Sea Rakshasa#

My land is harsh and my look stern, Yet at their scorn, I never turn. True valor looks not on the skin, I should have known who is my kin.

Lore tells of the Great Kingdom of Rakshasa beyond the Western Seas, where the Sea Rakshasas call home. Renowned for their peculiar features, they differ starkly from those on land.

One year, sea yaoguais were reported troubling a temple by the sea. The princess of the Kingdom was tasked with the expulsion of yaoguais. A devout practitioner of Buddhism with formidable powers, she dismissed her entourage and resolved to confront the yaoguais alone.

As she recited scriptures loudly in the temple that night, she saw several towering figures kneel at the door, grotesque in form: lumpy heads, twisted mouths, three-holed noses, and eyes upon their foreheads.

Startled by their hideousness, the princess fell to the ground in fright. The figures, too, pointed at her face, screaming in terror, and hastily fled. Intrigued by their unexpected reaction, she called out to them. The fear that drove them to run was quenched only after the princess resumed her chanting. They cautiously returned and conversed with her, after which she learned that they were Sea Rakshasas seeking spiritual practice.

The princess welcomed them in. To avoid alarming the people, she fashioned golden, gem-studded masks for them. Soon, the Rakshasa King granted them massive shields and appointed them as the royal guards of the princess.

Hundreds of years later, after the Kingdom of Rakshasa fell, the Sea Rakshasas escorted the princess eastward to Flaming Mountains. Faced with hardships, they learned to consume fire to better protect their princess, which turned their blue skin crimson. Now, they reside in the river of lava, mastering the tides of flame in the mountains. The princess, long past her prime, finds solace in the unwavering loyalty of her guards, who value her heart over her faded beauty.