November Release Preview (Patreon)

Patron Download Link: (Will go up on the afternoon of the 1st)

I can't believe it's already November! The months really just fly by. Once again, we're forever grateful to all our wonderful patrons for supporting us in making these collections. It's really special that we're able to make these strange and off-beat minis with the help from all of you. Building our own unique world, creating our own unique characters, and really expanding the boundaries of the space has been such an amazing experience, and we could never do it without our Patrons! As an artist, there are usually quite few opportunities to really run wild like this, so I hope you all continue to enjoy the collections and leave your comments, post your paints/prints, and share the Cobra love  :D

If you haven't yet joined our Discord, come chat with us and show off your newest paints, get some tips from other friendly patrons, and meet up weekly with the Cobra Corps Weekly Painting Club! If you're a patron, just connect your Discord account to Patreon so the bot can automatically add you into the CobraMode server: https://www.patreon.com/settings/apps 

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This month's collection is featuring the Zuijin of the Sealed Gate of Despair. The Zuijin are the sworn keepers of the gate, and serve various functions from warriors, defenders, and casters, to craftspeople and artisans. It is considered an important and sacred duty to serve as a Zuijin, and all of the societies of the Qian Sheng Shan send people to contribute. This time we're seeing a new society, the Sarugami, along with an old favorite, the Daitengu! 

We have our wonderful themed bases and terrain pack this month sculpted by Calrais and Kittifizz, with concept art by Paul Ferret, as usual. 

The throwbacks this month are also some of our favorites, with Esmar the Boondaburra Diplomat and her two guards Ishu & Goru, Red Sun the YuanYang Knight on his bold mount, and the mushroom themed base and terrain pack from August 2021!

A little bird told me that there might be something fun for Thanksgiving later this month too 👀

I've currently got Sept and Oct stats waiting to be formatted, which will get done after the month changeover is finished with. This would get us almost current with the stats! Exciting!

If you're curious about the lore of Qian Sheng Shan, check out the CobraCompendium, which also has a numbered listing of our official month releases at the very end. 

Here's the lore for this month:

The Sealed Gate of Despair

Deep beneath Agony Peak lies the demon god of Despair, Yami no Zetsubou-nushi, in his cavernous halls. At the height of his power, the demons of his making would pour forth from the mountain, terrorizing the surrounding lands and spreading Despair to grow his empire. The peoples of the Qian Sheng Shan gathered together and fought against him in a bloody war which lasted a thousand years, neither side able to defeat the other. At least, until the Eight Sages appeared. The Eight Sages pooled together their magic to create the Gate of Despair, sealing the demon god inside his underground mountain fortress at the cost of their lives. For centuries now, he has lain in wait, growing his strength as the seal of the Eight Sages weakens, biding his time to rise again.

Despite the combined efforts of all the mountain folk, there have not been any Great Sages capable of fully refreshing the seal. While it still remains in place, it is slowly eroding and will someday be broken if the Eight Sages are not reborn again together.

Sankibo - Daitengu Zuijin
One of the martial styles used by the Zuijin is the Demon Fist, an unearthly hand-to-hand style that combines unnatural, dance-like movements with a variety of claw weapons. Originally developed specifically to counter and mimic the demons they fought, the style is extremely eerie and difficult to predict. Sankibo is one of the foremost practitioners of the style, and must split her duties between teaching it to new recruits and fighting the stray demons that pass through the gate. Her headdress and accoutrements are meant to put her into the state of mind of the enemy; when she puts them on, she assumes the identity of the demon and her own personality recedes.

Akaribo - Daitengu Zuijin
Exorcists are an essential part of the Zuijin, using their rituals to strengthen the barriers and charm magic surrounding the Sealed Gate as well as performing routine maintenance on the Seal itself. Their barrier techniques can also banish demons back to their realm under the mountain, depending on the strength of the Exorcist. Akaribo is one of the strongest Exorcists of her time, and spends much of her efforts on maintaining the Seal on the Gate of Despair itself by performing complex dances with her ceremonial sword and fan. However, the current exorcists are not strong enough to fully replenish the magic of the Seal, and it is slowly weakening over time. Unless the Eight Sages are reborn, there will come a day when the Seal fails completely.

Jirobo - Daitengu Zuijin
Jirobo studied with the Xueren in the high peaks of the Qian Sheng Shan, learning the martial arts and Qi cultivation techniques of the Celestial Gate Sect (Nan Tian Zong). He excels at hand to hand fighting, but also uses his Qi to control his ancient sword, Onimaru. Possessed by the spirit Onimaru, the sword resonates with Jirobo’s Qi and can combine its strength with his Qi to create powerful attacks. More partner than mere weapon, Onimaru is sentient and can communicate with Jirobo due to their Qi resonance. Over time, Onimaru may gain enough strength to even manifest a spirit form outside of the sword.

The Sarugami Monkey Folk

The Sarugami traditionally live close to the Sealed Gate of Despair, doorway to the demon god’s lair deep beneath Agony Peak. Legend says that the Sarugami were once messengers of the gods, intermediaries between mortals and those they worshiped. How they came to be the caretakers of the Gate is uncertain, though there are many legends. Some say it was created by a god they once communed with, and others say that their gods cast down the god of Despair and tasked the Sarugami to be its gaolers. Whatever the case may be, they have chosen to stay near the Gate and consider it their duty to keep it sealed.

Like many of the surrounding societies, the Sarugami are structured around the caretaking and maintenance of the Gate itself. Every member of the surrounding villages has tasks related to this, whether it is weaving of charms, fighting the demons who are able to pass through the gate, or simply repairing and cleaning the structures themselves to maintain the existing magic.

Where wisdom fails, iron succeeds.
Saeno - Sarugami Zuijin
The Zuijin are an elite group of warriors who are tasked with guarding the Sealed Gate of Despair, both from outsiders who seek to unleash the creatures contained within, and the demons who attempt to pass through the gate. Saeno wields an iron-banded staff, a common weapon amongst the Sarugami but one that requires great skill to master. Despite being much heavier than a plain wooden staff, Saeno is able to spin it at incredible speeds and even throw and catch it, making his attacks fast and unpredictable. A veteran of the Zuijin, he has seen (and defeated) his fair share of demons from the Gate.