Hey Zodiac Challengers! If you haven’t checked in for a while, there’s quite a bit to catch up on!
For those of you who are new, 13Z is inspired by the legend of the 12 Chinese Zodiacs: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. You’ve already met some of them in the demo, but today, we want to talk a little more about the first six Zodiac Guardians you’ll encounter, their personalities, and roles in the Trials.
Before we dive in: if you’ve already wishlisted 13Z, please click 「Follow」 too! That way, you’ll receive important updates about future content, news, and private playtests. (Psst… we’re going to be reviving our playtest branch again soon. 👀)
2019, 2007, 1995, 1983, 1971…
Bo probably loves welcoming new Challengers almost as much as he loves food. As the Master of Feasts, his main duty is making sure seeds remain potent for harvest, which is very important… and also probably very boring after doing it for centuries. Like the other Guardians, he had to put his own passion on hold for his duties, so the return of the Trials gives him a perfect excuse to get back into cooking, experimenting with recipes, and making sure no Challenger goes into battle hungry.
2018, 2006, 1994, 1982, 1970…
Wanwan is not only the youngest but definitely the friendliest member of the Zodiac Guardians! As the Master of Oaths, he’s all about loyalty, promises and being there when someone needs him. His main duty has been to guide lost spirits back toward the good side, but doing that alone for so long has made him a little lonely and, well… needy. So if he asks whether you’re friends now, please be nice.
2017, 2005, 1993, 1981, 1969…
Fengming is the Master of Coin, and he reviews all the circulating monetary fortune of the world. But honestly, nothing makes him happier than earning his own gold. With the Trials returning, Fengming gets to revisit his personal love for shiny things, clever deals, and suspiciously well-timed business opportunities.
2016, 2004, 1992, 1980, 1968…
It’s hard to take Shun seriously when he’s joking about farts and fighting flying brooms, but he is one of the wisest and oldest Zodiacs. As the Archivist, his duty is tied to knowledge, technique, and history, making sure important human knowledge is never forgotten. Of course, Shun’s teaching style involves confusing you first, laughing a little, and then somehow making you wiser by accident.
2015, 2003, 1991, 1979, 1967
Well… he needs no introduction considering he has brought approximately 78,000 Challengers to their knees at least once.
Songyan is the first Zodiac boss many of you met in the demo: the Master of the Mountains. He is tough, stubborn, deeply traditional, yet quietly aspires to be a poet. His duty as the Prayer Mason involves breaking prayer tablets into gravel so they can be processed later, which probably explains why he cares so much about order, ritual, and doing things “properly.” He hates breaking tradition, although clearly, he is also trapped in one.
2026, 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978…
Now, we finally get to talk about the winner in our last poll. Lisa, the Mistress of the Wind, is friendly enough… until you meet her in the arena.
Beneath the easy smile is a fiercely competitive streak, and as the Keeper of Time, she makes sure everything moves exactly as it should — including herself. If you cross paths with her in the Trials, expect speed, precision, and more arrows than you were probably hoping for. Whether that counts as luck or misfortune is up to you. Either way, catch her if you can!
Shoutout to the Horse Zodiac fans. We see you.🐴
We’ve moved our dev-diary snippets from Patreon to Discord after hearing from some of you that you’d rather see the smaller WIP updates directly there. If you’d like to stay updated, follow the #dev-diary channel or grab the dev-diary ping role on our Discord!
For example, did you see these two recent snippets? They might be clues to new Elemental Seals.
We also wanted to feature some cool community creations this time!
First up, check out this lovely Lyra & Sylith piece from Astralinferno, IamYun and Hunterrr.
▶ Astralinferno
▶ IamYun
▶ Hunterrr
We always love seeing how you interpret the characters, whether through fan art, videos, clips, memes, builds, or anything else 13Z-related. If you’ve made something, feel free to share it with us on Discord. We may feature more community creations in future posts!
▶ Speedruns from IamYun & FoxPilot
That’s all for now!
We can’t wait to show you more updates and news behind the scenes. We have a feeling many of you will be thrilled for next month’s ROLLLLLLLING update so stay tuned!
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Crafted with love,
Mixed Realms