The Eighth Dragon

by Rich Wulf

The City of Remembrance had seen much tragedy in its history. Large sections of the city still lay in ruins following the Rain of Blood. With the Phoenix Clan’s escalating war against the Mantis, repair on many of these buildings had been delayed in favor of constructing more barracks and fortifications along the city’s coast. Grim Shiba samurai patrolled the streets at all hours, vigilant for any sign of impending attack. Their presence had cast a pall over an already melancholy milieu.

Yet in the Temple of the Seven Dragons, Agasha Miyoshi’s thoughts dwelled only upon her magic. The slight young shugenja knelt before an image of the seven Elemental Dragons, head thrown back in rapture at her communion with their power. In seeking to protect their city from tragedies like the Rain of Blood, the shugenja who dwelled here discovered the city bore a profound and unexplained connection to the power of the Elemental Dragons. Miyoshi, and a handful of others like her, found that so long as they honored and respected the dragons they could draw upon some measure of that power as they drew upon the minor kami spirits to weave other spells.

Miyoshi’s breath caught in her throat as images of the Elemental Dragons appeared unbidden through her mind.

The Dragon of Air wove sinuously through the smoking incense of the temple. He sought secrets and shared wisdom, cheerfully guiding heroes to their destiny.

The Dragon of Fire flickered in the light of the candles all around her. Miyoshi saw him only indirectly, for a mortal could not peer into his savage flames and be unchanged.

The Dragon of Water appeared in the ripples of the small pools to either side of Miyoshi. Its scales shone with a thousand colors, but it did not look upon Miyoshi. The Water Dragon had little interest in mortal affairs; it only appeared here for the sake of its brethren.

The Dragon of Earth’s power reverberated in the stones beneath the kneeling shugenja. The oldest and wisest of the dragons, it seemed to watch Miyoshi with infinite patience, judging the very core of her being.

The Dragon of Thunder roared deep within Miyoshi’s soul. It was a creature wrought of courage and honor. Miyoshi prayed that its blessings would remain with her.

The Celestial Dragon’s power was a faint and distant thing, like a distant echo. Though its eyes were ever upon the mortal realm, it remained forever apart. The Celestial Dragon bore all the heavens upon its broad back, and could not shirk that duty to dabble with humans.

The Dragon of the Void could not be seen, but Miyoshi felt it within all of the elements as well as within herself. It watched with a curious, almost mischievous eye. It seemed to be waiting for something. What that might be, she could not imagine.

Miyoshi’s eyes opened and she caught her breath with a gasp as she realized the truth.

Where once there had been only seven, now there were eight.

•

Seven Elemental Dragons have watched over Rokugan, each in their own right, for all of time. An eighth true dragon prepares to step forth into existence. Unlike the other dragons, who were born and dwell in the Celestial Heavens, this dragon will come into its true power in Rokugan.

The faction reporting the most wins during this tournament will witness the birth of the Eighth Dragon. A hero from that faction will participate in the dragon’s ascension, and the faction will receive some token of this new celestial being’s power in a future expansion.