Story
Sentinel Hsin, guide of Mengzhou's civilization. Deeply emotional and fond of worldly joys, She has long kept the fires of mortal life burning amid the bustle of trade and the shifting of seasons.
[Mengzhou Ministry of Sentinel Affairs: Comprehensive Record of the Sentinel] ... According to repeated observations by the Ministry of Sentinel Affairs, Sentinel Hsin the Moon Fox's power can divide one into many, proliferating new forms at will. She can command such entities to divide and extend according to their essential nature, along with their consciousness, perception, and constitutive essence, each taking shape as a distinct Fractal Form. Though each Fractal Form maintains its own existence, it remains tethered to the source, sharing sensation across all proliferations, and can ultimately converge back into a single whole. ...It is also known that Hsin the Moon Fox possesses exceptional mastery in the construction of mechanisms. Her grasp of the principles governing interlocking mechanisms far surpasses current-day craftsmanship. By virtue of Her power of Fractal Proliferation, she can extrapolate, reproduce, and even reconstruct existing designs. Her handiwork can be seen behind many of the ingenious devices found throughout Mengzhou City... However, Fractal Proliferation is no mere art of mirroring or replication. When separated from the source, each Fractal Form undergoes its own experience of the world, its perception shifting with all it sees and feels. Over time, even those born of the same origin may ▉▇▇▂... <i>Ministry of Sentinel Affairs Personnel Annotation</i> <i>Current inspections show no irregularities. This record continues to be filed under the old designation, "Hsin the Moon Fox, Sentinel of Mengzhou." Further examination of Her origins is suspended by order of the Intendant until further notice.</i>
Even a Sentinel has things She is not particularly good at, like preparing a thank-you gift for the Arbiter with Her own hands. She had meant to make it something dignified, but Her mind wandered, and by the time She had gathered Herself, the fluff gathered in Her palm had been shaped into a little fox far too round. It was a far cry from the imposing miniature Sentinel She had first envisioned. Of course, unlike the fox forms Hsin conjures using Fractal Proliferation, this is only an ordinary handicraft. It cannot move. It cannot speak. And it certainly cannot feel the warmth of being cradled in someone's palm, or pressed close against their chest. ...Truly, it cannot.
The Land of Xuanfang's first Rafter Kite, crafted by Hsin's own hand. She shaped this ingenious mechanical bird in the likeness of Her cherished friend, the Xuanling Bird, and placed within it the last frequency the Xuanling Bird had left behind. Her wish was that it might still spread its wings and soar across the Land of Xuanfang. Later, Xuanfang's Artisans modeled their own after its design, and from then on, Rafter Kites gradually found their way into every household, carrying on the work of conveying people's feelings and words. This very first Rafter Kite became the prototype etched into the memory of countless craftsmen, who spent their lives refining their skill, hoping that one day they might recapture the lifelike brilliance of the bird they once beheld.
A special space within the Heart Realms, and the place where Hsin now most often lingers in rest. The flowers and trees, the streams and pools, and the Moon Lanterns flickering within it were all drawn from the sights She once beheld with Her own eyes as She walked the mortal world, and from the hopes and blessings solemnly entrusted to the Sentinel. Hidden here, too, are many old crafts and forgotten cultures now nearly impossible to find... These fragments, fine as motes of dust adrift on the long river of civilization, She gathered one by one, piecing them together into a world where She might find respite. Once in a while, a special guest finds their way here. And when they do, when the stream murmurs its ancient tune and the night falls just as it always has, the Sentinel sets aside the weight of distant affairs. She sits before the lamplight, takes up a plate of pastries, and speaks with Her visitor of things that can only be said in dreams.