Temple Of The Five Dragons

If you live each moment, that's the only way to live. And if you live this moment greatly, your next moment is going to be greater - because now you know how to live. You go on becoming more and more skillful, more and more artful. Each moment becomes a learning, how to get more juice out of life. And if man can live just one life fully, totally, he will have tasted something of truth, something of the eternal...the fruit that Adam and Eve have missed.
- Osho (1986), Soc

Description

A Shinto temple that includes within its grounds a Dojo, a meditation workshop and various public services. This used to be the dominant Chantry in Gotham. It was a place of calm and order, where the powers of the mind reigned. The now Dormant Chantry and Node has begun to call out for new members of the awakened.

A pagoda style temple with red and yellow wooden structures. The land outside the temple is beautifully simple and sparse. Gardens that contain ponds full of huge Koi carp and fountains and waterfalls sit either side of a wandering path of sifted sand. Approaching the main building in an exercise in Feng Shui contemplation. The subtle sounds of bird song and waterfalls give the Temple a calming and serene aura while the direction one faces and the light through the trees are thought provoking.

Large brass discs bearing I Ching Ideograms are hung from poles all the way along the sandy path from the street to the Temple doors. The doors themselves bare the pictures of five oriental dragons, representing the five elements of Wood, Metal, Water, Fire and Air circling the wooden bridge of heaven.

To the rear of the Temple gardens stands a stone shrine of three Stella that making a tri-dolmen set under a simple wooden frame. The shapes of five oriental dragons lightly etched into the stones. In the presence of this Focused edifice a sense of calm can be felt. The order of the Universe is assured the Chaos of the city is a million miles away. Inside the Shinto temple confines is one large room with bare floor boards that serves as both a gathering area for the orange clad monks and as a Dojo for those who come here to learn the eastern arts of combat.

Atmosphere

The Temple was predominantly a Chantry of the Akashic Brotherhood tradition, but members of the Order of Hermes where also regular visitors, as were a surprising amount of Virtual adepts and Son's of Ether. The Monks that served as acolytes to the chantry performed varied duties including Researchers in the large library, healers, confessors and sparring partners.

Each evening the monks give their time to teach the local's in martial arts, Tai Chi, Eastern Holistic medicine and contemplative meditation. This education has recently been extended to more of the Gotham community and it is common to see adults and children of every culture joining the training sessions.

History
With the influx of Chinese into Gotham in the last century came a few mages. One of these Mages, Kwon Akril, built the Temple of the five Dragons in which to teach his skills to the younger generations. A place of contemplation and learning first and foremost, Kwon made many allies among the Traditions of the new world. He gathered a large Cabal and began his work towards ascension. He trained many of the greatest Magi of the east coast and his name is still spoken with awe. His only failure was his own Grandson, Khan. This arrogant and selfish young man had no time for the contemplative ways of the Chantry and tried often to force them to take direct action against the Nephandi. Eventually Khan left with a few supporters to take his war to the enemy. The Man that returned from that sound defeat had lost all interest in the Politics of the awakened and grew to become the most feared Tong leader in Chinatown. Eventually uniting almost all of the Tongs under his banner.

The Mages who used to call this Temple home disappeared in the incident three years ago and the Magical nature of the Chantry remains untapped for the present time. In a single night, 6 mages died and a further three were viscously Gilguled.
Politics
With the currant trend in all things eastern, this retreat receives a lot of money from wealthy wanna be aesthetics and Hollywood Guru seekers. The Mortal family of the one Mage who survived the great tragedy, albeit with his Avatar and mind torn asunder, have kept the mundane aspects of both the temple and the Dojo out of remembrance and respect for their lost masters. All the grey old man will mutter is that 'the Dragon woke up'.
Notaries

As well as being pivotal to the plot / backstory of Sodium Noir, the Temple of the Five Dragons is presented as a ready made chantry into which Mages can be inserted. It is large enough to support more than one Cabal and has acolytes bending over backwards to serve new masters.

Title	Character	Splat
Master	(Grandfather) Wong	Mortal
Teacher	Shang Mio	Mortal
Monk	David Bunsen	Human
Monk	Gian Lee	Human
Monk	Bai Ling	Human
Monk	Giles Smithe-Dickson	Human
Monk	Stephen Dewhurst	Human
Monk	Tobias Clarke	Human
Monk	Timothy Lister	Human
Monk	Shirow Ishomi	Human
Monk	Kim Bruce	Human
Monk	Takashi Nan	Human
Monk	Caspar Montenegro	Human
	Your Characters name here	Mage
	Your Characters name here	Mage
	Your Characters name here	Mage
	Your Characters name here	Mage
	Your Characters name here	Mage