PROLOGUE BY THE BEARDED GHOST

   Ages ago in the exotic far east, a legend of mysticism and adventure was born. It began in the era of the wise Jade Emperor when he held a race among the animals to earn their place in the zodiac. The infamous Rat stole Cat's invitation and cheated his way into winning the race. Later, Cat discovered what Rat had done and caught him red-handed stealing the Emperor's treasures. He captured Rat for the Emperor. It was too late to be immortalized in the zodiac but the Emperor awarded Cat by making her his mystic guardian. Rat was banished into exile.

   Rat happened upon a well haunted by the Great Moguai, a demon imprisoned by the elder gods. When Rat explored the well, he was possessed by the demon and turned into the Ratlord. When the Moon Princess learned of this, she incarnated herself in Cat to protect the Jade Emperor. When the two thought they had defeated Ratlord, they married. The Moon Goddess was angered by the marriage to a mortal and cursed the Moon Princess to have half-breed children. The result: The Jadecats. But they were also given special powers to protect humanity from the Ratlord.

   When the Ratlord resurfaced, he ambushed the Jade Palace, destroying nearly everything. A loyal manservant escaped with the Jadecats and hid them in a sacred monastery. The monks took them in and recognized them as the legendary guardians of prophecy. They raised the young Jadecats, taught them kung fu, and helped them develop their powers for the endless battle against the forces of evil they would encounter as the mystic guardians of justice. That is the Legend of the Jadecats...