Chongun History
Long ago, there was a king, whos name has been lost for all time, who ruled a kingdom called Shinshi. This king had a son named Kwan. At the age of sixteen, this prince became a commander in the royal army. During a war against outsiders who sought to overtake this small kingdom, Prince Kwan led his forces into many victories. But one day his army was overpowered, and he took many losses. Rather than retreat, he dashed head-long into the enemy and struck down many with his blade, but was finally captured. He was taken to the enemy's general, who recognized his battle crests as that of the Shinshi prince. After he removed the Prince's helmet, he saw his youthful face and, thinking of his own son, decided that instead of executing Kwan he would return the boy back to the Shinshi lines. As he let him go, the general remarked, "Alas, how can we match the fighting spirit of the army of Shinshi! Even their prince is willing to sacrifice himself in order to defeat us."
When Kwan returned, he went before his father and asked permission to be sent back into battle as the head of his men. The king begged him to reconsider, telling him that he had a duty to safeguard his own life in order for the good of his people. Kwan shook his head and said, "No, I have a duty to my people to risk my life for theirs." Once more, the Prince rode into battle and was captured. This time, after he had been disarmed he broke free of his two guards, killing them with his bare hands. After picking up a sword from one of the fallen guards, he then struck down thirty more of the enemy men, including officers, before he was finally subdued once more. He was then taken back to the general who had previously released him. This time, the general said, "I gave you your life once because of your youth, but now you return to take the life of my best men and officers." He then, with a stroke of his sword, executed Prince Kwan and returned the body to the Shinshi lines. As the king rushed to see his son's body, a courageous spirit filled all of his soldiers with strength. The dedication, strength, and honor of their prince inspired them to fight harder to win the war, and after only a few days of fighting, the armies of Shinshi completely annhilated the outside forces which sought to overtake them.
After the war had ended, the king declared in his son's memory that an elite force of warriors would be formed. These men would be the protectors of his kingdom, receiving the highest level of training and the finest of weapons and armor. But most importantly of all, they would be bound forever to uphold the virtues that Kwan had cherished so deeply, that he was willing to give his life for them. They would be known as the Chongun Warriors.
General Claw and Devil King Rahu
Shinshi eventually did fall a few hundred years later, but the Chongun warriors of Shinshi did not vanish from the lands. They spread out over the world and occupied the tribal villages, acting as guardians and protectors of their people. They kept the peace, fought off monsters, and meditated political disagreements between two tribes.
However, all this changed after a demon king named Rahu appeared in the land.
Some stories portray Rahu as a black dragon. Others portray him as a giant lizardlike man. Still, all versions are sure that it was he that summoned dark clouds to cover the sky to block out the warm rays of the sun, causing the world to be covered in a blanket of cold darkness. He then sent out his demon army to crush the Chonguns and capture each tribal city one by one. The majority of the human race became small wandering groups of nomads as they sought to escape the clutches of the demon hoards.
However, a man who was only known by the name "Claw" appeared in this time period, claiming to be the last of the Chongun warriors. He claimed to also have the power to summon the Guardians of the Four Directions to crush the demon race. Wielding a blade of crimson fire, he smote down demons as if they were mortal men, and restored hope in the last of the humans, who had spent their lives wandering in fear of the beasts. Inspired, he formed together a powerful army of men and women who dedicated their lives to the service of the Totem Gods in exchange for the power to crush the demon races. This new army of totem worshipers was called the "Sung Kwang".
After two years of constant warfare between the Sung Kwang and Rahu forces, Claw finally led his army onto victory. Leading an assault on Rahu's evil fortress, the Chongun general met the demon king and slew him in an epic battle. Soon after the death of Rahu, the evil clouds vanished, and for the first time in many years, the sun's warmth flowed down from the heavens onto the earth. However, Claw suffered severe battle wounds in his fight, and he was only able to defeat this evil demon by sacrificing his own life.
For his bravery, loyalty and dedication, the totems granted Claw immortality in the form of a golden tiger. In his new incarnation, the Heavenly Tiger Claw was given the responsibility to watch over the lands and protect the human race from evil.
The Sung Kwang itself disbanded, and it's soldiers returned to normal lives. The secrets of their strength were also lost for hundreds of years, as few remembered the ancient ways to call upon the totem guardians for strength. Also, with Claw, the last of the Chonguns dead, the secrets of the Chongun path lay dormant, their Circle sealed in a magical barrier which none save those of the Chongun line could enter.
Madog and the Rebirth
Centuries passed as the Chongun Circle remained in its sealed stasis, and almost all knowledge of the noble Chongun Warriors and Claw's battle with Rahu was lost from the memory of the people. However, in the 20th year of King Yuri's reign over the kingdom of Koguryo, the Spirit Guide Eldridge broke the Onyx shard which imprisoned an evil mage named Sagu. This shattering of unspeakable power dispelled the sealed locks over the various subpath Circles in our world, allowing people to enter and rediscover the forgotten secrets of those paths.
The Chongun Circle was discovered by a great warrior named Madog. Madog had already founded the Bear Clan, but now she had discovered something that would forever change the future of the world again. Madog immediately began to research all she could about this long-lost path, but her studies would be disrupted by the appearance of Sagu who was freed from the Onyx shard by it's Shattering.
Sagu created a vile instrument called the Dark-staff, a conscious staff, which was a tool of utter evil. Sagu used the staff to relentlessly summon demons from the underworld and attacked the people of Koguryo without mercy. Many great heroes fell during his assault.
However the Dark-staff eventually betrayed Sagu, and consumed his power for its own. It then sought out and possessed the Dream Weaver Orb; giving it the infinite power of the mightiest of all Gods. It then began to attack all the realm and even slew other Gods who attempted to resist it.
A meeting was held by the leaders of the Koguryo and Elders of the subpaths. The Spirit Guide Eldridge had found a way to fashion a mighty weapon created from Seven-leaf swords, which are constructed from the keys of the Eight Elemental Trigrams. Using the power of the Elements to form the Element of Spirit, a divine arrow was created. This "Spirit Arrow" had the power to smite even the mightiest of gods into oblivion. MaDog was then entrusted with this mighty arrow and was sent to slay Orb and the Dark-staff.
Standing before Orb with a bow in hand, Madog looked upon the possessed god, as he cried out for the great Warrior to slay him and end his nightmare. Realizing that Orb was resisting the Dark-staff's influence so that she would be able to get a clear shot, Madog fired the Spirit Arrow and slew both Orb and the vile Dark-staff into the abyss.
After the battle had been won, Madog began to teach warriors in the ways of Chongun as she began to rebuild it. However, before she could finish the resurrection of this path, she along with many other heroes of her time suddenly vanished from the world, leaving the Chonguns without a leader. Yuris passed as many Elders attempted to form the Chonguns once more, but because much of the history was lost, along with Madog's research notes and journal, these efforts all proved futile.
The Forgotten Past Remembered
In the 47th year of King Yuri's reign over Koguryo, the Divine Tiger Claw was sought out for guidance in the ways of the ancient Chonguns. It was through him that the long lost history of the Chongun path was recovered and the true teachings of the Chonguns was restored back into circulation. He also explained to us about the mysterious energy field which flows around all members of the Chongun path and it's proper usage. Because of knowledge, we were able to better utilize our abilities and create new ones to aid us in our causes.
Author: (Unknown)