 The
Beastlords consist of twelve animal-like humanoids that were endowed
by the Jade Emperor to represent the Chinese
Zodiac. At first, they were simply the most intelligent, alpha specimens
of the animal kingdom who the Jade Emperor felt would be beloved icons
in his campaign to bring harmony between humans and animals.
As
the Legend goes, RAT freed a spellbound
demon, who then possessed him, turning him into the hideous incarnation
known as the Ratlord. After hearing the petition of the other animals,
the elder gods empowered the remaining eleven animals to be the
overseers of balance among the beasts. The elder gods work in harmony,
some being yin (evil) forces, some being yang (good) forces and
some being in-between. Thus, the Beastlords were also aligned to
such forces, dependent on their natural animal tendencies. From
this, the Darklords, the Greylords, and the Lightlords were defined.
Over time, an unspoken pact has formed in which the Darklords ally
with each other to dominate the realm, the Lightlords join forces
to prevent them from doing so, and the Greylords independently maintain
a balance between all opposing forces, including humans.
The
Beastlords are not immortal, but none have been slain so far. They
were given the potential for special powers by the elder gods. Some
of the Beastlords have developed their physical prowess and others
have developed their mystical powers, and in some cases both. They
have a limited command over the animals of their species. Any offspring
they engender grow to become a cross between animal and human. There
are many such crossbreeds roaming the land of Jalí.
Like the Jadecats, the Beastlords
have learned the human language. They have also learned the martial
arts. It remains a mystery, however, who taught who first. Humans
very well could have learned Kung Fu from the Beastlords over the
generations, especially the animal styles.
Ratlord
Ratlord is a menacing rat-like humanoid
with glowing, red eyes and protruding, sharp fangs. He wears upper
body armor, a large cloak and wields two jagged butterfly knives
or "Woo Diep Do". He is one of the only Beastlords to
study black magic, which he typically employs in the form of hurled
lightning balls and vanishing into the shadows. He also commands
a horde of "Rathugs", mutant rat mercenaries. He is the archetypal
sinister villain, using every means necessary (intellect, combat,
magic, etc.) to defeat the Jadecats and conquer the land. He is
one of the Darklords and his primary impetus is total domination.
He is also the only one of the Beastlords transformed by a demon
instead of the elder gods.
Oxlord
Oxlord is an immense Ox-like humanoid with bulging muscles and
bristly hair. He wears patches of armor all over and carries a
Pudang (Chinese polearm). His special abilities include great
bursts of strength and an incredible sense of direction, despite
his eye-patch. He does not know Kung Fu, but uses an ancient form
of wrestling against his opponents. He is very pirate-like in
character, commanding an armada of "Oxmen", a pack of repugnant
bovine buccaneers. He is the archetypal "brawn" of the Ratlord/Oxlord
duo, although he has his moments of subordinate regret. He is
one of the Darklords and his primary impetus is assisting in total
domination.
Snakelord
Snakelord is a nefarious snakelike humanoid with arms and legs
and a cobra-like head. He does not wear any armor, allowing quick
mobility and he carries no weapons. He prefers his Snake style
Kung Fu over weapons. He can also spit acid. He is very dangerous
because he is a master of the mind. While his mental powers don't
work on Beastlords, he can do a number of mind tricks on mortals,
including the Jadecats. Typical uses of his power include reading
minds and creating hallucinations. He also leads an army of "Serpentine
Soldiers", who also employ martial arts and use Jiu Jie Bien
(nine-section whips) as weapons. He is the stealthiest of villains,
plotting more subtle schemes of domination. He is not as obsessed
with the Jadecats as the Ratlord, but often teams with him against
the Jadecats. He is one of the Darklords and his primary impetus
remains a mystery.
Monkeylord
Monkeylord
is a knavish monkey-like humanoid. He wears light armor and carries
a variety of weapons, mostly non-bladed. He is the most skilled
in the martial arts of all the Darklords, which gives him an inflated
ego. His special Monkey style Kung Fu remains undefeated. He has
incredible climbing and leaping skills. He is a prankster, like
Tai Ni, employing a variety of little gadgets and tricks to his
advantage. He is also leader of the "Guerilla Gorillas",
a band of ninja-monkeys, hired out for assassination. Monkeylord
is both a rogue villain and a trained mercenary. Although he is
one of the Darklords, his primary impetus is wreaking havoc and
chaos in the land and maintaining his notion that he's the best
martial artist around, challenging anyone is his path.
Goatlord
Goatlord is an exuberant goat-like humanoid. He wears no armor
and carries a long staff. He is the archetypal creative, temperamental,
elderly artisan. He has a beard and resplendent attire. He is
not skilled in the fighting arts but is a magician both in the
entertainment sense and in the arcane sense. He magic is flamboyant
and artistic, always employing his powers through art, such as
hypnotic song or mystical poem. His incantations are practically
theatre performances. He has a following of "Traveling Troubadours",
a community of gypsy goat artisans, upon whom he can call for
help or simply entertainment. Goatlord is one of the Greylords
and his primary impetus is to further the creative development
of the land, unfettered with concerns for law or chaos.
Tigerlord
Tigerlord is a brawny, tiger-like humanoid. He wears no armor
and carries a "Fu Pa" or Chinese pitchfork, also known
as a tiger trident. He goes shirtless, with baggy black kung fu
pants. He is the archetypal lone kung fu hero. He is the most
skilled in the martial arts of all the Beastlords. He is both
an expert at Tiger and Panther style Kung Fu. He has great leaping
abilities and a deafening roar that can stun any non-Beastlord
foe. He does not have a following of tiger-men because he does
not want to risk his endangered brethren in battle. Instead, he
is the champion of endangered animals and preserver of the environment.
He wanders the forests in search of adventure. His arch-rival
is the Monkeylord and they have gone head-to-head many times.
Tigerlord is one of the Greylords, and his primary impetus is
to protect the equilibrium between man and nature.
Rabbitlord
Rabbitlord is actually a female, rabbit-like humanoid. She is
"ronin" or renegade samurai. She wears pieces of traditional
samurai armor, but not full gear and she carries a naginata (a
short polearm) and a katana (samurai sword). She ties her ears
back the way a samurai would tie his hair back or she lets them
down like cascading hair. She is a ferocious warrior despite her
feminine figure. As a champion of freedom, she follows no one
and no one follows her. She is an expert tracker with lightning
speed and agility. She has feminist tendencies and is a die-hard
independent and free spirit. She is one of the Greylords and her
primary impetus is liberation from the constraints of tradition,
society, and gender typing.
Horselord
Horselord
is a stately, robust horse-like humanoid. He wears full armor
and a cape. He carries a Gui Tou Dao (a huge double-handed saber).
He is the proprietor of communication, the mediator-statesman.
He represents the politician of the Beastlords. He is a skilled
swordsman, no empty-handed combat skills. He has tremendous strength
and stamina. He also has a herd of "Stallioneers", his regal equestrian
guard. He is one of the Greylords and his primary impetus is the
polictical and stately mediation of man, Beastlord, and animal
alike.
Doglord
Doglord is a renegade, dog-like humanoid. He wears light armor
and carries a crossbow. He is the archetypal lone-ranger/robin-hood
type, vigilante of justice. He is a master at ranged weapons and
has some wrestling skills. His sense of smell is so acute that
he can even smell when someone is lying. He has a pack of "Dogmen"
that he occasionally travels with who are very similar in nature
to Robin Hood's "Merry Men". He is one of the Lightlords, and
his primary impetus is to avenge the underdog.
Piglord
Piglord is a mirthful, pig-like humanoid. He wears armor covering
the joints and carries a Shuang Tou Quiang (a two-headed spear),
which also sports a flag. He is the sage-knight of the Beastlords,
both a warrior and a scholar. He is highly intelligent, able to
decipher codes, speak many languages, and invent amazing contraptions.
He is a lover of knowledge and education. He is also a skilled
spearman and master of Chi Kung, an internal style Kung Fu. He
is one of the Lightlords, and his primary impetus is education,
law and the pursuit of knowledge.
Roosterlord
Roosterlord
is a stern, rooster-like humanoid. He wears light armor and carries
a Dan Pian Fu (a large poleax). He is the military strategist,
drill sergeant type. He knows Eagle and Crane style Kung Fu, but
his true skills come into play with his military planning expertise.
He embodies Sun Tzu. He is the master of the avian realm
and commands an "Air Force" of flying birdmen archers. He is one
of the Lightlords, and his primary impetus is law and order through
military force.
Dragonlord
Dragonlord
is the only other female Beastlord, besides Rabbitlord. She is
a beautiful, dragon-like humanoid. She has wings, green scales,
and glowing white eyes. She is actually one of the wisest, most
powerful Beastlords, with extensive abilities of sorcery and mysticism.
She wears no armor and carries no weapons, yet is an expert martial
artist, master of the Dragon style Kung Fu. She also tends to
incorporate her magic and her martial arts together in combat.
She is one of the only Beastlords that can transform into both
a full human or full animal form. She is one of the Lightlords
and the most mysterious of the Beastlords. No one knows her true
ambitions. The only known thing about her is that she fights against
the evil in the land and then disappears without a trace.
DARKLORDS
The
Darklords represent the Yin of the Yin-Yang. They tend toward
the ways of evil, malice or anarchy, typically in the desire for
world domination.
GREYLORDS
The
Greylords represent the dots, division, and balance of the Yin-Yang.
They tend to be unconcerned with good or evil, devoted instead
to causes such as protecting the environment or the pursuit of
knowledge.
LIGHTLORDS
The
Lightlords represent the Yang of the Yin-Yang. They tend toward
the ways of good, protecting humans and animals alike.
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