Born with a thirst for adventure, Prince Jacob does not heed his parents' warnings and ventures into the Forbidden Forest. Unfortunately for him, he accidentally tampers with the magical seal and releases evil back into the world. When the twelve diamonds and the jade centre that make up the seal are scattered across the world, the prince's father, the Jade Emperor, has no way of containing the Dark Forces, which affect the human race only and not the animals. The Jade Emperor decides that Earth must be destroyed. Wanting to undo the terrible fate that he has unleashed on Earth, Prince Jacob begs his father for a chance to find the diamonds and jade, restore the magical seal and banish the Dark Forces. The Jade Emperor knows that Prince Jacob cannot do this alone, but there is no way of knowing which humans have been corrupted by the Dark Forces. He organises a Great Race to find the bravest animals on Earth to help Prince Jacob restore peace to the world. This story not only tells the legend of how the twelve animals came to be part of the Chinese zodiac, but it is also the first tale in the Legendary 12 series.