Oracle



The Oracles are the representatives of the Celestial Dragons, the living embodiments of the various forces that drive the Celestial Order.

Life as an Oracle
Historically, the Oracles have been humans who have given up their humanity to house the power of a Dragon and become its agent in Ningen-do. The Oracles thus became not entirely human, creatures of great power. The Oracles also would retain no knowledge whatsoever of their mortal lives and break all contact with humanity, apart from their duties as Oracles. Many instances have been documented where a person recognizes an Oracle, but the Oracle has no recollection of the person, often despite the pair having spent years as close friends or family.

Lifespan
The Oracles generally live far longer than the normal human lifespan, and do not age during their tenure. Records indicate that the appearance of some Oracles has remained the same for up to 500 years. The Oracle of Fire maintained the same body from the late 9th century until his ascension in 1123. His successor, however, remained in the position for less than ten years, as Isawa Norikazu was the Oracle of Fire during the Battle of Oblivion's Gate in 1133.

Knowledge
Though a new Oracle will historically have no memory of his mortal life, he will have the memories of the previous Oracles. There is a recorded incident between Shiba Goiko and the Oracle of Air, where Goiko met with the Oracle three separate times over a period of a several days, as Goiko was spending the time meditating on the question she would ask. For the first two meetings, the Oracle had the appearance of an elderly woman in fine red silks. For the third meeting, the Oracle had the appearance of a young man, though the new Oracle vividly remembered Goiko and their conversations.

This led some to think that the Oracles might have some type of shapeshifting ability, though most believed instead that the Oracle changed hosts when the appropriate time came. After the 12th century, when several high-profile people became Oracles, such as Hiruma Osuno, Isawa Norikazu, and Toturi Kaede, this is certainly the case.

Oracles of Light
Every Elemental Dragon appoints an Oracle to serve as his agent in Ningen-do. These Oracles receive no small share of the Dragon's power, and become far more than human.

Oracles of Darkness
For each of the basic four elemental Oracles, there exists a corresponding Dark Oracle, to maintain balance in Ningen-do. These four Dark Oracles seem to have existed as long as the Oracles of Light, though their exact connection to the Elemental Dragons is unclear. It is certain that they share some kharmic tie to their opposites among the Oracles of Light, but whether they also derive their power from the Dragons of Tengoku or whether that power comes from the forces of Jigoku is uncertain.

Oracles of Void
Of all the Oracles, the Oracle of Void is the most reclusive. It is believed that this Oracle does not even reside within Ningen-do, but rather on the edges of the realm, passing into the other Spirit Realms. The Oracle managed to go over 300 years without contact with Rokugan, leading some to believe that he may have passed away without choosing a successor, leaving Rokugan missing one Oracle. These fears were proved unfounded upon the ascension of Isawa Kaede.

Historically, there was no Dark Oracle of Void, as the Oracle of Void did not choose sides in any affair. This changed in the 12th century when Oracle of Void Toturi Kaede took the throne of Rokugan upon the death of Toturi I. When its Oracle chose the side of the Empire, the Dragon of Void was forced to create the Dark Oracle of Void.

Other Oracles
Only rarely do other Oracles make themselves known, such as the Oracle of Thunder, representative of the Dragon of Thunder, whose interference with the affairs of mortals usually remains unnoticed.

The Oracle of Jade is very new, since the corresponding Dragon of Jade came into being relatively recently, merely a few years before Fu Leng's incursion into the spiritual realms.

Another recent addition is the Oracle of Obsidian, which was chosen by the new Obsidian Dragon, to balance the earlier creation of the Jade Dragon and it's oracle. The first Oracle of Obsidian was Shosuro Maru. Since the ascension of the Jade Dragon and Obsidian Dragon to Sun and Moon respectively, they no longer have Oracles. Instead, their Oracles Omen and Shosuro Maru have become the Voice of the Jade Sun and the Voice of the Obsidian Moon.

Origin
Rokugani mythology holds that before the Fall of the Kami, Tengoku was much closer to Ningen-do, and that the inhabitants of the two realms could much more easily pass between the two. The story says that after the Fall, the Dragons were enthralled by humanity, offering power to those they chose, and even bringing some to live in Tengoku. Amaterasu and Onnotangu were troubled by the Dragons' meddling, believing that their interference would be detrimental to the newly-created Empire, and so they lifted the Celestial Heavens away from Rokugan, forcing the Dragons to decide whether to tear humanity away from Ningen-do or to abandon them to mortality. The Dragons chose to leave humanity, along with parts of themselves, that they might continue contact. These essences of the Dragons were each given to a single individual, who became the Dragon's agent in Ningen-do. Thus, the Oracles were created.

Powers
The Oracles are possibly the most powerful forces in all of Ningen-do. They are protected from all harm by tremendous physical and magical forces, as well as by their Dragon patrons. Their powers are nearly, if not absolutely, limitless. At one point in the ninth century the Oracle of Water met with Isawa Gojundo and a Unicorn Clan samurai, shortly after the Return of the Ki-Rin. The Unicorn, accustomed to gaijin tales of dragons as mindless beasts to be hunted, drew the ire of the Oracle and was unmade. His eradication was so complete that his parents did not remember that they had a son.

Nature
Their main limitation is their complete disinterest in the affairs of Rokugan. They trade their knowledge of the future for stories of intrigue and heroism, but they are genuinely disinterested in the governance of the Empire. Because of this, and because of their secluded and elusive nature, it is common for generations to pass with no contact from any of the Oracles. When the Oracles do choose to act, their influence can be felt across the land. Though they are not creatures of wrath or compassion, their actions generally attest to a single-minded purpose.

Homes
The homes of the Oracles are splendid and magnificent creations, each reflecting the nature of the specific Oracle. The Oracle of Air has been known to reside in a magnificent palace flying high above the ground. The Oracle of Fire, at least prior to his ascension in 1123, lived in the fiery pits of Sleeping Thunder Mountain; some time after his ascension, Tamori, Dark Oracle of Fire, took up residence within the mountain. The Oracle of Water has resided in a sunken Naga city. The Oracle of Earth has a tower within the Twilight Mountains created from tightly woven vines.

The Chosen
Although the Oracles are magical beings with the power of the elements at their command, they were once human, and they never truly forget. Because of this, an Oracle will occasionally take special interest in a human child and choose to guide that person throughout his life. Though this does not mean that the person in question will be the next Oracle (or even that the position will become vacant within his lifetime), it does mean that the Oracle will occasionally step into the person's life to guide or correct if he or she is not following the path the Oracle thinks best. And because the Oracles are so far removed from humanity, knowing what they think best is often a difficult task.