Zibong

Masters of time and space, these spirits controlled strange and powerful magic to wipe out virtually any opponent in the blink of an eye. The Zibong are a race of fearsome undead spirits. There was also an event character villain named Zibong.

The Legend

"The origin of the Zibong is nothing if not uncertain. It is rumored that they began as little more than a collection of spirits. Whose spirits, I cannot say. They possessed one profound advantage over most other non-corporeal entities: unfathomable intelligence.

Centuries, if not many millenniums ago, the Zibong had few, if any, special capabilities. These early Zibong are believed to have preyed upon a race of beings whose name has long since been forgotten. These beings were masters of magic and stealth. They would attack from a distance, then vanish into the darkness.

Were they not a peaceful race, they might have conquered much of the world. Instead, they concentrated on gathering knowledge and exploring unknowns. Despite a valiant fight against the relentless Zibong, the entire race was defeated.

For countless years since their victory, the Zibong have been silent. Most doubted their existence until recently. It is not known why the Zibong have become active again. Perhaps they have been ravaging other lands all this time and only known have reached the Nexus. Perhaps some great power has awakened them, either accidentally or with a malevolent purpose. Perhaps they had been feeding on the spirits of their previous conquest and only now hunger again."

-Spirit Guide Eldridge

Pre-Game History

There is very little information about the past history of the Zibong.

What is known is they were born in ancient times, possibly as a collection of spirits that formed together to become a collective-consciousness of entities capable of feeding on the souls of other creatures, absorbing their power. (possibly originating from souls of those who died fighting ChiZao?)

The Zibong then conquered an unknown but pacifistic race of beings steeped in magical power. After this time they either withdrew deep into the earth under Du Mountain or became entrapped there by some other force. Much later, a race of trolls create what is now known as the Lost Mines. The trolls dig deeply and accidentally release the Zibong, resulting the annihilated of the trolls, but not before sealing the mine. The Zibong seem to have escaped nonetheless.

The Zibong and the Sonhi Nomads

Return of the Zibong (May 11, 1999 until ?) KaMing, his body and mind tormented by a strange illness, cries for help. The citizens of Kugnae and Buya who come to his aid find him preoccupied with a darkness that is coming. During the meeting the Zibong invade KaMing's camp once again but these Zibong are different, more powerful than those of the past. Death fills the encampment as the citizens of Kugnae and Buya fight to defend their friend KaMing. Later, Zibong are found hidden in dungeons where they ambush the unwary with their new-found powers. What do the Zibong want? What are they doing to KaMing? What new artifacts might they carry? The Zibong await you...

Another winter approached and the Sonhi nomads had abandoned their camp, leaving no trace to their whereabouts. The kingdoms were thankful, however, as the absence would spare them from further war. But a new presence had been discovered in the desolate lands near the Vale... the Zibong.

Masters of time and space, these spirits controlled strange and powerful magic to wipe out virtually any opponent in the blink of an eye. They were unlike any adversary the kingdoms had ever seen before. Though they carried alluring items for treasure hunters to covet, the carnage the Zibong left in their wake was far from worth it.

An old Legend was revealed, claiming that the Zibong were far older than many had imagined. It was said they once destroyed an entire civilization thousands of years ago, and that they wandered in search of others to feed off of and annihilate in the same manner. Some speculated that the Sonhi's disappearance was because of these terrifying sprits.

Then the Great Shift came. Lands were destroyed, storms raged across the realm, changes in the very fabric of our world occurred which were once thought unfathomable. The economy suffered as many of the prized hunting places were no longer around and new items had no known value. The weather continued to be unpredictable when KaMing, the leader of the Sonhi that once fought the kingdoms ruthlessly, sent a plea for help.

Help had been offered to the Sonhi once before, and was repaid in war. Many of the citizens doubted the sincerity of the letter, but after long debate between the two royals of the kingdoms, it was decided that KaMing and his troops would get the help they needed. A drive for food donations was instated to help the starving nomads.

There were many who despised the Sonhi with the hatred of the past war. Even though a treaty had been established, many still attacked the weakened Sonhi unprovoked. KaMing, despite these attacks, still sought peace with the kingdoms. Lasahn granted the nomads access to the Buya and their shamans. Spies reported that the Sonhi were searching for something; a tomb. Some thought it might have been the tomb of Orb, some thought it was to resurrect Sagu, but soon enough, the intention had been revealed. KaMing had come to resurrect his slain brother, KaKhan.

KaKhan, awakened from the slumber of death, rose up to seek his revenge. He spat out insults at the "townies" and even against his own brother, whom he accused of being weak for negotiating peace with their former enemies. The returned nomad leader, now without his own Khan tribe, went on a rampage of blood, slaughtering Kogurians and Buyans in his path.

Before KaMing could prepare his men to stop KaKhan, word was received that the Zibong, who had once been thought to have vanished with the disruption of the Great Shift, had launched a full-blown attack upon the encampment near Mythic Nexus. He ordered his troops to fall back and defend their newly acquired home and their people while KaKhan urged them to attack the "townies" that they despised. Divided, the loyal Sonhi retreated with KaMing, while those who were more hateful defied their orders and followed KaKhan to ransack Buya.

After several weeks of fighting, KaKhan withdrew from the encampment and Buya, bringing with him his Sonhi followers. KaMing's troops were greatly reduced, having suffered terrible loss in the battle with the Zibong. With the Great Shift brought new powers and the Zibong grew in strength. The Sonhi worked to recover their losses and with the assistance of the royal courts, supplies were provided to help build shops in the encampment, allowing Sonhi merchants to sell their wares. Yet though the Zibong had ceased their attack upon the Sonhi, many scouts of theirs had roamed around the kingdoms, slaying any in their path. They had been heard observing our ways, making notes of the patterns of our behavior. It was feared any information they discovered would be used in future attacks.

The kingdoms, many months later, received another message from KaMing...

A short time of peace for the nomads gave them the chance to rebuild their lives, and establish a small community within the encampment. No one had heard word from KaKhan, or KaMing for several seasons until KaMing, his body and mind tormented by a strange illness, startled his people with a cry for help. The citizens of Kugnae and Buya who came to his aid found him preoccupied with fear that a darkness that was coming. During the meeting the Zibong descended upon KaMing's camp once again. But these Zibong were different, more powerful than those of the past. Death filled the encampment as the citizens of Kugnae and Buya fought to defend themselves and KaMing. Later, Zibong were found hidden in dungeons where they ambushed the unwary with their new-found powers.

The Zibong fed upon countless souls of the dead for many moons. The encampment was filled with the stench of blood as those who were brave enough to take on the creatures approached the land. Though many new treasures were looted from the Zibong who were killed, too many lost their lives. The Zibong eventually fell back, but not out of defeat, the citizens feared. It was thought this wasn't the last of them and upon regrouping and preparing their powers, they would descend upon the Nexus in a full-scale attack that would see no survivors.

Princess Lasahn and the Zibong

In the days before the Great Shift, while Koguryo had thrived, neighboring Buya (a tributary of Han) had fallen upon troubled times. As beautiful and stately as the palatial city was, it suffered a vacuum of leadership prior to the ascension of Aino Senshi, a Buyan native who had left town to become a general in the Han Army. Called on by his homeland to return, he learned that his King was ill and near death; as the King had no heir apparent, he willed that Aino succeed him on his deathbed. The Han, in gratitude to Aino's previous service in their military, recognized him as Emperor of Buya and granted the kingdom territorial autonomy.

However, Buya still suffered from neglect, for Emperor Senshi, while not ill like King Yuri, suffered from a pain of the heart. He had left behind his true love, Yung Ling Chun, for his duty in Buya; when he sent for her, she was spiteful and embittered by his time away and did not join him in Buya. He pined for her, and shut himself away, lonely and despondent; as he grew cold and isolated, so too did the streets of Buya. Senshi's daughter, Lasahn Ling Chun, was raised in the court of Han, never knowing her father, yet still possessing his inherent military prowess. When she grew up, she eventually worked her way up to General of the Han Tigress Army and set off on expeditions not unlike those of her father's glory days.

A mysterious series of illnesses on the Buya-Han border led the Han Emperor to dispatch the Tigress Army to the area to investigate. They found that a number of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs had been poisoned by an unknown source, and they followed the trail to encounter an abandoned Sonhi Camp near the source. Unsure of why the Sonhi had abandoned the camp, but chalking it up to their nomadic ways, General Lasahn opted to make use of the supplies that remained and camp for the night before investigating further. As the Tigress Army slept, a force of darkness crept upon the camp. Commander Lasahn was roused from her sleep by a brisk wind that blew out the torches near her tent.

A lesser commander may have not taken the wind too seriously, but Lasahn's instincts were sharp. Sensing an attack, she immediately sounded the camp alarm, but it was too late; through the mist, the Zibong began to emerge and started a relentless attack on the Tigress Army camp, determined to claim their very souls. Through the night, Lasahn led the all-female force in a defense of their lives; by morning, they had driven back the Zibong and thus purified the wells that had been poisoned.

However, the battle came at a terrible cost, as what was once a mighty regiment had been decimated to a mere scouting group. Having lost many supplies, General Lasahn decided to send her Imperial Emissary, Laza, to the neighboring ally of Buya to request safe camp and reinforcements -- and to warn the Buyans of the Zibong's presence. Upon seeking shelter in Buya, Lasahn also seized upon the opportunity to meet her estranged father, Emperor Aino Senshi.

Emperor Senshi's heart danced with pride and love for his daughter. He asked her to remain with him in Buya, to take the title of Princess and eventually succeed the throne of Buya. Thus, a disastrous Zibong attack ended in the reunification of father and daughter, and brought to Buya a new era of prosperity and growth. The Zibong had inadvertently done the right thing for the wrong reason; however, fearsome indeed are the forces that could decimate an entire army in the process.

-Historian Qantao

The War between Koguryo and Buya

Tensions between Buya and Koguryo continued long after the pirate kidnapping of Lasahn and steadily increased to the point that diplomatic talks were needed. Witnesses claimed that during the princess' birthday celebrations at the Buya Palace, Prince Mhul shouted out insults for the kingdom to hear against Lasahn and her people. M'hul was insistent this never happened. At one last attempt to negotiate for peace between the kingdoms, the royals met at Tribunal Hall in the Kugnae Palace with envoys from both armies present. The talk escalated into argument as Lasahn demanded an apology for the insults Mhul claimed he never uttered, despite witnesses present who said otherwise and war was declared.

Advocates of peace failed in their efforts to prevent a conflict. Both sides engaged in preliminary skirmishes within the Wilderness and travel between the two Nexus kingdoms had become perilous.

Citizens of Koguryo defend the entrance to their city from Buyan invaders.

Meanwhile, a strange fissure had appeared on the ground in the center of the Wilderness. Legends of powerful Flame ambers had were discovered and research by Geomancers suggested a connection between these two findings;

"The legendary flame ambers are one of the most powerful magical items known to exist. A single such amber, used by a skilled mind, can slay several hardy men. Ten thousand, it is said, would allow an entire city to be annihilated.

Fortunately for the peaceful minded, these items are difficult to acquire. They are formed through a special totem ceremony involving a red amber and essences of flame. Red ambers have only been found by miners who have stumbled into unpredictable extra-dimensional rifts.

During times of great chaos in the Nexus, flames burning deep within the earth extend closer to the surface. Occasionally a blast of flaming vapor will erupt through the soil. An aware and quick collector can use a bottle to capture some of the vapor."

- Spirit Guide Eldridge

Despite the ability to resurrect the dead, if enough Flame ambers were gathered, it was thought an entire population could be destroyed in one earth-shattering blast.

Several days before the war, a strange Monk from another land by the name of InSu was traveling through the kingdoms. He spoke of his travels and talked with the people of the scrolls he'd collected along the way. Some were still in need of translation, but he could find no one to do it. Avoiding the discussion of politics and the war, InSu took the Monk elder, Greta's offer for rest within their Circle.

The war raged on. Thousands were injured or slain as Buya and Koguryo fought each other over the trivial matter of pride. Flame ambers were created and coveted in hopes of destroying the opposite kingdom. But out of nowhere, an old voice that hadn't been heard in many seasons echoed across the Wilderness. KaMing had returned.

He laughed maniacally at the citizens of the kingdoms, thanking them for making his job easier by doing the killing for him. Though it was thought KaMing was ill, he claimed he had much time to plot his revenge against the "townies". Several witnesses in the Wilderness saw him wielding a fragment of the Darkstaff, much like that which the Shaman elder JaydePhoenix carried. He called for his "pets" and unleashed a number of horrifying Zibong Slayers upon the remaining citizens, slaying many with horrifying swiftness.

The Monk, InSu, had been ready to resume his journeys when he witnessed the return of the Sonhi leader. He claimed he knew the cause of the war and asked the leaders of the two kingdoms to meet together to talk with him. InSu had figured out that although Lasahn had indeed heard terrible insults towards herself and her people, it was a Zibong in the form of Prince Mhul that had tricked her, causing the senseless war. Princess Lasahn and Prince Mhul agreed on a new treaty with understandable caution.

InSu, satisfied with the current situation between the kingdoms, wished them luck and continued on his journey to seek one who could translate his scrolls. KaMing and the Zibong he once feared had disappeared once again, leaving the Sonhi that reside in the encampment afraid of the strange behavior of their leader and wondering what was to come. Many citizens were relieved to have peace between the kingdoms once more and rejoiced at their regained freedom.

Zibong Event Character Hacking

The Zibong Event Character was once hacked due to an exploit.

The hacker appeared in Walsuk Tavern and immediately started using his spells to summon legions of Dragon Mages and Zibong Slayers that made quick work of players. Many Monk Guides tried to use their mass resurrection spell to help people, but a floor sweep during the battle took many death piles.

Although players killed the summoned mobs, players were unable to defeat the event character, as his PVP was not enabled. Despite this, the battle inside the inn raged on between many legendary players and the hacked Zibong until GM Grin kicked the hacker off.

Trivia

• Zibong Slayers would whisper people when they targeted them, saying "I am coming for your soul!", "You are no match for us", and "We are Zibong!"
• Zibong would not change targets often. Even if the player died, they would continue to try to attack them. The general tactic to kill one was to allow someone to die so the rest could finish it off.
• Zibong were immune to many spells such as Blind, Vex, Paralyze and Scourge, although Drain did work on them. They could be zapped but they had very high Protection values, so players often missed.
• Zibong would often go Invisible and attack unsuspecting players.
• Zibong could approach players. If players tried to trap them, they could teleport out of the pin.
• Zibong had an un-targetable Invisible spell; once they went invisible, you had no idea where they were at.
• Zibong could take on the form of peasants. This allowed Zibong to catch players off-guard, as they would think a peasant is walking toward them but then it suddenly transformed into a Zibong!