[MW Zodiac] Chén Dragon - CR 15 Gargantuan Dragon (Zodiac) - $5 Reward

“See that sunbeam? Doesn’t it look like a path made of pure gold? If you follow it all the way up through the clouds, you find the kingdoms of the chén dragons, built out of white clouds and sunlight. Someday, I’m going to reach it.”

— Tian, Dragon Watcher

Golden light filters down from the cloudy canopy above as chén dragons twist through the brilliant blue expanse. The rarest of the zodiac dragons, they’re a sign of good luck that few mortals will ever see up close.

Fifth to Cross. The dragon met Yu Ling’s song with a mixture of surprise, curiosity, and concern. As the guardian of the great river at the edge of the world, it had known of the Gate’s existence for as long as it could remember, but had never considered crossing it. Now, every beast was coming to the dragon’s doorstep with precisely that intention. Choosing to observe from a distance, the dragon did its best to keep the travelers safe from their own recklessness. It carried the clouds to and fro, bringing rain, sun, and shade where it was needed, but refrained from directly interfering… until one fateful night when the moon came calling. Moved by its lunar friend’s desperate pleas for aid, the dragon flew down beneath the clouds under cover of darkness, carrying a fragment of driftwood on its wind, and it saw the rabbit, who was alone, afraid, and helpless. In that moment, something changed: the dragon understood that the creatures it had watched for so long were stepping into a new chapter with no one to guide or protect them. As draconic winds carried the rabbit to the Gate, resolve grew in the dragon’s heart. And once the newly ascended mǎo dragon departed in celebration, the old guardian quietly slipped through the gate over which it had stood vigil for its entire life.

Keepers of the Cycle. As the years and branches cycle, chén dragons maintain a watchful eye over the other members of the zodiac, resolving disputes, preventing disasters, and keeping the balance. Two zodiac dragons at odds with each other can warp the environment in dangerous ways as they clash, so chén dragons intervene to halt the conflict. When threats rise up against the natural order, chén dragons empower others to conquer the threat. The most powerful of their brethren, they can tap into the power of all five elements and embody the Nameless Gate itself. While no creature can truly ascend while the Gate is shut, chén dragons can nonetheless impart a sliver of that divine power to those around them.

High and Mighty. The affairs of mortals are of little concern to chén dragons, who sooner preoccupy themselves with threats from beyond the sky, surges of elemental turmoil, and internal disputes among their kin than the petty squabbles of nations. While their shared ancestor may have been kind and tolerant to the lesser beasts below, chén dragons are benevolent more as a matter of principle and tradition. Humanoids are a beautiful and crucial piece of the natural order, but one that ought to be admired and acknowledged from a great distance. In the rare case where a chén dragon is forced to descend from its domain among the clouds, it delegates quests and responsibilities to other creatures as quickly as possible before returning to the skies above.

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Enjoy the gorgeous rendered art for it HERE;

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