9Dragons - The Dragons

[Detomah]

The Immoral Monk

The story goes as follows: The Elder Fachang, who had not left The Holy Temple farther than a stone’s throw in over a decade, decided to see what life had become like in the village below. With five of his most trusted disciples, he went down the mountain and was greeted with praise by all whom he encountered. From every merchant came similar cries: “Master Fachang, try my wares!” “Our pleasure to feed you, Master Fachang, by my family’s hearth!” “Master Fachang, no cost to you!” And many other similar entreaties, for this village, once a decrepit piece of land, had prospered well of late in the shadow of Shaolin Temple. Fachang humbly denied their supplications, one by one, and continued his walk. Eventually, his constant escapes from attention wore him down, and he asked his aide to knock upon the door of a modest cabin.

Fachang waited, and waited, and had grown weary of waiting when at last his aide returned. “I am sorry, Master. The parents are away, and the only one at home is a small boy, no older than ten years of age. He says we may not enter.” Fachang was charmed by this. He went to the door of the cabin himself, and knocked. Once more, the boy answered the door. “As I told your friend, my parents are away. You may not enter.”

“My boy,” the Master said, “clearly you do not know who I am.” The boy glared at him suspiciously. “My disciples and I mean you no harm, and surely your parents would—” But before the Master could finish, the boy slammed the door in his face.

All five disciples stepped forward, faces flushed, knuckles white on their staffs… but Fachang held up his hand to halt them. “This boy has taught me much,” he said. “Six lessons on pride in barely a single moment.” The disciples were astounded as their Master listed his lessons. “First, although I appeared humble in the village, indeed I was too full of pride to accept their kind invitations. Second, I allowed my pride to lead me here to exhaustion. Third, upon hearing our entry denied, I believed my noble position could reverse the outcome; again, pride. Fourth, the phrase “Clearly you do not know who I am?” also came forth from injured pride as I realized that indeed, to this boy I was no one. Realizing this, I felt shame, and tried to coerce him by telling him we meant no harm and presuming to usurp the voice and will of his parents. Yet another sinful display of pride.”

“But Master,” his aide said, after a long silence wherein Fachang merely stood, smiling at the closed door. “Those are only five lessons on pride.” “Yes,” the Master answered. “And the sixth is the overwhelming pride I cannot halt for this boy who has honored his parents’ wishes, with rightful force, against five armed strangers.”

The boy, Guangxian, would later be inducted to Shaolin, receive the name Faxian as his clan name, and become Fachang’s personal student. In time, he grew, tall, strong and wise -- wiser, perhaps, than Fachang imagined.


Faxian was so disciplined in his martial arts training that soon other disciples began to look to him for their lessons, ignoring their trainers. Soon he was training by day and studying by night, taking little sleep. Often he was assigned to travel along on peace-keeping missions for the clan to settle disputes and enforce the will of The Imperial Emperor.

And than the day came when he appeared before Fachang to announce, “Master, I have learned Praying Mantis, Plum Blossom, Seven Stars, Secret Door, Jade Ring, and Dragging Hand. All seventy-two Shaolin arts are known to me.” Fachang knew this to be true, and meditated long and hard on Faxian’s miraculous progress, before proclaiming to the order that Faxian was indeed the reincarnation of Wang Lang.

Word spread throughout the Buddhist community that Shaolin had discovered a master of masters, and Faxian’s followers grew. If a mission was placed by The Empire upon Shaolin, Faxian was the monk they demanded. He was always successful, even in disputes with other clans, and rumors spread that his Kung Fu was the greatest in The Land.

In time, the fame and accolades upon him grew too heavy a burden, and he again came to Fachang, saying, “Master, I have no more art to learn. I grow weary of teaching, and deeply concerned by the darkness I see rising in other clans. I believe I must meditate in seclusion. I must leave Shaolin.”

Fachang nodded, understanding the needs of his student. “Leave the Temple, my son. But never leave Shaolin. Indeed, you cannot. For you are Shaolin.”

Turbulent months passed, wherein Fachang was requested, by The Imperial Emperor himself, to send disciples to battle against the minions of The Heavenly Demon Clan, who were slaughtering nobles and seizing power in nearby cities. Many Shaolin monks were slain, and Fachang sent messages down the mountain for Faxian to return and lead the clan in battle. Each time the messages were returned with the same answer, “Forgive me. I am not ready.”

More monks were slain, and Fachang was deeply concerned. His concern grew when rumors began circulating that Faxian had indeed left the order. He was seen wearing common clothes, eating meat and drinking wine in taverns. He was even reported to be frequenting a brothel. For these transgressions and his unwillingness to assist them, the disciples had begun to refer to Faxian as “The Immoral Monk.”

Fachang refused to believe these rumors and again came down the mountain. As Faxian’s parents had long since passed on, he expected to find him living in the very cabin where they had first met, and he was correct. He knocked at the door, and this time Faxian allowed him to enter.

There in the center of the small room, Fachang saw three of Heavenly Demon’s highest-ranked disciples, bloodied and bound by chains to restrict their movements. Shocked, he asked Faxian, “What is it you are doing, my son?”

“I am learning,” The Immoral Monk replied.

Master Lingyun

Many years ago, Master Tianxing, the leader of Wu-Tang clan, had dark hair and few troubles. Today his hair is white and his brow is always furrowed. Like the sacred Yin-Yang itself, all stories and all pupils carry traits of light and darkness.

So it is written that a contest of swords was announced in Shiyan, a small city in Hubei Province, known for its steel manufacturing, to the South of Wu Tang Shan. As the time to recruit new disciples to Wu-Tang clan was drawing near again, The Master Tianxing brought an envoy of his followers to observe, in the hope of discovering fresh talent.

In attendance was a young swordsman, barely fifteen years of age, named Jeng Lei, who was nearly denied admission due to his youth. The contest lasted six full days and boasted over four hundred individual matches. It was during the final twelve matches, each fought in tandem, that Master Tianxing became aware of Jeng Li and his tremendous raw talent. Clearly, the boy was gifted, as he hammered away at his opponent with strikes that were at once both forceful and unexpected. “We have found one,” Tianxing whispered to his advisor, Master Huanghuo. To which Huanghuo replied, “He appears to me a poor choice. Too much rage, and he relies far too heavily upon surprise attack.” Nevertheless, when the contest concluded, Jeng Lei surprised all by taking second place, and Tianxing requested to meet him.

Honored beyond measure to be granted audience with Tianxing, young Jeng Lei and his father attended a dinner. Tianxing would later write that his first impression of Jeng, who sat at the far end of his table, was that of a shy, naive, pock-faced youth. As the meal concluded, Tianxing addressed the boy.

“Jeng Li, do you know that in Wu-Tang we practice a discipline called No-Sword?”

Jeng Li bowed his head. “No sir, I know nothing of this, but if the disciples of Wu-Tang practice it, it must be great indeed.”

Tianxing nodded, then, without warning grabbed up a plum from a nearby dish and hurled it across the table at Jeng Li. Without hesitation the boy raised a single chopstick and skewered the fruit. A gasp came from the table. Tianxing smiled and said, “No sword, indeed.”

And so Jeng Li was inducted into Wu-Tang’s new class of Tao Apprentices and given the clan name Lingyun. However, at the presentation ceremony, where the apprentices were presented with their wooden training swords, Tianxing interceded with a whisper to the training Sifu, Master Xuanxuan. Then Xuanxuan stepped before the boy and announced, “Lingyun, Master Tianxing has decided that you shall carry no sword. Will you relinquish your weapon?” To which Lingyun bowed solemnly, then handed back the training sword.

So it was that, during the first year of training, Lingyun trained swordless alongside his fellow disciples. Again and again he was battered and bloodied during practice. But, slowly and painfully, he learned to gauge and anticipate the movements of his fellows, and thus to avoid their blows. In this way, wise Master Tianxing remained true to the warning of Master Huanghuo, and Lingyun learned to compensate his natural offensive gifts with sound defense.

At the beginning of his second year, Lingyun, now fully grown, was removed from his class to become a direct pupil of Master Tianxing. He was brought into the central armory by Huangho and told he might choose any sword he pleased.

thousand different styles of blades lined the walls; Wu Shu butterfly swords forged of chromed steel, Tai Chi swords with jade hilts, Kan Dao broadswords as thin and flexible and sharp as rice paper, and a myriad more. Knowing nothing of the lineage of swords, Lingyun’s attention was drawn to a small, modest wooden box. “I want the sword that lies within this box,” Lingyun told Huangho.

Huangho regarded him with fascination. “How do you know there is even a sword within?” he questioned.

“I have spent my training swordless,” Lingyun answered. “But this box seems to call to me. I’ll take my chances.”

“In other circumstances, I might strike you dead,” Huangho told him. “But Master Tianxing’s instructions were clear: Any sword you wished.” And as Huangho opened the box, Lingyun first laid eyes upon one of the clan’s supreme artifacts: The Blue Destiny Sword.

Now, the question has often been posed: did all of Lingyun’s natural talents flourish under the tutelage of Master Tianxing, or was Lingyun truly possessed by the grandeur of The Blue Destiny Sword itself? Perhaps the truth lies in a combination within the two, as truth so often does. What is known is that within a year’s time, Lingyun achieved what no disciple since the clan’s founder, Zhang Sanfeng, had achieved: The culmination of the state of No-mindedness. It was so evident among both the disciples and Master Tianxing himself that it needed not be spoken of. Lingyun had gone to sleep one day as a proud pupil and had awoken the next with no sense of ego, desire, or even sense of membership within the clan.

On the ceremony day that Master Tianxing set aside to entitle Lingyun as Master Lingyun, the young man failed to show up. Instead, they found him sitting alone outside the monastery, whittling a set of chopsticks from the branch of a tree. “Today is the day you were to receive the title of Master,” Huangho told him. “Really?” Lingyun asked, sincerely. “How did it go?”

Months later, there was an announcement brought to Wu Tang Shan that a Grand Championship, sponsored by Heaven’s Gate Clan, was to be held in the name of The Imperial Emperor, and Wu Tang was ordered to send its best swordsman. “Must I go?” Master Lingyun asked. Tianxing ordered it so.

The competition was held in the faraway city of Hefei, and The Master Tianxing again assembled an envoy of chosen disciples to accompany Lingyun. On the road to Hefei, their banners held high, the caravan was attacked by a full battalion of warriors from Heavenly Demon clan. This was Master Lingyun’s first experience in actual battle, and he fought admirably. It is recorded that he personally dispatched nineteen opponents. Lingyun would later record in his journal that he was deeply saddened for having slain these Heavenly Demon disciples, but that it was indeed The Blue Destiny Sword’s will, not his own

During that encounter, Master Lingyun fought his way through the wood into the Heavenly Demon’s camp, and there rescued a beautiful young captive named Tara Mayoung. Some call this meeting a blessing, some a curse, but when the two laid eyes upon one another, twin fires of passion ignited.

Much to the dismay of Master Huangho, Lingyun introduced himself to Tara Mayoung not by his clan name, but by his given name, Jeng Li. He then offered her safe passage and gave up his seat in the carriage, choosing to walk alongside her. As she told Lingyun the tale of her capture and torture, Huangho listened with a discerning ear, but the boy was enrapt.

Tara Mayoung was quartered at the Grand Competition as a guest of Wu-Tang in The Imperial Court’s quarters, and she was seated each day near the first row along with the women of The Union of Noble Families to observe the contest. Although Lingyun’s reputation proceded him, great wagers were placed that The Immoral Monk of Shaolin would take the grand prize. On the third day of the competition, however, The Immoral Monk did not arrive, and when a lower-classed polemaster of Shaolin replaced the Monk’s chop on the docket, the odds shifted quickly for Lingyun of Wu-Tang, who had remained so far undefeated. On the dueling ground, his victories appeared effortless, and after each match Huangho was displeased to find Lingyun’s gaze fixed upon Tara Mayoung, rather than on the ground with head bowed respectfully toward The Imperial Emperor and his court.

At the final match, which was to be a contest between Hu Shanshan of The League of Beggars and Master Lingyun, Tara Mayoung was curiously absent from the stands. Lingyun was highly favored; however his straying eye as he searched for Tara brought Huangho much distress. Some say it was The Blue Destiny Sword itself that delivered the smashing blow which split Hu Shanshan’s staff in half, ending the championship, but be that as it may, Lingyun was announced the victor.

As The Imperial Emperor himself strode across the dueling ground to present Lingyun with the wreath, an assassin’s arrow struck the ground between him and Lingyun. The Imperial Guard, and Wu-Tang envoy drew their swords to detect the assassin, Lingyun chanced to glimpse a woman poised with a bow atop the stands. As the Emperor was now safe under guard, Lingyun took off after the assassin.

Some say he caught her, others say she had not the will to flee, and allowed herself to be caught, but all agree that, as Lingyun approached, the assassin unmasked herself. It was, of course, Tara Mayoung, and she revealed to Lingyun that she was a disciple of Sacred Flower Clan, and that her true name was Lunar Umbra. She had been tasked with assassinating The Imperial Emperor.

“Your reputation precedes you as one of the greatest archers alive,” Lingyun said. “Why did you falter?”

“Because,” Tara answered, “I could not risk the chance of hitting you.”

As Tara Mayoung was taken into custody by The Imperial Guard, Lingyun was despondent, knowing full well that she would be sentenced to torture and execution. Master Huangho stepped up beside him and placed a knowing hand upon his shoulder. “Let her go, Lingyun,” Huangho said. “Your sword is in the service of The Imperial Emperor.”

“No,” Lingyun replied. “I am Jeng Li, and my sword is in the service of my heart.” He then cut down The Imperial Guards, rescued Tara Mayoung for the second time, and spirited her away.

But this was not the last The Land has heard regarding Master Lingyun, Wu-Tang’s greatest living swordsman. He would appear twice more; the first time to allegedly steal the Holy Board of Yin and Yang from Wu Tang Shan for unknown reasons. The second time would be to defend Wu-Tang’s honor at the legendary final duel of The War of Nine Dragons.

Have you not heard tell about the Holy Board of Yin and Yang? It’s not so well known among young disciples. It is the most precious treasure of the Clan. I hear it's the key to learning Sword of Tai Chi Wisdom, an Art no one but Master Lingyun could accomplish. But now Lingyun's disappeared, and the Holy Board's with him, and the elders are beside themselves.

Hu Shanshan

It is said that all armed conflicts begin with a dispute between two men. So it was that the self-proclaimed Emperor Heavenly Demon declared war against The Imperial Emperor in Beijing, and in response, they sent their forces clashing. It was a conflict that brought widespread devastation to The Land. Heavenly Demon raiding parties clashed with Imperial soldiers in every Province, and in each instance, the victor claimed that Province for their master. When the Imperial Court sent a small garrison of soldiers to Tianjin City, they delivered a message instructing the local government to pay a protection tax to retain the soldiers. The greatly impoverished city of Tianjin had no gold to pay such tax, and its citizens were left to defend themselves. With Huabei Province already under siege, they could do nothing but wait and watch for the forces of Heavenly Demon. The League of Beggars, which was headquartered in Tianjin, readied themselves to defend the city’s citizens against attack. It is commonly said that, during times of war, it is a nation’s beggars who are the first to fall.

Lao Hu and Shan Xiayu were both two-knot disciples of The League, recently married, and awaiting the birth of their first child, when the fighting began in Tianjin City. Despite her pregnancy, and against her husband’s wishes, Shan strode out with The League’s envoy. They expected the advancing warriors would see their great numbers and retreat, but they miscalculated.

While The League was successful in beating back Heavenly Demon’s war party, they suffered several casualties. Among them was Shan, who was struck hard across the abdomen by an attacker’s baton. Fearing for her life, and the life of their unborn child, Lao sat by her bedside day and night for two months. With the aid of every medicine and herb they could gather, Shan held on and gave birth to their daughter, who they named Shanshan. It is said the child would smile endlessly at all who came to visit, and the family’s joy became the clan’s joy.

Several weeks later, when Shan passed away, their sorrow became the clan’s sorrow. The clan’s leader, Drunken Fist, declared a month of clan mourning, in which no alcohol could be consumed and one tenth of all clan proceeds would be donated to Hu Lao and his daughter. And so, Hu Shanshan grew up in the care of The League, by all accounts a most precocious child.

When it came to begging, her beautiful, innocent young radiance and soulful eyes brought her more clan donations than any disciple. During game play, for The League is quite fond of their competitions, Hu Shanshan always proved herself to be clever and extremely lucky. No man could beat her at games of strategy, and always her father looked on with pride when she’d arrive at their barracks with blue ribbons of victory. By the time she reached the age of thirteen, she was admitted as a full-fledged League disciple and nicknamed, “The Flower of The League.” A natural with the staff, she became a Third-knot disciple by the age of seventeen. It was once expressed by Drunken Fist that, “The baton strike which she suffered in her mother’s womb left the indelible mark of a warrior upon her.”

As far as romance went, many high ranking members of the clan sought her hand, but suitors and marriage was never on her mind. Hu Shanshan secretly desired one thing, and one thing only… to train her skills to perfection and one day avenge her mother against The Heavenly Demon clan. Her chance was not long in coming…

In her eighteenth year, The Emperor Heavenly Demon again sent his minions against Tianjin City, led by a Soul Lord called Burning Hands. The League’s scouts saw Heavenly Demons’ banners approaching, and Drunken Fist marshaled the disciples to meet them on the field of combat outside the city gates. On that first night, the Heavenly Demon Clan dealt a devastating defeat upon The League, ruthlessly slaughtering half their number. Drunken Fist sent out the call for reinforcements to the beggars of neighboring cities, to The League’s friends of Shaolin Clan, and Wu-Tang, but feared the battle would be over long before any could respond.

On the second night of battle, when it appeared all was lost, Drunken Fist proposed a duel between himself and Burning Hands, and the Soul Lord agreed. His council argued against the duel, fearing Drunken Fist no match for direct combat with a Soul Lord of Heavenly Demon. But Drunken Fist saw no other choice, and so he drank down several flasks of The Leagues’ strongest elixir, then strode out to fight for the life of his clan. Hu Shanshan and her aged father saw the battle from afar. It was over quite fast, as feared, for Drunken Fists Kung Fu and staff skills were of little use against the Flaming Saber and Soul-Siphon charms of Burning Hands. What chance is there for victory in man-to-man combat against one who can steal away his opponent’s very life essence? As Drunken Fist fell, his body little more than a charred husk, Burning Hands called for the surrender of The League, and of Tianjin City. He gave them until the next night’s full moon to comply.

The League’s council was in chaos, some wishing to surrender and live to fight another day, some wishing to go out drunk and fighting, prayerful that reinforcements would arrive. None could devise a working strategy toward victory. It was then that a tearful Hu Shanshan spoke up. “I have an idea,” she said. “If Burning Hands should fall, his disciples will scatter. We’ll need the help of the citizens of Tianjin.”


And so, beneath the full moon of the following night, a beautiful young woman clothed in a red wedding dress, a bouquet of flowers in her hand, strode along with her aged father, who hobbled upon a walking staff, toward Heavenly Demon’s encampment. They were granted entry, but stopped by an attendant outside the tent of Burning Hands. “Why have you come?” the attendant asked. “We were expecting an envoy from The League with their terms of surrender.”

“I am the mayor of Tianjin City,” the man said, “and this is my daughter. I care not for the beggars of The League, but for my own city’s safety. So I offer you my surrender, and I offer your leader my daughter’s hand as my bond.”

The attendant quickly delivered the news to the Soul Lord, who admitted this move by the Mayor was sound, and came out to meet the young woman. Upon seeing her, he was instantly struck by how beautiful she was.

By now word had spread of Tianjin’s surrender, and many of Heavenly Demon’s disciples had gathered to witness the event. Burning Hands stepped forward and placed his hands upon the bride-to-be’s shoulders, and she winced as she felt the burning heat from his palms.

“What are the terms of your surrender?” Burning Hands asked of Hu Lao, though his gaze was fixed upon Hu Shanshan’s captivating smile.

“Destroy The League, but leave Tianjin’s streets untouched,” Hu Lao answered.

“This I cannot do,” Burning Hands replied. “Especially at the request of a League spy!” Then Burning Hands turned and grasped Hu Lao by the throat, quickly dropping him to his knees. “What folly is this? I have already slain your leader; what hope have you of stopping me?”

Hu Shanshan snatched up her father's staff and answered, “I am his hope, demon!”

At that, Burning Hands released Hu Lao, who fell lifeless to the ground, and turned back to Hu Shanshan. “A most pathetic hope,” he said with a sneer. “What hope does a young girl have of -- ”

Burning Hands did not finish his sentence, because Hu Shanshan leapt forward and struck his face with the staff. Seeing the cold defiance in the girl, Burning Hands wiped the trail of blood from his nose, aware that his men were observing all this, and cried for his flaming saber.

Hu Shanshan and Burning Hands faced each other, readying their weapons, and then leaped into battle. Several blows were struck before Burning Hands realized that Hu Shanshan, well-trained and empassioned with rage, was nearly his equal with arms. And so he whispered a fierce incantation that would suck all the life from Hu Shanshan.

But as the charm took effect and Hu Shanshan’s color drained, she cried, “There is more life in me than you could ever drain!” Hearing this, Burning Hands faltered in his enchantment, concerned that she might indeed be charmed.

And as he faltered, Hu Shanshan stepped in with a passionate war cry and delivered a crushing blow with her staff to the Soul Lord’s throat. Burning Hands fell dead.

Hu Shanshan rushed to her father and gasped when she realized that he was indeed still alive. With tears in her eyes she looked up to see the confused and helpless disciples of Heavenly Demon falling one by one at the hands of her clansmen, as well as the good citizens of Tianjin City.

So it was that The Emperor Heavenly Demon’s forces failed in Tianjin, and Hu Shanshan, The Flower of The League, became their renowned hero. Hu Shanshan would one day become The League’s emissary during The War of Nine Dragons that even then loomed on the horizon, and eventually become herself one of the legendary Nine Dragons. It is there she will finally find her suitor, the one man who can fulfill her dreams of vengeance, when she comes face to face with The Emperor Heavenly Demon himself.

Emperor Heavenly Demon

This is the tragic story of a young man named Dae Chun, born a peasant in a small village beneath the shadow of Mount Yanmo, and grown to conquer half The Land. Ironically, it was told by a wandering Hermit to the members of the high council of noble Wu-Tang clan, and it reveals the evil nature of their darkest foe and his followers.

Dae Chun was born during a time of rampant famine and plague to poor parents with little hope of survival themselves. As an infant, he was so pale, fragile and prone to illness, that his father actually prepared his grave on more than one occasion. Somehow, the child survived and grew to young adulthood. As the parents were of strong Zoroastrian faith, believers in Heaven and Hell, Everlasting Life and Resurrection, Dae Chun was not allowed to enter the local Buddhist temple or attend school.

And so, while his parents went to work each day on the farm of a landed noble, Dae Chun, who was far too fragile to work, was left alone. One day, Dae Chun pulled his father’s worn copy of The Avesta from its hiding place to look at the beautiful pictures he’d glimpsed therein. He was nervous, for this book was the family’s most expensive possession, and someone might see him with it and steal it. He opened the book, and much to his surprise and delight, he could miraculously read and understand every word. There in those pages he spent his time each day, living his life through the sacred poetry that revealed to him the great cosmic order, the laws of justice, the shifting forces of good and evil, and the names of The Bounteous Immortals.

On his thirteenth birthday, Dae Chun begged his father to bring him to a local festival where a sermon was to be preached by a Zoroastrian priest. When his father explained they could not afford entry to the festival, Dae Chun pleaded that he must go, and revealed his word for word knowledge of The Avesta. His father was so astounded, that he vowed he would find a way, and eventually did, borrowing two weeks advanced pay from the nobleman for whom he worked.

At the festival, Dae Chun and his father sat in on the sermon, along with a large crowd of illiterate peasants, and when it was concluded, Dae Chun stood up and decried the priest as a liar and heretic. He quoted passages aloud by heart and the stunned crowd believed him, stood and stoned the priest to death. Dae Chun’s father quickly spirited his son home.


Days later, a convoy of priests from the main Zorastrian Temple in Jinan Province arrived at their small cabin. They tested Dae Chun and concluded that he was certainly the reincarnation of a high ranking priest. They requested to take Dae Chun with them, and after many tears, Dae Chun’s father was gifted with a large sum of money and Dae Chun was taken back to Jinan.

At the temple, young Dae Chen was indoctrinated fully into the faith, gave daily recitations, and was granted full access to their archives. There he studied all manner of the orders secret doctrines in earnest. He was even made keeper of the Dare Mihr, which is the sacred fire always kept burning within the temple. One night, Dae Chen discovered a book called the Ilmi Kshnoom, which detailed the occult teachings of Anra Mainyu, the devil. Dae Chen placed the book back on the shelf with trembling hands.

The next morning, Dae Chen began his morning recitation to the priests. He began the sermon with, “I do renounce all evil thoughts, evil words, and evil deeds.” This is what he meant to say, but what spewed from his lips was, “I do renounce all good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, hail Anra Mainyu!” The Temple fell into an uproar, as again and again Dae Chen was tested and could spout only blasphemous filth. The head priest pronounced Dae Chen possessed by a Tishn, a demon of thirst, and the boy was lashed for several hours. When this proved ineffective they performed the Kemna Mazda, an exorcism. Again they failed, and Dae Chen fled the temple in fear for his life.

Alone and on foot, Dae Chen wandered for days on end until the shadow of Mount Yanmo finally fell upon him. When he reached the home of his parents he found the tiny hovel abandoned. Questioning neighbors he was horrified to learn they were murdered by men who worked for the nobleman. Murdered for the money they received as a gift for Dae Chen. A tremendous violence swelled within the boy, one greater than mortal man may know.

Dae Chen ran through the nobleman’s farmlands and up to the gates of his home. A guard with a saber barred his way, and he laughed at the filthy young boy in priest’s rags before him. But his laughter faded when he saw the fire raging in the boy’s eyes, and a force from deep within Dae Chen caused him to lash out, striking his palm to the guard’s chest. Down the guard fell, dead, and Dae Chen looked at his bloody hand and he smiled. He took the guard’s saber and found the nobleman alone in his study reading his father’s copy of The Avesta. The nobleman sounded his alarm and a dozen guards arrived within moments.

As the essence of books was absorbed into Dae Chen, so was the essence of the weapon he held. In a frenzy of blood and sheered bone he cut them all down one by one. But during the fight, the nobleman escaped.

Dae Chen pursued the nobleman from village to village for days that became weeks. And word of his escape from the Temple and his quest for the nobleman spread throughout The Land. When Dae Chen’s hunt reached to Hubei Province, Master Tianxing, the leader of the powerful Wu-Tang Clan sent his finest swordsman to deal with the problem. After a mighty battle, both Dae Chen and the nobleman were captured and brought to the capitol to face The Imperial Emperor, who had grown curious about Dae Chen.

At the royal court, they were received, and young Dae Chen pleaded his case. The Imperial Emperor denied his claim, since the terrified Nobleman was, after all, his distant cousin. Dae Chen was furious, proclaiming, “A land governed by the depraved must be conquered through depraved justice, only through fire may it be cleansed!” He went on to rail at The Emperor, that he knew nothing of the true nature of The Land or its hidden destiny, that he himself would grow up to destroy him and take his throne one day. The Imperial Emperor laughed, replied, “Than you shall not be permitted to grow up,” and ordered his guards to execute Dae Chen.

As the guards moved forward, Dae Chen freed himself of his bonds, tore a sword from the closest hand, and lashed back, killing all who came near him with ferocious speed and skill. The Imperial Emperor turned to his consort and whispered, “That young man fights as if possessed by a Heavenly Demon.”

“Heavenly Demon I am,” Dae Chen shouted back across the room, as he laid low the last of the guards. The Imperial Emperor rose, fearful now for his life, just as the envoy from Wu-Tang Clan re-entered the court. “Mark my words,” Dae Chen offered, backing himself away from the Wu-Tang disciples. “When next we meet you shall call me The Emperor Heavenly Demon!” The Wu-Tang disciples pursued Dae Chen, but he somehow eluded them.

Dae Chen returned to Mount Yanmo, where he began to gather disciples, those who had either lost their faith, or bore harsh grudges against the Imperial Emperor or his nobles. He made them swear blood oaths to follow him, to overthrow The Empire, The White Clans, and any who challenged their new faith. Together, they began building an impenetrable fortress. Once more Dae Chen took up his studies to learn to control the dark forces within him, and once more he lit the sacred fire in a holy chamber, deep within the bowels of Mount Yanmo, that they call The Cave of Light.

REIGN OF HEAVENLY DEMON

By the time The Emperor Heavenly Demon reached adulthood, his fortress was complete and his followers were legion. The Bloody Hands Kung Fu Techniques, and dark arts he passed down to his most loyal disciples made them a formidable force indeed. They rode out across The Land, carrying banners emblazoned with the symbol of Sacred Fire, and proceeded to purge the local nobles and Imperial Troops from the townships and villages. Over the course of fifteen years, as their numbers increased, so did their outposts and territory until soon entire Provinces fell under Heavenly Demon’s control. The Emperor was preparing to make his bid on the capitol, to fulfill his dire wrath against The Imperial Emperor, when The War of Nine Dragons suddenly broke his momentum and stole his attention. He could have easily chosen to ignore the war between the clans, but chose instead to delay his conquest and respond. Was it some greater calling that stayed his hand? Was it simply a matter of ego? Or was it the siren song of The Mistress of Chaos that led him away?

All that is known for certain is that following The War of Nine Dragons, The Emperor Heavenly Demon failed to return. A message was brought to his second in command, Soul Catcher, High Priest of Heavenly Demon, that was verified as written in The Emperor Heavenly Demon’s blood. It was an order to relinquish control of all territories and await his return. Though he was later reported as having been killed, those close to him doubt this as truth, continue to keep the Sacred Fire burning, and await his return.

Mistress of Chaos

Legend has it that Sura Mahu, The Mistress of Chaos, was immaculately conceived by an elderly woman, in her late seventies, who worked as a maid for a noble family in a small village outside of Guangzho Province. The women of the house were frightened by the seemingly impossible pregnancy, and soon became convinced that the child, although quite beautiful, was possessed by demons. Though the maid pleaded for them to spare her daughter’s life, it was decided by the male head of the household that the child must be drowned. A small golden bathtub was filled with freezing water in preparation. Sura Mahu was torn from her mother’s breast by the master and quickly held beneath the icy water. Miraculously, to the astonishment of all present, the child did not drown. The master called for the local apothecary and demanded he bring his most potent poisons. He ordered the child force-fed all manner of fatal herbs and venoms, but the child again suffered no injury.

Frustrated, but greedy, the master decided he would exploit the child’s immunity and charge admission for other noblemen to try their hand at murdering her. This was his own fatal flaw, for word quickly spread North from mouth to ear through disciples of The Heavenly Demon Clan to The Emperor Heavenly Demon himself.

Heavenly Demon arrived in the village and his men surrounded the nobleman’s home. Cowering in fear, the master was forced to again attempt to drown Sura Mahu, and when the child smiled up through the water at Heavenly Demon she instantly won his heart. The order was given, all members of the household were murdered, and the house was burned down.

Heavenly Demon took the child Sura Mahu with him back to his fortress at Mount Yanmo. There she grew to adulthood, believing herself to be merely a rescued orphan, and mastering many of Heavenly Demon Clan’s sinister Kung Fu and Chi Kung techniques. On the day set to be her marriage day to The Emperor, she was visited by a wandering hermit, who told her the true story of her birth. Realizing that The Emperor had needlessly slain her mother, Sura Mahu confronted him and was given two options: Marry him or die. Sura Mahu fled Mount Yanmo with a battalion of disciples in pursuit. With no place else to go, she made for Song Shan Mountain, and knocked at the Temple Gates of Shaolin.

She was greeted there by Fachang, Shaolin’s elder, and she knelt before him, begging entrance. Fachang listened to her story, observed her great skills, and offered her a blessing and an apology, for he could not grant entrance through their gates to any woman, not even one as talented as she. “But the Emperor will kill me!" she said. "Where is your great Shaolin mercy?” To which he replied, “My mercy, child, is not so great as this karma which grips you.” With that he bowed and closed the temple door.

Caught between an evil man who wanted to marry or kill her, and a supposedly kind man who denied her safe haven, despite her ability, simply because of her sex, Sura Mahu vowed that she would survive and change the world. She murdered the first monk she came across and stole his robes, then shaved her head and walked back down the mountain, disguised. She passed right by Heavenly Demon’s patrols unnoticed. Once safely away, Sura Maru proceeded to found her own clan, the order of The Sacred Flower.

Her disciples do not believe she could have fallen to a man’s hand at the final confrontation of The Nine Dragons, and that she is alive out there somewhere, merely allowing the world to falsely perceive her as dead.

The Divine Spear

The Brotherhood, so legend has it, was originally a dream shared over a campfire by two men, Ji Longfeng and Ma Taichun, aided by a stolen bottle of wine…

Ji Longfeng grew up in an orphanage in a small village at the base of Mount Tai Shan. It was said that his caretakers were dishonest and were often abusive. So, Ji Longfeng would pay any wandering warrior he could find to teach him Kung Fu with money he had stolen from the collection box. By the time he reached young adulthood he had mastered several styles of Kung Fu, and so he attempted to enter Shaolin. He was offered discipleship, but turned it down once he truly considered what would be required of him. He felt wine, women and meat were gifts given by God, and he was also a believer in Confucianism, not a follower of The Buddha.

Later, while on one of his many adventures, he discovered a secret manual written by a man named General Yue Fei during the Song Dynasty. Ji Longfeng recognized the truth of the principles transcribed within the manual and The Six Harmonies were revealed to him. Combining Six Harmonies technique with his spear skills, Ji Longfeng became a great master, and earned the title “Divine Spear”.

Claiming allegiance to no clan, and disgusted with the ways of The Imperial Emperor, who was reportedly taxing his Province to death, Ji Longfeng set up his camp on rural Mount Tai Shan, where no tax collector dared to venture.

One night he heard a commotion near his campsite, and saw a man being pursued by a dozen mercenaries. Thinking the odds unfair, Ji Longfeng interceded, and quickly sent the mercenaries fleeing. The man he rescued was Ma Taichun, a man who had lost his farmland to the tax collectors and had become a thief with a price on his head. Over the course of several weeks, the two became friends. Ma Taichun told Ji Longfeng that the tax collectors had grown so greedy that there were now more wanted men than honest men left in his village. This troubled Ji Longfeng considerably, and so one night, sitting by the fire, they drank a bottle of wine that Ma Taichun had stolen, and created The Brotherhood.

Before a week had passed, they had over a hundred men camped atop Mount Tai Shan. Soonafter, Ji Longfeng led the first attack against the corrupt officials and their tax collectors, defeating their highly trained mercenaries. Though the Imperial Emperor quickly sent reinforcements, forcing Ji Longfeng and his men to retreat back to the mountain, their attack gave hope to the common people whose lives had otherwise become hopeless.

Nangong Hui

Too many female children, and the rare occurrence of male children, has plagued the House of Nangong for many generations. The family faces near-extinction nearly each generation. Many tales of almost comedic proportion have been written on their accord for this oddity: Stories of Nangong girls forced to masquerade as boys, or Nangong boys, who are their sole heirs, being kidnapped for tremendous ransom. Nangong Hui, the current leader of The Union of Noble Families, has an interesting past as well.

The story goes that Hui was the only son of eleven children born to succeed Nangong Chan. Chan’s wife and daughters, enjoying their great wealth, and having never held power, nor become desirous of it, continuously spoiled young Hui. Chan himself, who spent little time in the study of martial arts, gave his son little attention.

Then one day, in session with the family fortune teller, Chan was informed that his girlish twelve-year-old son would one day not only succeed him proudly, but would become head of The Union of Noble Families. Chan was beside himself for many days, for Hui knew nothing of Kung Fu, nor would he himself be a capable teacher. He dared not tell his wife of the prophecy, for risk of her dispelling it. And so, on the evening of Hui’s thirteenth birthday, Chan arranged for his son to be kidnapped.

For three years, the wails and moans of The Nangong women were heard throughout Beijing. During that time, Hui was placed in the care of a retired assassin named Buko, who cruelly trained him in the ways of Kung Fu. At least once per month, Chan would arrange business trips and observe young Hui’s training from afar. When Buko assured Chan that Hui was becoming capable with his chosen weapon, The Fan, Chan decided to visit his son.

Sitting alone, they embraced, and Chan revealed all to his son, begging his forgiveness. Much to his surprise, young Hui thanked his father and asked that he might remain with Buko another year before returning to public view, to complete his martial arts studies. Chan gladly acquiesced to this request. One year later, a ransom letter arrived at the House of Nangong from Buko, demanding his final payment. Chan paid Buko, and Hui was returned safely to his grateful family.

Unfortunately, Chan would never live to see the fortuneteller’s prophecy unfold as pronounced. Ironically, Buko came out of retirement as a commander in the service of The Thunder Emperor. During The War of Nine Dragons, Nangong Hui, now the leader of The Union, unknowingly came to do battle with a war party under Buko’s command. Buko was slain during that engagement by an arrow unleashed by a young boy who was Nangong Hui’s only son.

Iron Fist

Little is known of Kung Fu Master and Clan Dragon Jun Weiming’s life before he founded his clan, save that he was a favored disciple under one of The Black Clans. At some point, he became enlightened and left his dark master behind, perhaps slaying him, perhaps not. What those who have met him seem to agree upon is that he has the unmatched hands of a master of masters… and the romantic, woeful heart of a poet.

The Thunder Emperor

Credited with starting The War of Nine Dragons, The Thunder Emperor is a foreigner to The Land, with not the slightest glimmer of humanity within him. His past life is unknown and it is said that no man knows his destiny. It is also said that he wields the strength of twenty masters and can kill a man with a single blow. Although presumed dead, his body was never recovered.
Though the final Duel of Nine Dragons has proven that he can be defeated, it is doubtful that he can ever be vanquished.

As to evidence of his unforgiving nature; one of his high-ranking Black Dragon advisors was captured and interrogated by the leadership of Wu-Tang Clan. After weeks of torture, he finally revealed some of his master’s secrets. Apparently The Thunder Emperor is merciless against his own clansmen and uses arcane methods to teach them his Black Dragon Kung Fu techniques – and to control them as well. Upon revealing all that he knew to the leaders of Wu-Tang, the captured Black Dragon disciple somehow managed to steal a sword from a guard and impaled himself to death on it.

The Vagabond

Credited with ending The War of Nine Dragons, The Vagabond is said to have come from a faraway land. His past life is unknown and his future is unknowable. All that is known is that he is a young man with an old soul, who somehow gained the trust of the leaderships of both Shaolin and Wu-Tang, and that he is skilled in strange ways of Chi Kung and Kung Fu. It is rumored that he was at one time involved in a romantic relationship with Hu Shanshan of The League of Beggars, and his current whereabouts are unknown.