Lao-Shan Lung

The Lao-Shan Lung is a venerable species of Elder Dragon (same family as another great drake, Jhen Mohran) found in the Land of Dragons. While it has not been encountered by the men of the Chapel, it is a well-known, perhaps even legendary, figure in the world. The Lao-Shan Lung can be considered the bestial embodiment of a mountain. Not only is it as extremely huge as a mountain, it has the colossal strength of a mountain as well. This is because the Lao-Shan Lung is basically one with the mountain it resides in. It is the inspiration of Chan Buddhism, and thus, Zen Buddhism as well.

Habitat

The great lumbering creature tends to stay in one place because of its intensive hibernation habits. At the mountain, the Lao-Shan Lung would merely brush along the rocks of the mountain, eventually creating the extremely hard scales on its back. Furthermore, ash and and iron deposits from the mountain would cast upon its hard skin, before permanently tinting it. Such pigmentation is an arduously lengthy process so it can be estimated that the average age of a Lao-Shan Lung is around several thousand years. The Lao-Shan Lung, once it has overgrown the mountain, will travel to yet a even huger mountain.

The Lao-Shan Lung is a pivotal part of the mountain ecosystem in The Land of Dragons, responsible for their unique shapes through the way it trudges through a mountain directly, fertilization of a number of extremely medicinally potent vegetation by its droppings, and population control of many heinous creatures, including the Chinese Red-Nosed Goblin.

Relation in Chinese Myth

One Lao-Shan Lung is said to have been the source of great prosperity for a nameless dynasty. It had the unique trait of wings and was said to soar through the clouds, causing them to pour heavily, allowing for the most beautiful harvests for a century. However, one day the Lao-Shan Lung was slain by a demonic jiangshi gifted with the power of flight and great magic, probably a thousand year old and highly advanced jiangshi. The dragon's death caused a massive drought and was the starting point for that dyansty's downfall.

It was during the beautiful times of harvest that the Jianghu birthed a number of heroes, including Poisonous Wu. Because of this, Thernz has a wall scroll of the Lao-Shan Lung, claiming that without the dragon, he would have never been born.

In these times of Grim, it is said another winged Lao-Shan Lung will come from the highest mountain and bless the land with heavenly rains once that jiangshi is destroyed.