The Sky of Crimson Jade

Beyond the sky of Zantrayel, in a plane where clouds swirl like brushstrokes across a vast celestial scroll, the realm of Xianzhou awakened.

A land guided by the wisdom of ancient harmony, the people of Xianzhou revered a pantheon of over two hundred gods, each governing aspects of life from the seasons to the stars, the hearth to the blade.

At the heart of their culture stood Confucian ideals—filial piety, loyalty, respect for hierarchy, and the sacred pursuit of peace through balance.

But peace did not mean weakness.

When the drums of Bassoon echoed across the heavens and the Lwa manifested before the mortal world, the Jade Sky Court took notice.

The Envoys of Xianzhou

Under the command of Lady Shu Lian, a high priestess of the Heavenly Record Keeper, an envoy of sages, warriors, and oracles descended through a rift in the sky—elegant, composed, bearing silken banners painted with symbols of harmony and strength.

Zion met them at the Gate of Moonlight.

He watched as they bowed low—not as subordinates, but as those offering respect born of shared sovereignty.

Lady Shu Lian spoke:

"Your realm stirs the winds of destiny. We, the Children of the Jade Sky, come not to conquer, but to learn and witness.

Our gods have whispered—change is near. We would stand beside you… or fall beside you.

But never against you."

Zion studied her with the gaze of a man who had buried gods and built nations.

He extended his hand.

"Then come. Let your wisdom nourish this soil.

And may our spirits sit at the same table."

Harmony in Diversity

As the people of Xianzhou settled in Zantrayel, they brought with them calligraphy and tea rituals, ancestral veneration, and the art of internal energy cultivation—techniques unknown even to the priestesses of the Lwa.

Their children learned from the beast tamers. Their scholars studied alongside the turtle-born of Kalonji. Their monks debated peacefully with Kasa's flame priests.

Yet not all was effortless.

Some of Zion's war leaders viewed their avoidance of direct conflict with suspicion.

The beastborn whispered of gods who numbered too many and watched too closely.

And in the deepest night, some of the more ancient Lwa stirred uneasily, feeling unfamiliar energies brushing the veils of Bassoon's spiritual world.

The Court of Heaven Watches

From high above, unseen by mortal eyes, the Celestial Bureaucracy of Xianzhou watched through mirrored pools and incense smoke.

The gods of wind, fire, medicine, justice, and memory convened.

The God of Thresholds asked:

"Shall we open more doors?"

But the God of Hidden Stars answered:

"Not yet. Let us see if the Lwa and the Devoured tear the sky first."

Zion's Thought

That night, Zion stood alone with Ayomi beneath the Moon Terrace.

He watched the children of the Jade Sky spar in silence, their movements like water and thunder.

"They move with purpose," he said.

Ayomi nodded. "And patience. Like trees with roots in two worlds."

Zion looked out toward the horizon again.

"Then may they grow. For when the sky splits, it won't matter who taught you to kneel… only who will rise will stand