When the comforts of civilization begin to dull our senses, we must never forget that in the beginning, there was war. And war. And more war. Long before there were empires, there were humans consumed with greed and the hunger for power. Resources, territories, information—these were the forms of sustenance upon which we preyed. Today, we call such habits vices. Oh, how arrogant we have become! Are we not still impelled by those primordial emotions? Is the advent of war so far-fetched? But alas, for you to truly understand, we must dive deeper into this land’s half-forgotten past.
There was a time when might was the only law that humankind knew. Fearsome clans roamed throughout the land, seeking amenable grounds within which they could take root and opposing forces against whom they could test their mettle. Given the irregularity of nature’s bounty, certain regions appealed more than others, and dominion over such coveted territories became the spark that ignited the earliest inter-clan wars. These fierce, internecine affairs tended to conclude only when one side had decimated their competition into oblivion, and many clans of story were rendered extinct during this period.
The victors of war, having claimed their territories, often made truces with surrounding locals, offering protection in exchange for access to the yields of agriculture. Over time, certain communities emerged as more dominant than others, either due to numbers or sheer talent, and their rapid expansion would force smaller, neighboring communities to either collapse into their fold or be devastated. When the dust settled, humankind found itself divided into the five major territories that we are familiar with today. And was the bloodshed over? With our lands obtained and our bellies filled, were we finally content?
06/01/2023 June is for Juggin
We made it y’all, another month of OTA, and fresh off the press we have another promotion ready. Leaving behind the opening bonus sadly, we welcome the jugggggg! June is for juggin AKA working hard, so we are making it a double rewards month for every mission completed! Yes we said it's double rewards, now you all can really get into the thick of those builds if you work hard enough. And who knows what you might uncover in the process. AND all jobs are free to enroll no quest EXCEPT ANBU(Black Ops) roles.
When the comforts of civilization begin to dull our senses, we must never forget that in the beginning, there was war. And war. And more war. Long before there were empires, there were humans consumed with greed and the hunger for power. Resources, territories, information—these were the forms of sustenance upon which we preyed. Today, we call such habits vices. Oh, how arrogant we have become! Are we not still impelled by those primordial emotions? Is the advent of war so far-fetched? But alas, for you to truly understand, we must dive deeper into this land’s half-forgotten past.
There was a time when might was the only law that humankind knew. Fearsome clans roamed throughout the land, seeking amenable grounds within which they could take root and opposing forces against whom they could test their mettle. Given the irregularity of nature’s bounty, certain regions appealed more than others, and dominion over such coveted territories became the spark that ignited the earliest inter-clan wars. These fierce, internecine affairs tended to conclude only when one side had decimated their competition into oblivion, and many clans of story were rendered extinct during this period.
The victors of war, having claimed their territories, often made truces with surrounding locals, offering protection in exchange for access to the yields of agriculture. Over time, certain communities emerged as more dominant than others, either due to numbers or sheer talent, and their rapid expansion would force smaller, neighboring communities to either collapse into their fold or be devastated. When the dust settled, humankind found itself divided into the five major territories that we are familiar with today. And was the bloodshed over? With our lands obtained and our bellies filled, were we finally content?
It turns out, the earliest warfare was simply a microcosm of what would later occur on a grand scale. The finitude of resources compelled burgeoning populations to venture beyond their own territories in order to thrive. And thus, the wars that had theretofore been provincial began to spill across borders and involve what were, in effect, countries. And so the world went up in flames. Any communities that had yet to assimilate into one of the five major alliances were now compelled to, which only stoked the fires that rolled over the land.
During this time, certain figures emerged from their respective populaces as combatants of legendary skill. By demonstrating their might, these exemplary warriors gradually began to rally the otherwise heterogeneous forces within their domain under a single banner. Numerous infamous battles were decided by these few, key figures, and their names made waves across the continent. Many have called them the First Shinobi.
With the advent of territory-wide leadership, the war efforts of each competing population became more organized and, consequently, more vicious. There was no end in sight. Contrarily, the all-too-human emotions of envy, greed, vengefulness, and even fear commingled to fuel the flames of war. When rumors of Bijū began contributing to the arms-frenzy, chaos ensued. An array of infamous battles took place during this time, and the brunt of the damage was taken by the Land of Fire, which, given its central positioning, became the obvious war zone. Where there was once a paradise of verdant forestry and frolicking wildlife, there now laid a wasteland of charred bodies and blood-soaked soil. The fury of the Fire’s inhabitants brought the war-fervor to its zenith, and a feeling of impending disaster swept across the land.
During the peak of this tumult, a mysterious man named Fujibayashi Nagato surfaced and visited the leaders of each divergent populace. Bearing no allegiance to any of the five territories, he was said to hail from the Ōtsutsuki Clan of popular myth. Wielding the Rinnegan, he appeared to each of the First Shinobi under a separate avatar, and on the same night, at the same time, he delivered to each of them a portentous speech.
“You have all taken this land for granted. For paltry wants humankind has lain waste to their collective home. To slay, or to be slain—this shortsighted dilemma has captured the mind of man since time immemorial. And soon… Soon, it will be your demise. The time approaches when you must reap what you have sown.
War has dulled your senses. It has blinded you to sinister forces that, at this moment, loom in the distance. Should you persist in your reckless campaigns, your world will be destroyed. Not by you, of course. No. A power approaches that far exceeds your present imagination. The time has come for you to set your sights on tomorrow. If you do not, when that time comes, humankind will face its demise.
Cease your infighting. Establish strongholds throughout your land. Unite, develop villages, grow. I can only grant you this single warning. In ten years, I will return. If you heed my advice, then ten years from now I will call you to the Land of Iron to convene and further discuss the threat that I have prophesied. If you do not heed my advice, then in ten years and one, this land will be no more.
Before I leave, I believe it prudent that I bequeath to you a… parting gift, of sorts. Two Bijū, granted to the peoples that stand closest to annihilation, to even the tides of war and discourage enterprising minds from continuing in their current direction. Relay my message to your people. This is your only chance.
Farewell, for now.”
That night, each of the First Shinobi meditated on what they had been told and, by morning, sent emissaries to each territory to discuss an immediate armistice. This initial ceasefire would later lead to the establishment of the hidden villages and the peace treaty that constituted an end to this turbulent period in human history.
We stand here today, almost ten years later, and much has changed. Peace blankets the continent, the Shinobi tradition has begun, and the destruction left by war has almost entirely disappeared. While many praise the revolution that has occurred, unrest bubbles beneath the surface amongst certain contingents who argue that this lull has weakened us. Furthermore, the mystery of Fujibayashi Nagato and his prophecy remains.
The future is an open-ended question. And there lie many answers.