The Ki-rin, or the Unicorn, was a mystical creature, incomprehensible to the mortal mind. Its rare appearances in the Empire had always foreshadowed monumental events, such as the Return of the Unicorn and the Rain of Blood. It was also the namesake of the Ki-Rin Clan, and the true form of its founder Shinjo. It was said that the Ki-rin and the Phoenix, the two fabled creatures, were brothers. It also had been linked to the Elemental Dragons.