Zhu Hanuku
“Zhu Hanuku once protected the depths of the sea throughout Dragon's End. Luxon tradition continues to honor the beast each year through the Convocation.
Zhu Hanuku, or "Old Long-arms" in the ancient tongue,[1] is an old Canthan spirit dwelling in the Jade Sea who was once revered by the Luxons and who played an important part in the Luxon rite of Convocation. The kappa are said to be his servants.[2] He has vanished some time after the fall of the Luxons, and his current whereabouts are unknown.[3]
Biography[edit]
Early years[edit]
Zhu Hanuku, or "Old Long-arms" in the ancient tongue, was a famous Canthan spirit who had dwelled in the Boreas Seabed region of the Jade Sea for centuries and who primarily wielded mesmer magic.[1][4] The Luxons first saw him appear circa 1382 CC (872 AE) in jade flesh after the Jade Sea had been petrified by the unleashed magic of Shiro Tagachi's death wail.[5] Zhu Hanuku was said to have protected the depths of the sea throughout Dragon's End,[6] although human stories also claimed that he had terrorized the sea instead.[4] The Luxons who both revered and feared him claimed that the kappa were his servants.[2] The kraken were said to be his spawn, and their eyes were sought after for the magical jelly in them with which the Luxons enchanted their weapons.[7]
Zhu Hanuku manifested annually as a giant physical, squid-like kraken and lashed out at the Luxon home settlement of Cavalon.[1] During each historic Convocation, the three Luxon Clans—the Crab Clan, the Serpent Clan, and the Turtle Clan—sent their champions and their elite guards to battle each other to the death. The victorious clan was awarded the Spear of Archemorus and the honor to slay Zhu Hanuku. When Zhu Hanuku was slain, the energy from the kraken was used to resurrect the fallen fighters.[8] The victorious clan kept the Spear of Archemorus for the entire year, until the next Convocation. Zhu Hanuku appeared as recently as 1582 CC (1072 AE) when the Hero of Tyria fought against the three clans in the Convocation for the right to wield the spear and then defeated the mighty kraken himself.[9]
Interim years[edit]
The tradition of the Convocation halted when Emperor Usoku and the Ministry of Purity forcibly annexed the Luxons into the Empire of the Dragon after a bloody campaign. Zhu Hanuku vanished some time later, and his later whereabouts became unknown.[3] After the fall of the Ministry of Purity in Empress Haebaragi's reforms,[10] the Convication rites resumed but no longer involved fights to the death as Zhu Hanuku's resurrective power could no longer be accessed.
End of Dragons[edit]
Canthans continued revering Zhu Hanuku, now also known as the Emperor of the Jade Sea, at what they titled the Shrine to Hanuku although the shrine had originally been a place of Luxon worship to spirits of nature.[3][6] Unaware of the shrine's origins, the Speakers Eunjoo and Yuma Silverpinion attempted a ritual at the location to earn Hanuku's favor and summon his avatar to aid the allied armies against the encroaching Void horde in 1845 CC (1335 AE). Their summoning rituals only ended up manifesting more Void creatures, however, leaving the pair to attempt the ritual several times with the same end result while they held out hope that the great kraken would eventually answer their pleas.[11]
Place of worship[edit]
References[edit]
|
The Guild Wars Wiki has an article on Zhu Hanuku. |
- ^ a b c Boreas Seabed outpost description
- ^ a b Axton
- ^ a b c Shrine Cat
- ^ a b Boreas Seabed
- Argo: Another Convocation has come, and with it Zhu Hanuku, the mighty sea beast who has terrorized the Jade Sea for hundreds of years.
- ^ Elder Casta
- ^ a b Historic Plaque
- ^ Elder Pomona
- ^ Elder Cleo
- ^ Boreas Seabed
- Elder Rhea: Every year Zhu Hanuku returns. And on that day we hold the Convocation.
- Elder Rhea: The strongest among us fight for the right to be the one who defeats the great magical kraken, returning him to the waves. [...]
- Elder Rhea: You have bested our champions and earned the right to fight Zhu Hanuku.
- Elder Rhea: I believe this is what you came for. The Spear of Archemorus is yours.
- <Character name>: Thank you, Elder Rhea. We accept the spear and the honor of fighting the kraken.
- ^ Dissolution of the Ministry of Purity, 1747 CC
- ^ Defeat the summoned creature before it can escape
