Solitude - Reborn Jiangshi

"It is said the first of the people of the Mystic West weren't Men at all, but spirits who imitated humans, and over time became humans. So when the Ruination came, many of these spirits disappeared and fled to the Spirit Realms, while those who remained, the Jiangshi, perished alongside the mortal world, but not for long.

Come the Rebirth of Mankind, the Jiangshi were entirely unaffected by the resurrection, as they themselves had already died and returned by the will of their spirits; an act which effectively turned those spirits corrupt and primal, as they had traded their souls and humanity to give their mortal counterparts a second chance.

A people of immense suffering, the Jiangshi were forced to witness their world slowly crumble after the Ruination, and saw their heavenly empires and kingdoms fall and disappear into ruin. Now their lands and cities are under constant threat of Bandit Kings, warmongering warlords, and the corruptions of ravenous demonic spirits. In the past, the Jiangshi held a strong connection to the spirits, but now their people are severed from such a bond, and are now often the prey of spirits hungry for flesh and souls.

Jiangshi are skilled practitioners of exotic magic, and often excel at disciplined martial prowess and honed swordsmanship unusual to the rest of the Reborn World. Their culture is something of an unfamiliar oddity to those outside of the Mystic West, but there is no doubt it is rich and storied, despite the Jiangshi past and current existence of endured suffering. Some Jiangshi have partially jade- or glass-like skin; a condition attributed to the forgotten magical experiments carried out by the Jade Queens, who tried to create immortals to conquer the Reborn World, before they were destroyed by the Vow of Glass.

It is rare to see any Jiangshi outside of the Mystic West. Their people primarily live nomadic lives always on the move, or they endure isolated lives within distant villages or ancient cities in a diverse array of different climates and regions. These lands include Ancient Kithra, Black Qiath, the Bound Isles of Onikaizhu, the Jade Mountains, Yushar, Kin-La, the Great Glass Wastes, the Clouded Kingdom, and the Vow of Shadows; the last of which where they most frequently trade and mingle with outsiders."