I understand that each god is from the zodiac, etc... But why does the rooster have fire or the snake water?

Is there a story or legend behind them in the Japanese culture or is it all purely made up for the sake of a good game?

If anyone cares, I did a little research...

I know there's Hou-ou, a firey bird in Japanese mythology, which is my assumption as to why the rooster got fire and appeared similar to a phoenix.

As for other parts in the story, there is a lot in Japanese mythology about the eight-headed, eight-tailed serpent (Orochi) and how it eight someone's daughter's.... The last daughter was a girl of a rice paddy (remember the girl they give for an offering in the end, she makes sake/rice wine?).

Susanoo is the name of Amaterasu's brother in mythology...

Amaterasu gives her nephew three gifts, a mirror (reflector), a sword (glaive), and a necklace (rosary).

Uh, there was more...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_mythology

nice but i think thtey elements were based on the feng shui.