Lu Ian Tien's story
The warriors discuss their experiences in front of a cup of tea, the sweet aroma of the fresh infusion fills the room with it's scent. Conversation flows quickly to irrelevant and mundane talk, something common among people whose lives are in danger, or that are sailing through treacherous oceans of their lives.
When Shen was telling a quite hilarious story about the days of his childhood, the old master opens the door, followed by the spirit of Kin Wu.
"I hope there's a cup of that delicious tea for me" He smiles.
As he sits on a small stool, with his tea, Lu Ian Tien clears his throat, before sipping his infusion.
"I think it's time for you to know the truth about me." he says to his three sons. "And most of you would probably find some revelations behind this tale." the old man turns to the others. Another sip of his tea, and the venerable master starts his story
"I'm sure most of you must have quite fresh in your minds the tale of the Sagacious Li, our emperor, who fought against the drought, and ended it after a quite secret military campaign.
[sblock=If you are thinking: "No, I don't remember, what's this crazy old man speaking about?" Then read this]Emperor Li had one great deal of troubles when he took the crown from his dying father. The empire was at the edge of chaos and anarchy, and worst of all, there was no enemy to blame for it, only the merciless will of some forgotten god.
No one knows exactly how, but after a strange military campaign to the northern wastes, the old homeland of the nomads, the drought was over. The sages predicted 4 more years of drought, but Sagacious Li ended it in just 6 months.
Some vague tales of this campaign were, eventually, told. Bards sing about the great deeds of the Emperor and his three brothers, who ventured into the wild north, and fought monsters and evil creatures, opening they way to the temple of the Unnamed god. This terrible entity, summoned dire creatures, which killed most of the emperor forces. Mastermind Tien, and Glorious To were murdered in the battlefield, fighting to save their Emperor.
Sagacious Li prevailed after the Epic Battle, and destroyed the temple for good. It is told that once the temple was destroyed, the waters came back, the rivers ran and the rain fell. In few months, prosperity and balance were restored, bringing the empire to a new golden age.[/sblock]
But, of course, it is only certain at some points. For example, Mastermind Tien did not perish in that battle, since he is telling you the story now." Master Jien smiles.
"I hide this too many years, I hide it from you, my beloved ones, in a foolish hope to protect you, and everyone in this island. That's why most of the villagers came here in the first time, fleeing from the continent. I had created some sort of shield, that hampered and confused spirits, so they couldn't reach this place. Now that I'm weak, spirits will begin to wander this island too. Luckly, there are still kind and wise spirits, who wish to help, like the most honourable Master Kin Wu.
But the entity that attacked us, and stole part of my energy was not a spirit. I am not sure what exactly is that being." Master Jien frowns. "But I'd seen him before this day, many years ago." the old man takes another sip.
"In the years of the Great Drought, my brother, Emperor Li was a stressed out man. There were too many problems in our father's kingdom, that did not die with him.
We were united as brothers, each one complementing the others. Much like you three; that fills me with joy and proud" he smiles at his students.
"Lu Ian Sin and myself were in charge of maintaining the army ready and well trained. It was there when I met you, inspecting the lines of the Black Veil." he looks at Koryo with narrow eyes.
"My other brother Lu Ian To was the religious head of the imperial house. Kin Wu had told me he met him in his time, and that now, he has met him, as a wondering spirit. That is a great tragedy, since I hoped my brother was still alive.
Our elder brother Lu Ian Li was the emperor, commander of all three of us. He had a tremendous insight, and a vision few men have.
But nothing had prepared us for the great Drought. Cadavers piling outside the city walls... a catastrophe.
After months of research, the House of sages located the source of the drought, in a forgotten temple, in the forsaken north, land of the proud warrior tribesmen. Since the time of our father, that no war had been made in teh north lands, but Lu Ian Li would break that record if he was to stop the suffering of his people.
We four led a small army into the wasteland and to the north, hoping to locate and destroy the source of the drought. We came across many tribes, ones showed us no hostility, even gave us provision, as they understood our success would be their success. But other tribes were not so open minded. They attacked us with no previous warning, and although we overcame their warriors, our forces were decimated in relevant percentages.
After travelling for miles of deserts and mountains, our sage had a vision in his sleep. He led us through treacherous mountain paths, always going up.
We face many perils, since those peaks were plagued with all kind of monsters.
When we reached the top of the mountain, before us was an enormous building, carved from the mountain rock. It's walls were dark, like obsidian, even when the sun was shinning above our heads. We led our men into the building, and start searching of any signs of recent occupation, altars, priests, artefacts, or whatever could be the cause of the drought. What happened next can only be described like horrendous.
We heard the sage's scream; I ran next to him, he was giving his back to me, not moving. A soldier got him before I did, and placed a hand on his shoulder.
The sage turned violently, and his face was gone. His skin was black, like the temple's stone, he had no more eyes, nor mouth... nor soul. This black figure took the young soldier from the forehead, and I witness, shocked, how the black demon sucked his life away, turning him into an empty shell, and how the sage's black face slowly morphed until it was the soldier's face. Lu Ian Sin was behind me, but reacted quicker. With his swords already in his hands, he rushed forward, his blades cutting the air. I joined him, crying out for help.
Our weapons proved useless, and I thought the battle lost; but Lu Ian Sin threw his jians away, and assaulted the blackened sage wit his fists, channelling his chi, as I'd thought you. That was the key. We killed the thing with our bare hands.
In the moment we dropped our foe, we heard more screams. It was a trap, the deadliest trap.
Running through the temple, we saw the real appearance of the creature that took the body of our sage. They were black ooze, crawling on the floor, on the walls... everywhere... They attached to our soldiers, and covered them with their bodies, transformed them in those horrible humanoid black beings.
We led the few remaining soldiers out of the temple, were Li and To were already fighting a group of transformed soldiers. It seemed that the creatures could not leave the temple, if not attached to a person, since they remained inside.
So we fought these blackened soldiers, all of them fine men. I knew each of them, thought them how to fight, how to even lift a weapon." Jien shakes his head.
"But the black ooze gave them strength and bizarre evil powers. They could suck out the life if they touched you, absorbing your strength and appearance. Also the victims of such horrible death, were restless death, controlled by the black figures. They rose to fight us too. Many more came from the temple, even the first slain soldier.
To released the power of heavens over the undead, Sin used his fists and partial prowess to slay the black figures, while Li and I tried to keep the animated corpses away. After an hour of battle, most of our soldiers were dead, rose as zombies, and destroyed by our hands. The bells of battle were tolling for us, or that we thought.
Fighting off one of the black soldiers, Lu Ian Sin didn't saw the other one, sneaking behind. I jumped to help him, but it was too late. The black thing got him from behind, and drained his might, his energy... I glanced furious at the black fiend, now with the face of Lu Ian Sin, and dashed forward, blinded by hate and frustration.
Although the creature had absolved Lu Ian Sin's might, it was no rival for me, much younger back then. I defeated the beast, but at a great cost. While I was fighting the creature, Lu Ian Li and Lu Ian To were overwhelmed by the black creatures... I tried to save them but by the time that I got there, Li was on the ground with three black creatures over him. My folly had took one brother away from me, and jet, it took another one. Frenetically, I tried to kill them before it was too late, but it already was. I killed one, then another, and when my had was about to penetrate the creature's body, it turned and glanced at me, with the face of my elder brother, of my emperor. I froze for a moment, confused, mentally assaulted by this life stealer, this creature of void. To saved me in that time, calling upon the powers of the gods to protect me from the creature's death grasp.
I got to my last brother's side, there were four black figures remaining. the one who absorbed Li, two wearing the uniforms of the soldiers, and the one that absorbed Sin, which seemed to be trying to stand, with a broken neck.
In that moment I took the only decision that I do not regret now. We flee the doomed place... Each of us took a different path, we agree to stay hidden, and to prepare and train the people of Dragon's palm, to raise against
the creatures that had taken the lives of our brothers, and that now rule the empire.
I came here to Singing Spring, and started the martial arts school; you came a few months after that, and I took you in.
When the spirits started wondering the land, I created the shield and lock the spirits within Singing Spring, to the Spirit's Forest. You where three years old by that time, and it was then that Kaoru was brought to the island by the assassin who I defeated.
It was then when I saw in you the providence of a victory to come. I saw the a chance to enlighten you into the correct path, to train you until you were stronger than me, wiser than me in my times of youth... I think that this is one of the few things that I'd been successful at.
The last battle was... not so bad. Using the confusin, one of the black figured, at the command of a group of bkacl Veil assassins attacked the school, taking the lives of many of my strongest students. I thought I could leave you in the road, and fight the black figure alone, thinking all this time, and all the training I'd overcome made me a stronger man. I was right, but the black creature was stronger too. It had absorbed many lives.
I played my cards the best I could. As I avoided the creature, I slew the assassins one by one, until it was he and I alone.
The battle was short, I tried to kill him as I did with many of his kin back in the temple, but this one was smarter, he avoided my hands, and used some .. evil variant of Kaoru's Chi Kun. He stroke me with one of those bolts of energy, and as I felt to the ground, he moved swftly next to me, and started to drain my life away. I you had not came the moment you did, I'd not be here speaking."
Jien shakes his head, and goes silent for a few seconds.
"After many years, I had time to think, and came to the "conclusion that the drought was caused by whoever controls these creatures, if there's someone behind them; and also planted the seeds to fool our sages to lead us to the temple, that way taking our identities. I can't think of a reason, or what plans do these creatures have for the empire, but I'm sure that whatever they are, they're are not good at all." He adds before sipping his tea again, apparently finishing his tale.
OOC: Long time, long story.
