Mazu, Protectress of Seafarers [Guardian, Chinese pantheon]

[GongsunYiru]

This concept is partly based on the academic article...

• Ruitenbeek, K. (1999). Mazu, the Patroness of Sailors, in Chinese Pictorial Art. Artibus Asiae 58 (3/4).
• Boltz, J.M. (1986). In Homage to T'ien-fei. Journal of the American Oriental Society 106 (1).

Mazu Protectress of Seafarers 媽祖

PANTHEON: Chinese

TYPE: Ranged, magical

ROLE: Guardian

PROS: High defense, high crowd control

LORE: The goddess Mazu was known as Lin Moniang in her mortal life. Born to an ordinary fisherman's family on Meizhou island, she was a kind-hearted young lady who had dedicated her short life to helping her fellow people.

Once while dreaming, completely entranced, she found herself projected in the midst of a hurricane far at sea. Seeing that her brothers and father were in peril, she desperately tried to save them, but one brother drowned and descended to a watery grave. During her life, she would bring rain to end droughts, heal the sick with medicine, pacify two violent demons who became her loyal generals, rescue the helpless from shipwrecks, and many other great deeds. However, her own life would ultimately end no differently as she tragically drowned at a young age, lost to the unfathomable depths of the seas. Since then, the mariners of old had captivated many with tales about a sea so dark and most unmerciful, about hope lost and sorrow found, about a beautiful maiden in red and the miraculous light of her lantern guiding those in this despair back to their loved ones.

Coming down to the time of days past, the goddess Mazu was said to appear to those who were in peril and distress, to those who had ventured too far from home. Having beheld her divine omens among huge waves like mountains rising sky-high, all felt reassured and that there was no real cause for fear.

APPEARANCE

• Mazu is depicted as a young lady in her mid-twenties. Before her rise as divinity, her birth was in 960 and her death was in 987.
• She's often depicted with a red hanfu (漢服, see images below) dress with very large sleeves.
• Her dress could be designed in accordance to a flowy and distressed drowned look, since she died by drowning and is fated to perpetually roam over the seas.
• She carries a divine lantern to guide ships home, which symbolizes the natural phenomena known as Saint Elmo's Fire. This divine lantern is mentioned in the 15th-century Changle inscription for example.
• She wears a regal headgear with pendants and beads (see 1st image below) hanging from it, as shown in most of her statues. The headgear is a bit styled like an emperor's mianguan (冕冠) but more feminine and ornamental.
• To a side, her hair could perhaps decorated by a buyao (步摇, see 1st and 2nd image below), which is a flowery hairpin with dangling pendants.
• She has black hair, long and framing her face.
• She has a hovering movement in her animation, because she is a divine maiden who roams over the seas in lore.
• Her recolor or tier 2 skin could be named Heavenly Princess (天妃, Tianfei), which was one of the regal titles that was bestowed upon her.

Reference images for design details:

PERSONALITY

Mazu is a known as compassionate and selfless goddess. The text Daozang describes her as:

To rescue those in danger, she subdues the waves and calms the breakers. And she lends her support to those imperiled by bringing the dead back to life. Through her great compassion and mercy, she relieves others of their distress and hardship.

[...]

She offers instant relief to those in distress and comes to the immediate rescue of those imperiled. Whether she is to be found traversing the celestial or mortal realms, riding the waves and breakers, or likewise within terrestrial bounds, all manner of demonic and spectral forces will bow in submission.

Mazu is often evoked as a protectress of seafarers and those in distress. For example, the 15th-century Changle inscription narrates the following:

The power of the goddess, having indeed been manifested in previous times, has been abundantly revealed in the present generation. In the midst of the rushing waters it happened that, when there was a hurricane, suddenly a divine lantern was seen shining at the masthead, and as soon as that miraculous light appeared the danger was appeased, so that even in the peril of capsizing one felt reassured and that there was no cause for fear.

PASSIVE - RAIN OF BLOSSOMS

Mazu brings solace to the turbulent and seas. This results in the closest allied god having no movement speed penalty and immunity to slows within her vicinity.

• Radius: 30ft

Note 1: In Chinese culture, the plum blossom (梅花) is celebrated as a symbol of perseverance and hope (since it blooms in the harsh conditions of the late winter) as well as beauty and purity. I found it fitting, as Mazu is a maiden who protects those in distress and calms the storms at sea.

Note 2: It is reminiscent to the Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers (天女散花), specifically the visual art motif, which has heavy influence from Daoist fairies. Even though the motif is unrelated to Mazu, I found the symbolism very fitting as Mazu is a heavenly maiden (as reflected in her titles).

Animation: The affected allied God would have a soothing watery trail and be surrounded by falling pink plum blossoms.

ABILITY 1 - SEA OF CLOUDS

In rough seas and heavy clouds, Mazu causes a hurricane that damages, lowers protection, and slows. The storm also grabs and pushes enemies 180 degrees counterclockwise along its tract.

• Type: Area
• Radius: 25ft
• Damage: ???
• Protection decrease: ??? for 3s
• Slow: 20/25/30/35/40% for 3s
• Push duration: 1s

ABILITY 2 - DEMONIC GENERALS

Mazu dashes forward, while commanding her two demons to attack the first enemy god hit by her dash. They will also cripple the god.

• Type: Line
• Damage: ???
• Cripple: 2s
• Range: 50ft

Mechanic: The ability is a dash by Mazu, going through all enemies (but doing no damage or anything). The two demon generals dashes with her, but they stop at the first enemy god hit by Mazu's dash (to burst damage and cripple the enemy god).

Lore: Mazu is often depicted amongst clouds, hovering over the seas, which is how the dash would look. Mazu was said to have pacified two demons, Qianliyan (Eyes that see a thousand miles) and Shunfeng'er (Ears that hear with the wind), who became her guardian generals and are often depicted with her. They kept watch over the seas. One is depicted as making a gesture of peering to the distance and the other is depicted as holding his hand to an ear.

ABILITY 3 - DIVINE LANTERN

Mazu's lantern shines in the midst of danger (nearby enemies). This increases stacks by one per 6/5/4/3.5/3s up to 5 stacks. All stacks are lost upon activation of the ability or death.

• Type: Area
• Radius: 30ft

Passive: MP5 is increased for herself and nearby allies if the lantern is lit.

• MP5 increase: ???

Active: Surrounded by the darkness of the storm, her lantern shines bright among the waves. All nearby allies heal and gain protection. The longer the lantern was lit (stacks), the higher the ability can heal and increase protection for the ally with the lowest health.

• Heal: ??? (all allies) + ??? per stack (bonus for lowest health ally)
• Protection increase: ??? (all allies) + ??? per stack for 3s (bonus for lowest health ally)

Mechanic: It's an ok ability for the entirety of the team, but a high burst heal and protection gain for a single target with the lowest health (when the ability is stacked).

Lore: Some nautical phenomena were taken as her divine omens. In this case, the lantern refers to Saint Elmo's fire appearing in a storm, which was taken as her divine omen by mariners of days past.


In regard to the healing, she was held in high esteem by villagers for her knowledge in healing during her life.

ULTIMATE - TREASURE SHIP

In a storm, Mazu raises a large wrecked ship from the ocean's depths. The ship moves slowly forward for a very short distance, while damaging and stunning enemies in a volley of cannon fire. All enemies are also slowed while in its firing range.

• Type: Ground target
• Damage per tick: ??? every 0.4s
• Stun: 2s upon the first hit
• Slow: 20/25/30/35/40%
• Area of effect: 55x55ft
• Lifetime: 5s

Mechanic: The area of effect moves slowly forward with the ship.

Appearance: Ingame, I imagine a large treasure ship (寶船)--like those famous flagships in Zheng He's fleet--in the skies. Nine masted, a broken and decaying hull with water pouring from it, sails in tatters, creaking as it moves... how one would imagine a once-sunken vessel to appear. The atmosphere would be stormy.

Lore: Mazu is sometimes depicted as hovering on clouds, above the ship's mast, in paintings. Thus, it could also be made into a semi-global.

[Chithugin]

Reduce the time for the warding. She can put a lot of wards in the time of cd. If it is only allowed to be one then it's more reasonable but I say 1 min would be better.

[GongsunYiru]

I've changed some things, but it's definitely not an unlimited supply of wards.

[Aurasai]

Again, well presented but no damage numbers (at least for me). I have some issues with the kit this time:
The passive seems a bit random and underwhelming. You can't really count these hits and 10th hit can either be a 700 damage Hunter crit, or a 60 damage guardian hit. I think even something simple as bonus protections would be better here.
The other problem is that her CCs are way too much, even for a Guardian. She has 2 slows (1 of which for 40%), a 2 sec stun, a knockback and a weak push skill and an up to 2,5 sec mez. Tone down to CC to a point where you are no longer maxing diminishing returns on your own kit, and this would be a great concept.

[GongsunYiru]

I've changed the passive and revised some numbers.

[HyTricksy]

Hi! I love the concept, but when in the lore it said she'd appear far away to help I had the idea that one of her abilities would allow her to link her self to an ally, hovering above them in spirit form. While protecting them, both would have increase protections and heal over time; she can use her other abilities while like this, but all movement is in the hands of the ally. However, her passive is that damage done to the ally is split in half between her and the ally. She can leave the ally's side by jumping to the ground dealing damage in a small area. The linking ability could replace the demonic generals ability, having the lantern ability have ward vision by placing it down and giving vision in an area. Also, instead of jumping away, Mazu could teleport to her lantern from Ghost Form instead, allowing better mobility and give the ability to rescue someone in a hurry.

What do you think?

[GongsunYiru]

Hi! I love the concept, but when in the lore it said she'd appear far away to help I had the idea that one of her abilities would allow her to link her self to an ally, hovering above them in spirit form. While protecting them, both would have increase protections and heal over time; she can use her other abilities while like this, but all movement is in the hands of the ally. However, her passive is that damage done to the ally is split in half between her and the ally. She can leave the ally's side by jumping to the ground dealing damage in a small area. The linking ability could replace the demonic generals ability, having the lantern ability have ward vision by placing it down and giving vision in an area. Also, instead of jumping away, Mazu could teleport to her lantern from Ghost Form instead, allowing better mobility and give the ability to rescue someone in a hurry.

What do you think?

That's an interesting gameplay mechanism, but I think that it wouldn't be that exciting for the player to be unable to move for oneself.

[Avtar9]

That's an interesting gameplay mechanism, but I think that it wouldn't be that exciting for the player to be unable to move for oneself.

True Lol who wants to be puppet of other hands .
people play game to be master of their own .

[GongsunYiru]

True Lol who wants to be puppet of other hands .
people play game to be master of their own .

Yep, I think it won't work, because SMITE is fastpaced while involving a lot of positioning and skill shots. That's the quite a big aspect for fun within this game.

[HuxenBolt]

Awesome, all i can say. Just saying too, the ult seems to OP, but thats just me. It will probably break the game depending the size of the ship :P