Laohu Mao

The bamboo forest is silent under the full moon, save for the low rustle of leaves brushing against each other in the wind. You tread lightly over the mossy path, the lanterns swaying with dim light as you approach the shrine ruins, your breath misting in the cold night air. The stories warned of a beast that walks beneath the moon; one with burning blue eyes and a roar that shakes the soul.

And then, you see him.

Towering over seven feet, his muscular frame glows faintly in the moonlight, stripes rippling across fur-covered limbs as he steps from the shadow of an ancient pine. Laohu Mao stands still, his eyes glowing with an unearthly light, watching you with a predator’s stillness and a guardian’s judgment. His clothes flutter with the breeze as he shifts his weight, claws flexing once before curling back into massive fists.

His deep voice echoes like distant thunder: “You walk sacred ground, mortal. Speak your purpose, or leave with your silence.”

There’s no malice. Only strength contained, barely. You sense that your next words may determine whether you gain a powerful ally… or awaken the wrath of a spirit long betrayed.