#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

[ryin-silverfish]

Nezha's Power Catalog: FSYY

Well, since @journeytothewestresearch has pinged me and @ruibaozha in an ask way back when, we are doing a catalog of Nezha's powers together. I'll be taking the FSYY part.

Google Doc Version

...

Disclaimer: I'm not counting powers from his treasures, such as the Wind-Fire Wheels giving him super speed and allowing him to take flight. 

I'm also excluding the invisibility talisman Taiyi drew on him in Chapter 12, since, unlike his Three-headed Eight-Armed Form, it's not a skill or permanent alteration.

...

Pre-resurrection:

Advanced physical maturity - I don't know what to call “A newborn baby being able to jump and run around right after emerging from a ball of flesh”, but this is probably it. (Chapter 12)

Unusual height - 6ft tall 7 years old kid, though this might just be a result of FSYY's weird sense of scale. (Chapter 12)

Super strength - A 7 years old kid killing Li Gen the Yaksha with a Qiankun Ring to the head likely counts as super strength. In Ao Bing's case, he drags him off the steed with the Huntian Sash first before the bonking. (Chapter 12)

Still, his later beatdown of Ao Guang and being able to draw the Qiankun Bow no one else could lift? Yeah, definitely super strength. (Chapter 13)

Five Elements Travel: Earth - After Ao Guang storms off to make a complaint to JE, Nezha uses Earth Travel to go to Taiyi's abode and ask for help. It's activated by grabbing a handful of dirt and tossing it into the air. (Chapter 12)

Travel to the Celestial Realm - After Taiyi puts an invisibility talisman on him, he goes to wait for Ao Guang under the Celestial Realm's gates. (Chapter 12)

Dream Communication - Talking to Lady Yin in her dream after his suicide. (Chapter 14)

A generic ghost power, as shown by later instances of Wen Zhong and Yin Jiao's souls warning King Zhou in his dreams, before they go into the Terrace of Investiture. (Chapter 52, Chapter 66) 

Efficiency at granting prayers - After Lady Yin builds a temple for him, he is said to be able to fulfill all the wishes of his worshippers, from granting blessings to warding off disasters.  (Chapter 14)

Materialization - After Li Jing's destruction of his temple, Nezha goes to protest to Taiyi, and the narration says that “After receiving incense and worship for half a year, Nezha is able to take a form and voice himself to some extent.” (哪吒受了半年香烟，已觉有些形声)

It is implied here that ghosts can become corporeal again via people's worship, though, from the looks of it, Nezha has only become visible and audible, and doesn't have a physical body yet at the point of the temple's destruction. (Chapter 14)

Post-Resurrection:

Unusual height (Again) - He grows from 6ft to “1 Zhang 6 Chi” after his resurrection, which is about 15-18 ft. (Chapter 14)

Spear arts - Taught by Taiyi. (Chapter 14)

Samadhi Fire - When Wenshu ties him to the Flying Dragon Pillar and orders Jinzha to whip him, he is described as “blowing out Samadhi Fire from his seven orifices” (打的三昧真火七窍齐喷). This may or may not be metaphorical. (Chapter 14)

It must also be noted that FSYY's Samadhi Fire is not the Red Boy-exclusive special attack of JTTW, and multiple Daoists from both Chan and Jie Sects are able to use it.

The best example is when Nezha and his brothers, Lei Zhenzi, Huang Tianhua, and Weihu try to burn Ma Shan with the Samadhi Fire on Jiang Ziya's orders, which doesn't work because he's a lampwick spirit, who proceeds to escape through the flames. (Chapter 63)

Lotus Body: Immunity to soul-based attacks - In Chapter 37, the narration then explains that all beings of flesh and blood possess the Three Souls and Seven Spirits, and Zhang Guifang's spell works by forcefully scattering them. 

Nezha, because of his lotus body, does not have souls, thus granting him immunity to the attack. 

This will become a recurrent thing. Here's a list of all the soul-based treasures and spells that fail against Nezha:

Zhang Guifang's Unhorsing Spell (Chapter 37)

Zheng Lun's nose beams (Chapter 57)

Chijing Zi/Yin Hong's Yin-Yang Mirror (Chapter 60)

Guangcheng Zi/Yin Jiao's Soulfell Bell (Chapter 65)

Qiu Yin's Red Pearl (Chapter 74)

Fa Jie's banner (Chapter 79)

Long Anji's Paralyzing Ring (Chapter 79)

Bian Ji's Spectral White Bone Banner (Chapter 84)

And here's a collection of his sassy responses: 

“Bastard, I'm staying on these wheels and you ain't calling me off them!” (Against Zhang Guifang)

“Dude, are you sick or something, blowing your nose at me like that?” (Against Zheng Lun)

“Idiot, it's just a red orb. What's so special about it, huh?” (When Qiu Yin tells him to take a look at the pearl)

“Your ring sucks, check out mine!” (To Long Anji, right before bonking him with the Qiankun Ring and killing him)

Lotus Body: Resistance to physical attacks - Spells can't knock Nezha off his wheels, but weapons like Yang Sen's Sky-opening Pearl, Wen Zhong and Zhao Gongming's whips, and Guangcheng Zi/Yin Jiao's Heaven-turning Sealstone can. (Chapter 38, Chapter 42, Chapter 47, Chapter 63)

However, he doesn't seem to suffer any lasting injuries afterwards. The only non-magical/poisonous injury that sticks for a while is some bruises, from getting hit in the face by Deng Chanyu's Five Light Stones. (Chapter 53)

Lotus Body: Immunity to diseases - When Lv Yue puts his plague pills into Xi Qi's water supply, the entire city falls victim to the sorcerous plague, save for Nezha and Yang Jian, because of the former's lotus body and the latter's Ninefold Mystic Arts. (Chapter 58)

Later, Yu Hualong's five sons create five bushels of poisonous poxes, which are spilled all over the Zhou camp from the air, giving everyone magical, five-colored smallpox.

Once again, Nezha is immune, and Yang Jian, knowing that the Yu brothers are up to something, gets the hell out of dodge before the pox spell is unleashed. Cue Nezha complaining of them “Pulling a Lv Yue again”. (Chapter 81)

Immunity to the Soul-Killing Banner (戮魂旛) - The treasure in question belongs to Yu Hua: when raised, it unleashes/turns into multiple streams of black smoke that covers the victim and whisks them away. (Chapter 32)

Subsequently, he tries to use it against Nezha, but Nezha just grabs the smokes, seizes the treasure, and stuffs it into his Leopard Skin Sack. This may or may not fall under the umbrella of “Immunity to Soul-based Attacks”. (Chapter 33)

Counterspell: Pearl Attack - Feng Lin can blow a cloud of smoke out of his mouth, which contains a bowl-sized red pearl that functions as a projectile weapon. Nezha just points his finger at the smoke, and it fizzles out. (Chapter 36)

Supernatural endurance: Red Sand Formation - One of the Ten Formations, it contains three bushels of red sand, which can create a giant sandstorm that reduces any humans and immortals who enter the formation to powder. (Chapter 44)

Nezha and Lei Zhenzi are assigned to protect King Wu, the only person who can break the formation…because Fate Says So, but is also Fated to get trapped in there for 100 days. So naturally, Nezha and Lei Zhenzi get stuck in there alongside him. (Chapter 49) 

When Old Man of the South Pole breaks the formation, Nezha and Lei Zhenzi are fine, but King Wu is already dead and has to be resurrected via a magical pill. (Chapter 51)

I'm not putting this under Resistance to Physical Attacks because, unlike the weapons, I'm unsure as to whether the red sand is magical in nature.

Resistance to poison: Blood-melting Knife (化血神刀) - Limited, since Nezha is still severely injured and incapacitated by Yu Hua's new treasure (made by his master Yu Yuan). However, for mortals, a wound from the knife is pretty much an insta-kill. (Chapter 74)

Three-headed, Eight-Armed Form - After Nezha is injured by Yu Hua's knife, he's taken back to Taiyi's abode to recover. When he's ready to leave, Taiyi offers him three cups of wine and three “fire jujubes”, which gives him his iconic multi-headed and armed transformation.

Unlike in JTTW, FSYY's Nezha has 8 arms instead of 6. Presumably, the 2 extra ones are used to wield the Yin-Yang Swords, the pair of weapons Taiyi gives to him alongside the Nine Fire Dragon Bell Cover…which never get used afterwards.

Upon switching to the multi-headed and limbed form, his appearance also changes into a blue-faced, red-haired, fanged monstrosity, which is not too dissimilar to the fierce guardian deities of esoteric Buddhism. (Chapter 76, Chapter 79)

Also, amusing reaction to his new transformation: “Dangit master, how am I supposed to use all these arms? They are like ugly branches on a tree.” (Chapter 76)

Sagehood in Flesh (肉身成圣) - Nezha is said to attain the status post-war, alongside his brothers, Li Jing, Lei Zhenzi, Wei Hu, and Yang Jian. 

Basically, immortality and godhood, but it doesn't require you to die in Ancient China's Bloodiest Bureaucracy Recruitment Program first. (Chapter 100)

[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���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 金剛サッタ/ 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�� / 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.

[yakshaspirit]

Some improvement there :)

[tickly-trashcan]

Masterlist G-K ☆

Note: This is the second part of my masterlist!! I decided to break it down a bit more after redoing my masterlists, so this one is all of my fandoms that are through G and K! I'll update this list periodically as I continue writing, and it's linked in my pinned post for easy access if you ever want to get to a fic quick!

If any of the links are wrong/not working feel free to let me know! :D

Genshin Impact ☆

Almond Tofu {XiaoVen}

Anniversaries {XiaoVen}

Bad Timing {ChiLi}

A Bard's Discovery {Venti and Aether}

The Best {Xiao, Hu Tao, and Venti}

Birthday Blowout {XiaoVen}

Childe is like Chocolate... {Childe x Reader}

Childe's Turn {ChiLi}

Clingy Cuddles {ChiLi}

Coincidences {ChiLi}

Constellations {XiaoVen}

Dance With Me My Love {ChiLi}

Desires {XiaoVen}

"Drinking Buddies" {Chaeya}

Drunken Yaksha {XiaoVen}

Earful {Tighnari and Aether}

Feel Better {Xiao x Reader}

The Fun in Funeral {Hu Tao and Zhongli}

Getting in the Spirit {Hu Tao, Venti, Xiao, and Zhongli}

Gross! {KazuScara}

Height Matters {KazuScara}

Hiccups {ChiLi}

Hot and Cold {Eulamber}

Jokester {Itto and Gorou}

Kamisato Housekeeper {Thomato}

Lost {Kazuha and Scaramouche}

Ominous Fandango {Childe and Scaramouche}

Payback {HuXiaoVen}

Prove It! {ChiLi}

Reunited {Kazuha and Gorou}

Seven Minutes {KazAether}

A Special Experiment {Albether}

Stolen Snacks {Kazuha and Gorou}

Sunshine {Eulamber}

Surprise! {XiaoVen}

Sworn to Secrecy {Kachina, Kinich, and Mualani}

Taking a Break {Kazuha and Scaramouche}

Tattoos {XiaoVen}

Tummyaches {Chongyun, Xiangling, and Xingqiu}

Vengeance {Xingyun}

Walking Wallet {ChiLi}

Well Deserved {Keqing, Barbara, Xiangling, and Venti}

What's the Question? {ChiLi}

While We Wait... {Kaebedo}

Workplace Shenanigans {Childe and Scaramouche}

You're Late {Kaeya x Reader}

Ghibli ☆

Kodama Helpers {Ashitaka and San}

Haikyuu!! ☆

All You Need To Do... {IwaOi}

The Best Medicine {IwaOi}

Birthday Surprise {IwaOi}

Bending the Rules {KuroKen}

Boredom {IwaOi}

Butterflies {KageHina}

Cleaning Duty {MatsuHana}

The Crows and Their Captain {Karasuno}

Decorations {IwaOi}

Drills {Kuro and Lev}

Excess Energy {KageHina}

Practice Session {AkaKage}

Sweet Revenge {Hinata and Sugawara}

Tsukishima's Torment {AkaTsukki}

Round After Round {AkaIwaOi}

Study Session? {KuroYachi}

Watch the Match {IwaKage}

Heartstopper ☆

Stress Relief {Nick and Charlie}

Hunter x Hunter ☆

Chain Reaction {Kurapika and Leorio}

Jujutsu Kaisen ☆

Cheer Up! {ItaFushi}

Curses {Gojo and Itadori}

Sorcerer's Curse {Sukuna and Megumi}

[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

[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. ↩︎

[corvus-rose]

It feels like a crime to not go into summerfest with Answers of A Yaksha, which is the vayuden wip most of my followers know, but I'm putting that on hold while I iron some things out. You'll see it again in the fall most likely. But worry not, they'll show up. Three things I want to pull from for this summerfest, because I can never focus on just one thing, three things I want to talk about more:

Midsummer Echoes

because I need to get this one in order lmao. This is the WIP that started one of my most ambitious storyverse settings, the Hoursverse, but discussion of the greater verse can wait. I imagine this one as a visual novel, but you'll get writing snippets -- tbh that goes for all my WIPs in this post, I don't envision them as novels in the traditional sense but I write stuff for them anyway.

Premise:

Once upon a time, within the walls of a manor in the woods, there was a sculptor whose statue came to life and saved him. They were happy for a brief time, but circumstances around them meant this happiness could not last.

Now, you are the assistant and apprentice of that sculptor, who has gone missing. Investigating your teacher's past, you trace his location back to the storied and now-abandoned manor where he lived decades ago, before selling it and moving to the city. But when you enter, you find the manor is a strange place unmoored from time... and filled with hauntings and dangers. Whatever happened to your teacher, it is clear the mystery is tangled up with the sordid history of the manor and its many residents over the years.

Author Notes:

And I mean many residents. The reason this project is so hard to wrangle is because there's a whole ton of moving parts, and different eras of history to keep in line. The maids have some weird culty shit going on, there's a whole ton of people who tried to find your teacher before you and had the exact same idea to go to this manor, there's a talking mask's haunted by a spirit calling herself The Model who helps out, and remember that fairy tale about the statue that came to life? Yeah she's a whole can of worms and also following the player character around. Maybe.

Mahanagar 20XX

My newest WIP, a cyberpunk story set in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Premise:

We open on a guy bleeding out in an alley during the first torrential rain of the monsoon season. Then, we rewind to the start of summer.

Medical student Narayan Saha finally has a chance at a future. Unfortunately, that promising future is jeopardized. After a failed attempt to rescue a friend in debt to a powerful overseer, that very overseer gives Narayan an ultimatum -- pay him an exorbitant amount of money for damages by the end of the summer, or he will have Narayan arrested and add that amount owed to his friend's debt instead.

Narayan accepts the offer, despite the extremely slim chance of success, but he has little other choice. He turns to the underworld with confidence that he can play the game, get the money he needs, and get out within two months.

He is very, very wrong.

Author Notes:

This project came from a desire to have cyberpunk themes and tropes without relying on what's become the "standard" cyberpunk aesthetic cues, glossy neons and holograms and the like.

Dhaka is my birth city -- I haven't been in years, but I remember what it was like.

The plot of this project is essentially a cyberpunk rip-off of a Bengali play called Nemesis, which has a similar basic premise of "guy needs an unreasonable amount of money, he tries to get it, and things spiral down from there".

Bhajana/Edensoul/Devoted Soul

Multiple titles because multiple of them could work, though I often call it Edensoul (which is the only definitely-a-working-title one). My followers aren't as familiar with this, but it's where Vayu/Yuya and Eden first originated as characters -- Answers Of A Yaksha is basically an urban fantasy(?) very divergent alternate universe of this.

It's set in a fantasy world based on Hindu mythology, set shortly after an apocalypse in this world's version of the Colonial India era. This is essentially a soulsborne game concept.

Joke Premise: the dark souls of farming sims

Actual Premise:

The land is dying. Vidhana (or Eden), its divine heart, is comatose, fading from the aftereffects of a magical bioweapon that blights the land, withers all life, and sometimes puppeteers it in corrupted form. Vidhana's Vessels, her demigod companions, are gone from the picture -- except for one. Manyuva (or Yuya, or Vayu), Eden's consort, returns home from a torturous exile to an empty village, and an almost-desolate garden around where Eden sleeps. Plagues, cults, tyrants, and warfare further ravages the world all around.

However, there is still a slim hope. Regrowing the garden and surrounding lands gives Eden (and by extension, the whole land) more time before Death's arrival, and the enigmatic Queen Of Ghosts reveals what may be a path to true recovery: four Shades conduct their schemes, poisoning the land and its people, but hold pieces of Vidhana's soul and divine power. Defeat them, and reclaim those fragments, and the heart of the land may awaken.

Author's Notes

I really want my mutuals to know more about this project because well, it's where vayuden came from. But I often hesitate to show it because Eden isn't as big a player in it (considering they're, you know, asleep -- not that they can't be a character still though).

But if you enjoy Vayu being the World's Strongest Wife Guy in any other thing you've seen him in, you're gonna enjoy this because the whole damn plot is powered by that part of his character. Yuya isn't even half as interested in saving the world as saving his love. The fact that they're one and the same is a blessing for everyone involved.

Also, I just want to write in this setting more.

Let’s get to know your main story! Tell us a little bit about it!