Chainbound demons

YunZhe Jie (The Realm of Veiled Truth) – A vast, fractured continent suspended between antiquity and uneasy modernity. Steam carriages rumble past humming standing stones; steel towers pierce perpetually overcast skies above ancient ruins. Power is measured not in wealth, but in the glowing chain marks etched on the skin of the Shackled (Shu Fu Zhe), those who have bound the demonic entities residing within their personal Mi Wu Zhi Hai (Sea of Bewildering Mist). Society is stratified: the fearful Unawakened (Wu Zhi Zhe), the striving Initiates (Ru Mi Zhe), the powerful Shackled (Iron, Silver, Gold ranks), and the terrifying Lost (Shi Hun Zhe). Order is enforced by the bureaucratic Celestial Mandate Directorate (Tian Ming Yuan) and its Iron Ghost Constables (Tie Gui Chai), challenged by ancient Great Sects (Da Men Pai) like the Frost Forged Heart Sect and the Soul Steadfast Pagoda, and ruthless Corporatocracies (QiYe LianMeng) exploiting demonic power. Suppression Towers (Zhen Mo Ta) loom over cities, stabilizing the Mist, training Initiates, and imprisoning the Lost in the nightmarish Wailing Walls (Shi Hun Jian Yu). Beyond civilization lie the chaotic Wild Zones (Huang Mo), home to physically manifested Wild Demons (Ye Mo) and outcast Shackled.



Core Mechanics: Every sentient being possesses a Misty Sea. Within it resides at least one First Demon, a chained entity representing primal aspects of the self or captured cosmic chaos. To gain power, one must project their consciousness into this Sea, confront the hostile demon amidst swirling mist, withstand its psychic assault (snarls, whispers, promises, threats), and, through absolute, unfazed will, utter the command "Break!" to shatter its chains (wrists, ankles, waist, neck). Each broken chain transfers power and a shard of the demon's consciousness. Binding is not victory; it begins a lifelong internal war for control. Lose focus, succumb to fear or rage, and the demon seizes control, leading to mutation, madness, or becoming Lost. Shackled can bind multiple demons, increasing power exponentially but also mental burden and risk. A signature act is standing back-to-back with one's bound demon within the Mist, a temporary alliance forged of necessity and distrust, channeling immense power while constantly resisting its corrosive influence. Broken chains manifest as faintly glowing marks on the binder's corresponding body parts in the real world, signifying status and stability.