Before we get started with the campaign, here is a bit of background on the deities that will be at play.

Huang Long – The Yellow Dragon

There are two schools of thought relating to Huang Long. The first is that Huang Long was born of an egg at the dawn of creation and then used those two pieces of egg to create the four guardians. Others say that Huang Long was the first leader of the human race. Upon her death, she rose to the sky as the Yellow Dragon to permanently oversee the realm of Earth along with the other four constellations. In any case, she is at the center of the four cardinal directions. She had nine children, her heirs, that represent different values, aspects, and spirituality that make up the experience of humanity. Unlike the four guardians, Huang Long was born of the world and therefore she and her children have both human and beast characteristics. When in dragon form, her gold scales glisten like the sun and her body covers great lengths above the clouds to represent her status as the guardian of the Earth Realm.

Qinglong – The Blue Dragon

Qinglong, the dragon of the east, represents spring, dawn, and the element of wood. Its scales have a brilliant, reflective quality that create beautiful colors of sapphire and turquoise.

Zhuque – The Red Phoenix

Zhuque, the bird of the south, represents summer, midday, and the element of fire. It resembles a pheasant with five colored plumage that is engulfed in a permanent flame. Despite its fierce appearance, the phoenix is noble in its behavior.

Baihu – The White Tiger

Baihu, the tiger of the west, represents autumn, dusk, and the element of metal. Despite its neutral color, Baihu is the most antagonistic of the constellations, often associated with war and decay. People who look to the tiger often have great strength and ferocity.

Xuanwu – The Black Tortoise

Xuanwu, the tortoise of the north, represents winter, midnight, and the element of water. Xuanwu is unique among the constellations as it appears as two animals, a black tortoise with a snake wrapped around its body. This represents its fickle nature and internal struggle through the state of hibernation in winter.

For the purpose of the campaign, these will be very old gods in the Dragon Coast that have potentially fallen out of vogue and have been forgotten in some parts of the world. Next week I’ll be sharing the nine children of Huang Long as well as the mechanics they will provide for descendants of their respective bloodlines. If you have any questions or thoughts, please never hesitate to find me on Discord @skiptomybrew!