recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Epona

> There is another world, other than this one we choose to live in.
>
> Li Bai

> I will show you the path to the spirit world.
>
> Cao Cao

> You are still young, free.. Do yourself a favour. Before it's too late, without thinking too much about it first, pack a pillow and a blanket and see as much of the world as you can. You will not regret it. One day it will be too late.
>
> Jhumpa Lahiri, The Namesake

## **Biography**

Epona was born to a middle-class family. During her childhood, due to her eye condition, the young girl was limited to her room and the garden. One day, a gang of bandits swept through the town and her family became one of their victims. Luckily, the old wet nurse managed to sneak the young Epona out in time and they safely escaped. They travelled to the old woman’s hometown, a small hunting community in the middle of nowhere. The hunters there treated her as their own and taught her how to survive in the wild.

After growing up, Epona was struck by an insatiable sense of wanderlust and decided to set out to see the wider world. She travelled from town to town, working odd jobs until she was employed by a noblewoman named Wang Ciuxin as a spy. As time passed, she was transferred to Xiaojiang, a newly built community. The political climate there didn’t bother her much until way later. Her job was simple: keep an eye on the many merchant guilds in the area by acting as a transporter. It was a job that allowed the ranger to travel constantly, and therefore a good one in her book. Epona thought that nothing would change but because of her good favour with Wang, she was appointed the Head of Transportation for Yuxue Alliance and tasked with a different mission: to protect the councillor’s seat and wait.

## **Personality**

* Free-spirited and experimental.
* A gourmet, willing go to any length for a good meal.
* She is a regular at the tavern.

#### **Flaws**

* Capricious, given to flights of fancy and impulsive behaviour.
* Hedonistic.

#### **Strengths**

* Fearless and can keep a cool head when most can’t.
* Can easily find the silver lining in the worst of situations.

## **Bonds**

* Childhood friend of Govasana although they hadn’t seen each other until the day Govasana came to Xiaojiang to become Vice head of Yuxue Alliance.
* A frequent visitor at the inn and thus, she has a friendly relationship with Tokki.
* Treats Pipi like a younger sibling, regularly helping her cause mischief.
* Likes to mess with Ryoko. He’s just fun to mess with.
* Interacts with Naganika only for business or when necessary. She isn’t too bad of a person but her ‘pettiness’ is just nasty.

## **Secrets**

* Physically short sighted (wears contacts and never tells anyone).

###### **Additional notes**

* Hawk familiar named Link.
* Ex-spy.
Nrittaraja

## Biography

Came into existence the same way as Malliga, as a primordial being. Closer to the power of Shunya themselves but he prefers not to interfere with the mortals too much, only teaching them dances for them to use to please him later, creating bonds and unions between people, and lending an infinitesimally small fraction of his air elemental abilities only to the people at the highest of the highest positions in his clergy.

Like his wife Alaikka, he shares her love of playing pranks, and is said to have taught her about Ghostmarks. The two often assists each other in their schemes in folk tales.

## Appearance

His original form is unknown but he is usually depicted as a feminine human with skin whiter than white light, which is in stark contrast to his sister Malliga, wearing blue robes with a lotus in his hand.

## Relationships

Married to Alaikka before she was exiled.
Terracotta (Race)

##### [ Warforged Reskin ]

**Terracottas** are commissioned from royal artificers by the emperor as war machines. Some of them are supplied to the Yuxue Alliance, intended to perform particularly nasty work that 'living' beings would be uninterested in. Not seen as true living creatures, they are assumed to have no thoughts and feelings of their own. If left unused for long periods of time - typically a few decades - a terracotta will develop its own consciousness.

## Appearance

Terracottas are sculpted to be shaped like humans.

While the first terracottas were made of clay (terracotta), artificers have, over time, begun to make them out of different materials to serve different purposes. Their materials determine their appearance and purpose:

**Clay** - Classic guardian terracottas and the first to be made. Used to maintain and guard temples, tombs, and other spiritual locations, as well as some notable parts of the emperor's city. They look the most human-like.

**Jade** - Wealth symbol. Programmed to be butlers, housekeepers, house guards and servants, appearing around the mansions of their owners. A large number of them serve the emperor directly in the city.

**Steel** - War machines. Used in battles when the emperor cannot afford to lose humans, or when a particularly resilient, unkillable army is wanted.

**Porcelain** - Decorative, or gifts. Will be transferred from one owner to another as tokens of good faith. Programmed to be dancers or musicians. Ornamental.

## Age

Terracotta can naturally corrode beyond repair anytime after 50 years. However, they are immune to magical aging effects.

## Gallery

Steel, clay, jade, and two porcelain terracottas respectively.
Calico

> There is often no line between perfection and evil.
>
> Ken Liu, The Grace of Kings

> Replace weapons with jade and silk.
>
> Chinese proverb, From the first chapter of the "Huainanzi" 《淮南子·原道训》

## **Biography**

Calico belongs to a clan of craftsmen specialising in terracotta. The previous king was a witless fool, using military funds to fuel his own entertainment. Her family and many other craftsman clans became obsolete and quickly declined. Things only changed for the better when Nung Fu stormed the capital and replaced the decadent ruler. She then once more became a royal artificer, making terracotta soldiers, servants and entertainers for the king.

Things once more changed for the worse. The new emperor, with an unending ambition, executed his old friends for ‘plotting for the throne’. Tired of seeing her creations being used for violence, Calico left the capital with her close friend, Kapi. The two of them came to Xiaojiang and were asked to take seats in the new council. Since Kapi easily agreed, the artificer could only follow suit.

## **Personality**

* A pacifist who avoids conflict at all cost.
* She enjoys stage plays, storytelling and written novels, basically bite-size excitement that doesn’t require her involvement.
* A romantic, but gets incredibly shy and embarrassed whenever the subject is brought up.

## **Strengths**

* Resolute.
* Has an eye for details.

## **Secrets**

* She secretly enjoys romance novels but can’t handle the explicit details, thus always turns beet red whenever she reads them.

## **Quirks and mannerisms**

* Ends some of her sentences with 'nya'.
* Keeps to herself and never starts a conversation unless there’s official business.
* More skittish than a moon bunny but you can tell she’s a professional when talking to her. She prefers precise and compacted wording while still being oddly polite.

###### **Additional notes**

* Jade terracotta steel defender. This was the first one she made.
* Ex-artificer for the Emperor, specialising in Jade terracotta.
Knowledge Quadruplets

> The Quadruplets take great pride in knowing their domain is the most expansive. Why, they're smirking right now as you experience their domain with this quote!
>
>

## Biography

The quadruplets were formed when Pumi made them from clay. While Pumi was a distant parent to many, they seemed to nurture the four they were allowed to make with the utmost care in an almost overprotective manner. They gained power when the living beings began to explore topics of knowledge. They each began to nurture their specific talents in their followers encouraging the search of knowledge overall, not necessarily their favorite topics. The Knowledge Quadruplets are often found together in their massive library, nurturing their skills.

The quadruplets get along with each other, and often do not have any arguments as they believe themselves to form the foundation of all knowledge-based skills. They are very active with their followers, and their reasoning for doing such often is in the pursuit of higher knowledge and education for their followers and clergy.

## Appearance

The quadruplets can easily pass as humans. They have pale skin which often appears closer to the color paper than actual skin. They each have long black hair in the color of ink; however, they often style it differently from each other to allow them to be recognized easier from the others. Their eyes are black in color, and their iris seems to move like flowing ink in a bottle.

They are often found with books on their respective topics and can be found barefoot in their library of choice. They can be found wearing little jewelry, but what they are wearing often speaks to them as an individual as they have received them from Pumi. They wear matching red and beige traditional dresses, seeming to not want to part with the period that they were formed in.

## Personality

Arivali is often shy and aloof, keeping to herself along with her sister Raaga. The two of them often keep to themselves among the other Devanagari. Vidya is found conversing with her friend Malliga about magic and magical theory, and Sangeeta is often seen picking herbs in the forest with Vanamma.

#### Additional Information

Arcana: Vidya

Nature: Sangeeta

Religion: Raaga

History: Arivali
Rooftops

The view from aboveI'm just itching to run on this, reallyLooks like nobody's there right now. Looks like.

## Rooftops

Top of the buildings in the Yuxue Estates. Their intended purpose is to shelter its residents from rain and sun, but the cultivators, being the creative bunch they are, have repurposed it for a myriad of activities.

For the agile, the Rooftops can serve as a great spot for sunbathing, stargazing, or a well-needed moment of solitude.

Some adventurers use the Rooftops for convenient fast travel or even as battlegrounds.

#### Points of interest

* Birds roost on the Rooftops in the evenings.
* As a result, the Rooftops can sometimes be unclean, especially at night before the birds wake up.

#### Non-visual features

Veteran residents know that the sound of sudden shouting and tiles breaking means another rooftop tussle is about to begin. Make some noise, and you might tempt other adventurers to join the fray - but make too much noise, and an Alliance officer will rush around to hand out reprimands and fines for the damage caused.

#### Visual details not in pictures

You can find small drawings on certain rooftops in Xiaojiang. They are usually hidden from sight and can only be seen up close. Some say those are simply creations of artistic (and bored) adventurers, others claim foul markings made by the local thieves.

#### Layout

The roofs of the buildings in the Yuxue Estates are made out of many colourful tiles. From high up, the roofs make a great vantage point over the rest of the residential area.

#### History

Mortals simply cannot live without a shelter over their heads. Even the Huayu character for ‘house’ has a little roof on top of it.

#### Any other details

Every adventurer is warned against using the roofs for anything other than shelter when they first join the Yuxue Alliance. You simply can’t tell if a tile is weakened, and it is especially dangerous during rain and snow seasons (not to mention the amount of bird poop that gathers in some places).

That being said, adventurers are sometimes treated to the sight of High Committee member Pipistrello jumping from rooftop to rooftop anyway, as Asuka watches on in dismay.

#### Quote in channel

> Wanna hear a secret?
>
>
> See those tiled surfaces on top of all these buildings in the residential area? These are called roofs and you know what they're good for? For shenanigans!
>
>
>
> Mind you, some people might get a little mad at you, especially if you make too much noise, but when has that ever stopped you.. so what are you waiting for, follow me!
>
> Pipistrello
Bulani (Race)

##### [ Kalashtar Reskin ]

**Bulanis** are the descendants of a common ancestor, Bulan, a cultivator in the apotheosis stage who became recognised by the moon deity for his contribution to the magical world. They have the ability to tamper with thoughts and dreams; this is knowledge passed on from Bulan. There is a stereotype of bulanis being crazy for this reason, and many are uncomfortable with their abilities. This makes them a subject of racism.

Bulan was the inventor of dream intervention. He had discovered the ability to enter the dreams of mortals, and had used this ability to give people good dreams. These mortals would awake feeling well rested and strangely happy, remembering only a beautiful, feminine man visiting them by black lakes at night to play flute music. Moved by his kindness and magical ability, the moon deity appointed Bulan as one of their proxies. The deity gifted him an unearthly beauty, and his facade could subdue the evil creatures of the night who laid eyes on him. One story tells of man-eating sirens who, growing obsessed with him, protected him from the beasts of the river-depths while he bathed.

Bulan was later slain in a violent fight with his brother, Adlao, after getting Adlao’s favourite son, Yangyang, killed by man-eating sirens. He had told Yangyang that the waters were safe to bathe in, without knowing that the sirens had no interest in warding Yangyang the same way they protected him.

However, in his lifetime, Bulan had taught his first daughter a method of tampering with dreams, and when she married, she taught her children, who went on to teach their own children and families, and so on; this lead to the formation of the bulani community, united by this knowledge of Bulan’s ability - in fact, his creation. As people of the night, the race now houses a method of myth of tampering with dreams and thoughts; yet, the same magic ironically makes it so that they can never dream themselves.

Bulanis tend to live near beaches. They also live together and intermingle with adlaoans – descendants of Bulan’s brother, Adlao. They believe that peace between them is important to make up for Bulan and Adlao’s fatal fight. Conflict between an adlaoan and bulani is believed to bring disaster to both their children and/or loved ones. This is inspired by the death of Adlao’s second and third sons, Richu and Riluo, due to their first fight over Yangyang’s death.

## Appearance

Bulanis are androgynous-looking men and beautiful women. They have very long, jet-black hair and lightly blue, purple or grey-tinted skin.

## Age

Bulanis have the same lifespan as humans, but are more likely to live over a hundred years old.
Rio Faye Ling

Rio Faye Ling is a Jiangshi receptionist for the Yuxue alliance. She's a very diligent worker, though her social graces lack sometimes despite her calming aura.

### Backstory

A strange abnormality within the city, the young woman known as Rio Faye Ling is the reanimated corpse of a former glass worker, who died after an unknown accident many years ago. While it is unknown who revived this creature and with what purpose, it is speculated that her former master is dead by now, leaving her to roam across the realm of man without any form of restriction. Travelling through the sewers of the city by herself, the Jiangshi's first course of action when she arrived at the surface was to get a job as a public servant, finding one as a receptionist in no time due to her natural skills in public relations, despite her species. Not to mention she asks for very little compensation for her work. Rio works behind the desk of the Yuxue Alliance as a receptionist from 8 PM to 6 AM each day, not counting weekends or festivities.

### Personality

Rio has a polite and calm personality, as it seems that her previous master trained her to work as a maid, fulfilling every task with diligence and efficiency like no living being could ever replicate. While not the best at holding small talk, her calming demeanor seems to be enough to be helpful for anyone who requires her assistance.

Outside of work, she seems to be more sassy and outspoken, reminiscent of an old lady despite her appearance. In addition, she seems to enjoy alcoholic beverages a lot, as well as traditional sweets and any other simple gifts.

### Submitted By and Artist Credit

Submitted by Symphony#2755, art from Kooork55 https://twitter.com/kooork55/status/1458388229569212419
Vanamma

> Kindest of all the deities.
>
>

## Biography

She was created by the clash of powers of the god of water bodies, Jal and the god of volcanic activity, Jwala. She dwells in forests and maintains them, occasionally aiding hunters if they choose to worship her, or anyone lost in the forest. Like Shunya and Pumi she is able to create life alone, fashioning her children, Chandraman and Ravini, out of clay and breathing life into them. She goes around the forests picking herbs, whilst maintaining the balance between plants and animals and nurturing them.

## Appearance

She mostly presents herself as a peacock. But she often changes her form to some other kind of living being; sometimes animals, sometimes plants. Her children inherited this shapeshifting habit but to an even greater degree.

## Relationships

Created Chandraman and Ravini out of clay.
Malliga

## Biography

Malliga’s creation isn’t very concrete; she’s akin to a primordial being, existing in a much smaller capacity along with Shunya, only really making herself known when Narkunam’s life was in danger. Upon marrying Narkunam she took on the role of embodying spirituality to an extent but not as much as Shunya.

She had always fancied Narkunam ever since Shunya created him. She considered him the perfect candidate for herself. That was the reason she saved him.

Even though she is very active with followers and clergy, her reasoning and actions are a little aloof. She tends to do things for the fun of it, mostly good, almost like her age makes her feel that she is above a lot of beings.

## Appearance

Like Shunya, she never really had a static form but to not frighten Narkunam she appeared as a human woman with long curly hair pulled back into a long braid, and just stuck to that form. She enjoys the finer things in life in terms of clothing and jewellery. She isn’t depicted with set attire but most of her iterations are shown to be wearing a bright red piece of clothing, a full older lehenga, or a sheer skirt over thin pants and cloth to cover the upper body, draped over the shoulder instead of a normal blouse. She is also usually depicted wearing the most amount of jewellery- full bridal jewellery from the day of her marriage; gold and flowers in her hair, bangles, layered necklaces,head harness, a large nose ring and elaborate chain and earrings.

## Relationships

Wife of Narkunam.

Mother of Vanmuraiyara and Parthi.
Parthi

> War is cruelty. There is no use trying to reform it. The crueler it is, the sooner it will be over.
>
>

## Biography

Parthi was born to Malliga and Narkunam during a war that happened when they tried living a normal life on the mortal plane as humans. She was a brash one from the beginning and used her charisma and strength to win over one side of the war and led them through the war. Because of the human nature, they were more influenced by her and not her sister who was trying to achieve peace between them. She directly opposed her sister who wanted to create a safe place for everyone because she wanted the war to be over as quick as possible without interfering with her divine powers. She later lived with her mother when she and her sister did not want to live together anymore.

Her clergy believes in the same thing she does: using violence to speed up wars as they are outside of prevention. She hates the members of clergy who uses violence unnecessarily because she believes that the method of achieving your goal matter and if avoided, leads to a shaky base for your goal.

## Appearance

She is very human looking and is usually depicted with a tan skin colour and holding a spear. She is very charismatic and presents herself in a graceful way even during intense moments in battles.

## Relationships

Daughter of Narkunam and Malliga.

Has a sister named Vanmuraiyara.
The Famed Four

The four founders of the Yuxue Alliance, after a falling out with their childhood friend who became the Eighth Emperor Chin. They are apotheosis cultivators.

Vandalised shrines of these folk heroes stand on the outskirts of the city, their rubble never removed, for some reason...

## #1 Kashi Ananda

Storm sorceress, and follower of Parthi. Nicknamed 'The Bat Empress' after she became the first leader of the Yuxue Alliance, known for her crystalline, blue-black steel bat's wings, commissioned from the emperor's personal artificer himself.

Kashi is the first member of the Famed Four, who proposed the alliance with her three closest friends, who are as follows:

## #2 Sakinoor al-Faheem

A shadow monk, and Fahreed's twin sibling.

Ex-pirate. Renowned for her speed and killing ability. Said to be able to outrun dragons, and run across any surface, crossing into enemy ships by running towards them on the seas.

## #3 Fahreed al-Faheem

A thief rogue, and Sakinoor's twin sibling.

Ex-pirate. Renowned for his very specific, lethal grapple technique, now informally named the Reed's noose by the martial arts community. Would piggyback Sakinoor onto enemy ships and wreck havoc.

## #4 Wang Leixi （王雷溪）

Daughter of a tribal chief in the north, a Barbarian from the Path of the Beast.

She was as strong as an ox and could lift an adult man with ease. With the blessing of her ancestral spirit, the Crimson Wolf Lord, she could grow sharp claws and large fangs, slaughtering her way into the enemies' camp with extreme ferocity.
Kinnara (Race)

##### [ Kenku Reskin ]

It is said that the **kinnara** are the most resplendent race in Kara-Tur, second only to those whom are divinely touched. This, of course, is not without good reason.

The kinnara are perceived as angels, and are held in the highest esteem in noble society. It is highly unlikely that one would find such a being in a market or walking around a farming village.

Kinnara choose instead to live and work alongside nobility as artists, befitting their regal looking status. As a result of this, they are seen as divinely chosen - and indeed, a great many have achieved the favour of high nobles.

Many remain as royal entertainers, becoming emperor-endorsed dancers, painters, poets and writers.

Many of those who are particularly gifted in the clerical arts are employed by the emperor himself to act in ceremonies such as marriage or funerals. For example, as his personal funerary procession for his family, to which they maintain the tomb and perform the sweeping ceremony once per year - something that they would never deign to do otherwise for anyone else save their own families.

## Appearance

Kinnara often possess the appearance of birds of paradise, peacocks, or other highly beautiful, colourful fowl. Less colourful kinnara are rare due to age long preferential treatment towards the more colourful kinnara.

Kinnara are commonly known to wear gold or yellow- a symbol of allegiance to both the emperor and the Devanagari who preside over them. When in the emperor's very presence, however, they will switch to more muted colours, so as to not challenge his divine right to rule.

## Age

Much like their human contemporaries, kinnara are known to live up to 70 to 80 years, though the divinely attuned amongst them have the uncanny tendency to live far longer.
Golden Way

*River Rising's version*

The Golden Way is a continent-crossing underground travel network designed and dug by the dwarves, powered by alchemy and magic.

#### History

The Golden Way used to be a gold mine, and slowly grew into a travel route as the dwarves dug further and further.

A few particularly brilliant businessmen and merchants had the idea to turn it into a trade route, and invested in the gold mine to have it fitted with steam-powered transport for this purpose.

#### Appearance

The Golden Way is a series of large underground caverns linked by tunnels, with a gold alloy railroad. The ceilings are spotted with ores, and the walls are lined with lanterns. In each cavern stop, there is an elevator leading to the surface, about a 15 minute ride.
Groondas

## Groonda

Waste World (SWK Mod)

The Gameworks

Groondas are some of the main NPCs used across all of the games found in *The Hex*, or at the very least many other NPCs are based on them, as their face is widely used across different characters. They originate from Root Beer Tender, just like Moglees, though they appear much sooner in the game timeline, first debuting in Super Weasel Kid. They also make up a good chunk of the employees that work for The Gameworks.

## Description

Groondas are brown with a mushroom cap on their head, which is white with red spots. They wear a black jacket with large spikes on the sleeves, which presumably hurt the player when touched. They also have small clawed paws. The Gameworks variant of their sprite looks similar, though they instead wear square sunglasses and have an earpiece.

## Trivia

* Groondas are a clear reference to Goombas from the Super Mario franchise.
* In Walk, Lionel mentions how Irving offered Groondas to him as a pre-made NPC, implying that not only are Groondas created en-masse but they also are the primary hostile NPC used across games.
* Jeremiah was at one time a Groonda, before becoming glitched due to a saving error on Gameworks's part and causing him to mutate.

## Gallery

Groonda in Super Weasel KidGroonda in Root Beer TenderGroonda Steam emojiDeceased Gameworks Groonda employees
Neraka

> The fact that you haven't heard of Neraka before means we are doing our jobs well. There are things in this world you cannot even imagine, beings of unfathomable power. And if it weren't for this prison, they'd be out there threatening our very existence.
>
> Mingan

## Neraka

Neraka, is located underneath South Street. It contains seven underground floors, the 7th floor, the deepest one, seals away dangerous people or beings with magic.

It is guarded by the hi-com member Mingan, and any cultivators who volunteer.

#### Layout

Up to the 3rd floor, Neraka looks like your average prison. 1st floor has cells, 2nd has more fortified rooms, and the 3rd has more heavily fortified rooms.

* Floor Ⅰ. General prison for convicted criminals (eg. mainly blue-collar, some white-collar).

* Floor Ⅱ. Major white-collar criminals, executives and heads of syndicates, low rank terrorists, low rank war criminals who aren't executed (e.g. individual soldiers).

* Floor Ⅲ. Political criminals, major treason/traitors of the state, high rank terrorists politically notable high-rank war criminals who aren't executed (eg. WCs who commanded genocides, destruction of settlements, etc).

4th floor and onwards contains more magic stuff. Requires (tightly regulated) license to enter and is guarded and maintained 24 hours by nascent soul clerics.

* Floor Ⅳ. Difficult-to-Kill Undead. A lot of sealing magic is used here. There are no cells, it's just one big room of jars, urns, lanterns, coffins, and artifact-like containers sealed with wards, incense, blood ink, etc. Walls are lined with dizzying rows of glowing/blood wards. Most spooky floor.

* Floor Ⅴ. Convicted Necromancers & Magical Convicts. Convicts here have disrupted the 'magical balance' (a.k.a. use magic to cause harm or incite fear; magical terrorists). This freaky floor features beings that have been sedated and sealed in capsules filled with holy water and plastered with wards.

* Floor Ⅵ. Major versions of convicts from Floor Ⅴ.

* Floor Ⅶ. Criminals who Committed Crimes against the Gods, Destruction of Large Parts of Realms, etc. Only crippled and sealed in some way, apotheosis clerics constantly maintain seals around the clock, devoting their lives to keep the realms safe.
Arena of the Ancestors

The arena of the Ancestors host the battles between the celestial beings of Tianting. On Ancestor's Day, cultivators on the material plane use a link with their own ancestors to watch the battles between them in the arena.

### Trophies

The experience gained often assists a cultivator on their journey, but in addition to that, some particularly powerful ancestors offer blessings in the form of trophies to the descendants who watch them.

### Ancestor's Champions

###### [Reskinned Cuddly Strixhaven Mascot]

A select few cultivators find small sculptures of an avatar of their ancestors atop their graves after the battle. This is a trophy from particularly stellar cultivators of the past, who want their descendants to do as well as them. There are high expectations tied to an item such as this.

When held, this figurine imbues the owner with feelings of strength, bravery and safety, granted under the watchful eye of their ancestors.

### Silk Sword

###### [Reskinned Moon-touched Blade]

Said to be forged with the same cloth used for god of the grave Kaal's robes, this sword appears to gleam extra brightly even when there is no light.

Only a descendant of a brutal killer ever bears an item such as this.
Lanternbug (Race)

##### [Autognome Reskin]

It is said, that once a paper lantern has survived intact for 99 years, it will have seen so much that it comes alive. Henceforth, by ingesting lantern oil, it begins glowing and can sprout wings like a firefly to take to the skies. These **lanternbugs** mostly deteriorate and are consumed by their own light after a few flights, owing to the frailty of such old paper.

However, some lanternbugs are born with greater intellect and quickly realise that without help, they will soon perish. Such lanternbugs are known to seek aid from artisans of all kind - smiths, artificers, gifted tinkerers etc. - to assist them in reinforcing their bodies to survive longer, at the cost of their ability to fly. It is common for these lanternbugs to then serve the one that helped them by becoming a lantern for them. Such agreements are legally protected, but must stipulate a reasonable time limit on the lanternbug's service. This service usually endows lanternbugs with a special knowledge of the tools of their master's trade.

Often it is also artisans that seek out lanternbugs, as these special servants make excellent sentries of workshops, not needing to sleep and having the ability to perform beyond their capabilities for short instances. Their loyalty is generally absolute and sometimes once the lanternbugs term of employment comes to an end, they seek to stay within this given calling for the sense of purpose it brings them.

## Sentry's Rest Feature Flavour: Lantern Service

When you take a long rest, you spend at least 6 hours in an inactive, motionless state, instead of sleeping. In this state, you appear inert, but you remain conscious. If you know the Light cantrip, you can extend the duration to the remainder of the rest, but only while remaining motionless.

## Appearance

Before their reinforcement, all lanternbugs resemble large fireflies. The natural tears in the paper lanterns due to aging turn into wings and an insect-like head emerges as if being birthed by the lantern flame. However, the process of reinforcement is so dependent on the imagination of both the lanternbugs and the artisan assisting them that it is unlikely one would ever find two lanternbugs looking the same after this process.

## Age

The maximum age of a lanternbug depends on the quality of the lanternbugs new casing. Theoretically, it could be infinite, but no work is perfect and small cracks will eventually cause the lanternbug to flicker out even after reinforcement. At minimum, all lanternbugs are 99 years old, and lanternbugs without reconstruction last at most a few months.
Oona

> The dead can survive as part of the lives of those that still live.
>
> Kenzaburō Ōe, Hiroshima Notes

> Detach from emotions and desires; get rid of any fixations.
>
> Zhuge Liang

## **Backstory**

Years ago, a pair of adventurers migrated to this land in hope of a better future. Without the help of a native, they had to continue selling their skill as fighters and were finally killed during a job. Their orphaned daughter, named Oona, became homeless and had to survive on her own for a while. In a chance meeting in an abandoned shrine, an old hobo adopted her as his granddaughter and started passing down his martial art techniques. He was at the end of his line and couldn’t pass on his techniques to anyone else.

When her grandfather passed away, Oona was already a skilled fighter. She was tricked to become the head of a local hobo gang and was frequently ‘asked’ (i.e, pressured into) fighting for their benefit. One day, someone pointed out that in a newly built village nearby there was a rich temple with no one around and suggested Oona to take that place as their new headquarters. What awaited them there was a single man, a certain dragon prince in black. Not used to magic, the monk was quickly subdued and after a long scolding, became a priestess of the temple. The temple grew together with Xiaojiang and after many years, it became the renowned Four Winds Temple. Oona continued to serve it dutifully until one day, out of nowhere, the Temple Head announced that she would join him in a newly built council ruling over Yuxue Alliance.

## **Personality**

* Simple, straightforward and hardworking.
* Likes meat a lot.
* Humble.

#### **Flaws**

* Fairly gullible.
* Struggles to say ‘no’ to things.

#### **Strengths**

* Firm believer of pacifism and has the strength to back it up too.

## **Bonds**

* Parents who were mercenaries and an adopted grandfather who taught her martial art. All of the deceased.
* Respects Ryoko greatly and has a small crush on him, but she herself doesn’t know it. Constantly gets scolded by him because of her messiness.
* Treats Pipi like a little sister because she’s the only person in the council that acts like one.
* Hold great respect for clergymen, those who embarked on the path of enlightenment.

## **Secrets**

* To stop a certain ‘mom’ from finding out about her messiness, she keeps her room clean by stuffing everything into the wardrobe (the only few places he doesn’t touch).

## **Quirks and mannerisms**

* Messy, rugged looks; hair is always windswept; hawk feathers on clothes.
* “Unnie” – Will ask to be called this by girls/female-identifying characters, meaning ‘older sister’.

###### **Additional notes**

* 2nd generation immigrant, parents are from Faerun.
The Gameworks

The Gameworks is a company existing in both the real and video game universe within *The Hex,* as well as the Daniel Mullins Games universe as a whole. The company itself is an AI powered game development software which creates NPCs and other assets for game developers to use.

## Story

The Gameworks is mischaracterized as Vicious Galaxy within act 5 of *The Hex*, being Lazarus's flashback. The plot follows Jeremiah leading Jay, Junior and Lazarus into an "alien base" to retrieve an artifact, though in reality theyre breaking into The Gameworks to steal The Hex in order to complete Reginald's ritual.

## Within the Game Universe

The Gameworks within the video game universe seems to act as a sort of government, as it dictates NPC and player character's jobs, roles in the story, and their entire lives. It's unclear if Gameworks itself is totalitarian or if Irving simply believes that's the best way to run the company, but regardless the company is very strict about its characters, as anyone who disobeys is punished or "fired" from their game permanently. We see examples of this with Bryce and Chandrelle, as well as the finale of the game in Root Beer Tender with Reginald, wherein each character is either evicted by Lionel or by their misbehavior and poor conduct, sometimes both.

## Within the Real World

Gameworks in the "real world" (within the Daniel Mullins universe) is an AI powered develompent software, or at least some of the real-world characters believe so, specifically Lionel. Gameworks doesn't reveal that its characters are sentient, though Lionel comments on it on occassion, for example in Combat Arena X when he mentions that the characters look like they can actually feel the punches they take. Other than that it's existence is rather ambiguous, with only small bits of information revealed in both *The Hex* and the Gameworks Discord ARG.

## Trivia

* The Gameworks actually made an appearance and played a major role in the latest ARG held in the Daniel Mullins discord server, wherein members could interact with a character named Adbot, an AI creation made up of several different personalities. Craig, a minor character in Waste World, also appears and works at Gameworks. The daemons from Pony Island also made an appearance, being used to guard keywords used with Adbot. It's unclear if all of the events of the ARG are canon in the Daniel Mullins Games universe or not.
Imperial Gardens

The Imperial Gardens is a large park, reputed for its long history and beautiful greenery. It has been cultivated and tended with care by its life-long gardener, Govasana.

#### Points of Interest

* There are koi fish swimming in the pools of the neatly tendered gardens. It is advised that visitors not disturb them by climbing trees or swimming in their habitat.

#### Non-visual Features

* If you were to take a leisurely walk around the gardens, as you close your distance between the beautiful greenery, you would be able to detect a faint damp scent.
* If you’re lucky, you may even find a few bees and insects; nature’s helpers working meticulously to encourage the growth of the plants.

#### Visual Details not in Pictures

You will see a stone table surrounded by its stools - a place that the deceased nobles liked to enjoy their tea time, though now anyone is free to enjoy their pastime in that very place.

#### Layout

As you stroll around the gardens, enveloped within the plants, you can look forward to lengthy walkways through dense forests and intricately arranged flora. The place stretches from indoors to outdoors, serving its scenic beauty.

#### History

Govasana, the ex-emperor's gardener, was summoned to create a garden from an abandoned grassland. Thus, named after Govasana's prestige, the gardens we can see today are what we call the Imperial Gardens.

#### Quote in Channel

> Greetings and please step carefully. You find yourself in the midst of the labour of a lifetime. The gardens have been meticulously created and tended to by me, Govasana, and my only wish is for you to enjoy them and allow others to do the same.
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> I am not interested in your comments or suggestions, if you have a problem, feel free to take it up with Kuma, or better yet, keep it to yourself. Do not climb the trees or swim in the beautiful ponds; you'll disturb the koi.
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> Govasana
Yaojing (Race)

##### [ Shifter Reskin ]

**Yaojing** are animal spirits. They originate from animals who, through disciplined practice of magical arts, are able to gain the ability to shapeshift into a human form. Other methods that change an animal to a yaojing include finding a human skull to wear on its head, shapeshifting successfully when the animal finds a skull that fits.

An animal can also turn into a yaojing if infused with certain types of energy, like from a powerful being, or from celestial bodies like the moon and sun. This last method is extremely hard to come by, and yaojing who gain magic from these eternal entities would have had to have performed a major, selfless sacrifice big enough to be noticed by these eternals in order to receive a gift like this.

Most yaojing who succeed in gaining a human form come from more intelligent animals like foxes, snakes, spiders and cats; though all kinds of animals practise magic to attempt shapeshifting, only with varying degrees of success.

## Appearance

A yaojing’s human form retains the gender of its original animal body. Other than that, it has any height, weight and appearance the animal decides when it first transforms and keeps the same appearance in subsequent shapeshifting.

Once shifted, yaojing look fully human, and do not retain any animal characteristics. Masquerading as humans from then on, they are often secretive with their origins, and can feel deeply humiliated if their true forms are revealed to their human communities. Humans also react negatively to this revelation and tend to ostracise yaojing when their non-human nature is revealed.

## Age

The age of a yaojing varies according to the method used to transform.

If a yaojing shapeshifts through training and magical practice, their magical aptitude and ability determines how long they live. With this method, they can live anywhere between the normal lifespan of their animal counterparts, to up to an additional 500 years.

Yaojing who shift with cheap methods like wearing skulls will live the same lifespan as their animal counterparts.

Yaojing infused with energy from an immortal deity or eternal body like the sun or moon will live as long as the suppliers of their magic continue to exist.
Phoenix Fighting

> I heard you just love to tear up the city sparring your friends. Want to do it for gold?
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> Baihu

**Phoenix Fighting** is a public show fight where cultivators duel in costumes resembling phoenixes in order to entertain a crowd. The fight happens in the Phoenix Ampitheatre in the city centre.

**The Phoenix Amphitheatre** is a large reinforced building padded with antimagic fields and layers of dense adamantine around the outside and between the stage and the audience, allowing the fighters inside to unleash the full brunt of their abilities for show. Showgoers and other cultivators from all over Kara-Tur pay to watch these fights -- a portion of the profits go to you!
South Street

A shop in south street

South Street serves as a home to many of the non-human and foreign races, due to the more affordable housing in this area. They have established unique food and beverage establishments like bars and restaurants, as well as shops and artisanal establishments. The local forge is also located here.

The lowered price stems from the fact that South Street is the location of the continent’s most notorious prison, Neraka. Due to crime rates being higher in this area, as Neraka prison breaks being a frequent occurrence, police and guards’ stations are condensed in this area most.

Ironically, however, the economic legal regulation here is more relaxed than in Market Street and White Street. Restaurants, shops and the like are allowed to operate with fewer regulations, making it foreign-business friendly. As no price ceiling is placed on these goods, prices can sometimes be quite high here.

#### Points of Interest

* The local forge is located here, operated by a mogwai pair: Ming and Gang, the weapon-smith and armour-smith respectively, simultaneously with their weapons and armour shops on Market Street.
* There are karaoke bars here, as well as unique drinking bars and cafes.
* Artisanal shops selling tailored clothing, art, and the like are found here.
* The guards' station is here.
* The Neraka dungeons, and its help-wanted notice board, can be found here.

#### Non-visual Features

F&B places let out smells of strange and sweet, spicy, sour smelling food as people enter and you pass. There is a humdrum of noise, at its peak in the evenings and at night, and quietest in the morning.

#### Layout

* South Street is a complex network of streets and bridges connecting the packed buildings which house its residents and shops.
* Due to the restricted space, buildings can go up to five floors high, so there is a lot of vertical navigation involved as well when traversing the area.
* South Street is near the Four Winds Temple, on the south of the citadel.

#### History

Not wanting to waste the above-ground space on top of the Neraka prison, developers constructed cheap housing to sell, attracting many foreign investors and foreigners, as well as a good handful of locals, to stay in the melting pot of the city. These inhabitants then populated and established businesses in the street to make up what it is today.

#### Quote in channel

> Ah, South Street. You've got to adore the grime of the scum of the Earth just brewing beneath its bustling surface.
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> Laid above the regionally infamous dungeons, Neraka, property prices are relatively low. Foreigners, especially, seize this opportunity and establish more unusual eateries, shops, bars and artisanal establishments, all of which you can visit.
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> I must urge caution: the wine and wares themselves never sell for a song. Be just as prepared to spend a pretty penny here as you would be on White Street.
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> Mingan
Baigujing (Race)

##### [ Changeling Reskin ]

**Baigujing** are bone spirits with highly versatile shapeshifting abilities. Similar to their yaojing counterparts, these sprits obtain their abilities through cultivation.

The name 'bone spirit' is a misnomer: they are not made of bone or skeletons, nor are they undead. Their true forms: white, pallid creatures with no features resembling skeletons, earning them the name 'bone spirit' in the common language. Physically, they are flesh and bone mortals.

They are feared by many of the populace, known as among the most malevolent of trickster races, even more so than yaojing. There were witchhunts in the past for baigujing, with many being killed on sight at the time. It is said that their high versatility to shapeshift now is a result of baigujing in the past who failed to perfectly imitate another being ending up killed, leaving behind only the ones in successful disguises.

Baigujing are often highly charismatic and silver-tongued, putting in a lot of effort to be well-liked as a result, simply out of fear for their life.

Baigujing have very short lives and can extend it through continuous cultivation.

## Appearance

Their true forms are terrifying and almost demonic: white and pallid beings, without any facial features, which is an uncanny appearance that is frightening to many. Their bodies look skeletal in nature.

Otherwise, they favour the forms of physically attractive members of a race that they choose to assimilate into.

It is not uncommon for a baigujing to assume multiple forms to suit their needs at the time.

## Age

They mature slightly faster than humans, and live a slightly shorter lifespan than humans.
N-brain

Neutron brain. More precisely, "the brain of a neutron star." The same as with the S-brain, but more powerful. Do you know about neutron stars? They are smaller than our moon, but their gravity is thousands of times stronger than ordinary stars. They arise after the death of a star, when the mass is compressed at a small point.

To eliminate the huge waste of energy, it is possible to use the hypothetical technology of cyclic use of energy (not proven) of gravity.
UV-brain

Universe brain. There is nothing to say here: the installation is the size of our visible universe.

But there is one feature: it is an improved version of SP-brain. It is not easy to understand the whole essence of this design: this is a "box" completely filled with microscopic SP-brains, at the same time this box is microscopic in size, but compared to the SP-brain, it is the size of the Universe compared to an atom. As you can imagine, you can endlessly include these universal models inside, then again, again. A kind of layering of aggregates from an infinite number of UV-brains. In this way, these infinite aggregates, these "boxes" can be layered on top of each other up to the size of our visible universe.