Enemy Design

By Nivritti Khurana, 1805574

## The Four Empires

The enemies are divided into four empires; the Quilong, Wūguī, Fènghuáng and Hǔ. Each of these empires has it's own enemies and bosses, with each one being in one of the four directions.

## The Quilong Empire

The Quinglong empire is the largest one, situated in the East. It is divided into nine parts, with each of these nine having one of the sons of the Quilong empire as a boss. Each boss has two creatures under it's rule that the player will encounter before fighting the boss.

### **Bixi**

Bixi can be fought in a graveyard, after the player interacts with a series of gravestones with odd parts on them. These gravestones will break off and merge together to form Bixi. The dragon is slow, able to block hits on most of it’s body with high defense and attack. It’s speed lacks, however, and the way for players to defeat it is by striking the gaps where the tombstone pieces meet and defense is lowest. The following are under Bixi's rule:

#### Jiangshi

> The lowest level enemies. They attack in massive groups, but can be taken down with a few hits.
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#### Snappers

> Turtle like beings, found near bodies of water. They do not move very fast, leaping far to attack every two turns and mostly relying on higher defense.
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### **Quiniu**

Quiniu can be found in a theatre, appearing in a ghost-like form by possessing various instruments. It will briefly rise from one instrument to attack players before diving into the form of another. Players can destroy the instruments to force Quiniu out, which will make the dragon move fast and attack rapidly, requiring rest after a volley of attacks, during which the player can deal massive damage to it. The following are under Quiniu’s rule:

#### Cicadas

> Cicadas will usually be hiding, attacking the players with long-ranged sound attacks. They are harder to find than they are to kill.
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#### Egui

> These are ghost-like creatures, which will rush towards the players to attack them. The easiest way to defeat these creatures is to avoid being hit for a few turns, upon which they will lose interest in the player and stay in one place. Players can either walk away or kill them once they are in the disinterested state. Another way would be for players to toss food or healing items at them, which will cause them to stop moving, allowing the player to escape or kill them.
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### **Yazi**

Yazi can be found on a battlefield between empires. Players will see a massive sword in the middle of the field, which cannot be interacted with until all the enemies in the area have been defeated. Once that is done, the sword will turn into Yazi, a serpent-like dragon with the head of a leopard. It has a low defence but high attack and speed, and will attack the player with a few low-damage moves before charging at them with a more powerful move. Yazi pauses before executing the high damage move, giving players a chance to attack. The following are under Yazi’s rule:

#### Zhuyan

> Massive ape-like creatures. These will pound at the ground, causing the earth to shake and try to damage players. They have a high attack, but an average defence and low speed, and can be defeated by players directly attacking them, provided the players stay at a safe distance when the Zhuyan attack.
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#### Zhuijan

> A leopard like creature that will try to daze the player by roaring at them, then slashing them with their claws. Zhuijan have a high speed, but a low defence and average attack.
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### **Chaofeng**

Chaofeng has a heavily defended underside, and will fight players from the top of a mountain. During the battle, players will be on abridge, with Chaofeng diving at them to attack. Players can defeat it by jumping above it or reaching the end of the bridge, where they can climb to higher ground and attack Chaofeng from above. Defeating Chaofeng from the bridge or anywhere below it is more challenging but possible. The following are under Chaofeng’s rule:

#### Tianma

> Winged horses. They will dive down towards the player, trying to stomp on them with their hooves. If they miss, they will take a few seconds to recharge before flying above again. Once in the air, they hover within range of certain attacks, and a few seconds later will stomp the player again. They have a high attack, but low defense.
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#### Kuishou

> A one-legged ox-like demon. Kuishou will charge at the player, but can be leapt over, and depending on where they are, can get stuck for a few seconds in walls, etc, leaving them open for attack. They have a high attack but low speed and average defense.
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### **Pulao**

Pulao is found in a cave. When the player approaches, it will let out many roars, causing stalactites to rain down onto the fighting area. Pulao will disappear into one of the crevices along the area, reappearing in front of one of the others to roar again. As most stalactites fall near the player, it is possible for the player to try to block the crevices by standing in front of them, forcing Pulao to only emerge from one, making it easier for the player to attack. The following are under Pulao’s rule:

#### Bashe

> Giant serpents that live in crevices. They will move from one to the next, across the battle area. Parts of them are covered with softer snakeskin, which the player can attack when the Bashe are passing them.
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#### Guchong

> Guchong light up the caves and are mostly passive, but they will attack the player if they get too close. Guchong are fast, and need to be killed or blocked before they reach the other, otherwise they spread a poison that continuously saps the player’s health until it is dealt with.
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### **Chiwen**

Chiwen is found in a massive lake. Chiwen’s shadow appears in the water, followed a second later by the dragon itself, rushing up to snap at the lily pad above it. Players must avoid Chiwen by jumping from lily pad to the other, and the only time they can attack the dragon is when it leaps up to bite them. The following are under Chiwen’s rule:

#### Taotie

> A black mass with a mask of an open mouth, Taotie will dart across the area constantly, snapping at anything in it’s path. It’s shadow body is it’s weak area, but it can also be instantly killed if hit in it’s mask in a brief moment where it pauses before splitting itself into smaller versions that race across the screen once.
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#### Mahoraga

> Serpent-like creatures that the player encounters at the lake shore. They dive underground and emerge elsewhere, rushing forward for a single attack before diving underground again. They have a low defense, and can be attacked when they are above ground.
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### **Bi’an**

Bi’an can be found in a prison, overgrown by forest. The players will have to navigate through a maze-like area, fighting the enemies under Bi’an’s rule, and at the end of the maze, will find the dragon. Bi’an will be able to activate pitfalls, but will be stationary while casting this, making it easier for the player to attack directly. The following are under Bi’an’s rule:

#### Xiezhi

> Cattle-like beasts with one horn. They will be stationary until the player makes any sort of attack move (even cutting down obstacles), after which they will charge at the player. They have a high attack and defence, making them harder to kill from a closer range.
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#### Shen

> A clam-like monster, Shen will usually be hidden somewhere in the area. They cannot be attacked when they are closed, and only open up to add Mirages (rocks and trees) to block the player’s path. These can be destroyed, but killing Shen will cause all the Mirages on that level to disappear.
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### **Suanni**

Suanni can be found inside a temple. The temple is riddled with hole in the floor, which will cause the player to fall into a series of rooms with enemies in them. The temple is flooded with fog, making it challenging for the player to navigate safely. Suanni is on the third level of the temple, and will vanish into the fog, reappearing to spray a damaging mist onto the player. Suanni is a lion-like dragon, and players will be able to see it’s silhouette in the fog, allowing them to detect it’s location and attack when Suanni surfaces. The following are under Suanni’s rule:

#### Pixiu

> Pixiu are lioness-like creatures who will usually attack players in groups. They have a high attack but slow speed, making it easier to escape them. Killing a Pixiu will give the player Gold or Medicine.
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#### Qilin

> Qilin are horned creatures, often lurking near groups of Pixiu. They do not attack the player unless the player has killed a Pixiu or Qilin. They will hide by being similarly colored to the fog, and can be easily killed from a distance if spotted. Once aggravated, Qilin will charge at the player to attack them with their horns. They have a high speed and average attack, but low defense.
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### **Fuxi**

Fuxi can be found in the remains of a library. The players will have to assemble the right books and lay them in an order to be able to summon Fuxi. The dragon moves through the air, forming a symbol in the air that will be fired at the player. Players can either dodge or counter the symbol with an attack. Fuxi is most vulnerable when it is flying and forming the symbol, especially in the earlier part of the formation. The following are under Fuxi’s rule:

#### Baize

> Lion-like creatures that will avoid the players. If the player attacks, however, they will fire symbols at the player. Upon being defeated, Baize leave behind certain clues which would help the players find the right combination to summon Fuxi.
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#### Luanniao

> These bird like creatures fly around throughout the area, picking up and carrying books around. They will often attack players who happen to be in their path, or steal any books that are around the player.
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