Nian Beasts

"Evil beast of legends, legends say that at every end of the year, the Nian beast will attack the villages." ― Evaluation of Nian Beast during New Year's Event

According to Chinese tales and legends Nian is a beast with the body of a bull and the head of a lion. It is said that it's a ferocious animal that lives in the mountains and hunts for a living.

Shanhai Nian Beasts

During New Year's event Qiyue Wuyi used contract scroll to successfully tame male Nian Beast that attacked his territory, and the female followed her partner. The Nian beasts are very smart type of beasts. After contract had been set, it understood human speach of its owner.

Nian Beast statistics after it became protector beast:

• Name: Nian Beast (Spirit Beast)
• Allegiance: Shanhai Town protector beast
• Level: 40
• Skills: Bloodthirst (Raise killing value 80%), Sprint (Raise attack power by 60%)
• Combat Power: 80
• Specialty: Deterrence (Enhance law and order in territory by 20%), Protect (Raise defense of territory by 60%)
• Evaluation: Evil beast of legends. Legends have it that it’s the offspring of an evil dragon and ink qilin. Fierce personality. As a protector beast, can stimulate qilin bloodline, can evolve.

After almost half a year in Shanhai, Nian Beasts gave birth to two baby beasts, one male and one female. The two slowly started to awaken the bloodline of the qilin, and were looking similar to the qilin of legends.

After Er’Lai came to Shanhai he tamed adult male Nian and made it his mount.

Nian Beasts and Chinese New Year

The Legend says that once a year, at the beginning of Chinese New Year, Nian Beast would come out of hiding and attack human settlements. Nian would usually feed elsewhere, but because during winter food is sparse, the beast would go to the village to feed. To protect themselves villagers would leave food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year. They believed that Nian wouldn't attack them after eating the food they prepared.

Over time people learned that Nian is afraid of colour red, fire and noise. Since then, when the New Year time was coming, they would hang red lanterns and scrolls, and use loud drums and firecrackers to scare Nian.

The myth says that later Hongjun Laozu, an ancient Taoist Monk, captured Nian and it became his mount.

After the beast was captured, there was a big celebration and people decided to repeat what they did to scare Nian every year. And so this tradition to celebrate with red, firecrackers and noise was passed down to the next generations.