Shénlónglǐ (ʂə̌n lʊ̌ŋ lì)

Tranquil emperor
Who rules all under the sea
Greatest of all fish
- A poem by Emperor Ariwara Komachi in praise of the Shénlónglǐ

In the waters near Kojima, there is a kind of fish known as the Shénlónglǐ, or the 'Divine Dragon Koi'. It is similar to the koi which swim in the ponds of the Imperial gardens, with colorful scales primarily in white, gold, or red. Unlike the common koi, the Shénlónglǐ would not fit into a pond. It is one of the largest animals in the sea, measuring over 300 feet long when fully grown.

The Shénlónglǐ is considered a sacred animal to the Kami, and in particular to the Ariwara Dynasty, which has a koi featured prominently on their kamon. Yanjinese vessels are forbidden to attack or harm one of the Shénlónglǐ, which can prove problematic when the fish appears nearby.

A Hazard of the Sea

The Shénlónglǐ will sometimes attack ships. It is so large that a small bump from the fish is often enough to cause major damage, capsize the vessel, and throw sailors into the sea. This last appears to be the point of the attack to the Shénlónglǐ, as it will immediately slurp up any people in the water, swallowing them as a koi fish might a crumb of bread. Some captains who spot a Shénlónglǐ in the water will start to throw food provisions overboard to occupy the fish while they sail away, a strategy which only sometimes works. Attacking the fish is not much better, though - when it has been tried, the Shénlónglǐ has either ignored the attacks altogether or become more aggressive, shattering the attacking ship with powerful blows.

The Emperor's Tribute

Sometimes, the people eaten by the Shénlónglǐ were not in the sea by accident. On certain sacred days, the Emperor will have several criminals who are already condemned to death taken out on a boat to a specific spot in the ocean. On those days, there is always at least one Shénlónglǐ present in this spot waiting for the boat. The criminals are then thrown overboard as a gift to the fish, and as a way of honoring the Kami. This is seen as a relatively kind form of execution, and it is not unheard of for condemned prisoners to volunteer to be fed to the Shénlónglǐ rather than face a more painful death.

Storm-bringers

One legendary ability of the Shénlónglǐ is that they can summon storms, or perhaps that storms follow in their wake. Sailors in the Northwestern Region who spot a Shénlónglǐ (and are not attacked) will immediately begin to prepare for a major thunderstorm to descend upon them. These storms are always violent, with more lightning and thunder than a mundane storm, and more ships may have been wrecked by them than by the fish directly.

Animal or Numina?

Many people have debated whether the Shénlónglǐ is a natural animal, or if it is actually a Numina like the Kami. Numina are spirits born of the Egregoric Force, the power of collective belief, and are usually anchored to the physical geography rather than animals. If the Shénlónglǐ is actually a spirit, it is a particularly unusual one with powers beyond those of the other Kami.

More likely is that the Shénlónglǐ is a physical creature whose species has been molded by the Egregoric Force over hundreds or thousands of generations. An example of this process was manufactured and documented by the Clarati sorcerer Fulmen when he catalyzed the development of the Dungeon Squirrels, a species which displays many unusual properties. Most scholars believe that the Shénlónglǐ is a natural example of the same process Fulmen exploited.

Doom to my Enemies

Some people have noted that the attacks upon ships by the Shénlónglǐ do not appear to be completely random. They almost never occur to the fishing vessels of the common people, or ships of the Imperial Navy. When it does happen, the ships targeted almost always seem to be either foreigners or vessels of those out of favor with the court. Some people believe that the private agents of the Emperor (known as the Emperor’s Ducks) have found a way to direct the Shénlónglǐ in some fashion, and are using them to destroy those who oppose the Imperial Throne. Several ships of daimyos aligned with the Shogun have been lost in encounters with the Shénlónglǐ, which has bolstered this impression. You can read more about the Emperor’s Ducks here.