The Fragility of Jade

Introduction

"Love beyond death is nothing but grief."

The aftermath of the war committed by the High Heavens had taken more than just lives.

Somewhere along the bloodshed and rubble of what once was is the former Dragon God of the Sky, Huang-long's right-hand woman, Priestess Baozi, carrying the burden of a broken heart and a fragile promise.

The last words of the former god were a muted confession-a 'what could've been' before he was mercilessly taken from her, swept by the cruelty of war. She had sworn off love from then on. After all, immortal beings like her and the hopeless wishing for love were nothing but a dangerous pipedream.

So imagine her horror when the spitting image of Huang-long ended up on the doorstep of his abandoned shrine, a new young god calling himself Qing-long who could only remember his name.

Now, Baozi, begrudgingly, must do her duty again: protect and serve the successor of her former lord as best as she could without her grief getting in the way.

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CHARACTERS

Chu Baozi

Baozi was once a rabbit spirit roaming the snow-laden forests of Yǒngyuǎn. One fateful evening of foraging for wild herbs, frail and vulnerable to prey as any rabbit was, she was met with her almost-demise when a wolf with an empty stomach crossed paths with her.

Only then was she saved by the former dragon god, Huang-long, who happened to descend his mountain shrine just in time and nursed her back to health. Feeling indebted by her own gratitude, Baozi had begun to serve under Huang-long as a pseudo-acolyte.

Throughout her long years of being the god's servant, she studied white magic and the art of herbal medicine. Not only did her prowess in magic and medicine strengthen, but her relationship with Huang-long as well. In about a century or so, Baozi became his priestess and right-hand woman, helping the dragon god with Celestial affairs, and soon after, the war he waged against the High Heavens.

Even after Huang-long's death, Baozi still holds him and his beliefs close to her heart. Whether it was out of loyalty or out of the fear of forgetting him, she doesn't know.

Habits
- As a rabbit spirit, Baozi is a strict vegetarian and has a particular taste for fresh spring rolls dipped in sweet and sour sauce.

- She is a white magic user specialising in healing and regeneration which uses a lot of stamina, meaning that one would always find her curled up somewhere warm and sleeping.

- Being alive for so long-about 400 years, to be precise-Baozi has a habit of forgetting things easily... which includes calling Qing-long his predecessor's name.

Qing-long

Qing-long is a young god born after the Yǒngyuǎn War a century ago. He holds no memory of his past, but his namesake was enough for him to know that he was the successor of the former Dragon God of the Sky, Huang-long, to whom he looks up to.

Although, his idolatry for his late predecessor was not from admiration but instead from a deep-rooted insecurity. Being a successor of such a well-respected god was a heavy responsibility for a young god like Qing-long, making him unsure if he deserved to be given such a precious title by the High Heavens, so he avoids them at all costs, never leaving his mountain shrine and letting his priestess do all the Celestial affairs.

Habits

- Being an introvert at heart, Qing-long has a habit of declining gatherings in the Celestial Realm and either making his priestess attend in his stead or making her stay in the shrine to accompany him. He has severe social anxiety.

- Like any other dragonborn, Qing-long often acts on his draconic instincts such as marking his scent on certain objects (even his priestess' laundry, much to her chagrin) or shedding his scales everywhere whenever seasons come.

- His favourite food is charcoal-grilled meat with onions and chilli.

Huang-long

The former Dragon God of the Sky, Baozi's almost-lover, and Qing-long's predecessor.

Before his death, Huang-long used to reside in the Celestial Realm with the other gods but had grown distrustful towards them in time after they had refused to help the people of Yǒngyuǎn from war and famine just because they were nonbelievers.

When he descended into the mortal realm, unlike his successor, Huang-long was less aversive to the worship of the people of Yǒngyuǎn, in fact, he even revelled in it whenever the occasional humble festivities came-indulging himself in the company of humans and drinking the night away with them. There were times when he would even drag his priestess with him, conjuring up an excuse that Baozi should act as his guide as his right-hand woman.

Beyond his love for humans, not much is known about the former dragon god seeing as his acolytes had died in the war alongside him. Only his last remaining priestess knows of his life in Yǒngyuǎn.

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MAP of MING

Yǒngyuǎn is a godless state that was once brimming with riches until a tyrant, aeons ago had run the place dry until laws no longer stopped the question of morals-as long as the people could go on another day with something to fill their stomachs, they would kill and die for it.

Zhēngguāng is the neighbouring state of Yǒngyuǎn ruled by the three apostles of the two sister gods: the Goddess of the Sun, Tài Yáng, and the Goddess of the Moon, Yuè Liàng. The people of Zhēngguāng are known for their faith-wearing blessed jade stones on their person as a symbol of their worship and a way to alienate outsiders.

NEIGHBOURING NATIONS of MING

Nara

A snow-laden country cursed by forever ice and snow by the Goddess of Snowstorms, Fubuki.
Current ruler: Emperor Nakamura Keikō and Crown Princess Nakamura Yuki.

Great Hal-in

A lavish country specialising in trade and commerce blessed by the God of Wealth, Lord Sin.
Current ruler: Empress Min Myeong-Sun.

Mersoldata

A militant country run by flesh-eating governors worshipping the powerful, vampiric God of War and Order, Sanguis.
Current ruler: Tsar Sanguis.