Cardinal Gods (no ontology)
From Mazeworld
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. A religion is centered around those creatures; this religion is called Cardinal Shintoism, though it may just be referred to as Shinto(ism). Anyone in the Mazes may follow Shinto principles and pay their homages to the Gods, but the only "official" members of the religion are those who actively work in shrines and have followed a strict religious education: those people are shrine maidens.
The actual influence and role of the Gods in the Mazes is of importance only to the contestant, as the latter is seeking for their holy artifacts, namely the Cardinal Amulets.
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. The Amulets have been forged in their images, as symbols of every deity's attributed powers.
Genbu
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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 symbol of winter, and as a god of longevity and well-being.
Seiryuu
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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 symbol of spring, and as a god of strength and courage.
Byakko
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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 on its forehead, similar to his tiger stripes.
Byakko is worshiped in Mazeworld as a symbol of autumn, and as a god of of peace and virtue.
Suzaku
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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 symbol of summer, and as a god of grace and elegance.
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
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| All art by Vyrilien. | ||||||
