Mazu
Moniang Lin (a.k.a. Emperor of the Sea, The Quiet One)
Divine Domains
Seafaring life.
Holy Books & Codes
Instead of books, Mazu's worshippers prefer to compose sea shanties in her name.
Bekniang fell asleep at her loom. She walked in a dream through ocean foam. Saved the drowned, grabbed her brother. For this, she was crowned Emperor.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
A particular shade of cherry red is associated with her, known as Lin's Red in the present day.
Her statues come in two major types, mortal-body and charred.
Mortal-body statues are based on what she looked like when alive. Charred variants give her pitch black skin.
Her statues vary by location as well. In the Old World, they have small closed eyes and look like middle-aged women. In the New World, they have open eyes and look like teenagers or young adult women.
Old World statues are dressed in male imperial clothing but female imperial crown, New World statues are the opposite, having their Mazu statues wear the male crown and female cheongsam.
Her statues come in two major types, mortal-body and charred.
Mortal-body statues are based on what she looked like when alive. Charred variants give her pitch black skin.
Her statues vary by location as well. In the Old World, they have small closed eyes and look like middle-aged women. In the New World, they have open eyes and look like teenagers or young adult women.
Old World statues are dressed in male imperial clothing but female imperial crown, New World statues are the opposite, having their Mazu statues wear the male crown and female cheongsam.
Tenets of Faith
When giving tribute, devotees should wrap their gifts in red cloth and place them at any of her statues.
In the 19th century, a rumor started that Mazu particularly liked British rock candy despite never having been to England.
In the 19th century, a rumor started that Mazu particularly liked British rock candy despite never having been to England.
Holidays
Birthday: 23 March.
Sea Emperor's Coronation: Ninth day of ninth lunar month.
Sea Emperor's Coronation: Ninth day of ninth lunar month.
Divine Goals & Aspirations
To watch over the seas of the Earth and broaden her knowledge.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
A tall graceful woman with an hourglass body, but a very youthful face unmarked by age.
Body Features
She is sunburned with untidy black hair held back in braids. As an emperor, she keeps her braids stuffed under the imperial headdress.
Facial Features
She has a round face with a broad full mouth. Her mouth is cherry-red like her clothes. Unlike most Southsea Chinese, she didn't have a honking big nose.
Identifying Characteristics
She wears clearly masculine regal garb, but heavily modified to a woman's body.
Special abilities
Spirit-walking.
Super strength.
Impervious to drowning.
Super strength.
Impervious to drowning.
Apparel & Accessories
She favored bright red clothing due to her role as lighthouse keeper in life.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
When Moniang was born, she was very quiet, not crying or speaking until she was four years old. She was the seventh daughter of a fishing family. Since childhood, she was drawn to the supernatural, fearlessly accepting a talisman that would unlock her powers, and devotedly studying occult tomes.
Her superhuman talents became clear when she managed to save her brothers from a storm by spirit-walking to sea. She continued to hone her martial arts after that, and swore never to bow to a man.
Despite declaring she would never marry, Moniang still had stubborn admirers. Two such fellows were the demon brothers Far-seer and Far-hearer, who both wanted her as a consort at the same time after seeing her walk by Peach Blossom Mountain. Disgusted with their greed, she agreed to duel them.
After winning, they were bound by a contract to become her bodyguards and followed her ever since.
At 27 years old, she decided to walk to heaven so that she could watch over the entire Southsea region of China. Accompanied by her entourage, she performed one last demonstration before ascending in a flash of light. She became a popular member of the pantheon for the next thousand years and was canonized as Mazu.
Show Spoiler
Her superhuman talents became clear when she managed to save her brothers from a storm by spirit-walking to sea. She continued to hone her martial arts after that, and swore never to bow to a man.
Despite declaring she would never marry, Moniang still had stubborn admirers. Two such fellows were the demon brothers Far-seer and Far-hearer, who both wanted her as a consort at the same time after seeing her walk by Peach Blossom Mountain. Disgusted with their greed, she agreed to duel them.
After winning, they were bound by a contract to become her bodyguards and followed her ever since.
At 27 years old, she decided to walk to heaven so that she could watch over the entire Southsea region of China. Accompanied by her entourage, she performed one last demonstration before ascending in a flash of light. She became a popular member of the pantheon for the next thousand years and was canonized as Mazu.
Show Spoiler
Before the thousand years were up, Mazu's curiosity got the better of her and she reincarnated as a human in the early 19th century. Nobody knows who this person was as she never returned to heaven after that.
Sexuality
Uninterested in anyone.
Education
Occult lessons in her local temple.
Employment
Lighthouse keeper of Meizhou from 18 to 20 years old.
Accomplishments & Achievements
Spirit-walked at 16 to save her family from a raging storm at sea.
Failures & Embarrassments
Dropped her father in the sea due to losing focus in her spirit-walking attempt.
Personality Characteristics
Savvies & Ineptitudes
A strong swimmer despite only starting that at fifteen years old.
A powerful magician when it came to fortune telling, self-defense, and seafaring life.
Could man the sails of a large fishing boat by herself.
A powerful magician when it came to fortune telling, self-defense, and seafaring life.
Could man the sails of a large fishing boat by herself.
Likes & Dislikes
Really likes the sea.
Dislikes being romantically propositioned as she thinks it interferes with her occult studies.
Dislikes being romantically propositioned as she thinks it interferes with her occult studies.
Virtues & Personality perks
Kindhearted.
Hardworking.
Cares about family and friends.
A natural leader.
Hardworking.
Cares about family and friends.
A natural leader.
Vices & Personality flaws
Oblivious to romantic attempts.
Extremely curious.
Extremely vain after her coronation, to the extent that her imperial titles must never be invoked if urgent help is needed.
Extremely curious.
Extremely vain after her coronation, to the extent that her imperial titles must never be invoked if urgent help is needed.
Personality Quirks
Would flick one of her braids behind her back when speaking.
Hygiene
Despite her best efforts, she can't keep her hair tidy unless it's tied in braids. It will fluff up and stick out everywhere if left alone.
Social
Family Ties
She was the youngest of seven children. It is unclear how many brothers and sisters she had.
Religious Views
She studied both Confucian and Buddhist texts in her lifetime, eventually settling for the occult knowledge of her ancestors with the moral compass of the boddhisatvas.
Social Aptitude
In the olden days when magic still existed, Mazu's quiet demeanor didn't dampen her ability to connect with others.
Speech
She has a clear bell-like voice.
Divine Classification
Canonized human
Religions
Species
Ethnicity
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Grandma Lin
An ironic title because she was crowned as a young woman.
Sea Emperor
Only used in the New World after occult reformers there questioned why her older titles implied she was married.
Sea Empress of Heaven
In Chinese dialects, an empress was a first wife rather than a ruler in most cases. This led to jokes about her being married to the sea.
Nanyang Tianfei
Literally means "Southsea Princess" which has more connotations about her youth than marital status.
Trickster King of Numinous Grace
Another New World title, this time referring to how she got her bodyguards.
An ironic title because she was crowned as a young woman.
Sea Emperor
Only used in the New World after occult reformers there questioned why her older titles implied she was married.
Sea Empress of Heaven
In Chinese dialects, an empress was a first wife rather than a ruler in most cases. This led to jokes about her being married to the sea.
Nanyang Tianfei
Literally means "Southsea Princess" which has more connotations about her youth than marital status.
Trickster King of Numinous Grace
Another New World title, this time referring to how she got her bodyguards.
Life
960 AD
987 AD
27 years old
Circumstances of Death
Ascended to heaven.
Birthplace
Meizhou Island, China
Children
Gender
Female
Hair
Messy black hair in double braids
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Slightly sunburnt
Height
1.68 m
Related Myths
Character Prototype
Based on the actual Fujian deity of the same name.
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