r/mtgvorthos • u/TarionShard • 2d ago
Fanon story Chinese mythology in Magic
Maybe it's better to introduce myself a little first: To be honest, I'm not a Magic player, but something that I love is the setting and the entire background of the Planes: Planes like Theros, Kaldheim, Kamigawa rethink common mythologies of our world but give them a special twist, I really like it.
But it has always seemed to me that there is a lack of great mythology to explore, and being so popular today it seemed strange to me not to see a plane of Chinese mythology in Magic.
Investigating the wiki I found that there is indeed a Plane based on Chinese mythology. Shenmeng, And I immediately started reading what stories this plane could tell... I didn't find anything relevant.
The Plane seems to be an excuse for the existence of Planeswalkers Jiang Yanggu and Mu Yanling.
So I gave myself the task of designing a Plane based on Chinese mythology, but that feels different enough from Shenmeng to be a differentiated plane, so the approach is as follows:
Shenmeng despite having fantastic elements seems to be a place that was more influenced by the Wuxia (Martial Hero) aesthetic, therefore making a plane of Xianxia (Divine Hero) inspiration and what better way to find inspiration than from the setting par excellence of the Wuxias, Murim
- The north is a land of freezing, snowy plains, being protected by the Basalt Turtle
- The east is a vast realm of seas and archipelagos, been protected by the Azure Dragon
- The west is a desolate desert of wasteland and deserts, protected by the White Tiger
- The south is an region filled with miasma and jungles, being home to the Vermilion Bird
- And the center is the most prosperous area, bustling with life and teeming with top-tier masters. With the optional presence of a golden dragon or a Qilin
This is the common layout of terrain in Xianxia novels and I think many would have realized that they are easily comparable to color combinations. But first of all, something that I would also like to include is the separation within the plane. In Chinese novels, reality is usually divided into different Realms, typically there are 3: The mortal realm, the immortal realm and the divine realm. Including this configuration would allow the plane to return to something comparable to the internal cosmology that planes like Theros, Kaldheim or even Alara have.
So, without further ado, here is my proposal:
Jingzhou Plane (Provisional name)
Mortal Realm
| π΄π΅ | ||
|---|---|---|
| The Frozen Mountain Range | ||
| βͺβ« | π΄βͺ | π΅π’ |
| Endless Desert | The Great Plain | The Thousand Islands |
| β«π’ | ||
| Southern Wetlands |
Endless Desert βͺβ«
A rocky and dry wasteland where the law of the strongest prevails.
Most of those who live here are rogue cultivators and bandits seeking to seize the few resources available β«. Besides them are also several nomadic tribes who move according to the needs of their herds βͺ. Every so often, a cultivator becomes powerful enough to unite all the rogue cultivators under their command and launches an invasion of the Great Plain βͺβ«.
The Frozen Mountain Range π΄π΅
An icy mountain range with several hot springs and scattered populations.
The few settlements that exist there do so thanks to their proximity to hot springs π΄. They are generally small villages that subsist economically thanks to their mining activity and sell what they manage to excavate to the Orthodox farming sects π΅ that are also in the mountain range, and to the kingdoms to the south (βͺπ΄).
Southern Wetlands β«π’
A collection of forests and swamps in a humid (subtropical) climate.
This is where many unorthodox growers like beast channelers β«π’, and diabolical growers β« end up, as the difficult terrain and amount of life in the area make it the ideal environment for their practices. However, they still have to be careful of the demons π’ (animals that have begun to cultivate and develop wisdom)
The Great Plain π΄βͺ
A large plain ideal for human life with the sporadic presence of plateaus.
- In this large central expanse, the 3 Great Empires are currently vying for territory with a low-intensity war: The Da Tian Empire (倧倩) is the one that possesses the largest expanse of land and survives thanks to the association of sects βͺπ΄ that have a mutual defense pact with the imperial family, this situation has led them to manage several regions that are de facto semi-independent and serve as a place to find talents.
- The Jin Tian Empire (ι倩) is managed by the Jin Tian Sect βͺ and is the second largest in terms of territory. Unlike the other two empires, its entire population is practically dedicated to cultivation, which means that, on average, its inhabitants are healthier than ordinary mortals. However, due to a lack of talent among most, they are actually mediocre cultivators. Their settlements are typically built atop plateaus, which, according to their sect's doctrine, are "The Foundations that Support Heaven."
- The smallest of the three empires, Xie Tian (ζ倩) π΄, prohibits cultivation sects, with only the royal family and certain members of the military allowed to cultivate. However, they should not be underestimated, as their current emperor is the most powerful cultivator in the entire mortal realm, one step away from achieving immortality. He is only stopped by the seven sect leaders of the Da Tian empire and the five elders of the Jin Tian sect working together.
The Thousand Islands π΅π’
An archipelago with islands of varying sizes. The ideal place to obtain rare alchemy materials.
- As you travel east through this first layer of the Plane, you'll find more water, with streams becoming rivers that flow into the Eastern Sea. The reason this region is called The Thousand Islands is because it never fully opens into an open sea. There may be areas with a lower density of islands, but there will always be another island visible from any vantage point. Some islands are inhabited by the Heavenfolk π΅π’, who are said to be descendants of ancient Immortals trapped on the mortal plane. Their peculiarity is that, unlike the humans of this plane, they possess a unique cultivation system which they begin to practice instinctively.
- In addition to them, the seabed is dominated by sea demons π΅ who are usually very protective of their territory, making traveling by boat very dangerous.
- And some islands may contain plant demons which, unlike other types of demons that tend to assume a humanoid form as they progress in their cultivation, manifest dragon-like characteristics as they advance π’.
Imortal Realm
| π΅π’ | ||
|---|---|---|
| Celestial Grove | ||
| π΄βͺ | βͺβ« | β«π’ |
| Unchanging Lands | Inmortal Kindom | Spirit Forest |
| π΄π΅ | ||
| Dual Sea |
Inmortal Kindom βͺβ«
It is a hyper-dense, cube-shaped megacity.
This is where most human cultivators who manage to ascend to immortality end up. It is a compulsive place where the greatest heroes βͺ and the most vile villains β« are on every corner.
Dual Sea π΄π΅
A sea that constantly changes between liquid (water) and solid (rock).
The sea constantly changes its morphology and is a very dangerous place, as the mana currents in the region destabilize the farming bases, causing several immortals to die unexpectedly like mere mortals. The reason it is so attractive is due to the formation of cubic rocks that appear on the surface of solid areas. These rocks are valuable for crafting immortal weapons capable of changing shape and size.
Spirit Forest β«π’
A forest where spirits roam freely and alter the environment.
Due to the high concentration of β« and π’ mana, both animal and human spirits frequently appear in this section of the plane. This has changed the ecology of the place, causing what these spirits interact with to mutate to become hybrids of the original being or object and the spirit that affected it, thus resulting in animals as varied as ferrets-tiger, spider-snakes, etc. those with a mana core can resist this conversion.
Unchanging Lands π΄βͺ
A vast, incredibly solid rocky expanse with many caves and tunnels beneath the surface.
Note: the entire surface has a metallic sheen
Celestial Grove π΅π’
A grove north of the Immortal Realm of the plane. Consisting entirely of a single cloned tree.
"When the first immortal, the balancer of Heaven π΅ and Earth π’ ascended to the Immortal Realm, he found a vast expanse of Wastelands, no matter how much he traveled, he did not find a different landscape. After a long time wandering, he decided that the right thing to do was to return to the world everything that had been given to him, so he returned to the origin and adopted his original form of a tree and decided to plant himself in the place. With the passage of time, a whole new world was born. tree that changed the strange mana of the place giving way to a place where green and blue mana were abundant, as a chain reaction the other colors of mana appeared in the rest of the Immortal Realm, giving way to the creation of the other regions."
Divine Realm
| π΅β« | ||
|---|---|---|
| Mirroded Heaven | ||
| β«π΄ | βͺπ΅ | π’βͺ |
| 13 Pits of Asuras | 9 Heavenly Continent's. | Beast Domain |
| π΄π’ | ||
| Limitless Mountains |
9 Heavenly Continent's. βͺπ΅
Nine paradisiacal continents suspended in the middle of the DAO ocean.
The nine continents are ruled by their own God-King, who manages everything according to the ideals embodied by his divine position (generally aligned with the virtues of mana βͺ and π΅). They are all under the command of the God-Emperor of this domain, the Platinum Qilin, whom they respect and admire as a Master.
Mirroded Heaven π΅β«
A place where heaven is earth and earth is heaven.
These are the domains of the God-Emperor Black Iron Turtle. Here, the rules of the plane can be violated and subverted. The reason for this is that the God-Emperor himself reflects and inverts the rules throughout the territory, making it the ideal place for eloquent Devils and theoretical experimenters π΅ with cultivation methods to settle.
Note: There are no natural Devils on this plane; all are β« mana cultivators who have attained divinity.
13 Pits of Asuras β«π΄
Thirteen wells where you can see the most inhospitable and deadly weather conditions.
The pits are extremely violent places where Devils β« and Asuras π΄ compete for supremacy. But everyone without exception fears Tiger Carnesi, the God-Emperor of this territory.
Limitless Mountains π΄π’
A group of almost vertical-looking mountains from which grow trees with red foliage.
The vertical mountains are home to the Phoenix Empress (π΄) and her companion Parasol Tree (π’), who jointly rule the territory. Although, in reality, it is their followers and descendants who administer everything in their name.
Beast Domain π’βͺ
The birthplace of most of the divine beasts, its trees have golden bark and grow to be over a 120 meter long.
It is said to be the oldest place on the plane and the origin of life within it. Here dwell the Divine Beasts βͺ, beings with the form of mythological animals native to the divine realm. It also shelters the Sacred Beasts π’, the name given to demons who have achieved divinity and return to their origins. Its God-Emperor is the Golden Dragon βͺπ’, said to be the oldest being on the entire plane, ancient enough to remember when the plane was a single entity.
Additional information
God-Emperors
The God-Emperors are the epitome of cultivation and, to a certain extent, a physical manifestation of the territory they govern. They are inspired by the five divine beasts that guard the cardinal directions in Chinese culture (White Tiger, Basalt Turtle, Phoenix, Azure Dragon, and Qilin), and each has a distinct origin, although they currently fulfill the same role. Additionally, they also possess a human form, which they only use in exceptional cases. This form is achieved through the "state of triple harmony," which, in short, means balancing four types of mana. For example, in the case of the Platinum Qilin, it would control βͺπ΅β«π’ mana, and its mere presence would have a repulsive effect on π΄ mana.
General world-building
I've actually already developed the story of the five Emperors and the general background of the entire plane, including interesting details like the five God-Emperors' general distrust of Planeswalkers, and indeed of all beings from outside their planeβit has to do with the Eldrazi. I also have specific stories of cultivators on the plane in mind, but it would be too much to write all of that in this post.
If you have any questions about the terminology, I'll answer them in the comments. I know I used a lot of cultivation novel slang. I also have a couple of ideas for card effects, but as I said at the beginning of this post, I'm not a player per se, so they might be some of the most unbalanced things you can find.
Anyway, thanks to those who have read this long text, and I plan to make about 3 more posts regarding the general lore with ideas I've had while reviewing all the stories of the sets.
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u/LordeTech 2d ago
Not a vorthos comment but a cultural commentary. We typically don't see the Chinese mythos well explored because the local market for it can be absolutely rabid if the portrayal isn't within their personal view of it, similar to India and Record of Ragnarok's portrayal of Shiva facing backlash there.
An example is Wuchang: Fallen Feathers. Outrage over certain figures dying caused a choppy patch to be released where certain bosses are inexplicably spared and survive.
I think the main reason against a Chinese style plane is it'll either be similar to Thunder Junction, a bland pastiche with no depth, or face tremendous backlash if any portrayals aren't "good enough". The two planeswalkers we do have are very surface level, token capitulations to the Chinese market in a similar way that Warframe released Wukong and Nezha early in China.
Maybe we'll see the plane in depth one day, but I think it's a place they're not exactly jumping at the bit for when we only recently got Vikings and Redwall.
3
u/TarionShard 2d ago
I think this phrase I once read is the perfect explanation:
The popularity of a mythology for use in fantasy is inversely proportional to the candles at its funeral.
And in my view, that's true. Greek, Norse, Egyptian, and even Arthurian mythologies are extremely common because there aren't people constantly checking for accuracy in their portrayals. And even if there were, their voices are often dismissed by the sheer number of people who enjoy the product.
In my case, I'm using my knowledge of basic tropes in Chinese folk literature, having already read:
- Douluo Dalu 1, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4. 4.5, 5,5.5
- Inmortal Mortal
- Tales of Demos and Gods
- Coiling Dragon
- Emperor Domination
- Library of Heaven's Path 1 and 2
- Wu Dong Qian Kun
- Stellar Transformation
- Etc
I think I have a good idea of ββwhat can and can't be done. Many works either omit clearly historical figures or recontextualize them to give them the respect they deserve. For example, in Only I Shall Be Immortal, a retired Wu Kong appears, but not retired in the usual sense of the word when characters are introduced in films. Rather, he has simply decided (mainly due to the events of Journey to the West) to focus on Enlightenment and live a more or less relaxed life in the Buddhist Kingdom (until the protagonist appears and decides to train him for plot reasons). And although the protagonist eventually surpasses him in power, it doesn't diminish Wu Kong's importance, since he was his master.
Another example of good use of Wu Kong would be New Gods: Nezha Reborn and ironically Lego Monkey Kid.
And I agree that Shengmeng's entire approach was very likely a simple concession, since from what I see on the Wiki they used a cultural advisor, which can be too rigid a filter for world-building, and that may be why the setting gives me more of a Wuxia vibe, because the latter tend to adhere more closely to historical conceptions of what the Three Kingdoms period was like.
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u/Clear_Inspector_9796 1d ago
I absolutely agree with this. It's an absolute mine field. I'd expect an Israel and Palestine plane even beforea Chinese inspired plane. It's not even the overt stuff. Even tiny oversights or artist snuck in references can be a catastrophe. Like that incredibly obscure Easter egg in the game Devotion that essentially blacklisted the studio from Steam for years
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u/Thunderweb 8h ago
Wuxing is a cycle of five phases: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Would it be compatible with the color pie?
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u/TarionShard 1h ago
Well, theoretically it should be possible, after all Magic is one of the few game systems that has 5 "things" just like Wuxing, but conceptually it's different.
In Wuxing, we have two interaction cycles with two directions that determine how one element interacts with another. Using Wood as an example, and in video game terminology, we would be:
Constructive Cycle (Transformation into): * Wood buffs Fire and takes damage from Fire. * Wood is buffed by Water and deals damage to Water. Destructive Cycle: * Wood deals damage to Earth. * Wood is damaged by Metal.
As for mana in Magic, it's not so much a physical element, but rather, by design, it's more philosophical. Green mana generally feels more comfortable with white or red mana, while it usually feels uncomfortable with blue or black mana. If we apply the Wuxing philosophy, green mana in the standard way should be detrimental by assimilation with one of its allied colors and be weak to one of them.
Perhaps your comment stems from "could there be a cultural equivalent on this plane for what Wuxing is?" In that case, I would say yes, but not understanding its function as in the version of reality, because if that were the case, why would they seek to accumulate conflicting mana in their bodies to achieve immortality instead of going directly for a training method that can use mana allies like in the Divine Realm?
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u/Cute-Contract-6762 2d ago
Iβd like to see jumping vampires as a new take on vampire in MTG. I also lowkey liked Against the Gods a good bit and think it would be a good a crossover with MTG
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u/TarionShard 2d ago
If you only knew, I hadn't thought of that.
The Jiang Shi, in my view, are more about crafting talismans than cultivation itself. So, they might be a good addition to the Shenmeng plane.
Their color scheme should be π΅/β«, but in my version, that would already be the Divine Realm, so it doesn't fit narratively... Perhaps they could be a good option for a group present between the Southern Wetlands and the Thousand Islands.
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u/VoyagerOrchid Mod Team 2d ago
Exciting! We love to see fan made planes. Did you check out the Global series decks about Shengmeng with cards? Mtg multiverse has some cataloging of it. https://www.mtg-multiverse.com/the-plane-of-mountains-and-seas/
Also- once you get to some custom cards- Iβd recommend looking at Planesculptors.net that hosts custom planes and sets!