L is for Loong
When an imugi finds or is granted a yeoiju, a glowing wish orb, it transforms into the ultimate form of its life cycle-- the loong dragon.
The metamorphosis take the imugi, an embodiment of natural landmarks, to the next level of power and prestige. Loong dragons are powerful spirits, able to command the elements to punish the wicked, and command respect from "mere mortals" with their impressive knowledge, magical prowess, and material wealth. Despite often being imbued with a sense of pride and entitlement, loong are servants of The Celestial Order and follow the commands of their betters.
Even evil dragons like the Yin-Loong, Gui-Loong and Tai-Foon-Loong are reigned in by the strict laws and commands that come from the Tien-Loong. Only the Doong-Loong ignores the rule of law but also avoid the attention of their betters. The only beings that they respect as equals are gods and the only beings they respect as their betters is their patron gods: Seiryuu the Azure Dragon and Oryu the Yellow Dragon Emperor.
Wish Jewels. Yeojiu are an extremely valuable treasures. They resemble glowing gold-yellow orbs. They are traded among the gods in the Celestial City as a valuable commodity since they can grant powerful wishes. Among loong dragons, they are symbols of status and, most importantly, they can allow an imugi to become a loong dragon and loong dragons can consume them to reach higher tiers of power and prestige in the divine order of loong-dragons.
Lesser Loong
Yu-Loong (Carp) N
Perhaps the least of the lesser Loong, yu-loong nevertheless have a humble beginning that proves through hard work, perseverance and a little hope, anything is possible.
Yu-Loong begin life as a carp in the Clear-Water Pool at the bottom of the Dragon-Gate Mountain. This pool is famously visited by Seiryuu the Azure Dragon, who has been seen several times by priests of a nearby temple, before it travels up the mountain and through a legendary Dragon-Gate said to rest at the top. Perhaps inspired by his majesty, the carp swim upriver, waterfall and mountain, climbing higher and higher, to reach the Dragon-Gate. Many yu-loong grow tired and return to the pool below, but a few manage to climb to the top and leap over the Dragon-Gate. The carp that manage this achievement transform into a yu-loong or "carp dragon".
They are the smallest loong and are known for their particularly fish-like scales, long whiskers and finned spines. They primarily eat fish, frogs, and crustaceans. They defend themselves with electric pulses that they create by ripple muscular organs along their bodies and a steaming breath.
Yu-Loong are natural spirits who inhabit ponds and streams, especially near temples. They are peaceful and curious creatures, known to help drowning fisherman, but punish those who would over-fish or spoil the beauty of nature.
A yu-loong can transform into a gui-loong or chaing-loong by acquiring enough wish jewels.
Doong-Loong (Cave) CE
An imugi can be corrupted by loneliness and great evil. It then seeks out to destroy another lesser dragon to steal its wish jewel and consume it. Such creatures transform into twisted and insane loong that are dangerous to all but themselves.
The doong-loong resembles a draconic serpent and notably doesn't have limbs. They compensate with a quick and powerful body, striking out with venomous bites and breath and/or crushing their prey with their muscular forms. These vile creatures are the foulest of the loong and are punished by being repelled by light and only leave their lairs at night. They usually keep their distance from civilization and are found in jungle or desert caverns.
Doong-loong are found in caves and often rule over primitives as false gods, demanding human sacrifices, and conspiring against do-gooders.
Doong-loong are incapable of reaching higher stages of power.
Yang-Loong (Good Fortune) NG
The Yang-Loong are relatively small lesser dragons but one of the more benevolent and friendly of their kind.
They are born from imugi who, despite losing their spiritual home, rise above their anger towards mortals and help others. These imugi are often rewarded by Shen and Tien-Loong with a wish jewel that transforms them into a true loong.
Yang-Loong have canine features like soft fur, wet black noses and long tongues. They are omnivorous and like human food & drink. They are not particularly strong compared to greater dragons but do breathe holy fire. Their most notable feature is their good fortune, which they are granted by karma, and share among their allies. They are often called "fortune" or "luck" dragons.
Yang-Loong embody positivity and provide assistance to mortals. They befriend heroes, guide leaders and defend the weak. Since they're not tied to any particular feature of the land, they are driven by a wander lust, and travel across the land either in their true form or in the guise of animals and/or humanoids. They are the fastest fliers besides the greater dragons. They are the dragons who understand and related to mortals best.
A yang-loong can become a shen-loong by acquiring enough wish jewels.
Yin-Loong (Bad Fortune) NE
Yin-Loong are the complimentary opposites of yang-loong and, together, are symbolic of the concept of yin-yang or "dark and light".
While yang-loong are born of imugi who overcame their misfortune and used the opportunity to help others, yin-loong are wrathful, vengeful and ambitious spirits who seek power. They often achieve metamorphosis into a true dragon by stealing a wish jewel or tricking humans into aiding them.
Yin-Loong always have extremely dark appearances with soft spines, shark features and red eyes that hold contempt for others. They are carnivores and enjoy fine meals. They have ethereal abilities that help them escape their enemies and magical knowledge they use to take advantage of their enemies. Their breath weapon is shadow and saps the life of its victims.
Yin-Loong are scheming creatures that seek to attain power, prestige and comfort. They take advantage of mortals, demanding appeasement from fearful locals in their territory, trick mortals into bad deals, and assist similarly ambitious mortals. They have no mercy for those that cross them but have been known to develop friendships with mortals who impress them enough to earn their respect.
A yin-loong can use wish jewels to become a li-loong, tai-foon-lung, or huo-lung.
Gui-Loong (Lake) LE
Gui-Loong are born from yu-loong that acquire wish jewels through theft. They are the greediest among the loong dragons and known for their cunning schemes.
Dwelling in lairs at the bottom of deep lakes, gui-loong resemble massive tortoises with spiked shell, a fiece draconic head and a long tail. Despite their weighty appearance, they are extremely swift in the water and even capable of flying at slow speeds. They eat all manner of marine life and breath gouts of fire and steam. Their shells prove them with impressive armor and the plating is comparable to admantine armor. They are capable of summoning small storms and are sometimes called upon to use them to destroy small villages and towns by greater dragons but are usually left to their own devices.
Gui-Loong have been known to terrorize the country-side when unchecked but luckily spend most of their time guarding their wealth. Their avarice is a weakness as it often results in them taking unnecessary risks and they have a penchant for gambling.
All four loong-wang were once gui-loong that acquired enough wish jewels to become kings of the sea.
Li-Loong (Mountain) LN
A li-loong is the most reclusive loong dragon and has the most unusual appearance amongst its kin:
Li-Loong are built more like quadrapedal metallic or chromatic dragons with a lion-like body and main, felnoid draconic faces, large bull-like horns, a serepentine tail and bat-like wings. Their foreepaws are large with strong claws for digging. This comes in handy as li-loonng live in tunnels they dig into the mountains. They only emerge to hunt and devastate their foes with a wicked acidic breath. The li-loong is a threat to armored foes and can damage metal armor with the sting of its tail. They are also capable of causing earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
The lin-loong are reclusive creatures that prefer solitude. They are sometimes called upon by shen or tien-loong to create earthquakes to punish the wicked or to reward good mortals by guiding them to rich mineral deposits.
Li-Loong are capable of becoming huo-loong by acquiring wish jewels but rarely have the ambition to do so.
Chaing-Loong (River) LG
The chaing-loong are the loong most commonly feared and/or revered among common folk in Mugen. They are river spirits that reward the righteous and punish the wicked, demanding respect from those who live along rivers and causeways, and are the most respectable loong below the greater loong.
Chaing-Loong are notable for the reflective scales, dual-pronged horns, and spined crests. They eat marine vegetation and have a deep respect for all living things. Chaing-Loong are equipped with a potent burning steam breath and can summon rains that can bring prosperity or flooding to the countryside.
They generally avoid human attention, preferring a light touch, but will intervene against great evils with a powerful sense of honor and duty.
Chaing-Loong can ascend to the heavens, as a shen-loong, if they acquire enough wish jewels.
Tai-Foon-Loong (Storm) CE
Even the loong need destroyers and tai-foon-loong are the difficult embodiment of the storm among loong-kind.
Tai-Foon-Loong have the heads of shark, with a foul of razer sharp teeth, and an eel like body covered in pointed plates. They are carnivorous and spend much of their time hunting for food in the ocean. They are armed with incredible speed, on air or in sea, and lightning breath. The most noteworthy feature of the tai-foon-loong are its powerful wings which are use to raise storms whether powerful hurricanes, devastating tornadoes or even sandstorms. They are often commanded to summon storms by shen and tien-loong but often go rogue as they enjoy the carnage. In this situation, only a tien-loong can reign in a destroyer.
Tai-Foon-Loong have no interest in wish jewels.
Greater Lung
Loong-Wang (Seas) LN
All loong-wang were once gui-loong but there are only four loong-wang. Three are kings of the North, South, and East Seas of Unarya. There is only boiling desert and volcanoes to the west but the fourth king resides in the plane of Malnostra. Occasionally, the fourth king's palace appears in Muspellheim's red desert. These four dragons are demi-gods that rule over their ocean territory with impunity.
Xuon (North) rules the northern sea between Midgard and Shard. Xuon is a mysterious and powerful king who has intervened on Mugen's behalf on invasions from Shard. Xuon has black scales and purple eyes.
Zhu (South) rules the southern sea and is the youngest of the loong-wang. Zhu is called the "Cinnabar Dragon" because of his red scales and has been known to throw parties for the dragon gods. He has no brides or daughters and has been known to have a weakness for beautiful women.
Bairon (West) rules from a palace on the elemental plane of water, Malnostra, but appears in Muspellheim from time time. He often brings about earthquakes with his appearances before returning to the plane of Malnostra. Bairon has bright white scales and blue eyes.
Ao Guang (East) is the most notorious of the dragon kings and lives in an opulent palace with many treasures, brides, daughters and servants. Ao Guang is the leader of the dragon kings and is known for his impressive coat of emerald and gold scales. Famously, the monkey king Wukong stole many magical treasures from Ao Guang.
All loong-wang are adapted with aquatic features such as flatter bodies and fin-like claws resembling prehistoric behemoths. They are carnivorous but throw diverse banquets. They often have powerful magical artifacts in their collections that they use as symbols of powers and in combat. They can create powerful sonic blasts under water with their voices that are capable of igniting their enemies. Lung-Wang create tsunami tides when angered.
Loong-Wang have similar combat stats to the Gui-Loong but are also powerful sorcerers between level 12 and 16. A loong-wang is so powerful that it would never seek a higher form.
Loong-Wang have similar combat stats to the Gui-Loong but are also powerful sorcerers between level 12 and 16. A loong-wang is so powerful that it would never seek a higher form.
Huo-loong (Fire) LN
Among the greater dragons, huo-loong are the warrior class that are chosen to be guardians of important places and holy relics. They are extremely clever and usually cool under pressure, but relish the opportunity to fight.
Huo-Loong are iconic: with a long green twisting reptillian body adorned with red & gold fur and quills like flames that make them an immediate sight standing in wait guarding a tomb or flying over a city as a threat from the heavens. Huo-Loong are also iconic for their flaming breath that is the hottest among dragons and have destroyed entire cities with their flames.
While they are usually loyal to the shen and tien, occasionally huo-loong become jealous of their masters and plot against them, especially if they feel the task they've been rewarded is beneath their prestige.
The huo-loong is among the highest forms a loong can take and only a corrupted huo-loong would desire a higher form.
Shen-Loong (Wind) NG
Shen-Loong are the peacemakers and messengers of heaven: they act as intermediaries between the tian-loong and the other loong dragons. They are scholarly bureaucrats, when need be, but temper their logic and knowledge with experience and compassion. It is their duty to keep an eye on their colleagues.
The shen-loong are blessed with avian features like raptor talons, feathers and a pair of extremely powerful wings. In combat, shen-loong can use their wings to knock opponents aside with great gusts of wind or can freeze their opponents with a chilling breath. Surprisingly different from other dragons, they are vegetarians and only attack defensively.
It is generally considered good luck to see a shen-loong by humans and shen-loong are known to be generous patrons.
A shen-loong can become a tien-loong if the previous tien-loong retires from reality or is destroyed.
Tien-Loong (Heaven) LG
There is only ever one Tien-Loong, if they disappear or destroyed, a shen-loong ascends to take their place, and they answer only to Seiryuu the Azure Dragon and Kyo the Yellow Dragon Emperor.
The Tien-Loong is the lord of loong dragonkind and possesses a supernatural view & understanding of the world. They oversee the other dragons from the heavens above, commanding them to tasks, punishing those that step out of line and rewarded the obedient with the opportunity to ascend to greater heights.
Tien-Loong has gold, silver and/or white scales and a billowing mane of white or silver hair that always seems to be blowing in the wind. They do not require food and instead gather energy from the atmosphere. Tien-Loong is rarely seen by mortal eyes except when a tai-foon-loong takes a storm too far or an outsider threatens the world. In these cases, it uses its arcane powers, force ki breath and a tempest that appears alongside the dragon lord's breath.
SEIRYUU THE AZURE DRAGON
Seiryuu, also called the Ryujin, is one of the five principle or celestial gods of Mugen, alongside Genbu the Black Tortoise, Byakko the White Tiger and Suzaku the Vermillion Bird, under the command of Oryu the Yellow Dragon ruling from the center of the universe.
Seiryuu represents the cardinal direction of the east, his element is wood, his colors are blue-green and his season is first-flower (spring). Nobility born to the Blue-Green Dragon are said to be as inherently strong and flexible as bamboo, with a warm and generous spirit, and are considered to be out-going and altruistic. Their weakness is a lack of control and a quick temper. They are typically considered to be the best qualified as advocates and teachers.
Seiryuu is kept in check by the Vermillion Bird, supported by the Black Tortoise and keeps the Yellow Dragon in check.
Like the other Mugenese gods, Seiryuu is a protective deity that represents a principle element of the universe. Alongside the other principle deities, he protects Mugen from outer and extraplanar threats but also serves as the lord of loong dragons.
SEIRYUU THE AZURE DRAGON
Title(s)
Qing-Loong, The Blue-Green Dragon of the East, The Celestial Son, The Guardian of Doors, The Spring Dragon
Pantheon(s)
Mugen
Power Level
Greater Deity
Alignment
Chaotic Good
Symbol
A blue-green loong dragon with the "mu" wood symbol
Portfolio
Spring, wood, courage, wrath, youth
Domains
Nature
Worshipers
Sages, teachers, travelers, woodsman, farmers
Favored Weapon
Clubs and staves
Holy Day(s)
Spring Wood Festival
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