It was during the Breaking of the World that the Pan Asian Alliance (PAA) was formed. After the creation of the ESC and its working agreement with what remained of the US, the major Pacific powers of South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, and Indonesia felt that they needed a similar pact to maintain strength in numbers and prevent them from being individually swallowed by the surrounding factions.
The PAA were broadly aware of the religious battles being waged over the Arabian plate and were conscious not to let religion become a cause of tension in their newly formed archipelago. And so, with no sanctioned faith and a relaxed view to individual over collective worship, myriad groups sprang forth around common icons; old temples were re-appropriated for lovers of the sun, worshipers of the ocean, and offshoots of Shintoism and Confucianism, and countless thousands more.
One of these new religions was not very new at all. The chaoskampf – or ‘struggle against chaos’ – is almost as old as civilization itself. Every culture and religion tells of a single hero’s battle against an insidious, serpent god: Marduk versus Tiamat, Yahweh versus Leviathan, Zeus versus Typhon. The Cult of the Dragon is the apex of this belief, a swirling maelstrom of chaos and destruction, where complete freedom is the ultimate goal.
The Cult coalesce around a man once known as Lee Kyong-Min, although the term ‘man’ is used loosely. Now bound to the Norse god Jormungandr by means unknown, the so-called Voice of the Dragon positioned himself to take control of the PAA. Emerging from the darkness in every major city and outpost, the acolytes of the Dragon usurped the PAA’s power base and took control. The remaining populace either fled or were indoctrinated; most were simply killed.
Today, the Cult of the Dragon occupies a number of Pacific islands formed from the remnants of Old Earth. Their unhindered experimentation with Ether and flesh-grafting has created singular monstrosities, each one a work of grotesque genius. Though they may lack in numbers, their zeal and determination – not to mention a complete disregard for their own safety – present a unique challenge for any of the other factions.