Wang Shanyuan

the third and final herder of the colossal beasts. shanyuan guards the behemoth, which is surprisingly the easiest to contain of all the beasts. the behemoth is housed in xiaozhai tiankeng, where it sleeps until shanyuan herds it to graze. despite occupying vastly different elements, shanyuan’s staff is oddly similar to that of zariel. his ability is that of reflecting light, so that the beast can traverse the lands relatively unseen. wherever the behemoth steps, vegetation instantly sprouts, so its gigantic footsteps are immediately concealed by the greenery.

shanyuan is the stoically silent, eternally patient one of the three, besting even zariel at that particular virtue. despite shanyuan’s gruff exterior, he may be the softest of all three herders. being the eldest child, it would be his duty to take up the herding when he reached adulthood, but he never truly wanted to. he is gentle at heart, and a little shy - which is rather convenient, when your job involves complete isolation from other people. still, he longs for a simpler time when he could spend time with his siblings, and others from the village. despite his dedication and deep bond with the massive animal, he looks forward to the day he may simply venture out and see the world beyond the same grazing route each year. at age 35, though, he’s hardly nearing retirement... but getting awfully close to his marrying age... he wonders what kind of spouse he’ll meet? he hopes they’re kind...