You start of in the Academy of Master Li, while training you make rivals with a man named Gao the Lesser. He then decides to kidnap your friend Dawn Star. When you go to rescue Dwan Star from Gao the Lesser you realize that Gao was protecting her from a siege that was happening to your village. When you get back your village has been destroyed and you are left alone with Dawn Star and this man that helped you rescue her his name is Sagacious Zu. Before you went on your rescue mission your master told you that he is the long lost son of the Emperor, Sun Li the Glorious Strategist, your master also told you of your past and that you are the last of the Spirit Monks who were the keepers of the Water Dragon Temple(god of the dead). And that a long time ago the emperor Sun Hai claimed the Water Dragons Power and the Dragon Amulet to "stop" the Long Drought. And now you realize that the Emperors associate Deaths Hand is after Sun Li and now you are on a quest to rescue your Master. The First place you end up stopping at is Tien's Landing the supposed birth place of the Jade Empire. While in Tien's Landing you find a piece of the Amulet and make some more friends; Sky, Wild Flower, Kang, Black Whirlwind, Chai Ka, and Silk Fox. You end up finding a wind map to guide you to the Imperial City. Once you arrived at the Imperial City you have to infiltrate the Lotus Assassin Fortress to get evidence of Deaths Hand's meddling in the kidnapping of Master Li. When you do end up facing Deaths Hand, Zu sacrifices himself to save you from a falling pillar killing him self and Supposedly Deaths Hand. During the battle you find out that the Emperor is the actual person behind the kidnapping. Now that you know the truth you go to the Imperial palace to face the Emperor. You end up finding Master Li and Killing the Emperor, but unknown to you Mater Li has been planning this all along so that he can take the power of the water dragon for himself. He kills you so he is that only one who can have that power. You are sent to the spirit realm where the essence of the Water Dragon guides you back to earth to the ruins of Dirge the site of the old Water Dragon Temple. You are returned to life and you friends ended up find there way to you and you then start off on the long flight back to the Imperial palace to face Master Li. Once inside the palace you find that the past emperor took the Water Dragons Body as a trophy and has it in the Imperial Palace and this is where you choose to go and the Dark or Light path. You can either destroy the body, Kill your master and become the savior of the Empire; or take the power of the Water Dragon for your own, kill master Li and become the Emperor for the next couple thousands of years.