Lung Tien Xian

Character Profile

Name:	Lung Tien Xian
Date of Birth:	Unknown
Breed:	Celestial
Captain:	Possibly the Shunzhi Emperor
National Loyalty:	China
Appearance:	See Article
Special Abilities:	Divine Wind
Status:	Active

Biography

Lung Tien Xian was the oldest Celestial dragon alive in China. Born as a result of a mating between two Imperials (a pairing that can occasionally result in the birth of a Celestial), all of the currently living Celestial dragons ("...some four or five generations") are of his line.

He is also known as "Grandfather" by the other Celestials and Imperials. Presumably some two hundred years old, his black scales have a acquired a reddish tint due to the scales going translucent, and his eyes are milky blue; the pupil nearly hidden by the cataracts. He is accompanied by a guard of four Imperials, who take care of him.

"Grandfather" or Xian?

In Throne of Jade, Lung Tien Qian remarks that she and Lung Tien Chu were "hatched of Xian". "Grandfather" is presumed to be "Xian", because that is the only name not mentioned when Qian counts off her family. However, it is later said that "Grandfather" is the Celestial who started the family, which now covers some four or five generations. This means that "Grandfather" cannot be their father, as there is no way for any of the remaining family members to be of this fourth generation without being in line for the throne before Lung Tien Chuan.

If he is Xian, then Qian's words "hatched of Xian" are poetic, and she means that she is of Xian's line. Of course, Xian could be the name of a female Celestial who has since died, but the fact that "Grandfather" has survived this long would suggest otherwise.

If no Celestial dragons younger than Grandfather/Xian have passed away, Ming and Zhi must be the sons of Xian, and Qian the daughter of one of them (possibly Ming, as she names him before Zhi). Chu could be her brother, but he could also be the son of Zhi, except that his daughter, Lung Tien Lien, is mentioned as being Temeraire's "elder cousin".

This means the Celestial family tree must look like this;

Two Imperials
|
Grandfather (Lung Tien Xian) (M)
|
+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+
Lung Tien Ming? (M)         Lung Tien Zhi? (M)
|
+---------------------------------------------------------+
Lung Tien Qian (F)                                   Lung Tien Chu (M)
|                                                         |
+------------------------+                                |
Lung Tien Chuan (M) Lung Tien Xiang (Temeraire) (M)  Lung Tien Lien (F) 

To understand how this works, one must consider the matter of succession. Since the Celestials are only permitted to be companion to the Emperors, then the entire family (save for Lung Tien Lien, Lung Tien Chuan and Temeraire) must have been been companions to previous Emperors.

Presumably, this means that when the time came for the Emperor to choose his successor, he asked a Celestial to mate with an Imperial and produce an heir. As a consistent line of descendants doesn't exist, this must mean the heirs do not need to be offspring of the Emperor's Celestial, resulting in an interesting family tree.