Totem

A **Totem** (图腾) or **Guardian Beast** are powerful creatures that are benevolent towards mankind. They are based on the ***Classic of Mountains and Seas*** (山海经). A **totem** is a spirit being, sacred object, or symbol that serves as an emblem of a group of people, such as a family, clan, lineage, or tribe. They were friendly and sincere to humans even treating the Chinese as their own people. They helped civilization stave off the first invasion by the Sea monsters even when they themselves were being persecuted.

They are worshipped as deities in Ancient China before the Magic Era. With the rise of Human Civilization in China, some totems survived as soul stored vessels, died out or degraded into monsters. Notably, the Sacred Totem Beasts can reincarnate by using new containers of their soul or regenerate a new biological body. Azure Dragon's presence can provide runic sacred blessings and awaken the hidden bloodline of any totem around it.

In China, there are four Great/Sacred Totem Beasts: Azure Dragon (Qinglong), Vermilion Bird (Zhuque), White Tiger (Baihu), and Black Tortoise (Xuanwu). The Azure Dragon, is the Leader of all the Totems. There are other Totems, which are descended from or subordinate to one of these four. The Ruler level Totems were usually Vassals to the Emperor Level Great Totem Beasts.

## History

The Nine Provinces had several ancient gods. These extraordinary creatures were the leaders of the Totem Beasts. In addition they had many ancient beasts who were hostile to one another and fought each other. It was extremely chaotic. Humans were frail, too, so they had no choice but to submit to the powerful ancient beasts. The ancient beasts who were willing to provide humans with protection were called the Totem Beasts, but the Totem Beasts opposed one another, too, so the human tribes ended up constantly waging war against one another.

The Sacred Totem Beasts were special, as they realized they were simply killing one another for no reason. They did not want humans to suffer continuous casualties just because the Totem Beasts were fighting one another. To preserve the humans and the Totem Beasts, a few Totem Beasts, the strongest among them, stepped forward to implement the rule of not permitting Totem Beasts and humans to fight one another. Humans, Totem Beasts, and ancient beasts that broke the rules would be punished severely. Such example of said rules was the Ceremony of the Winged Beasts where they use height as a way to decide their status and earn respect from their tribes. Totem Beasts were never biased toward any species. They were just maintaining order during ancient times with their power and status.

The peace lasted for some time, allowing humans to grow stronger, even while the ancient beasts expanded their territories. Humans discovered magic and began to control their own destiny, while the ancient beasts left the Totem Beasts and turned into the demon creatures that are crawling all over the mountains and wilds as we speak. However, the Totem Beasts that initially took care of humans and ancient beasts all disappeared for an unknown reason. The main theory is that after humans became powerful post the magic civilization, they revolted and annihilated the Totem beasts.

## Totem Guardians

Some totem beasts survived as soul stored vessels. the Sacred Totem Beasts can reincarnate by using new containers of their soul or regenerate a new biological body. The sired/vassal totem beasts would instead require Totem Guardians (humans who would bear the mark of the totem beast and/or possess their stored vessel/container. Part of the reason for this was so they could feed off the energy of their guardian to revive, or have said guardian find and absorb pure enough energy i.e. Baxia, or have a protector when ongoing a transformation/hibernation (i.e. Tang Yue for Black totem snake during its ecdysis, Yu ShiShi for Moon Moths Phoenix during her cocoon, etc.)

Baxia had asked Zhao Manyan to look for Totem Beasts of the same bloodline as him. Mo Fan could absorb energy from any Totem beast due to Little Loach Pendant (Azure Dragon container).

## Totem Seals

Each totem has a respective Totem Mark that associates it with the respective Sacred Totem Lineage and are a piece of the Sacred Totem's personal Totem Mark, with all forming Azure Dragon's complete Mark. The Totem Marks can also indicate shared Lineages between Sacred Totems.

* The Black Tortoise symbol was a combination of those of the Black Totem Snake, Baxia, and some other Totem Beasts
* The Sacred Feather Vermillion Bird was a combination of the Moon Moth Phoenix, The sacred bird, Flame magpie and some others.

## Totem Abilities

1. Azure Dragon (Interdimensional Travel, Soul Transmigration, Soul Condensation, Soul Reincarnation, Soul Nourishment, Soul Protection, Control over Heavenly Phenomena)
2. Vermilion Bird (Control over Myriad Flames, Adaptive Reincarnation by Fire, Soul Flame Essence Division, Flame Regeneration, Soul Fire Incarnation)
3. Xuan Snake (Poison, Scales, Mass, Flexibility)