Eight Masters

The Eight Masters are a group of the powerful martial arts masters come together from all different disciplines, locations, and clans of the Warring Factions.

The original Eight Masters were: Following the deaths of Gunma, Taywong, Onmyung, Leerok, Madun, Myo, and Jinwong, they were succeeded by:
 * Gunma, the Starblade of the Silverfrost School (Blade Master)
 * Taywong, the Southern Tiger of the Namdo Clan (Kung Fu Master)
 * Onmyung, the Celestial Force Master of the Dohyun Clan (Force Master)
 * Leerok, the True Shot of the Ironsights Academy (Gunner)
 * Madun, the Mistwalker of Brighstone Village (Summoner)
 * Myo, the Scarlet Shadow of the Twisted Serpent Clan (Assassin)
 * Jinwong, the Tempest of the Uzu Clan (Destroyer)
 * Sanzu, the Grand Enchantress (Warlock)
 * Ku Yang of the Silverfrost School
 * Tayjin of the Namdo Clan
 * Namgun Sunjay of the Dohyun Clan
 * Unak of the Twisted Serpent Clan
 * Wolyong of the Uzu Clan
 * Soha of the Ironsights Academy
 * Chundoon of the Thorntail School
 * Sanzu the Grand Enchantress ( She is no longer part of the eight masters because she joined the Dark Realm in search of revenge to the point of manipulating the new eight masters )

History
The Eight Masters were formed from representatives of the Warring Factions, following the disappearance of the Four Guardians. They tasked themselves with finding the Four Guardians and joining forces with them in order to stop the Dark Lord. However, they were unable to find the Four Guardians on top of being unable to combat Jinsoyun's power over the continents. After years of searching, they finally discovered Master Hong the Earthbreaker upon Heaven's Reach, but Jinsoyun had already slaughtered the entire school before they arrived. This did not bode well for the finding the remaining known Guardian, Iksanun.

With all hope lost, the Eight Masters prepared to disband until Madun came forward with a prophecy that one of Master Hong's students survived and that they would be the hero to aid them. Despite some skepticism, they all agreed that it was their best shot and convened within the Cave of Mastery, where the aforementioned hero would supposedly arrive.

First Arc
The Eight Masters, minus Sanzu who was believed to be dead, wait within the Cave of Mastery for a week where they express their annoyance that Madun's prophecy might have been wrong. Madun insists that the divination is accurate and that the hero inflicted with the Mark of the Black Rose is due to arrive soon. Right as the Eight Masters give up on waiting, the hero falls through the ceiling of the cave before them. Despite some misgivings about the hero's countenance, the Eight Masters give Madun credit. They use their collective Chi to open up the Chi flow within the hero to allow them to use the Dragon Pulses in Dragonscale. They await the hero at the Cave of Judgement to assess the hero's skills and see if they are worthy in following the footsteps of the Four Guardians. Depending on the hero's class, the corresponding Eight Masters member would explain the purpose of the test and send them on their way through the Cave of Judgement.

They explain to the hero that the test was not only to see the hero's strength and ability, but to also heal their damaged Chi. The process isn't entirely successful as the hero still has yet to unlock all of their skills, but they urge the hero to continue until they have mastered all of them.

For majority of the story, Madun is the only one of the Eight Masters to regularly keep in contact with the hero.

When Madun hears that the hero is in Zaiwei, he meditates and has a terrible vision about what's to come. When he arrives in Zaiwei to search for the hero, he manages to find his way to the Bamboo Courtyard where the hero is about to stop the Dark Seers' ritual. Madun tells the hero that they cannot stop it alone and offers the assistance of the Eight Masters. Madun opens a Dragon Pulse to call the Eight Masters to the courtyard while the hero fends off the demons. Taywong arrives first, followed by Gunma, Jinwong, Myo, and Onmyung. They head to the main building to stop the Dark Seers from channeling Dark Chi into Corruption Cores and releasing the Dark Wraith. Madun stays behind to contain the Dark Chi. Gunma, Jinwong, Myo, and Onmyung are immobilized by the Dark Seer Captains rendering them unable to assist the hero with the Dark Wraith. At the last moment, Leerok appears and helps the hero defeat the Dark Wraith. Madun warns the hero of what would happen if Jinsoyun succeeds in summoning the Dark Lord to the Earthen Realm. He only saw pieces of what's to come but knows for certain that the hero is the best bet in defeating Jinsoyun. He explains that the Hundred Day Prayer is a time of reflection before the Divine Mandate Ritual, marking a moment when Jinsoyun will be alone and the best time to strike. The Eight Masters go to prepare to assist the hero in the battle. The Eight Masters express some concern over the darkness inside the hero, but nevertheless commend the hero on their strength. The hero charges ahead and ends up severely wounded by Jinsoyun, on the verge of death. The Eight Masters arrive at the Sanctum of the Eight to help the hero one last time. Just as the hero is about to kill themselves, Leerok shoots the dagger away. Taywong explains that the hero's job is not yet done. Myo continues to express her doubts however Onmyung realizes there is no other choice. Madun repeats that the hero is their only chance at stopping Jinsoyun. They begin transferring their Chi into the hero but realize that the darkness is immensely strong within the hero. Taywong asserts that they knew it would come to this moment and proceeds to transfer all of his Chi into the hero. The rest of the Eight Masters follow suit, effectively turning them all into stone. Madun asks that the hero not let their sacrifice be in vain. Their stone statues remain within the Sanctum of the Eight.

Following their sacrifice, Dochun remarks that he no longer sense their presence in the world.

Second Arc
Following the deaths of the original Eight Masters, their clans select new successors. However, the new Eight Masters find that they are inadequate in their new positions, calling themselves the losers. When rumors circulate about missing children and sudden resurgence of Ebondrake activity all across the continents, the successors go to investigate.