cultural significance. In fact there is an ongoing argument about how it's more valuable than gold to this day.

Many associate the material with prosperity, longevity, immortality, harmony, purity so on so forth. When accompanied with gold, they tie into themes of "heaven and earth". They can be used as a medium of communication, spiritual healing or warding off evils.

Hence, the depiction of the "Jade Emperor" being the representation of a primordial god.

[ruibaozha]

An Exceedingly Brief Introduction to Nezha's Weapons

Hello hello! This post has been re-formatted out of an ask for visibility purposes.

I'm sure items like Nezha's Wind Fire Wheels and Flame Tipped Spear are well known iconography, but in the spirit of over-explaining I would like to describe where these weapons came from among others within his arsenal. This post will overlap with a handful of points I had been saving for a post describing Nezha's military career so I apologize if anything stated becomes redundant.

Did you know that Nezha's conflicts with Ao Guang and the Lady Rock Demoness pre-date the publication of Canonization of the Gods? These stories appear elsewhere succinctly within the Ming-period encyclopedia The Grand Compendium of the Three Religions' Deities which record the careers of more than a hundred divinities, like Guanyin and Mazu (1). One of which described is Nezha. The translated description of his strength is as follows:

Nezha was originally a great arhat-immortal in the service of the Jade Emperor. He was six feet tall, his head crowned by a golden disc. He had six heads, nine eyes, and eight arms. He puffed out dark clouds. He stood on a large rock. His hand weilded an instrument of the law (falü). He roared loudly, summoning clouds and rain, shaking Heaven and Earth. Because the world was full of demon-kings, the Jade Emperor ordered him incarnated on earth ... The demons were all subdued by Nezha: The Bull Demon King, the Lion Demon King, the Elephant Demon King, the Horse-Headed Demon King, the World-Devouring Demon King, the Mother-of-Demons Demon King, the Nine-Headed Demon King, the Tārā Demon King, the Brahmā Demon King, the five-hundred yakshas, and the seventy-two Fire Crows all surrendered to him. (2)

And this reputation as a devout acolyte of either the Buddha or the Jade Emperor depending on which era you are drawing upon is something to be elaborated upon later. The very difference between it being the World-Honored One or the Jade Emperor sending Nezha to quell these demons is worthy of it's own elaborations, however we are here to discuss the two iconic stories that lead to his eventual suicide. Even within the pages of The Grand Compendium he could not escape his own demise:

When he was five days old, Nezha went bathing in the Eastern Ocean. He trampled over the [dragon king's] Crystal Palace. He somersaulted straight to the top of the Precious Pagoda. Because he had trampled over his palace, the infuriated dragon king challenged him to fight. By then, Nezha was already seven days old, and he could overcome the nine dragons. The old dragon had no choice, except complaining to the [Jade] Emperor. The General [Nezha] knew of his intention. Intercepting him by Heaven's Gate, he killed the dragon. Mounting the Jade Emperor's altar, Nezha took the Buddha's bow and arrows. He shot an arrow, unintentionally killing Lady Rock's son. Lady Rock raised an army to fight him. The General [Nezha] took the Demon-Felling Club from his father's altar and, fighting his way Westwards, slew her. Considering that Lady Rock had been the demons' chief, Nezha's father was infuriated. He worried lest his son's killing her would provoke the demon hordes to war. Therefore, the General [Nezha] sliced off his flesh and bones, returning them to his father. Holding fast to his inner soul (zhen ling), he hastened to the Buddha's side, pleading that the World-Honored One make him complete once more. Considering that Nezha could subdue demons, the Buddha snapped a lotus flower. He fashioned it's stem into bones, it's roots into flesh, it's fiber into tendons, and it's leaves into clothes, giving life to Nezha once more. (3)

There are of course similarities and differences but I mention this as it sets forward a number of precedents. Established is the moment Nezha is bathing in the river, the conflict with the dragon king Ao Guang, the presence of a bow and arrow, subjugation of a rock-spirit, and introduction of his iconic lotus motifs to name a few. But more pressingly it helps set the stage for what is perhaps the earliest known documentation of these tales.

Between 1228 and 1250 the Quanzhou Pagodas were constructed, the stone monuments depicting 80 Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, saints, and guardian divinities. The ground floor features ferocious martial gods protecting the stupa's gates so it is not a surprise that Nezha is found here protecting those behind him. Within the southest corner of the Eastern Pagoda's ground level, flanking both sides of the ornamental gate, are the tablets showing a benign and wrathful Nezha.

Notice the dragon beneath his feet, the belt made from it's tendons in his left hand and the divine bow in his right.

Notice the six arms and three heads. Alongside holding a sword, Nezha is also holding both a sun and a moon which was typical of many Tantric deities (4).

I only look so far back to help establish the image of the Nezha I am about to describe. The Song and Ming periods had a penchant for depicting Nezha with a fire-emanating wheel and/or fire-emanating ball such as within Hong Mai's Record of Hearsay (夷堅志). The story follows a Jiangxi ritual master named Cheng who was attacked by a strong stone spirit, he recites the "Spell of Nezha's Fireball" to summon him.

Cheng anxiously recited a spell and walked the Big Dipper Outline. The prodigy showed not the slightest fear and gradually pressed in against his body. Cheng realized that this was a stone spirit. Consequently he recited the "Spell of Nezha's Fireball" and, forming a mudrā, recited: "Divine General! Can you tolerate a wang-liang demon obstructing my way? Expel him forthwith!" Suddenly a fireball emerged from behind Cheng's body and struggled with the black lump. After a while a noise burst out, like clashing metal, and the black lump disappeared. The fireball made several revolutions around Cheng's body and also vanished. (5)

The Ming-era fiction, theatre dramas and overly-flattering literature largely named Nezha's fiery weapon as a Dharma wheel, a fire wheel, or a golden wheel. Within The Grand Compendium Nezha is using the Dharma wheel, in Zhu Youdun's The Bodhisattva Manjusri Subjugates the Lion Nezha is using the golden wheel against the fearsome animal, and the 1592 edition of The Journey to the West describes his "lightning-propelled fire wheel"(6). The presence of the fire wheel is not completely unique to Nezha though as it is an ancient emblem of Buddhist law, a similarly Ming-era mural within the Beijing Fahai Temple showing a Tantric deity with six arms and a weapon held by each. The flame wheel is also present here.

The flame wheel was not alone though, often Nezha would have an embroidered ball accompanying it. The Journey to the West would explain it's use in conjunction with the flaming wheel: "The lightning propelled fire wheel was like darting flame; Hither and thither the embroidered ball rotated"(7).

Even Nezha's golden brick has it's roots. Mark Meulenbeld has argued that the golden brick used against his brother Muzha within Canonization of the Gods has origins in Ming Daoist scriptures. The ritual compendium The Daoist Methods United in Principle, which predates Canonization by over two centuries, recommends the use of golden bricks for locking demons in bottles (8).

Equally an argument can be made that Nezha's Wind Fire Wheels and Flame Tipped spear have roots within Daoist exorcism with Buddhist overlap. By the fifteenth century edition of The Daoist Methods United in Principle Nezha is described weilding the golden brick, a golden spear, and riding fire wheels(9).

There are of course other weapons to address, like his qiankun pouch, the qiankun hoop, his sky ribbon, and the Nine Dragon Holy Fire Cover. Please let me know if there is curiosity for these other weapons.

Citations:

(1) This compendium survives presently in both a Ming-era edition titled Sanjiao yuanliu shengdi fozu sou shen daquan (三教源流搜神大全) and a Qing-era edition titled Huitu sanjiao yuanliu soushen daquan (绘图三教搜神大全).

(2) Within the Ming-era edition this description is present on pages 326-327. Within the Qing-era edition, 330-331.

(3) Within the Ming-era edition this is described on page 326. Within the Qing-era edition, page 330.

(4) It is worth saying that this well may not be Nezha. The pagodas lack cartouches. Within Twin Pagodas of Zayton G. Ecke and P. Demiéville cite a local tradition to identify the three-headed six-armed guardian as an asura demon and the opposite image as the dragon king Sāraga. However a proper association between the images is never made and both the bow and tendons are unexplained.

(5) The translation used here is by Edward Davis within Society and the Supernatural on pages 47-48. Within Hong Mai's Yijian zhi the original is on pages 1429-1430. Davis identifies Cheng as a village ritual master and thus distinguished from Daoist priests. However, Li Fengmao's Wuying xinyang on pages 573-574 highlights the orthodox Daoist elements within Cheng's performance.

(6) It may be worth comparing editions here. Take the Ming and Qing era editions of The Grand Compendium page 326 and page 330 respectively against Wu Cheng'en's Journey to the West 4.44, translated by Anthony Yu on 1:129.

(7) This is also Anthony Yu's translation within 1:129.

(8) Daofa huiyuan, DZ 1220, 240.11a, 138.13a and Fahai yizhu, DZ 1166, 15.17a; Meulenbeld's chapter 5 of Demonic Warfare.

(9) Daofa huiyuan, DZ 1220, 138.13a.

[s3a0tterart]

Fallout oc song piece 1

(Ill do more every now and then)

Raiden- Army Dreamers, Kate bush

Ive wanted to do a piece like this for a while and this is Raiden theyre a Yaksha (nature spirit) and they wander the wasteland trying to return life to the wasteland and their lil snake buddy “Thyme”

Raiden is pre war and has always been against violence and war even pre war and now post war that has not changed theyve seen as history repeats itself with humans and keeps their distance only going to settlements when necessary

[avikats66]

Japanese Buddhist Hand Seals

So have y’all seen this post?

I did some rough translations for the hand seals’ corresponding Japanese deities shown on the source website, featuring romanization of the Japanese kanji alongside the Sanskrit romanization for their Buddhist/Hindu counterparts and a brief descriptor based on what I found using the internet.

印 / Shirushi / Mudra

1 釈迦如来 / Shaka Nyorai / Shakyamuni / Historical Buddha and founder of Buddhism

2 薬師如来 / Yakushi Nyorai / Bhaisajyaguru / Medicine Buddha

3 阿弥陀如来 / Amida Nyorai / Amitābha / Buddha of Limitless Light

4 弥勒如来(弥勒菩薩) / Miroku Nyorai (Miroku Bosatsu) / Maitreya / Future Buddha

5 大日如来 / Dainichi Nyorai / Mahāvairocana / Cosmic Buddha

6 仏眼仏母 / Butsu Genbutsu Mo / Buddhalocanā / Buddha Eye Buddha

7 観世音菩薩 / Kanzeon Bosatsu / Avalokiteśvara / Bodhisattva of Compassion

8 十一面観音 / Juuichimen Kannon / Ekādaśamukha / Eleven-Faced Kannon

9 千手観音 / Senju Kannon / Avalokiteshvara / Thousand-Armed Kannon

10 不空羂索観音 / Fukuukenjaku Kannon / Amoghapasa / Unfailing Lasso Kannon

11 如意輪観音 / Nyoirin Kannon / Cintāmaṇi Cakra / Wishing Gem Wheel Kannon

12 馬頭観音 / Batou Kannon / Hayagriva / Horse Head Kannon

13 准胝観音 / Jundei Kannon / Cundī / Female Buddhist Deity

14 文殊菩薩 / Monju Bosatsu / Manjushri / Bodhisattva of Transcendent Wisdom

15 普賢菩薩 / Fugen Bosatsu / Samantabhadra / Bodhisattva of Practice

16 勢至菩薩 / Seishi Bosatsu / Mahāsthāmaprāpta / Bodhisattva of Wisdom

17 日光菩薩 / Nikkou Bosatsu / Sūryaprabha / Bodhisattva of Sunshine and Good Health

18 月光菩薩 / Gakkoi Bosatsu / Candraprabha / Bodhisattva of Moonlight

19 虚空蔵菩薩 / Kokuuzou Bosatsu / Ākāśagarbha / Bodhisattva of Space

20 地蔵菩薩 / Jizou Bosatsu / Kṣitigarbha / Bodhisattva of Children, Travellers, and the Deceased

21 金���サッタ/ Kongousatta / Vajrasattva / Vajra Bodhisattva

22 般若菩薩 / Hannya Bosatsu / Prajñāpāramitā Devī / Bodhisattva of Inconceivable Wisdom

23 薬王菩薩 / Yakuou Bosatsu / Bhaiṣajyarāja / Bodhisattva of Medicine

24 軍荼利明王 / Gundari Myouou / Kundali / Wisdom King and Dharmapala

25 大威徳明王 / Daiitoku Myouou / Yamāntaka / Wisdom King and Destroyer of Death

26 金剛夜叉明王 / Kongouyasha Myouou / Vajrayaksa / Wrathful Wisdom King and Manifestation of Kannon/Amoghasiddhi

27 烏枢沙摩明王 / Ususama Myouou / Ucchusma / Wrathful Wisdom King and Remover of Impurities

28 愛染明王 / Aizen Myouou / Rāgarāja / Wisdom King who Transforms Lust into Spiritual Awakening

29 不動明王 / Fudou Myouou / Acala / Vanquisher of Evil and Protector of the State

30 降三世明王 / Gouzanze Myouou / Trailokyavijaya / King of Knowledge and Conqueror of the Three Worlds

31 大元帥明王 / Daigensui Myouou / Āṭavaka / Yaksha Wisdom King

32 孔雀明王 / Kujaku Myouou / Mahamayuri / Protective Goddess and Wisdom King

33 六字明王 idk how best to read this one tbh, but the English translation is: Wisdom King of the Six Characters, referencing the Six-Words-Great-Enlightening-Dharani (chant), which is associated with Avalokiteśvara / Oṃ maṇi padme hūm̐ (praise to the jewel in the lotus)

34 毘沙門天 / Bishamonten / Vaiśravaṇa / Heavenly King and God of Warriors

35 吉祥天 / Kisshouten / Śrī Mahādevī (Lakshmi) / Goddess of Beauty, Fertility, and Good Fortune

36 梵天 / Bonten / Brahma / God of Creation

37 帝釈天 / Taishakuten / Śakra / Ruler of the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven

38 弁才天 / Benzaiten / Saraswati / Goddess of the Arts

39 大黒天 / Daikokuten / Mahākāla / God of Household Wealth and Fortune

40 深沙大将 / Jinja Taishou / Shensha Shen / Protective Desert Entity originating from Chinese lore and associated with Bishamonten/Vaiśravaṇa

41 歓喜天 / Kangiten / Nandikeshvara / Sacred Bull Mount and Guardian God to Shiva

42 荼吉尼天 / Dakiniten / Dākinī / Dakini (flesh-eating spirit) Goddess associate with Inari

43 伎芸天 / Gigeiten / Celestial Maiden and Patron of the Arts said to be born from Daijizaiten/Mahesvara

44 摩利支天 / Marishiten / Mārīcī / Goddess of Light, Dawn, and Patron of Warriors

45 韋駄天 / Idaten / Skanda / Messenger and Protector of Buddhist Shrines/Teachings

46 鬼子母神 / Kishimojin / Hārītī / Wrathful and Protective Goddess of Children

47 閻魔天 / Enmaten / Yama / God of Death and Justice

48 大日如来法界定 / Dainichi Nyorai Houkai / Mahāvairocana/Vairocana Dharmadhatu / Cosmic Buddha Realm

[journeytothewestresearch]

How to Turn Sun Wukong into a Woman

No, this post has nothing to do with the 72 changes. It is a byproduct of my recent "How to Kill Sun Wukong" article. It details a ritual (from another famous vernacular novel) that secretly steals an immortal's spirit, tethers it to a straw effigy, and then kills the target by shooting it with arrows. In that article, I introduced a story idea where Zhu Bajie and/or Sha Wujing could race to stop the ritual. But what if they failed and the Monkey King was killed?

The rite only terminates the immortal's physical body. It doesn't destroy the spirit. And since Wukong hasn't yet achieved Buddha-Nature, meaning he is still subject to the wheel of rebirth, his spirit would report to the underworld for processing. He could definitely be transferred to a new reincarnation; however, considering the journey would still be ongoing and the Tang Monk is always in trouble, heaven might rush to find our hero a new body. This actually happens to a minor character in the 1592 JTTW.

The ledgers of hell show that the deceased wife of a Tang official was fated to live a long life (i.e. she wasn't supposed to be dead). Therefore, the underworld bureaucracy takes the timely passing of the Tang Emperor's sister as an opportunity to force the soul of the official's wife into the princess' body. The best part is that she still retains her memories from her past life (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, pp. 268-269)!

Heaven might find the only suitable body that can contain Monkey's soul is a recently deceased demoness (fox, yaksha, tree, etc.). [1] I imagine this would result in Sun Wukong being weaker, not because she's now a woman, but because few beings can match Monkey's original physical and magical might. This would naturally lead to her coming to terms with a loss of power. She could still be a very strong fighter, just not as strong as her past life. This might cause her to use more cunning when dealing with especially powerful evils encountered along the journey.

What do you think?

Image found here. By @elysiel.

Note:

1) I even considered Princess Iron Fan as the receptacle. However, she is said to having a positive fate in the novel: "In the end she, too, attained the right fruit [i.e. Buddhist merit] and a lasting reputation in the sutras” (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 3, p. 163). I think choosing her would muddy our Lady's accomplishments.

Source:

Wu, C., & Yu, A. C. (2012). The Journey to the West (Vols. 1-4) (Rev. ed.). Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press.

[corvus-rose]

I saw you reblog the Storyteller Saturday post; what stories do you have? owo

Answers of a Yaksha, a bittersweet romance fantasy about Vayu, a formerly human boy trapped by a cannibalistic undead in another world who meets Eden, an amnesiac nature spirit in his dreams. Romance ensues, trying to help Vayu escape is an ongoing Thing, and some very hard truths about Eden's past turn up. This is what most of my followers know me best for, via Vayuden shenanigans.

Bhajana/Edensoul, the WIP that Vayu/Yuya and Eden were originally from. Basically, imagine a soulslike based on Hindu mythology and Bengali folklore, among other assorted influences from the Indian subcontinent, and mix in a little Stardew-cozy-game gardening.

Manyuvya (or yuya, or vayu) is the last remaining demigod companion of Vidhana (or Eden), the divine heart of the land, who is comatose and dying due to poisoning by a bioweapon during the colonial era. Bringing her back from the brink of death involves regrowing the land and defeating a bunch of Shades who are making shit worse.

Guardian Project, young adult magical girl deconstruction-reconstruction in the framework of an urban/modern fantasy world where magical transforming fighters and the beasts from the astral plane they fight are a very public and well known thing, and their faction politics and turf wars play a big role.

As for the plot, Maria Takei was an ordinary 20 year old until she gets kidnapped by the Primordial Lord Iris, and months later gets shot trying to escape. But luckily, she's revived by a guardian star, turning her into one of those magical transforming fighters known as guardians, and escapes into Yokohama. Unfortunately, in doing so, she's landed on the radar of every guardian faction in the city, who all want her with them and not the others... and most of which don't have her best interests in mind. Chaos ensues.

This is actually an ensemble cast, with Mari and her two erstwhile protectors, fellow magical girls Kiko and Hana, making up about a third of the cast. There's also the teamup between the Exiles and another Primordial Lord Roccinelle that puts together quite possibly the worst conceived guardian team ever of Noria and Ursa (Exiles) and Roccinelle's servant Karina, and the Arcadian Guard's Orion Team (Sadako, Aki, Athena, and Kosuke), seasoned guardians who have personal issues on issues that are kind of exacerbated by Arcadia's shady practices beneath its shining exterior.

Hoursverse is a setting that contains many stories, so I'll save that for another ask if anyone wants to ask.

Mahanagar 20XX is my attempt at cyberpunk in a setting that doesn't really get that treatment -- which is Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Medical student Narayan Saha lands himself in a very, very bad situation and needs to pay a pissed-off industrialist a lot of money in two months time. He turns to crime. It goes exceptionally poorly for him.

There's assorted other stories and AUs that real ones will know about.

[dxstopiaa]

Mystic Saviour

Summary: You’ve been caught off guard whilst venturing in the wild, luckily being saved by a peculiar individual. Wait where have they gone..?

Characters: Xiao, Wanderer/Kunikuzushi, Heizou

Warnings: May detail injury, Includes Wanderer’s prior status as Fatui, Fighting.

Thank you for the love on my last post, i really appreciate it! 🤍

Xiao

•You’ve been told numerous times that a weapon is one of the most valuable resources a fighter could have, it could make the difference between life and death in many cases.

•Why did today have to be the day you were unarmed? A simple stroll on the once tranquil beaches of Liyue, overlooked by Wangshu Inn had transformed into one of the most dangerous instances you’ve been in so far.

•Metal whirring and mechanical groans surrounded your defenceless body, levitating battle machines and sentient life forms appeared to have an keen eye for a certain adventurer, just so happened to be in their spirits today.

•Impending doom cursed the atmosphere, waves of terror radiated underneath your skin, grasping onto a local wooden spear on the docks where the fishermen occasionally resided. The reason why was explained by your surroundings. You turned to face the entities, the sheer size of them sending you signals to evacuate, however you knew that they would catch up to you, so that wasn’t a choice.

• But hurling the metal-tipped naginata into the ruin hunter’s optic, amber eye was one. Flashes of electric currents urged through the enemy, booming cries of dismantlement as it crashed into the pits of the sand. Though your achievement was short lived as you were knocked off your feet, harsh tough metal crashing into your ribs, tossing you into the abandoned residency nearby.

• The Ruin entity continued to approach you, clouds of sand flew up with every motion of its false limbs, the scent of destruction and rusting iron became more apparent with every step, almost destined you to a fate of cruel, cold fatality. A weak clatter of your staff upon the pine decking signified defeat.

•Though you’d find this wasn’t the case, a pair of hands latched onto your forearm and gestured you out of the path, settling you against the greenery of the tree nearby. His luminous irises were squinting slightly, searching yours hastily.

•Everything about him seemed battle orientated, the lengthy jade polearm which stood in his hands, almost proudly, to the teal, abyssal depths of his yaksha mask upon his hip, which he placed upon his face with a scarred hand, coarse and rough, tainted from years of physical damage and torture upon him.

•The aura of karma surrounded him, coursing through his initially gentle touch, influencing immense power which came with severe guilt. All these emotions must be so overwhelming, yet he persevered. The adeptus leapt into the air, spinning his staff skilfully, subjecting a death that could make the most insentient beings feel tsunamis of regret and repentance.

•Destruction in the name of justice was served, demolished chaos circuits and cores laid defeated, their owners and hosts no where to be seen. The Yaksha took down his veil, returning it to it’s rightful position and he grasped the glowing core at his feet, vanishing.

•He materialised before you, holding out the core and placing it into your shaking palms, giving you a concerned glance. All you could muster out was a meek apology and a symbol of your gratitude, a smile. The Adeptus responded with a curt nod, turning away from you and facing the inn.

•‘No need, this is only my duty, though i request you keep proper armoury and stray away from such an area.’ He muttered, half looking back at you with a turned head, dissipating. Well, I assure you this won’t be the only interaction with him.

Wanderer

•What was i thinking stumbling into this area? Was the only question circulating in your mind, tapping your chin lightly with the pads of your fingertips. You were currently situated behind a rather bare bush in a forest, somewhat deserted of foliage due to the Withering.

•That was why you were here to investigate the reoccurring contamination of the Withering zones and lessen the workload of the Forest Rangers. Though it appeared somebody beat you to it.

•Standing in an authoritative manner were a range of Fatui employees. Some were Pyro agents, others were skirmishers and legionnaires. They all seemed to be surveying their surroundings, for something..? If you could go back into time, you would berate yourself for even attempting to interfere. You rose from your crouching position lightly, skipping to another to hear a fragment of their conversation.

•Perhaps you weren’t the only person who listened to the way the your foot thudded against the tree roots, for their heads all swiftly turned directly into your direction. Shit.

•The dual agents gestured to eachother simultaneously, turning invisible with occasional streaks of ruby trailing them rather counterproductively. Before you knew it, you scrambled up to your feet, desperate hands clawing at the rough, textured tree bark as the fatui agents seized you by your biceps, tossing you into the soil below.

•A pained huff escaped you, beaming the most hateful stare you could develop at them as you were dragged into the camp tents and discarded. Cringing at the aggressive manner at which they simply threw at you without second instinct.

•’Seems like our target walked straight into us hm? How efficient and kind of you..’ The Geochanter trailed off, in a pathetically infuriating tone. This was very quickly dismissed as you realised that you were their assumed victim, painting a perplexed expression upon your bruised features.

•’Why don’t we collect this bounty the easier way? Well for us anyhow.’ He continued, circling your hurt form, a scowl apparent even underneath his bandaged face, piercing eye gleaming into your own. Although you maintained your fierce glower, masking the embodiment of trepidation, much like said geochanter.

•The admonishment he pursued did not falter, hosting of weapons and artillery presented by his subordinates. Your eyes scrunched closed in a petrified manner, hysterically shaking your hands in-front of you as if that would result in less harm.

•A thunderous shout followed by slow, taunting footsteps sounded through the forest, a tone so sharp that the fatui themselves cowered once recognised. His imperious, peremptory voice echoed pure fear from the pits of the enlisted fatui, they bowed down with their hands upon their hearts.

•‘It’s pathetic how you are so quick to bow down before me yet i want nothing to do with such deplorable fodder.’ He sniggered. An amused chuckle followed, his footfall became louder as his stride maintained the same intimidating pace.

•’My Lord Balladeer! Please forgive us, this wasn’t our intention!’ They harmoniously begged, falling to their knees in utter respect, or which you perceived to be. His disapproving glare met their heads, tilting the geochanter’s own up with an artificial arm stemming from behind him.

•‘Nonsense!’ He scolded, aggressively slamming the general’s head into the ground below, rendering him completely unconscious as he stepped over him, dismissing the rest of the soldiers, which scurried away, leaving you and the superior alone.

•Looking up at him, you saw a younger man with his arms folded upon his chest, the previously crimson and amethyst attire altering into one of cyan and ivory at the command of a closed hand flicking open, which stood a vision he had successfully concealed. His eyes softened slightly as he somewhat pitifully lent his arm out towards you.

•After gracefully accepting his aid, you dusted off your soiled clothing, he emitted an enlivened snicker in the direction of the escapees. ‘What cowards!’ He exclaimed teasingly. It would be a lie to say you weren’t still rather aghast by that predicament, questionably looking at him.

•‘You’re welcome, if you ever encounter them again, which i never think you will, don’t be afraid to contact me.’ He cryptically responded, leaving a sort of device in your palms which pulsated with radiance, inspecting it with pure curiosity.

•You didn’t have a second glimpse of him, as by the time you lifted your head up, he already gone,sighing deeply as you restarted your investigation.

Heizou

•The plains of Inazuma were awfully quiet, warranting extreme caution for any aware passer-by’s. Although, observation didn’t seem to be a common skill, the sheer hefty figures of robberies, assaults and murders told you so.

•Sighing deeply at your so far unsuccessful survey, you proceeded to follow the path laid out upon you, pebbles scattered in an uneven manner, which almost resembled footprints, was your first lead for a while. There were numerous, you could only assume a larger group of criminals had just paced through these lands moments ago.

• A multitude of malefactors meant increased danger, was that such a risk you were willing to take? Ultimately deciding in favour of the investigation, you proceeded to inquire the area, besides who else would do so? The rest of the Tenryou Commission had their own duties..

• Shortly after your first clue, another appeared. This time it was a wooden cart, majority of it’s contents messily emptied either into large cases or onto barrels unkemptly scattered around the radius of a local tree. Journals filled with timings of meetings hung from the branches, barely legible from the torn pages. Pfft, is this a trap or simple, lazy misconduct? Both were valid, considering these were the infamous treasure hoarders.

•Masses of bronze insignias resided on the overgrown greenery, a perquisite war ground supposedly. That’s how you knew. The closest meeting was at midnight, bordering the Chinju Forest coast. You would have adequate timing to reach said location, why not try?

•Distant bells rung signalling 12am as you approached the desolate coast, a mere pathetic campfire flickered, surrounded by poorly assembled tents. You entered the makeshift campsite and knelt down to observe the notes scattered on the sand, partly damp from the rising tides.

•A tribe of treasure hoarders collected on the many rocks meters away from the camp, noticing you, the infiltrator. Quiet scoffs sounded as they realised you had obtained their information. Now something had to be done.

•Unsheathing of switchblades and axes filled your eardrums, your pupils dilated in stupefaction, immediately rotating on your heel and kicking the offender from his feet with your calf, hands grounded. One down, though many more to go, why were there so many? A heavy army that you could most likely fall beneath due to the complete scale of them. While you knew you were a particularly skilled fighter, multiple enemies were something you hadn’t grassed up on for quite some time.

•Opting to individually take down as many as you could, you dislodged your weapon from it’s scabbard, slashing it for as much area of affect you could possibly obtain, undertaking the strenuous task drained your stamina gradually until you could not endure the hordes any longer.

• You collapsed onto your back, desperately trying to defend yourself from capture, frustrated grunts left you when your futile efforts failed. Daggers of disgust and vexation left your irises and penetrated their own eyes, eyebrows corrugating. Before you knew so, you were thrown against a fence, handcuffed to its railings.

•’It was bad enough realising what horrendous atrocities you’ve committed, let alone your guilty hands daring to touch me.’ You scowled, words filled with repulsion as you thrashed against the metallic fencing, attracting as much noise possible.

•’Quiet! Your pathetic commission couldn’t catch us for the past year, what’s different now?’ A elder, grim-looking man retaliated, spitting into the dismal campfire, which resembled the flame from a match rather than the hearty warmth of camps. You bit your lip in an attempt to remain silent, besides that was the only way to ensure survival, these guys were clearly the only remaining elites left.

•A triumphant-sounding huff escaped from the other treasure hoarders, who decided that was your attempts, turning the opposite direction from you and finding a more solitary area so you couldn’t catch onto their plans. You sank further to the ground, feelings of failure and forfeit overwhelmed you, bowing your head from shame. Yet again another employee entrapped after attempting to do the same to their captors.

•’My, i never expected to see you in such a predicament, partner.’ A hushed voice whispered from behind you, ‘Require my assistance?’ A quick turn of your head confirmed that indeed, this was Heizou, your co-worker assigned to you. Seems you lost the gamble you made with him.

• He cheekily dangled the keys to the handcuffs next to your ear, to which you scoffed and told him to ‘quit playing games and put them in the handcuffs rather than me.’ Once he successfully unlocked the hindrance, you quickly yet stealthily collected all relevant evidence they left behind, capturing relevant photos and retrieving documents.

•It appeared Heizou busied himself with containing the remaining culprits, tossing them quite carelessly into the cart the commission brought to transport them into their well deserved prisons. He let out a strained sigh, sweeping away the stray burgundy strands of his hair which were occupying his vision whilst he approached you.

•’That’s all of them, i suppose, i thank you for the evidence, and your bravery..’ The youthful detective praised, which was dismissed with ‘Though i still think i need that promise of buying me katsu curry, you lost the bet after all.’ A swift, playful nudge of your elbow into his ribs, followed by quick kisses to the moles under his eyes, exerted a breathless giggle from him, into which you continued to stroll back to Inazuma city, indulging in conversation…

[yakshaspirit]

Some improvement there :)

[dkniade]

Allusions to Su Shi’s “Shui Diao Ge Tou” in Liyue’s Storyline

Continuation from this post

You know, when I first made the connection it was really a “Wait a minute… Ohh my god wait wait wait—” moment, haha

Here’s the original poem in Chinese:

水调歌头·明月几时有

宋词：苏轼

丙辰中秋，欢饮达旦，大醉，作此篇，兼怀子由。

明月几时有？把酒问青天。不知天上宫阙，今夕是何年。我欲乘风归去，又恐琼楼玉宇，高处不胜寒。起舞弄清影，何似在人间。

转朱阁，低绮户，照无眠。不应有恨，何事长向别时圆？人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全。但愿人长久，千里共婵娟。

A nice English translation here, from EastAsiaStudent.net

How Liyue’s Storyline (and Venti) Alludes to This

“丙辰中秋，欢饮达旦，大醉，作此篇，兼怀子由。” —> Venti drinks on the roof of Wangshu Inn and possibly writes a poem (scene in “Endless Suffering”)

“明月几时有？把酒问青天。不知天上宫阙，今夕是何年。”—> Barbatos and Morax drinking while questioning Celestia and when they’ll reunite with the fellow Archons and friends

Alternatively, Venti drinking alone and thinking about the Nameless Bard

“天上宫阙” —> the imperial moon palace where gods reside —> 天空岛 (Celestia)

“我欲乘风归去，又恐琼楼玉宇” —> Shenhe wishes to return to Liyue on the wind, yet is unaccustomed to the prosperity of Liyue and the high position of the Jade Chamber

Alternatively, Venti is the god of the wind, yet doesn’t want to go to Celestia due to its high position (physically and figuratively)

“我欲乘风归去” —> 风起鹤归 (The Crane Returns on the Wind)

“琼楼玉宇” —> 群玉阁 (Jade Chamber)

“高处不胜寒” —> literally “one cannot hide from the cold even in high places” —> skilled individuals still feel loneliness —> Shenhe appears aloof due to relations with the Adepti and has a Cryo Vision

Similar sentiment is noted in “神女劈观” (“The Divine Damsel of Devastation”)’s lyric, “曲高未必人不识” —> idiom “曲高和寡” —> “the higher the soprano, the fewer the accompaniment” —> the more skilled one is, the lonelier one is

“起舞弄清影，何似在人间。”—> shadow is casted from Yun Jin’s stage performance with the polearm, and for Shenhe, living with the Adepti cannot compare with the mortal city of Liyue

Alternatively, for Venti, being in Celestia cannot compare with living in Mondstadt

“转朱阁，低绮户，照无眠。” —> Liyue Harbour’s buildings are mainly red (lucky colour in Chinese culture)

Xiao is often associated with the night, restless as he clears the land of evil spirits under his contract with Rex Lapis

Ganyu is hardworking as the Liyue Qixing’s secretary and as a follower of Rex Lapis, and sometimes falls asleep. Her Burst looks like a moon

“不应有恨，何事长向别时圆？” —> Liyue’s name 璃月 (“glazed moon”) is homophonic with 离月 (“month of departure”, or “departing from the Moon Palace”)

Zhongli’s name 钟离 can be interpreted as “yearning for departure”

Similarly, Mondstadt’s name is “Moon City” in German, and Venti also has the idea of departure reflected in the Nameless Bard’s departure and Barbatos’ frequent departure from the city

“人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全。” —> departure and reunion are major themes in Liyue’s storyline (Xiao and the other Yakshas, Guizhong and Zhongli, etc)

“但愿人长久，千里共婵娟。” —> during Moonchase Festivals and Lantern Rites, the Liyue characters would likely look at the moon, reflecting the sentiment of “no matter how far apart we are, we’re all looking at the same moon”

婵娟 means “fair”/“beautiful” but is also commonly used to describe the moon and flowers, which are Ganyu’s motifs shown in her Skill and Burst

[spumonibones]

Chasing Wings: Memoria Chapter 12

Pairing: Xiao x Venti

First Chapter (Ao3)* ; First Chapter (Tumblr)

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Lore/Story Notes

Chapter CW: None

Update Schedule: Every Wednesday

Ao3 chapters are currently locked due to a shady site creating issues. Registered users can still read, but chapters will be posted on Tumblr for those who don't. : )

Canon Divergence AU; Other Four Yaksha Still Live; Zhongli already retired but Osial hasn't happened; Canon Typical Violence

Summary:"To Err is Human, to Forget is Godly."Almost 500 years ago, the Cataclysm happened. As the fires and monsters dwindled, most of the Seven had fallen. One, Barbatos, simply disappeared - and in his absence, the mourning songs of Dvalin would serenade the land of wind each yearly anniversary. The surviving Archons presumed him dead, and Monstadt presumed he simply never was.Then one day, before a Traveler will fish Teyvat's Best Guide from its waters, a young man named Venti is rescued by the Vigilant Yaksha. Without memory a face as familiar as it is foreign, the question then becomes... What path can one take, when new memories meet old?

***

If your words are true, and you two will part ways… You will regret not trying. And being what we are, that is a very… Very long time to regret, Menogias’ words echoed around in Xiao's head. He was sitting on the edge of a small rock formation, watching Venti's aim transform into Anemo and perfection. The yaksha took the two to Jueyan Karst, a location he was more frequently taking the pair to. Venti's progression kept getting more advanced and harder to hide, making the secluded area safest. Xiao was starting to wonder what the point in ‘training’ Venti was. Almost as soon as the yaksha taught him something, the bard was mastering it. 

Xiao suspected all he was really doing, was helping unlock skills that Venti already had but simply couldn't recall. How much longer until Venti asked to move on, to do something else? Far as Xiao could tell, he was boring. Not even a good audience. What could Venti possibly want to do with him outside of what was mandatory? Menogias said to ‘woo’ Venti, but Xiao didn't even know what to say to the bard! All he could do was observe the other as his duty, while playing out countless scenarios that ended with either Venti becoming uncomfortable, or simply laughing at the yaksha. Xiao just couldn't fathom it ending any other way, try as he might. 

The worst ones were when Venti became frightened of him, could see the blood that covered Xiao's hands and stained his very being. 

“Hah! Three perfect hits in a row!” Venti cheered, pausing his shots to look over at Xiao. Not sure what to say or how to say it, the yaksha simply gave an approving nod. That seemed to be what the bard wanted, as his grin widened and he went back to practicing his shots. 

What could Xiao say? You smell nice when you're sober, the thought was immediately dismissed. No, insulting Venti's vices wasn't right. You have a pretty smile, sounded like something a creep would say far as Xiao was concerned. He didn't want to come across as creepy. I love listening to your voice, was probably one of those compliments Venti heard so often he wouldn't even register it anymore. A sigh left him, eyes drooping slightly. Living with so little karmic debt weighing over him made his spirit feel lighter, but also allowed the range of emotions he recognized feeling much bigger.

Perhaps having a ‘sweetheart’ in the past wasn't an issue because he couldn't feel it. Too buried in the pain to notice the happiness that tried to sprout.

“You okay?” Venti asked, much closer than Xiao recalled him being. More on instinct, the yaksha teleported away, polearm in hand before he realized who and what he had reacted to. Still standing on one of the rock formations next to where Xiao had been sitting was Venti, no signs of alarm that the yaksha suddenly had a weapon in his hand. Just a sheepish, apologetic smile. “Sorry. I shouldn't have startled you.”

“...It's fine.” Xiao mumbled, putting his polearm away and returning to his spot. “Are you ready for the next lesson?”

“No, I was just a bit worried. You're usually more,” Venti paused, considering how he wanted to word this, “attentive? I wasn't certain, so I did fib a little,” he held two fingers close together to emphasize how small his lie was, “and actually hit four in a row.”

Ah. He was testing if I was paying attention, Xiao realized too belatedly. “I'm sorry.” The words felt lame on his tongue, but he wasn't sure what else to say. As the bard’s mentor, he should have been watching the other. Not letting his fantasies and fears get the best of him. 

“It's no biggie.” Venti assured him, waving that aspect aside. “But I am worried about you. I asked if you're okay, and you dodged the question. I was worried maybe it was the filth-”

“Karmic debt.  Filth is something different.” Xiao corrected, trying to suppress the way his body wanted to react to the mix-up.

“Sorry.” Venti apologized again. The yaksha hadn't hid it well-enough. 

“It's not that. I'm fine.” Xiao was settling, finding the neutrality he normally spoke with at length. 

“You're just distracted?” Venti pressed, one of his brows raised while he tilted his head slightly. The yaksha wasn't sure how to respond. Denying it would have been an obvious lie, given the bard tactfully caught him being distracted. But admitting to it also invited the other to ask what was going on. Xiao was not going to answer that. 

“Thinking about what the other yaksha said.” There. That confirmed without confirming, it was true, and allowed a safe confidentiality.

“Ah.” Venti nodded, seemingly satisfied. Climbing onto the same formation as Xiao, he scooted against the other's body so their arms touched as they sat side by side. Xiao's entire body tensed, something the bard chose to ignore. He simply pulled out his flute, fingers running over the holes thoughtfully. “Think all you want. I'll give you music while you do.” He said, beaming at Xiao as if it were the most natural thing he could do.

The yaksha looked away, refusing to give himself the opportunity to stare. Gloved hands clutched at the rock he sat upon, trying to keep his heart steady as the flute began its song. What was the bard doing? Xiao wasn't a proper audience for something so beautiful. He wasn't even a mortal, let alone someone capable of showering him in praise or… Anything. Despite those thoughts, he still found himself listening and losing himself to the tune. Finding a familiarity in the moment.

As these moments often did, they ended far too quickly by a cry for help. Naturally Liyue was silent when Xiao needed an escape. But if he was enjoying peace with Venti? Some human decided to touch a bubbling, smoking flower that had petals for teeth. 

Because curiosity, or something.

In the past, Xiao believed his karmic debt was only the physical and emotional pain constantly wracking him. Lately, he wondered if there was a piece of the karma that could never be cleansed, that he would always have to pay for his actions with bad timing. Trying to not let his annoyance show, he teleported to the cry for help to deal with the problem. On instinct, or perhaps something else, brought the bard along without thinking. As Xiao set about his work, Venti scurried to the side more to avoid getting scolded than anything else. If the bard wanted to, he was equipped and capable of doing so… But the times he had tried, Xiao had scowled about how it, “wasn’t Venti’s duty.” Bringing the bard along was a dangerous habit that he needed to stop, but always realized after instead of before. Making quick work of the creature, he let out a long breath. Followed by an annoyed huff, as the human started babbling on about gratitude or something instead of just leaving.

“Please, Mr. Adeptus! I promise, I'll do more than help you rest if you'll accompany me to bed.” The man pressed, not discouraged at all in spite of the yaksha keeping distance between them. Another successful rescue, another human with their weird nonsense. Venti continued to try and keep his laughter subdued, to let this continue unfolding. Eyeing the mortal with a frown, Xiao shook his head. 

“I don't need sleep.” Xiao informed him simply, continuing to watch the man the same way one would watch a strange-looking insect. Neither curious nor disgusted, just unclear what it is or what to do with it. “Travel safe.” With that, Xiao returned back to Venti.

 Once more, the adeptus was none the wiser he was being flirted with. Again. “Why are you laughing?” Xiao asked, voice gruff and tinged with irritation. Why was it almost every time Venti was around when Xiao saved someone, the yaksha came back to his laughter? What was so funny?

“Sorry!” Venti continued to chuckle, eyes alight with amusement. “You just… Never notice how many people hit on you. As in are trying to seduce you, not fight you.” The bard clarified, just in case. When someone was that dense when it came to romantic affairs, it seemed prudent to be clear as possible. That garnered him a frown. 

“They're expressing gratitude. One mustn't conflate kindness with romantic intent.” Xiao thought he was being informative, but Venti continued to smile. The only change was he raised a single, amused brow. “What?”

“I know the difference between being nice and being flirty. Someone you don't know,  inviting you into their bed to thank you for your deeds… Think about it. He didn't say anything about sleeping. In fact, he insinuated… ‘Activities.’” The bard typically listened, and asked questions. Was more focused on understanding the world than much else. This was not what was happening, and the more Venti talked the less Xiao found he cared for this particular subject. 

“I'm dangerous to humans. They have no reason to be interested in me. There has only been polite gratitude.” To an extent, Xiao was aware he wasn't just trying to convince Venti at this point.

“First, being dangerous doesn't discourage humans. In fact, some of them are attracted to that danger.” Venti started, not pausing even when Xiao's brows furrowed in disapproval. “Second, whether they’re flirting or not, there's always genuine gratitude. I haven't seen anyone giving ‘polite’ or obligational thanks. Liyue is fond of you. Third… You're really great, Xiao. People aren't just flirting with you for kicks, they're doing it because you're cute and you're kind.” The bard said it so casually, not a doubt in his mind about the validity of his words. 

Xiao's ears went red, the yaksha turning away with a grumble. Venti's grin only widened, because the other was adorable every time he got flustered. “If what you say is true… Have you been flirting with me?” The question wasn't accusatory. The way Venti heard it was a passing curiosity. Based on what he understood about the yaksha, Xiao was just trying to make sense of new information. To better identify what to look for in the future, because it made sense to educate himself. 

Fixating on what he knew of the yaksha, he missed the subtle hope that had been in Xiao's voice when he asked. 

“No, you don't have to worry about that!” Venti said hurriedly, trying to be as assuring in his words as he could. “I wouldn't put you in an awkward position like that.” He continued, offering his most sincere smile. Unbeknownst to him, that had been the opposite of what the yaksha hoped to hear. 

Xiao thought over how to reply to that. As he did so, he collected Venti once more and teleported the pair away. Back to Huaguang Stone Forest, a healthy distance from prying human eyes. If Venti wanted to test out his wings once again, there was plenty of space. Cloud Retainer was even within distance to recruit for help, if she wasn't too invested in whatever gadget she was developing. On top of one of the many high rising formations, Xiao's brows remained low in thought. 

The way it sounded, it was as if Venti wouldn't ever flirt based solely on what he perceived to be Xiao's preference. Did that mean…? He glanced briefly at Venti, who was watching him curiously but patiently. Xiao let out a scowl, and set the bard down to stand on his own. 

When was the last time Xiao felt his heart flutter at the sight of someone? A long time. Too long. Last time, he hadn't spoken up. They had been none the wiser. This time… Venti wasn't affected by his karma. Made the air around him calm, the heaviness that always hung over the yaksha fade away. Rolling his shoulders, he decided it wouldn't hurt to try. “How do you… Know if someone is flirting with you?”

“...This is bothering you, isn't it?” Venti asked, laughing softly. With a hum, he scratched the side of his face thoughtfully. “I think… That Mr. Zhongli might be better apt at teaching you that.”

“...The Funeral Parlor Consultant.” The pause wasn't just because getting recommended to a funeral for flirting advice was a strange one. It was also because Xiao was trying to remember what Zhongli was supposed to be. If Venti wasn’t Barbatos, he couldn't be permitted to know who Zhongli once was. 

“That's him!” Venti chirped, pleased to hear that yaksha knew with whom he referred. 

“Why?” Xiao normally didn't care enough to ask, but this could be a lead. If Venti intuitively knew, then that meant…

There was an ache in his chest. Xiao frowned, the conflicting needs creating unfamiliar trouble within. If Venti was Barbatos, then perhaps Zhongli would smile again. Be happy to see he hadn't lost all of his old friends. But then, Xiao realized in his own way, he hoped Venti was just himself. Wasn't an Archon that would inevitably leave.

Wasn't the same person that gave Xiao such a sad smile that last time they met. 

“It's kind of his job, isn't it? He gives consultations on anything, not just funeral rites. Until you can do it on your own though, I'll be happy to point out every time someone does hit on you.” Venti's offer was kind, and his speech didn't give Xiao any reason to suspect the bard of hiding the truth.

He didn't say it directly, but Venti wasn't sure he'd be able to teach someone like Xiao that sort of thing. The yaksha was serious, and came across as the antithesis of romantic. Mentally, he scratched off his plan to offer classes teaching interested parties how to flirt with someone. Xiao would think him a hypocrite, and Venti already felt as if he toed the line between burden and somewhat respected. Idly, he wondered if maybe he shifted the subject to romancing someone, then maybe…? Should be different enough. 

***

***

Hours had long passed, Venti already returned to the inn and even finished with his music for the night. In an official capacity, that was. Outside the tavern, closer than he should have been, Xiao could hear the songs as Venti sang them. The skill in which the bard could keep clear tunes in spite of being inebriated had thus far been his greatest feat. In the brief respite of being alone, Xiao wasn't afraid to be impressed. There was no risk of a smug smile, curving into knowing green eyes that so easily saw through Xiao’s mask of indifference. No risk of the bard seeing more than what he was supposed to. 

The fact Venti was a master when it came to music and knew it, well, Xiao doubted he could express that in a way Venti hadn't heard a hundred times by now. 

There were some laughs inside, the singing paused as Venti joined in. Sighing, the adeptus reminded himself that this was inevitable. This was going to be the future, no matter how well or poorly he tried to ‘woo’ the bard. Xiao couldn't be close to humans, and Venti needed them as his audience. Needed a proper audience, that wasn't a single surly yaksha on a rock in the middle of mountains. The two would eventually go their separate ways to fill separate needs. Arms crossed over his chest, he wondered when that time would come. Judging by the liveliness inside, it was going to be sooner than later. The bard had already made great strides in taking care of himself, and wouldn't need a yaksha hovering over him. 

Not that Xiao had ever actually hovered. 

As his thoughts pulled him further down, an alarmed call of his name pulled him from his spiral. Without hesitation, Xiao disappeared in the deep blacks and greens of a smoke-like after image. Reaching forward, Venti fell into Xiao's arms with a delighted, drunken mix of giggles and snorts. The stench of alcohol burned Xiao's nostrils, the yaksha reactively flaring them as he tried to exhale the smell. Held securely but not too tightly, Venti easily threw his arms around Xiao's neck, legs kicking once to get more comfortable in the hold. The idea of simply dropping the bard didn't even occur to Xiao. 

The patrons inside gave an excited cheer, a few raising a toast. "To our Conquerer of Demons!" One of Venti's fellow drunks shouted. Tending to the bar, there was a rather sheepish employee of Wangshu Inn. Xiao narrowed his eyes at them. Had this been intentional? 

"Sorry, Sir Adeptus… I was trying to get him down, and then he tripped trying to dodge me." The employee explained, expression guilty. 

"He was right though!" Another in too many drunks said. Right about what?

With a sigh, Xiao braced himself to deal with the smell of wine that was on Venti's breath when he turned to face the other. Except the smell was far closer than it should have been, and Xiao's body froze as lips delivered a kiss to the side of his mouth. Yellow eyes widened, his pupils turning to slits in his surprise. The way his ears were burning, he knew they were red. With a slight wobble, Venti pulled away with a pout.

"You turned your head!" Venti slurred, understanding hitting Xiao all at once. My cheek… Venti had intended to kiss his cheek! If he hadn't moved his head… "Oh, did you want a kiss-kiss?" The bard asked, too far gone to notice how quickly he was flustering the yaksha holding him. "C'mere-" Venti, innocently or not Xiao was too panicked to care which it was, was trying to turn the adeptus' head back towards him for a 'kiss-kiss.' Felt his head turning, almost leaning into the guidance. Heart trying to hammer out of his chest, Xiao shoved Venti into the confused arms of Smiley Yanxiao who had just walked in to see why the yaksha was suddenly there and being celebrated.

"I-I've been here too long!" Xiao stammered, and the second he was free from the bard he teleported away from the inn, away from the person that made beautiful and terrible things bloom inside his chest. 

Standing there, drunk Venti in hands, Smiley Yanxiao looked at the bartender. The cook was perplexed and hoping for some answer. The bartender paid him no mind, his gaze locked on where the yaksha had been. Long ago the names of the yaksha became obscured with titles, namely to defend Liyue’s protectors from nosy outsiders. Namely, Sumeru's Akademiya. On some level, to also avoid drunks calling out for yaksha as Venti just had. Xiao showing up wasn't a surprise, the man had worked there long enough to know well what was going to happen. 

That's why the bartender tried to prevent it, without success. Knew he was going to get one Abyssal of a scolding from Verr Goldet when he talked to her about it. But also suspected he would need to tell her the one thing he hadn't expected of the yaksha.

Snapping to, turning to Smiley Yanxiao to ask him to take Venti back to his room, the bartender pondered how he was going to word this. “What was the Conqueror's name again?” One of the guests asked with a slur.

“Sorry, I think it was… Oh, what was it?” The bar tender faked pondering. 

“Oh, it was Chaoxiang… Chaoxiang!” Another drunk cheered, and soon the whole bar agreed that was what they heard. The bartender sighed, relief flooding him that Smiley Yanxiao hurriedly left the room before a drunk Venti could try to correct anyone. 

It was going to be a long night of him needing to wait before he could tell Verr Goldet their yaksha had, just for a moment, looked like he was ready to kiss that bard back. 

A conversation that happened in the early morning, all while Xiao paced at his perch and tried to not think too much about what happened. 

Xiao knew some drunks were simply flirty. Told himself that there was nothing more or deeper last night. But… As Xiao remembered, his ears turned red all over again. How warm Venti was against him, the feel of the bard’s lips pressed against his… Even if it was only the corner. Pressed a finger against the spot, his lips trembling as emotions overtook his body. The joy when it happened. The disappointment it meant nothing. The need for it to be again, but more centered, more reciprocated. The hurt that it wouldn't happen. 

The calm in understanding that last night, Venti probably was bragging that Xiao would show up if the bard called for him. If nothing else, Venti trusted Xiao wholly and fully. Taking in a shaky breath, he tried to get his heartbeat under control. To focus on what was, instead of what could be. And that was the fact that alcohol lowered inhibitions, to a point. If Venti was offering a ‘kiss-kiss,’ then maybe… Just maybe, there was a part of the bard that wanted it as much as Xiao did. Maybe. 

Let the little spark of hope bloom in his chest that there was a chance. 

For the time being, he needed to pass time until Venti was awake and moving. The bard slept in late, and Xiao knew he should be waking the other up sooner. But every time he tried, Venti just looked so… Safe and peaceful. It felt wrong distributing him. 

Deciding to put his focus on what he could even teach the other anymore, Xiao put his attention onto that. Tried to approach it the same way he had when asked to mentor Ganyu. With logic at the forefront, a focus on what Venti needed. As he did, Xiao's shoulders tensed. Flying… Venti had wings, and would inevitably need help with that. Maybe Cloud Retainer can, since she… Still has hers, it was a thought that he tried to not linger on. 

When the sun had reached the halfway point, he teleported into Venti's room. Appeared outside the window, lightly rapping on the wooden frame to see if he was allowed in. Human custom dictated that he always check, in case the person inside was in the nude. Something he learned with Ganyu the hard way, as he fled her room in confusion as she fired ice at him while screaming. It took Cloud Retainer to calm her down, equally as confused as a Xiao had been, about why Ganyu panicked. 

“He saw me naked!” Ganyu had said, tears in her eyes while her face was bright red. 

“One does not understand. One has seen you naked many times? Does One… Need to see the Conqueror of Demons nude to feel better?” Cloud Retainer asked. The words that left Ganyu's mouth were foreign and horrified. She looked to Xiao, sputtering. “How are you not embarrassed?”

“Oh, One understands now! Ganyu is shy about the shape of the form? But when you are so round, you are so cute…” And on Cloud Retainer went, Ganyu shifting from embarrassed to humiliated. At that point, Xiao quietly slipped away, deciding there was no training that day. He also decided that from then on, he would just knock instead of teleporting into the room. 

“Come on in!” Venti called out to him. Invite received, Xiao hopped through the window. Noted the feathers on the ground, hesitating in picking one up. “Could I… Make a request this time?” Venti sounded uncertain, and immediately Xiao steeled himself. The bard remembered last night, was upset, and now wanted to terminate the agreement. Xiao knew that coming. That was fine, he could handle that. “My back has been getting… Itchy. Itchier. Lately.” The bard began. 

Not upset? Xiao wondered, eyeing the bard. 

Venti was fiddling with his fingers, as if nervous over what he was about to ask. “I noticed you get weird about this, but I don't really know who else to ask. Should I be… Stretching them more? Is that why it's getting worse?”

One sign of karmic debt was something akin to an allergic reaction. Some forms were itchy rashes, and immediately Xiao was instructing the bard to remove his shirt in order for him to inspect. If they had been wrong this entire time, and Venti was becoming infected… Seeing the shift in demeanor from uncertain to urgency, Venti didn't hesitate. Removed his shirt, and let his wings unfurl to the best of his ability in the small, cramped room. 

Gloved fingers ghosted over Venti's back, creating goosebumps along the bard’s arm from the almost-contact. Behind him, there was a sigh of relief and he echoed. Whatever Xiao thought was the problem, was apparently not the case.

“Your wings are dirty.” Xiao observed, gold eyes flicking at white feathers with light stains from the outside.

“I can't exactly clean them in the public washroom.” Venti reminded with a laugh. “I don't even know how to clean them. Do I just… Find a puddle, and roll in it?”

“Do not do that.” Xiao sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, brows furrowing. He could… Maybe give the bard instructions? Venti was skilled at following any provided. Xiao trusted he could hear and easily follow directions. As for a place he could do any of it, the yaksha went over the places he knew.

“Oh! You could show me!” Venti said, excitement in his voice as he pulled his wings back in. Hurriedly he put his shirt back on, turning around to face the yaksha. Collecting the adepti's hands into his own, Venti beamed at the other. “If two people work together, we'll be finished in no time! You'll help me, please?” The bard ended with a hope-filled plea, eyes imploring Xiao for a yes. 

Xiao swallowed hard, his entire body tensing. Venti had no idea what he was asking of the yaksha. How could he? Venti didn't know that Xiao was, in essence, a type of bird. The sort that only preened the feathers of family or a mate. Venti of which was neither, but Xiao's heart longed for him to be the latter. 

He should explain. He needed to explain! But instead what left his mouth was: “A-All right.”

[dani-meme]

Fantasy Race: An Essay

You can read this post on my website here

In high fantasy, we have this idea of a peculiar little thing called "race". We don't use the term in the same way as in the real world, we're instead talking about Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, and any other more original races that authors come up with.

In this post, I'd like to explore what fantasy race is, looking at both its history in the fantasy genre, and its real world "counterpart" — ultimately to try and figure out how we should present race in fantasy.

Heads-up: This post was born out of a pet interest I had a while back, and it isn't the most well-researched or academic. It's just some ideas that have been floating around in my head that I would like to put to paper.

Race in Fantasy

Before Tolkien, before George MacDonald, and before the Brothers Grimm, we didn't have the genre of fantasy. What we had was folktales — stories not told by any singular author, but instead passed down through oral traditions; stories which are intimately linked with religious beliefs and cultural practices.

In folklore, there aren't fantasy races. There are spirits: Fairies, Yōkai, Jinn, Nymphs, Yakshas, Angels, Demons, and so on. These spirits aren't parallel civilisations to humanity; they're beings that comprise entirely separate cosmological groups. They're not seen as people, but more so as things that are to be, in some cases, revered, and in others, feared.

In the Renaissance, folktales began to be written down. There were collectors like Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm, and that's not to mention the other writers who adapted the style of folklore to spin their own tales. Through them, a new genre was born — the literary fairy tale — a genre which later writers like George MacDonald expanded into the genre of fantasy.

But race as it is found in modern fantasy didn't really begin until Tolkien. Earlier writers still talked of elves and fairies as spirits, but Tolkien took those spirits and slotted them into his world as parallel societies. They still have different fundamental natures to humanity — Tolkien's Elves and Dwarves are connected to nature and divinity in a way that Humans are not — but he also gives them unique societies, languages, and cultures.

Tolkien's works use the term "race" to refer to this combination of cosmological nature and societal culture — and by being the prototypical example of high fantasy, they set the precedent still used in almost all works of the genre today.

Race in the Real World

I find problems in how Tolkien writes his fantasy races, and to frame this, I'd like to look at it in context of what "race" means in the real world, to highlight how fantasy race is different. I am, by no means, qualified to explore this topic, and so I am leaving out a lot of depth here.

At its simplest, race, in the real world, is a category of people created based on perceived physical qualities, such as skin tone, eye shape, or facial structure. These are features which, on a biological level, have no significant impact on people's lives. They're as inconsequential as hair or eye colour is.

However, there is no doubt a cultural significance applied to these perceived qualities. This significance is constructed, often for some purpose. In the best cases, it's to allow people to create identities for themselves and find a sense of belonging amongst their peers. In the worst cases, it's to let people exclude and categorise others. To vilify, control, and justify killing and stealing from them.

The other consequence of race being culturally constructed is that different people will understand it differently; they'll categorise people differently, and see different traits as being typical of a particular race. How one person understands race is necessarily different to how people from other cultures will understand it.

Returning to fantasy, there are two ways the Tolkienian style of fantasy races are significantly different from this.

Firstly, Tolkien's different races actually are of different natures to Humans, both biologically and cosmologically. Elves live thousands of years and grow wise in their old age. They have a connection to magic and divinity, and cannot survive without it.

Secondly, Tolkien's races aren't portrayed as culturally constructed. He doesn't discuss how different people understand race, or why and how it's constructed as it is in the first place. Race is instead created and presented by him, the author. Race is almost god-appointed; impressed upon Middle Earth by a divine creator. Tolkien's races aren't quite spirits, but they aren't quite people, either.

How Should We Present Race?

With this in mind, fantasy races feel a bit iffy, to me, at least. I don't want to write fantasy race, which shares a name with the real world construct, as being other than culturally constructed.

The obvious solution to this dilemma is to cut off that comparison. Change the name; you can call it "species" and be done with it. This has been done in the past, and like, I guess it works. It's fine. But to me, it still feels icky to talk about different people having different natures, even if we choose to call them different species. Unless they're completely alien to the human experience, they still appear as people.1

So, in my worldbuilding, instead of disconnecting race from culture, I instead emphasise that it is culturally constructed, or at least culturally influenced. The main idea is to only ever describe race in the fiction as it is perceived by the people of the fiction. There is no god-appointed authorial description of race, only the mudded cultural perceptions of it.

In my worldbuilding project, Ittoril, I have four main "races": Humans, Dwarves, Elves, and Orcs. Together, I describe these as a single biological species, but the individual groups are constructions of culture. Of one culture in particular; that of the Leonid Empire. The Leonids use "Elf" as a term of reverence to describe the people of the seafaring nation that used to live on the Meridán. Leonids will brag about any slight Elven ancestry they might have to assert their superiority over other groups, calling themselves "Half-Elves" even when in most cases, the vast majority of their ancestors would've been thought of as Humans.

With this method, I can still have and explore biological differences, but only insofar as people in the world conceive of them — I portray these differences as culturally invented, or, when that's not possible, I maintain that the significance of those differences has to be culturally interpreted; Elves in Ittoril have demonstrably longer lifespans than Humans, but while The Leonids interpret this as making them glorious and powerful beyond the other races, other groups completely disagree.

And, at least for me and for my worldbuilding, I find this a better, more meaningful way to construct fantasy races, rather than just calling them "species".2

But like I said before, this isn't at all an academic essay, and I, frankly, don't really know what I'm talking about. You don't have to pay mind to any of what I'm saying; you can live your life how you want, and you can write your own silly little make-believe elves however the hell you want.

Footnotes

The polar opposite to this approach is to write fantasy race as analogous to the real world social construct, and abandon the idea of having races be biologically different. I dislike this, because it cuts us off from some interesting worldbuilding opportunities. Tolkien's Elves aren't like people, sure, but that means he can look at the ways they're different. He can explore how they are immortally tied to magic, and what that means, how that does affect people's lives. If fantasy races didn't affect people's lives, why have fantasy races at all? ↩︎

Tabletop RPGs further complicate the issue, because race also serves a game design purpose, in that it allows players to better understand the world and integrate their characters into it. It doesn't help that TTRPGs are derived from wargames, which require all things to be reducible to numbers and categories, including race. I think the best solution to this is to do something like what Pathfinder 2nd Edition does; combining species and race into "ancestry", which retains the benefits of being quickly picked up by new players, while also only giving suggestions of characteristics; never having it be absolute or fundamental. ↩︎

[ruibaozha]

GREETINGSE i was wondering if you could tell me (and the rest of tumblr) more about Nezha's artifacts/weapons ? He seems to have. a lot of them and I'd like to know more !!!

You have a very cool blog btw !! Thank you for sharing stuff about Nezha it's very interesting and fuels my hyperfixation 😌✨

Hello hello!

I'm sure items like Nezha's Wind Fire Wheels and Flame Tipped Spear are well known iconography, but in the spirit of over-explaining I would like to describe where these weapons came from among others within his arsenal. This post will overlap with a handful of points I had been saving for a post describing Nezha's military career so I apologize if anything stated becomes redundant.

Did you know that Nezha's conflicts with Ao Guang and the Lady Rock Demoness pre-date the publication of Canonization of the Gods? These stories appear elsewhere succinctly within the Ming-period encyclopedia The Grand Compendium of the Three Religions' Deities which record the careers of more than a hundred divinities, like Guanyin and Mazu (1). One of which described is Nezha. The translated description of his strength is as follows:

Nezha was originally a great arhat-immortal in the service of the Jade Emperor. He was six feet tall, his head crowned by a golden disc. He had six heads, nine eyes, and eight arms. He puffed out dark clouds. He stood on a large rock. His hand weilded an instrument of the law (falü). He roared loudly, summoning clouds and rain, shaking Heaven and Earth. Because the world was full of demon-kings, the Jade Emperor ordered him incarnated on earth ... The demons were all subdued by Nezha: The Bull Demon King, the Lion Demon King, the Elephant Demon King, the Horse-Headed Demon King, the World-Devouring Demon King, the Mother-of-Demons Demon King, the Nine-Headed Demon King, the Tārā Demon King, the Brahmā Demon King, the five-hundred yakshas, and the seventy-two Fire Crows all surrendered to him. (2)

And this reputation as a devout acolyte of either the Buddha or the Jade Emperor depending on which era you are drawing upon is something to be elaborated upon later. The very difference between it being the World-Honored One or the Jade Emperor sending Nezha to quell these demons is worthy of it's own elaborations, however we are here to discuss the two iconic stories that lead to his eventual suicide. Even within the pages of The Grand Compendium he could not escape his own demise:

When he was five days old, Nezha went bathing in the Eastern Ocean. He trampled over the [dragon king's] Crystal Palace. He somersaulted straight to the top of the Precious Pagoda. Because he had trampled over his palace, the infuriated dragon king challenged him to fight. By then, Nezha was already seven days old, and he could overcome the nine dragons. The old dragon had no choice, except complaining to the [Jade] Emperor. The General [Nezha] knew of his intention. Intercepting him by Heaven's Gate, he killed the dragon. Mounting the Jade Emperor's altar, Nezha took the Buddha's bow and arrows. He shot an arrow, unintentionally killing Lady Rock's son. Lady Rock raised an army to fight him. The General [Nezha] took the Demon-Felling Club from his father's altar and, fighting his way Westwards, slew her. Considering that Lady Rock had been the demons' chief, Nezha's father was infuriated. He worried lest his son's killing her would provoke the demon hordes to war. Therefore, the General [Nezha] sliced off his flesh and bones, returning them to his father. Holding fast to his inner soul (zhen ling), he hastened to the Buddha's side, pleading that the World-Honored One make him complete once more. Considering that Nezha could subdue demons, the Buddha snapped a lotus flower. He fashioned it's stem into bones, it's roots into flesh, it's fiber into tendons, and it's leaves into clothes, giving life to Nezha once more. (3)

There are of course similarities and differences but I mention this as it sets forward a number of precedents. Established is the moment Nezha is bathing in the river, the conflict with the dragon king Ao Guang, the presence of a bow and arrow, subjugation of a rock-spirit, and introduction of his iconic lotus motifs to name a few. But more pressingly it helps set the stage for what is perhaps the earliest known documentation of these tales.

Between 1228 and 1250 the Quanzhou Pagodas were constructed, the stone monuments depicting 80 Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, saints, and guardian divinities. The ground floor features ferocious martial gods protecting the stupa's gates so it is not a surprise that Nezha is found here protecting those behind him. Within the southest corner of the Eastern Pagoda's ground level, flanking both sides of the ornamental gate, are the tablets showing a benign and wrathful Nezha.

Notice the dragon beneath his feet, the belt made from it's tendons in his left hand and the divine bow in his right.

Notice the six arms and three heads. Alongside holding a sword, Nezha is also holding both a sun and a moon which was typical of many Tantric deities (4).

I only look so far back to help establish the image of the Nezha I am about to describe. The Song and Ming periods had a penchant for depicting Nezha with a fire-emanating wheel and/or fire-emanating ball such as within Hong Mai's Record of Hearsay (夷堅志). The story follows a Jiangxi ritual master named Cheng who was attacked by a strong stone spirit, he recites the "Spell of Nezha's Fireball" to summon him.

Cheng anxiously recited a spell and walked the Big Dipper Outline. The prodigy showed not the slightest fear and gradually pressed in against his body. Cheng realized that this was a stone spirit. Consequently he recited the "Spell of Nezha's Fireball" and, forming a mudrā, recited: "Divine General! Can you tolerate a wang-liang demon obstructing my way? Expel him forthwith!" Suddenly a fireball emerged from behind Cheng's body and struggled with the black lump. After a while a noise burst out, like clashing metal, and the black lump disappeared. The fireball made several revolutions around Cheng's body and also vanished. (5)

The Ming-era fiction, theatre dramas and overly-flattering literature largely named Nezha's fiery weapon as a Dharma wheel, a fire wheel, or a golden wheel. Within The Grand Compendium Nezha is using the Dharma wheel, in Zhu Youdun's The Bodhisattva Manjusri Subjugates the Lion Nezha is using the golden wheel against the fearsome animal, and the 1592 edition of The Journey to the West describes his "lightning-propelled fire wheel"(6). The presence of the fire wheel is not completely unique to Nezha though as it is an ancient emblem of Buddhist law, a similarly Ming-era mural within the Beijing Fahai Temple showing a Tantric deity with six arms and a weapon held by each. The flame wheel is also present here.

The flame wheel was not alone though, often Nezha would have an embroidered ball accompanying it. The Journey to the West would explain it's use in conjunction with the flaming wheel: "The lightning propelled fire wheel was like darting flame; Hither and thither the embroidered ball rotated"(7).

Even Nezha's golden brick has it's roots. Mark Meulenbeld has argued that the golden brick used against his brother Muzha within Canonization of the Gods has origins in Ming Daoist scriptures. The ritual compendium The Daoist Methods United in Principle, which predates Canonization by over two centuries, recommends the use of golden bricks for locking demons in bottles (8).

Equally an argument can be made that Nezha's Wind Fire Wheels and Flame Tipped spear have roots within Daoist exorcism with Buddhist overlap. By the fifteenth century edition of The Daoist Methods United in Principle Nezha is described weilding the golden brick, a golden spear, and riding fire wheels(9).

This answer has already gotten quite long, so I hope this was sufficient thus far. I would be more than happy to elaborate on this topic further if there is interest for it. Thank you for your question!

Citations:

(1) This compendium survives presently in both a Ming-era edition titled Sanjiao yuanliu shengdi fozu sou shen daquan (三教源流搜神大全) and a Qing-era edition titled Huitu sanjiao yuanliu soushen daquan (绘图三教搜神大全).

(2) Within the Ming-era edition this description is present on pages 326-327. Within the Qing-era edition, 330-331.

(3) Within the Ming-era edition this is described on page 326. Within the Qing-era edition, page 330.

(4) It is worth saying that this well may not be Nezha. The pagodas lack cartouches. Within Twin Pagodas of Zayton G. Ecke and P. Demiéville cite a local tradition to identify the three-headed six-armed guardian as an asura demon and the opposite image as the dragon king Sāraga. However a proper association between the images is never made and both the bow and tendons are unexplained.

(5) The translation used here is by Edward Davis within Society and the Supernatural on pages 47-48. Within Hong Mai's Yijian zhi the original is on pages 1429-1430. Davis identifies Cheng as a village ritual master and thus distinguished from Daoist priests. However, Li Fengmao's Wuying xinyang on pages 573-574 highlights the orthodox Daoist elements within Cheng's performance.

(6) It may be worth comparing editions here. Take the Ming and Qing era editions of The Grand Compendium page 326 and page 330 respectively against Wu Cheng'en's Journey to the West 4.44, translated by Anthony Yu on 1:129.

(7) This is also Anthony Yu's translation within 1:129.

(8) Daofa huiyuan, DZ 1220, 240.11a, 138.13a and Fahai yizhu, DZ 1166, 15.17a; Meulenbeld's chapter 5 of Demonic Warfare.

(9) Daofa huiyuan, DZ 1220, 138.13a.