The Black Dragon Monastery

The Black Dragon is a mythical figure of the Asian continent, either an immortal being or a mantle passed down from generation to generation, who has operated across Asia and the world for literally millennia. In legends it appears as either a man or a woman, but in some ways all legends are consistent—the Black Dragon is silent as a ghost, faster than a dream and the greatest unarmed combatant in the world, at whose feet the soul of flame sits and at whose bidding it destroys. There are so many legends around this figure that it is nearly impossible to separate the seeds of truth within the forest of mythology.
    Key among the myths of the Black Dragon is the existence of his ancestral home, a monastery deep in the mountains of China, a stone's throw from the border with Tibet. This is a monastery whose first bricks were laid before the birth of Christ, but whose origins stretch for centuries before that with the birth of the Black Dragon, whose powers either come from the souls of the tradition's founders or an ancient Dragon living in the mountains, depending on which of the prevalent myths you more highly regard.
    Legends say that the greatest practitioners of Chi, or spiritual energy, live at the monastery, and many go there to train. Few ever come close, and those that do never speak of it. It is politically and geographically inaccessible. The Chinese government refuses to admit its existence, but many say that they have tried to conquer it several times and have never succeeded. Thousands and thousands of dead soldiers lie in the soil surrounding this place, and it is still complete within itself. There are rumors that those within are plotting the downfall of Communist China, or are the secret masters of the Chinese state. Those closer to the Martial and Spiritual arts deny this, but will not say what is occurring within those elaborately carved walls.
    Several of the world's greatest combatants have been trained there, from the Black Dragon himself to the Justice Defender known as Blind Faith to Captain Awesome. Those who wish to travel there have a hard journey ahead of them, as the Chinese government vehemently denies the monastery's existence while trying to bring it to heel. This separation of the monastery from its homeland's government is a great tragedy: the Black Dragon has almost always been tied to China, until the rise of Communism. From the shadows, Black Dragon fought against the English colonialists. Black Dragon stood against the Japanese invaders. Still, that status has had the same effect on the monastery as it has upon the leadership of Tibet, forcing them to view the broader world.
    For 30 years the Black Dragon appeared across the world, in shadows, with nothing definite, but those who watched for such things saw his presence. Then an American youth appeared in Harborview bearing the name of Black Dragon, and wielding powers that were roughly equivalent to the myths surrounding the figure. Was he an imposter, or the true Dragon? There were some battles between Black Dragon and those who might have been agents of the monastery, and the youth did not act at first like the Black Dragon was supposed to (though he later matured and either accepted the mantle or more fully began to mimic it).
    The truth became clear when the Chinese government launched another offensive against the monastery (their first since the debacle of the mid-1970's when their troops were scattered and lost, with wild rumors making it to Beijing of an actual dragon, 100 meters long, decimating the offensive). As the Chinese moved in, Black Dragon appeared, while the American imposter continued to appear in Harborview. What the real Black Dragon had been doing was unknown, but he was not the one operating in Harborview. Those aware of the events and surroundings knew this, and knew that those who claimed otherwise were being fooled, or attempting to dupe them. The Chinese government lost again, though the news was kept from the general populace and the international press. They are not a group accustomed to accepting defeat, and one wonders why they accept it time and again—presumably they could just send soldiers against the monastery indefinitely, and sooner or later, logically, it would have to fall. Why they don't is unknown, though theories have been bandied about—that they in their hearts do not want to destroy what is a centerpiece of Chinese culture; that there is some magical ward preventing them from doing so, that the monastery is actually so powerful that it can hold off a world super-power on its own for decades. That last answer is the one that frightens most politicians and military personnel who keep watch on affairs in China.
    The American Imposter to the black Dragon name improved himself just by taking the mantle, and can be forgiven the impudence due to his valor. He died nobly during the Daemonwar, falling to defend his country and his world. There is a statue to his honor in the Heroes' Square of Harborview. The true Black Dragon appears now and again in China, holding off the continued offensive by the government against the monastery. When he will actively appear again is unknown.

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