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[!] A flier is stuck to every hub's board, alongside some of the larger settlements; it seems whoever circulated these missives must have truly been desperate. As you glance down the page, sections of masterful printmaking art and calligraphy grace your eyes, somewhat differing between each page. "你好, friends of Almaris; my name is Jiàn, and I send this letter out in great desperation. Long ago, I ventured off into the endless woods in search of purpose. I was confused, and terrified after descendant-kind was forced to flee the Arcas; and I realize, now, what I've done was a great dishonor to my kin. What you all may know as the Hou-zi are much more than wandering Ronin or frightful beasts -- we once ruled over Axios, and in the glory of my kind's Immortal King Hou-Shen did they bask. However, just as our old Empire was corrupted and sent into ruin by the Doombringer, Metzli, it seems he has once again come to bear his ugly fangs; and with a deft swipe, sent us back into scarcity. As I sit here writing this, my anger boils in my veins and woe claws at my heart. Should any of my Hou brethren exist, or those of the lost city Yong Ping, I beg of you all to write back; to show me I am not truly the last one left. I've secured a long-abandoned home on the outskirts of the forgotten bastion, and though it's certainly ... Rife with rats and pests, I'd be happy to house others here as well. 愿我们再次统治！为了侯神！ Huang Jiàn."

A leather-bound tome lies unattended. The pages are stark and clean, suggesting a recent publishing, or attempts at preservation. You pick it up, curious at the title- what are Long Pigs? The answer is likely not what you hoped. To Cook a Longpig Authored by Barbog, Grubgoth of the Iron’Uzg Translated by the Orcish Cultural Revival And Purity project (OCRAP) For too long, brothers and sisters of the Uruk-hai have been left in the dark by the master butchers and Grubgoths of Uruk society. Perhaps these were never meant to be left secret, or forgotten by the masses, but as times and traditions change, so too has our knowledge of the past. Whilst many brothers may still seek out and butcher the longpig like in days past, there is a distinct lack of etiquette about it, and the dishes prepared (if they can even be called such) featuring longpig are woefully inadequate at best, and a slap in the face of Glutros at worst. I shall do my part in redeeming my misguided brothers, sisters, and any who fancy a decent meal of the most coveted meat. TO BUTCHER A LONGPIG As we all know, there are many types of longpig in the world. From the gamey, lean cutlets of the Mali, to the chewy gristle notable in Dweddish meat. Each variety of longpig brings unique textures and exotic tastes to any dish, but all maintain similar anatomy- and thus, similar cuts. Below is a detailed sketch, drafted by a close friend and confidant- whom I paid in meals, of course! The following parts have been carefully labelled and separated on the drawing; Head, ears, jowl, snout, neck, blades, shoulders, hock, back-fat, arms, hands, ribs, flank, belly, loin, rump, lower hock, leg, shank, and feet. Please take careful note of abnormal, non-descendent races. As one might expect, the belching Wonk or the limber Hou-Zi will undoubtedly be cut differently, as their anatomy grows further from traditional longpig cuts. The Musin shan’t be more than a snack. TO MAKE A MEAL OF LONGPIG Whilst cooking the meat itself is none too dissimilar from a hock of lamb or pig belly, one must be careful when selecting your sides! Longpig has a very distinct tone, and, due to its exotic nature, should not be wasted on unfitting dishes. My personal recommendations are as follows: HUMAN - As time-tested-and-true as beef or pig itself. While certainly a cut above livestock, if not just for the hunt involved in procuring this meat, I personally feel that you have better options. Truly, Longpig is meant to be a rare delicacy, and the abundance of humans leave this rather paradoxical- and the tastes and textures themselves are certainly nothing to write home about. If you were to create a barbaric or uncultured dish, then human meat suits perfectly. Burgers and bacon, perhaps, but leave serving longpig before a king to the Mali or Kha. ELF - As much as they may protest when alive, when you get down to the fundamentals- the flesh itself- they’re really all quite similar. Indeed, the tender, gamey, supple meat of the Mali are among my favorite dishes. I cannot speak highly enough of the feasts I have turned the odd botanist or researcher into. Perhaps it is their natural femininity, or their inclination to bookish things, but elves have an unrivaled, juicy tenderness. The finest of red wines, and the most expensive, outlandish sides could never be enough to compete with the meat itself- but perhaps they may make it better by comparison. DWARF - As the stout, tough race toils hard in their mines and are born with muscles taut as stone, so too is this reflected in their meat. If you wish to cook evenly and deeply with this longpig (or shall we call them shortpig?) , then a good tenderizer and elbow grease is required. I can assure you, though, that they make a most excellent brisket if you do, and there is no better iteration of pulled longpig meat, than that painstakingly torn from the Dwed. HALFLING - While it wounds me as a friend of the Weefolk to have to record an entry that may be mistaken as encouraging their slaughter, I only do so in the highest regard as an objective chef. They are, as one may expect, quite similar to the flesh of the human that some allege they originate from. They have more ‘earthy’ notes to them, which some have suggested come from the divergence of ancestry. This pairs well with heady beers and hard liquors. Should you come across the meat of the half-men, I can only suggest one thing; avoid the feet. They are tough, covered in calluses many, many layers deep, and unlike shucking a clam, does not reward you with good grub. WONK - Their anatomy is, quite simply, repulsive to most casual consumers. Even the meat itself is slick and slimy, and the only cure is to char it into a brick- a cardinal sin that no true cook should ever commit. You have two options when it comes to the Wonk as longpig. You may either attempt to recreate certain seafood dishes with Wonk meat, leveraging that sliminess as one might the slippery raw squid, or slick watery vegetables. This, in my opinion, is the best choice for most of the Wonk’s body… except for their hock, leg, and shank. These are fatty and have a texture somewhere between soft fish and poultry. Best when sauteed and stewed! Fun fact: Wonk legs do not stiffen up as fast as most animals upon their demise, and may even twitch when heated up in cooking! HOU-ZI - An odd choice- and I say that proceeding the Wonk! Whilst there are similarities between the Hou-Zi, and races such as halflings and humans, they are an entirely different beast- No offense to Hou-Zi intended! Truly, they ought not be hunted for their meat, as it is rather bland and chewy in the most unpalatable way. Instead, the true delicacy of the Hou-Zi is in the mind… And I say that in the most physical sense. Chilled Hou-Zi brains. Do not question it, merely enjoy it. KHA - Whilst Kha are very few and far between these days, I would argue that only makes the already-exotic taste of the meat feel only that much more so! Truly, in days where Kha would roam our borders in droves, were days where the Ilzgûl blessed our civilizations. There is something so… utterly indescribably, in the juices of Kha meat. I cannot stress this enough- this meat NEEDS to be served rare, if not raw. Any dangers of undercooked meat are well worth the suffering when beer-basted Kha precedes it. MUSIN - Musin themselves have little meat, and are best served as a side of their own. However, should you find yourself with many little mouse-meals, you may find that they are best incorporated as half-dish. Meals such as a mushroom-and-musin kebab, or a chunky stew, would be a wonderful use for these little snacks. SEZZIKBEKK - While their bodies are quite unappealing at first glance, they hold much meat in their more ‘avian’ parts- the thighs, breast, and (on some specimens with less-twisted appendages), wing-meat. Whilst these may be used as a replacement for more common fowl, such as chicken or partridge, they truly shine when deep-fried. Indeed, while I find few things more delicious in this world than Krugtucky Fried Chicken, I have found their equal in Fried Sezzikbekk. TO PLATE A LONGPIG This will, of course, vary by the meat itself, and how you cook it. Humans, halflings, dwarves, and the like will be suitable as plain affairs- one would not be remiss to see human sliders on a plain ceramic tray, and for good reason. For more ‘exotic’ meats, then rest assured, I recommend firmly to play this up in their presentation. Sauteed wonk with a smooth Teriyaki sauce, Musin kebabs wrapped in palm leaves with carefully-threaded skewers connecting the cutlets, and Deep-Fried Sezzibekk stacked like a tower, with garlic powder and shredded kaktuz sprinkled from high above. All of these are presentations I have seen with my own eyes, and they never cease to entertain and enthrall even the most well-fed of critics. Go with your intuition here, but I must repeat from earlier; do not waste your longpig. The taking of a life is much more special here- a cow or chicken are penned and dumb, and the act of bringing one to your table is of absolutely no note. The battle that wins you a prime dish-to-be of longpig, however, means that the meat itself deserves a higher level of respect. Perhaps you may attempt to recreate aspects of that very battle in your plating, but at the very least it makes an entertaining story to share. AFTERWORD Whilst my advocacy for the consumption and proper preparation of longpig cannot be understated, I do not intend for this book to inspire my brothers and sisters to become butchers for the sake of sport. It is the very act of a well-fought battle that makes the meat taste that much more succulent, the comedy of serving a belly cut deep by your friend’s arrow, that is to truly ‘make the meal’. To turn them into common chattel is right-out. Livestock has grown complacent, boring, and dare I say, a turn-off to many chefs. Respect the intent behind serving longpig, by not abusing the source the Ilzgûl have so generously provided. They are the sustenance after a battle, not some simpering beast to be penned and bred for grub alone. But, above all else; Cook well, my friends. -Barbog

Origins of the Art of Peace. What is the Art of Peace? It is simply put a martial arts created to fight opponents in a way where you can be certain that the only intention while fighting is defending yourself and incapitating your opponents to make sure they cannot harm any further. A martial arts focused on self defense. The values of those who follow this art are very harmonious. They believe that all life is precious, killing someone would be like giving away your very own spirit. They believe everything happens in a circle. For example, a Hou-Zi showed mercy upon one of his own kin after having been attacked by him. The Hou-Zi will believe that sometime in the future that very man will come back to safe him in return. The Art of Peace is all about personal values that unlock the inner spirit and transform it to mold together with the physical body. This is a long process that is achieved by meditating and practicing the Art of Peace. Doubts will lead to an unsteady mind, and an unsteady mind can’t become one with their spirit. The moment a student becomes fully one with his spirit, he ‘ascends’. This process is called the Ascendence. This is when the student begins to expierence out of body expierences when meditating. Their body seems more fluent as they are not carrying the weight of their spirit no more as it works in perfect harmony with the body. As they train their spirit, they begin to be able to draw power from it. This happens because a link between the individual and Metzli is connected, causing them to be able to draw power from Metzli for the first time, unbeknowst. Physically they become stronger as their hits and punches are delivered by both the spiritual and physical body. A student that becomes one with his spirit is also able to keep his physical body more healthy, as he can use his spiritual body to mend his physical body. This means a student can rejuvinate his body while meditating. Cuts, bruising and infections are able to be regenerated with enough meditation and focus. Fatal wounds that can’t be healed by the body itself can’t be healed by the spirit either. The student simply guides his spirit to aid his body to heal, he can’t make his spirit mend him any more then his body already could. As the student trains his body and becomes stronger physically and spiritually, he will eventually be able to perform a full body spiritual take over. The physical body is the main body as it present to the senses on this world. Atleast, most senses. Though with a full body take over, the spiritual body takes that place instead, becoming the main body for a short period of time. This conjures a great amount of power for the student. A body without boundries of physical muscles and drawbacks. Though it drains the spirit. Strenght, agility and reflexes all increase greatly for a short amount of time while they are in this state. Masters of the Art of Peace can even sense other people their spirits. A master of the Art of Peace can even cause someones spirit to be dazed and disrupted by punched and jabs. Disrupting the natural flow of someones spirit causes the victim to be dazed and confused. Usually this even causes victims to throw up due to how unwell their body feels. This is used to tire out the opponent faster then it usually would. Though this power doesn't come from no where. Due to the Hou-Zi being favored by Metzli, they began to worship their diety more after the fall of their immortal king. Favored by her, she's the direct power that fuels their spirits. One could regenerate their own spirit, but that would take years. Instead during meditation the practitioners draw power from Metzli instead to fuel their spirit once more. And what would take years now takes a few hours of meditating. Metzli's power is fast and unimaginable, and one couldn't even grasp the idea of how much power they can actually gain. But! The spirit has a limit. Almost like a battery, there is only so much power that can be stored at one time. This battery is continuesly expanded by harsh physical training, deep meditation and endurance. Meditating. What exactly is meditating? Meditating is a state of mental silence or rest, where our attention is aware but not engrossed in thinking. Aware of everything around us but not activily thinking about anything. It sounds quite easy, but it is incredibly difficult to stop yourself from thinking completely and simply letting your mind rest. It is the equivalent of sleeping, though you are still awake. You can snap out of meditation at any moment. Meditating is the way to draw power from Metzli and fuel the spirit once more. Due to the nature of this act, Metzli can connect with the person that meditates. Even though she doesn't like to meddle with common practitioners, there is indeed a link between the practitioner and Metzli. Though this link unfortunatly only goes one way. One isn't able to call upon Metzli while meditating, as the mind is supposed to be in a state of mental silence. Spiritual regeneration. The spirit is able to heal the physical body by helping it regenerate. The body can’t simply regenerate a deep gash, internal bleeding or serrated skin. The spirit aids the body in its natural regenerating of the body, but things that the body can’t physically regenerate itself won’t suddenly be able to be healed by the spirit. A strong practitioner of the art of peace will even be able to guide his spirit to help the anti-bodies within the body to fight infection and therefor cleanse infections that would otherwise be considered someones death. Spiritual regeneration can only occur when meditating and simply speeds the natural process up. Alot of wounds, nasty wounds and infections still take a decent amount of time to heal. From about three to four weeks down to a couple of days. Spiritual unity. When a student goes through his Ascendence, he first has to fully understand the principles and believes of the Art of Peace. One must fully think, without a doubt that all life is precious. Only then one can become united with their spirit. The way the spirit is actually used once the body and spirit are united is quite simple. A person isn’t able to control his spirit since the spirit lives alongside of the physical body. Though one is able to draw power from their own spirit. Any regular person’s spirit has no power, and so there is no power to draw from it. A practicioner of the Art of Peace had already been training his body, mind and spirit for years. The spirit itself doesn’t know the same boundries as the physical body. The physical body is controlled by muscles, which you can grow and strenghten to a certain extend, but it always has it drawbacks. A big bulky body becomes slow. And a trained, slender body isn’t as strong as the bigger body. Bodies can’t grow indefinetly, and there will be a point where one cannot become stronger. The spiritual body doesn’t have this drawback. The spiritual body has no boundries as too how powerfull it can become, but it is frail. The spirit weakens alot faster then the physical body does. The spiritual body works together with the physical body. A single punch from the physical body is now not only one body, but two bodies. So it basically hits twice as hard. The spiritual body can become even stronger then the physical body. So suddenly a single punch that should simply make a man stumble or just groan in pain now sends him flying back three meters and knock him right down onto his behind. It is all about the spirit and the body working together in unison. Though using your spirit in everyday battle is costing for the spirit aswell as it is for the physical body. This is why practitioners of the art meditate plenty. To keep their spirits healthy and harmonious. Once someone reaches spiritual unity, they are blessed by Metzli herself, she doesn't unlock the spirit for that person but she simply values him and grands him the ability to draw from her power. The key here is that, someone that has become in unity with their spirit has already learned the vast amount of rules, morals and ways of living that the Art of Peace have to offer. Metzli is a fair, but cruel diety. And so she doesn't think twice from withdrawing her blessing from anyone that dares to betray their own morals. Full spiritual body take over. This is what sets a master apart from its student. A full spiritual body take over is a dangerous manevour that is usually only used in situations where the user has no other options. A student is forced to use this ability to fight his master in a one on one honorable spar to show that he is ready to teach other students. Usually after this occurence the student won’t feel his spirit for atleast a week, as if it has dissapeared. The spirit is always there, inside of the students body. But it is drained from it’s power and needs to be fueled by proper meditation and rest. What happens during a full spiritual body take over is when the spiritual body replaces the physical body instead. Since the spirit is always inside the body, it’ll become the other way around. The spirit will expand out of the body and become visible in a blue transluscent smoke. This makes it so the unbound potentional of the spirit is unleashed. No weight, no boundries of strenght and hyper-increased reflexes. The physical form is still physically present and able to be harmed. A full body take over is incredibly stressing on the spirit and isn’t able to be controlled for a long period of time. After the full body take over is finished, the spirit will nestle itself back into the physical body. Once again, this process is incredibly straining for both the spiritual and physical body and would leave the user to be unable to fight anymore afterwards. The ‘Untethering’. One of the most sacred believes of the Art of Peace is that all life is precious. This is mostly refered to as human life, intelligent life. Practitioners of the Art of Peace still hunt animals to provide for themselves, hunting out of sport would be considered a disgusting ideal. Though what happens if a student who has ascended made a mistake and is let down the wrong path? Have compassion for your friends, foes and equals. Bestow mercy upon all, and preserve life at all costs. If a student or master acts outside of these values and kills another living being, their spirit will break it’s unison with the physical body. This process is called the ‘Untethering’. It is an excruciating expierence that most Hou-Zi wouldn’t even survive. The spirit tears itself away from the physical body in a process that takes hours. The constant feeling of your entire body being cut in the smalles of little pieces. Constantly and relentless. Once this process is complete, the spirit will lay dormant inside of the physical body, never to be called upon again. Metzli is directly the cause of this, a betrayal of your own values is a disgusting ideal to the Diety and therefor she withdraws her blessing! Tier progression Tier one : A student has first ascended after years of meditation and work. He has accepted his life as peacefull wanderers of his world without any doubt. He believes all life is more then just precious and is always worth saving. His spirit has become one with his mind and body. He will begin feeling more connected to the world around him, his meditations make him feel stronger and more rejuvinated. Tier two : The student has been practicing and meditating more. Growing both his body and spirit in unison. The student begins to learn how to use his spirit in harmony with his body. His physical body is supported by his spiritual body in combat. The physical body becomes more sturdy and blows become strengtened. Tier three : The student further learns how to work in unison with his spirit. A student is now able to heal cuts and bruises while meditating. He is also starting to learn how to make his physical body lighter and more agile by using the gracefullness of his spirit. The student is at the point where he is almost one with his spirit and knows how to fully work in harmony with his spirit. Tier four : The student has fully become one with his spirit and can use most of its potentional to benefit himself. The student will also begin to learn how to let certain parts of his body be taken over by his spirit. Usually starting with the arms or legs. Once a student can succesfully let his arms be taken over by his spirit and perform a formidable battle against his master in this state. The student is promoted to master. Tier five : The master continues to strengthen his physical body and spiritual body. The master will be able to cleanse infected wounds and stop certain bleeding by letting the body heal itself while meditating. The master is soon able to perform a full body spiritual take over, letting his entire spiritual body take over his physical form in combat. The master will also be able to sense the spirit of other people, and is able to daze the spirits of others with his punches and strikes, being able to directly change the flow of someones spirit. Results are usually feeling very dazed, woozy and nauseous. Red Lines : – You can not kill! It is the most obvious rule to follow. Killing someone will cause your spirit to untether and lose all your abilities forever. It will also cause you to be outcasted from the society as they preach peace, and do not condone killers. The spirit works as a battery. One can fuel it while meditating but once it is empty there is no power to gain anymore. The practitioners praise and worship Metzli because it is the diety that created them. But they think the power that they handle comes from within themselves, even though the recharging of their spirit energy is fully linked to the blessing of Metzli. If you have killed in the past, you can still practice the Art of Peace. Regenerating doesn’t work for injuries that the own body can’t heal itself! Regenerating doesn’t work against poison, virusses or diseases that the body couldn’t fight against itself! Being harmed while in your Full spiritual body take over will cause incredibly damage to the physical body. A cut off arm? The spirit of your arm is cut off aswell, and so it can not be healed, not even by the monks. A gash in your thigh? Expect a nasty scar as the spirit is cut in that place aswell. Meditating is crucial. The physical body rests by sleeping and the spiritual body rests by meditating. It is crucial to meditate a few hours per day so that the spirit doesn’t become restless. Not meditating enough will have the exact same effects as not sleeping enough. OOC Notes : I contacted the original writer of the Hou-Zi lore and asked if I could help in anyway. This is the outcome of that, completely written by me and looked over by Leo. This is in no means meant to push the Hou-Zi to become a playable race but simply written out of excitement and curiosity for the Hou-Zi. I had lots of enjoyment writing this piece and I hope you had the same enjoyment reading it!