Cardinal Gods (no ontology)
From Mazeworld
Revision as of 19:35, 12 June 2012
The Cardinal Gods are deity entities in Mazeworld. They are creatures derived from the Asian legends about the Four Symbols.
In Mazeworld, they are said to be among the most powerful beings of the realm, although no more than the GMs themselves. However, their actual influence and role in the mazes is of importance only to the contestant, as the latter is seeking for their holy artifacts, namely the Cardinal Amulets.
Outside of this, the Gods are subject of worship in the mazes; shrine maidens own and maintain shrines devoted to their faith.
The Gods are among the most powerful beings in Mazeworld and are never directly encountered. The closest from this is hearing their voice at shrines, while praying.
Their names are: Genbu, Seiryuu, Byakko, Suzaku.
The Game Masters used and harnessed the Cardinal Gods as sources of power to help them in creating Mazeworld inside of the Interloper, shaping it into the realm as it is known nowadays. Although they are worshipped in the Mazes, they do not have as much a direct influence on the realm as the GMs themselves do and play more the role of embodied sources of faith and power. The Amulets have been forged in their images, as symbols of every deity's powers.
Genbu
Genbu (玄武, or Xuanwu in Chinese), also known as the Black Tortoise, is the Cardinal God of the North. He takes the appearance of a massive black tortoise with a snake-like tail coiling around his body. The kanji 北 (North) is engraved on his forehead, above his eyes.
Genbu is worshiped in Mazeworld as a god of longevity and well-being.
Seiryuu
Seiryuu (青竜, or Qinglong in Chinese), also known as the Azure Dragon, is the Cardinal God of the East. He takes the appearance of a seemingly endlessly long, turquoise dragon with thick scales and horns made of silver. The kanji 東 (East) is engraved on his head, between his eyes.
Seiryuu is worshiped in Mazeworld as a god of strength and courage.
Byakko
Byakko (白虎, or Baihu in Chinese), also known as the White Tiger, is the Cardinal God of the West. He takes the appearance of a large, white-colored tiger with black stripes and elongated fangs. The kanji 西 (West) is depicted by stripes similar on its forehead, similar to his tiger stripes.
Byakko is worshiped in Mazeworld as a god of peace and virtue.
Suzaku
Suzaku (朱雀, or Zhuque in Chinese), also known as the Vermilion Bird, is the Cardinal God of the South. He takes the appearance of a crimson, phoenix-like bird with feathers colored a red-orange gradient. The kanji 南 (South) is on its head between its eyes.
Suzaku is worshiped in Mazeworld as a god of grace and beauty.
Trivia
- In versions prior to 1.5 and early 1.5 games, the Gods were encountered directly by the contestant, who gave the Amulets directly. Now, the Amulets are found alone.
Gallery
All art by Vyrilien |