Dragon Speaker

The Dragon Speaker is the giant panda messenger of The Great Dragon. He or she receives messages from the Dragon to pass on to other pandas, and other animals after them. Historically, there has only ever been one Dragon Speaker at a time, until Leaf, Rain, and Ghost, who all share the role.

Description[]

The Dragon Speaker is always a giant panda, and there is always one at a time, until Rain, Leaf, and Ghost were born to share the responsibility. The Speaker is charged with hearing the Dragon's messages, being the only creature able to hear its voice, and passing them on to their fellow pandas, who will then warn other animals. Sometimes, Speakers are directly asked for advice by pandas or other animals, and sometimes hold sessions where all animals are invited to ask for help. The Speaker always carries a Seeing Stone, obtained from the Dragon's cave in the White Spine Mountains, to amplify the Dragon's voice.

To become a Dragon Speaker, one must be chosen by the Dragon, who will then announce it to the current Speaker. Once the new Speaker comes of age, he or she must travel to the Dragon Mountain, where they will see the Dragon itself and see their life pass before them, before it sends them back out into the world.

Powers and Abilities[]

The Dragon Speaker is the only creature in the Bamboo Kingdom whom the Dragon speaks directly to. This communication can occur through visions even before the Speaker is chosen. After going through the ritual and receiving the Seeing Stone, they will hear the Dragon's voice directly. The stone carries its own unique ability to channel the Dragon's voice.

Dragon Speakers also seem to have telepathic powers, though it is currently unknown how they use them. At the end of Journey to the Dragon Mountain, Pebble can hear Rain's voice in his head and pass it on to the assembled animals. In The Dark Sun, it was revealed that Leaf used this method of contacting a panda in the Northern Forest. Ghost attempts to send a telepathic call for help to Rain using the Speaker Rocks, but is unable to reach her.

History[]

Before the Books[]

Sunset, the last Dragon Speaker, receives a vision that his own brother, Dusk, is going to fight and kill him, but also, three triplets will take his place as Speakers. He informs Shadowhunter of his successors and instructs him to take them to the Dragon Mountain. Sunset and Dusk meet in secret at the Darkpool, where Dusk duels Sunset and drowns him, taking his Seeing Stone.

Creatures of the Flood[]

Sunset fails to announce the coming of the flood, upsetting the golden monkeys, who take it out on ordinary pandas. After a year of living without a Dragon Speaker, the Slenderwood and Prosperhill pandas are in distress that Sunset died in the flood and they will never have another Speaker, until Dusk returns to the Prosperhill in his brother's guise. The other pandas are thrilled to see him, except Rain, who begins to suspect "Sunset" is a fraud when she hears of his vague predictions. Prompted by curiosity, she samples the dream leaf the monkeys have provided him with, thinking it may help a panda see the Dragon, but to no effect. Eventually, Rain becomes too outspoken, and Dusk tries to drown her. After this event, Dusk continues in his brother's position, soon befriending Ghost.

Meanwhile, Shadowhunter seeks Leaf out and tells her that she is one of triplets and the next Dragon Speakers. She finds Rain on the riverbank, finding out they have the same white grip pad, and have to be sisters, meaning Rain is a Speaker as well.

River of Secrets[]

Dusk takes Ghost back to the Prosperhill, where Ghost gets to see all the power the Dragon Speaker possesses. Shiver becomes disillusioned with him and eventually discovers him as a fraud, which she relays to Ghost but to no avail. Sunset tells Ghost that three panda triplets will be born with the power to destroy the Bamboo Kingdom, and tries to find them, but only ends up finding Pepper. After the young panda is cast out from the Prosperhill, he finds Leaf and is informed that as the last triplet, he is a Dragon Speaker.

Leaf tries to take Rain to the Dragon Mountain, but the signs tell them this isn't the right time. Rain refuses to believe in her destiny and returns to her home to try and take Dusk down, but is imprisoned by the monkeys he has aligned himself with.

Journey to the Dragon Mountain[]

While in captivity, Rain has a vision of Sunset drowning and resolves to lead the false Dragon Speaker to his demise. She escapes with help from Shiver and Nimbletail and is reunited with Leaf, who has realized Pepper isn't her brother or a Speaker after Goji reunites with him. Leaf brings her to the Darkpool, where she has a vision of Sunset's real death and realizes who the current Speaker really is. Dusk is unmasked before all the Hollowtree and Prosperhill pandas and flees into the mountains. Leaf and Rain travel to the Dragon Mountain, finding Ghost and realizing he is the third triplet. Dusk and his inner circle ambush them on the mountain, resulting in a fight until Shadowhunter throws himself and Dusk into a pit. Leaf, Rain, and Ghost finally come into their powers as Dragon Speakers and return to the forest.

The Dark Sun[]

One month later, Brawnshanks and his monkeys are looking for anything they need to take the new Speakers down. Meanwhile, the triplets are adjusting to life with their new responsibilities. Leaf receives a message of the Dark Sun, but none of them can decide on its meaning. Ghost remembers that the animals in the mountains have no Dragon Speaker nearby, and Leaf decides they should split up and each take care of part of the kingdom. Soon after, they find out that the animals trust Leaf the most, thinking Rain is selfish and Ghost might eat them. Ghost is hunted by Brisk and Sleet, who are later revealed to be working with Brawnshanks, and is lured to the forest and framed for the murder of Pebble. Once Ghost is cast out of the Prosperhill, the snow leopards attack Leaf and the red pandas, whom she attempted to lead to safety from a vision of fire. In the aftermath of the attack, Leaf's green Seeing Stone turns black, to reflect the Dragon being divided into light, dark, and sparkling dragons. Horrified, Leaf decides the responsibility of Speaker wasn't meant for her and leaves the kingdom behind.

Back in the mountains, Ghost is attacked by Brisk and Sleet and saved by Nightwalker. The monkeys, not knowing of this, gloat that Ghost is now dead and Rain will be next, causing Nimbletail to warn her of their plot and offer to be her spy.

The Lightning Path[]

Now that the monkeys' plan is coming to fruition, none of the Speakers can properly communicate with the Dragon anymore. While Rain attempts to prove Ghost's innocence, Nightwalker informs Ghost that Leaf has vanished and sets out to find her. While Ghost and his littermates protect his stone from Brisk and Sleet, they return to the forest where the Light Dragon helps them save some animals from a fire. At the same time, the sparkling Dragon guides Rain to the fact that Lychee killed Pebble for Brawnshanks, though he steals her stone. Dasher finds Leaf's stone and the Dark Dragon and returns them both to a very ill Leaf.