Nian
Description
The Nian is a large, invulnerable zombie that appeared at the Silent abode during Act 2 of the Chinese New Year '18 event.
Lonely Elder's Tasks
The Lonely Elder sets you three daily tasks, one of which is to light five fires to ward off the Nian, which in the myth is confused and driven away from the village it's besieging because of the buildings' being all painted red, loud noises, and bright light.
Mythology
From ''Wikipedia'':
"According to Chinese mythology, a '''Nian''' (simplified Chinese: 年兽; traditional Chinese: 年獸; pinyin: ''nián shòu'') is a beast that lives under the sea or in the mountains. The character ''Nian'' more usually means "year" or "new year". The earliest written sources that refer to the ''Nian''as a creature date only to the early Republic of China era (i.e. early 20th century). As a result, it is unclear whether the ''Nian'' creature is an authentic part of traditional folk mythology, or a part of a local oral tradition which was recorded in the early 20th century, or the invention of modern writers attempting to create a myth to explain various cultural traditions related to the Chinese New Year."
Trivia
- Introduced in Beta v.1.7.5 removed in Beta v.1.7.8