Our home grown weary.
In the realm of gold and clouds,
they remain quiet.
Yun Gong
The Cloud Palace
Yun Gong, also known as the heavens or the clouded realm. Is the home of primordial celestial Shen Hai and his pantheon of gods. Located in the clouds at the very top of the Divine Pillar in Shilon, this place is considered the focal point of all mortal creation and worship. Despite its worldly impact, they stay distant and silent from the mortal world.
Contents
The base of the Divine Pillar.
Capital
The Celestial Court
Form of Goverment
Absolute Monarchy, Realm of the Gods
Ruler(s)
Shen Hai
Military Captain
Prince of Stars Xin Tong
Climate
???
Based on:
The Celestial Court (Chinese daoist mythology)
Emperor of the Divine Sea Shen Hai
History
The Traveler and his Mule
It’s said that millions of years ago; In the void and darkness, a traveler named Gudu wandered the endless nothingness on his mule Jianyu. Godu had a bag that carried the following; A lump of raw coal, balls of clay, an iron gourd of water, a peach seed, and a single shard of jade. Gudu bore no legs, and Jianyu no eyes. The two marched on forever seeking nothing, walking in nothing, living in nothing. One day the mule grew tired and took her last step.
Gudu kneeled next to her and thanked her for the distance she carried him. With nowhere else to travel, he put her remains in the iron gourd and lit a fire beneath with the raw coal. Boiling both Jianyu and the gourd into a mixture of stone, water, and soil. He then got out the peach seed planted it in the exact center and watered it with his tears. He then got the balls of clay and made two dolls, a male and a female, the first mortals. The jade representing godhood, was used to make the deity Shenhai.
Gudu then faded away into stardust, his two eyes becoming the sun and moon.
The Lonley Jade
Shenhai was the first to gain consciousness and carved the continents, mountains, and oceans with a stick. One day he noticed the same fire used to boil the elements together below the world had yet to cease and started to burn its way up the surface. To prevent the world from being engulfed in flames, he got an axe and split the world in two. Separating Earth from Hell, but the swing of his axe sent him flying upwards, causing him to be separated from earth as well. Forcing him to create a third realm for himself, now known as Yun Gong , the clouded palace.
Birth of Mortality
Eventually, the peach seed flourished and brought vegetation to the mortal lands. Shortly after the two clay dolls came to life as well, mothering and fathering a series of mortal offspring of man and animal. The first of these to be birthed was a Rat, followed by an Ox, then a Tiger, a Rabbit, a Dragon, a Snake, a Horse, a Goat, a Monkey, a Rooster, a Dog, and a Pig. The 12 traveled the world and duplicated through breeding, eventually interbreeding into all life known today, including amphibians, fish, insects, and even humans.
The mortal realm flourished, Shenhai growing lonely in the realm of clouds and the realm of fire below remaining empty. The mortal realm was filled with so much life that the world began to crumble from the weight and sink back into the realm of fire. Shenhai invited the Father and Mother clay dolls to the heavenly realm where his palace resided and offered them ascension on the condition that they are to act under his command. Intrigued by his offer, but their love for the earth was heavier. And they rejected it. Furious, Shenhai descended to the earth disguised as a crane and slipped an oil from the realm below into the Mother's tea. Causing her next child to be a chaotic deity named the Demon of Three Fires, who introduced death, a practice not yet invited to this realm. The demon rampaged upon the living, sending all of its victims to the burning realm below. But before it could cause catastrophic damage, Shenhai unsheathed his sword and split its body down the middle.
Blaming the Mother for the cause of this creation, he punishes her by striking her down with the same sword and condemning her to an eternity of managing the lost souls of the living and the serpent goddess of death, a concept brought into the world by her. Heartbroken and with nothing to lose, the Father surrendered himself to Shenhai and served as the serpent god of the living in Yun Gong.
The two halves of the slayed Demon of Three Fires inevitably turned into Rugong, god of storms, lightning, and earthquakes, and Mazoku, god of torment, fire, and deception. Who eventually becomes the father of all demons that invest the mortal realm, also known as yokai.
The Celestial Court and the Cloud Palace
Over the millennia, Shen Hai organized a court featuring the current residents of the Yun Gong realm and its pantheon led by him. He began with two disciples, one born from his right hand, and the other from his left. With the help of these advisors, he began summoning natural elements into sentient incarnates such as the moon, sun, ocean, and more.
Known Officials of the
Celestial Court
Xing Tong
Xing Tong also known as the Prince of Stars, is the son and royal advisor of Shen Hai as well as a deity associated with fire, justice, wit, and the stars. He wields two iron fans that can calm or summon any fire and a blazing wheel or diabolo he wields telepathically that spins so fast it shreds through the hardest of steel and stone. Born from Shen Hai's right hand, he is often depicted as very childlike and witty, for he uses persuasive tactics and deception to achieve what Jade Emperor Shen Hai wants. He is known for being the one who trapped Tiger Emperor Hu Shin in the mountains of Monkhu.
Qington Shizi
Also known as the Bronze Lion Guard of Shen Hai, Qingtong Shizi is the deity associated with metal, guardianship, and loyalty. Born from Shen Hai's left hand, he sits by his side to protect him from any who challenge the Emperor of the Divine Sea upfront. His roar is so great that it can quickly initialize hesitation to anyone who confronts him. Due to his significance as a guardian deity, people often build statues of Qingtong Shizi around their houses or estates to channel his courage and ward off evil.
One of Shen Hai's earliest but rash advisors, Rugong is the other half of the demon born from Umato and Otamu, who was sliced in two halves by Shen Hai himself. His position is associated with thunder and the protection of the gates between heaven and earth.
Liyu
Liyu is the wife of Rugong as well as the Goddess of Rain. She was born a mortal but ascended to godhood when she was accidentally killed in a lightning storm caused by Rugong who was throwing an ill-matted tantrum. As punishment for killing the innocent out of rage, Shen Hai forced Rugong to wed Liyu and be her accompany in the might of storms.
Otamu
Otamu, The First Father, along with Shen Hai was one of the first deities to come into existence by Gudu's hand. He is a creator deity who summons mortal souls into existence with his magical erhu. As punishment for fathering the Demon of Three Fires, he is forced to play the erhu forever in Shen Hai's palace.
A colossal-sized statue of Shenhai and his two advisors
Prince of Stars Xing Tong.
Statue of Qingtong Shizi built to ward off evil spirits.
Lion Guard Qingtong Shizi.
Thunder Lord Rugong.
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