From the introduction: The Immortals and the Great Dragons once walked the mortal realm openly, and interacted with mortals on a more intimate scale. Sometimes very intimate. The result was the intermingling of mortal and Immortal bloodlines. Sometimes the bloodline expresses itself strongly, such as with the nai-nekchai, who show a powerful connection to the great Nai-Hempashu animal lord spirits. Other times, it is more subtle, and can sometimes skip many mortal generations.