Nikink/BookOfLeem

Excerpts from the Book of Leem

From the Book of Leem – First Disciple of Mela

“And so it came that Leem grew arrogant, his mastery of Essence and the martial arts surpassing all that of his peers. His family, mighty within the Shogunate, provided him with the finest armour forged of blue jade, his mighty weapon a chakram that could be thrown forever without leaving the hand. With these gifts from the finest smiths Leem saw himself the equal of his Lady.

Mela looked fondly upon Leem, knowing that he closely resembled the Elemental Dragons but that he was a distant journey from being an Immaculate Dragon. She summoned him to her side and discussed the growing problem of the Anathema, which Mela knew would soon result in their overthrow and peace to Creation.

Leem scoffed at the power of the demon-spawn. He proudly stated that the Elemental Dragons had Exalted six Immaculate Dragons, for he counted himself in that number. Mela addressed his arrogance but to no avail.

Finally the overthrow of the Anathema came about and Mela again summoned Leem to her side. “I must face those who have stolen the power of the Sun and Moon with my fellows,” she told Leem. “As my First Disciple you must protect your brothers and sisters, for your destiny is great. There will be other Anathema coming which you will face, but those who were most greedy in their theft require the might of the Immaculate Dragons to defeat.”

Leem was furious at being assigned second defence. His anger raged like the tempest, his fury struck like lighting. Was he not the equal of the Immaculate Dragons? Was he not the foremost Disciple of Mela?

Leem ignored his post and moved to battle alongside Mela. It was here he realized his folly. As the five Immaculate Dragons were easily defeating the Anathema, Leem was unable to withstand the power of the Sun stolen by these demons. Leem was struck down by a mighty blow, barely turned aside by his armour. The Anathema gloated and prepared to destroy the arrogant Leem. Mela saw and was saddened. She abandoned her defence and defended her fallen disciple. In doing so, the Anathema she fought saw opportunity and wounded her deeply in the side.

Leem wakened weeks later, his wounds healed. He saw beside him the still-injured Mela, rescued by her Immaculate Dragon siblings. Her wounds was deep and festering, even Sextes-Jylis, Immaculate Dragon of Wood was unsure if it would heal.

Leem’s eyes opened and he saw the fool he had been. He left Mela’s side and swore an oath to the wind that he would not rest until he had atoned for his sin, in this life or the next. Leem quested the edges of Creation, bringing the glory of the Dragons to those he met, but he never again went to Mela’s side. His shame was too great. In time he learned that the Immaculate Dragons had departed Creation to again sit in guardianship over the world.

Leem died at the age of 576, tending the mountaintop shrine to Mela were she had assumed spiritual form. His body was found by his students, but they could not find his armour or weapon. Then they saw a miraculous sight. An image of Mela appeared and told the gathered Disciples that Leem would continue his quest in the next life, when someone worthy of his reincarnation was born. Then Leem’s Breastplate and his weapon Thousand-Cutting-Death would return to their master, ready to forge a great destiny in the name of the Dragons.”