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.
Name: Pick Your Poison Rank: D Repeatable: Yes Description: The Konoha Hospital is in constant need for ingredients to make remedies and antidotes for various sicknesses and poisons. The hospital always needs new herbs picked from outside of the village to mix antidotes, but the medical shinobi lack the time to be gone from the hospital, or village. A small time nurse has offered to go on this adventure, but she is rather clumsy. Despite this she is very knowledgeable in different plants and herbs. Objective: Escort Ms. Megume outside of the village and assist her in gathering plants and herbs. Reward: 100 EXP and 10,000 Ryo
Combining with D-Level herb search for personal herb supply
CURRENT HERB SEARCH | Post 1 Prin Rank: D Type: Herb Region: Fire, Lightning, Wind, Whirlpool, Waterfall Special: Takes up one (1) accessory slot. Description: This herb could easily be mistaken for a clover, although it only has two leaves. It is extremely small but vibrantly green. It is said that potions made with this herb can affect one's speed. Cost: 500 Ryo
"Yuuuuu~rei! Your father said you would come along to help me today - thank you young man!" chimes a shrill, high-pitched voice from the other side of the verdant clearing that the young Nara clansman found himself in. It was the same voice that he'd heard several times in the past, through both missions such as the one he was undertaking, and day-to-day life. Due to his family's connection to the herbalist arts, he and his relatives were often in high demand at Konohagakure's hospital, to support with the locating of herbs and creation of elixirs. Though he made a point of staying as far away as he could from the rest of his family, he knew that he had several cousins who enjoyed giving their time to the hospital - some medics, some herbalists, and others less talented in those fields volunteering as porters during times of need. However, his specialism was in the study of herbs, and Ms. Megume, as frustrating as she could be - the woman could hardly balance at times, it seemed - Yuurei couldn't fault her expertise. Having worked with her on a few different occasions now, he apprecaited the talent that she had with locating herbs. It didn't rival that of his mother, but she could sure try.
"Coming!" he shouts - not with any particular kind of anger, but moreso just to make the woman aware that he was approaching her. The closer he got, he could see that she was hunched down over a particular patch of grass that looked like it was covered in clovers - though with the knowledge that he had, he was more than aware of the herb that may lay within. Prin - a plant, though small, had the potential to impact the speed of the person ingesting it. He'd made elixirs using that herb as a base several times in the past, so he was no stranger to having to dig around between roots trying to find the elusive leaves. From the look on Ms.Megume's face and the grass stains on her blisteringly white trousers, it seemed as if she'd been there for a little while trying to find the herb. In her hand was a magnifying glass, on account of Prin being so small and her own eyesight having worn down with each passing year of her life. Whilst not considered senior, she wasn't quite as spritely as she once was, but she didn't let that beat her.
"Thank you for coming along today Yuurei - today we're looking for-""Prin - I know. I'd also suspect there could be some lurking in there" he responds - his tone somewhat gentle to compare with one he'd typically offer the rest of the general public. Perhaps it was just that he was doing something that he enjoyed, or that he saw something in Ms.Megume that he had lost several years ago with the passing of his mother. Either way, after making his deduction, he kneels down and drops his herbalist bag to his side, and takes his position a meter or so away from Ms.Megume, starting to rummage around amongst the clover-looking plants on the ground for any sight of Prin. Ms.Megume, knowing Yuurei's preference to work in peace, gives him a wide grin, and continues.
CURRENT HERB SEARCH | Post 2 Prin Rank: D Type: Herb Region: Fire, Lightning, Wind, Whirlpool, Waterfall Special: Takes up one (1) accessory slot. Description: This herb could easily be mistaken for a clover, although it only has two leaves. It is extremely small but vibrantly green. It is said that potions made with this herb can affect one's speed. Cost: 500 Ryo
Minutes passed by as the two of them rummaged around the ground below in search of any Prin that they could find. The place was typically full of it at this time - it was just a case of having eyes sharp enough to notice them amongst the rest of the foliage, and hands tactile enough to identify the slight differences between its leaves compared to the average clover that you'd find sprouting in and amongst the grass. "You know Yuurei, your mother would be proud of you, seeing you out here helping this old woman" Ms.Megume exclaims as she brings up the magnifying glass up close to a particular leaf that she had outlined. "I always knew that you would follow in her footsteps - I remember when she would first bring you out to these woods".
Yuurei's eyes dip as he remembers the days long gone where he, barely five, would join his mother and relatives on herb hunting trips in the forestry surrounding the village. Travelling in high numbers meant that the likelihood of finding some quality herbs was higher, and they would make a day of it, bringing enough picnic food to share with everyone. He could just feel his face being pulled in all directions by elder aunties and their croaky voices marvelling at how much he had grown. He'd been quite a short child by all means, with his height only having shot up during his teens, but they still cawed at how much he had changed between the last time they'd seen him.
Continuing to fumble around in the grass, Yuurei paused, stretching his arms up high and then behind him, as if trying to get rid of an ache in his shoulders. Turning to look at Ms.Megume before him, he smiled softly. "That was a long time ago now. I'm surprised you can even remember, obachan" knowing that would hit her right where it hurt, he returned his gaze back to the mission at hand, a smirk on his lips. Ms.Megume narrows her eyes, and grins back. Yuurei had never been one for sentimental talk.
Suddenly, the old woman shifted her position, her eyes lighting up at what she had just found before her. Snipping gently at the earth, her puffy hands held up a selection of small leaves before her - Prin. So he had been right, there was gold in these parts.
CURRENT HERB SEARCH | Post 3 Prin Rank: D Type: Herb Region: Fire, Lightning, Wind, Whirlpool, Waterfall Special: Takes up one (1) accessory slot. Description: This herb could easily be mistaken for a clover, although it only has two leaves. It is extremely small but vibrantly green. It is said that potions made with this herb can affect one's speed. Cost: 500 Ryo
Her hand continued to point towards the sky, as the other rose up with the magnifying glass, as if trying to inspect it further. But, whatever doubt she may have had was trumped by the grin on her face, which told him everything that he needed to know. "Did you find some?" Yuurei asks, rising from his previous position and moving to sit alongside Ms.Megume. His eyes instantly look down at the patch of unassuming greenery before him - it was just a case of looking hard enough, clearly. "Yes! A few pieces right in this very patch! Hi no Kuni sure is generous to us today!" she exclaims happily before carefully storing the herb within a storage case in her bag. The day wasn't over yet - but at least now they knew that there was definitely something here worth exploring. The longer he spent away from the village the better, but he felt the day slowly coming to a close as Ms.Megume to his side started to pluck the herb piece by piece from the ground.
Time passed and what had previously been an empty box was soon starting to get filled more and more with Prin, collected by both Ms.Megume and Yuurei. Though he had searchd for this particular herb time and time again, even he could sometimes be fooled by its appearance - but surely if herbs were all that easy to find, that would render their services and specialisms as Herbalists, useless. "How much more are we looking for?" he asks, studying a leaf before him to see if it fit the criteria that they required. "Not much more - just a few more will do" glancing at the bag which was now considerably fuller than it had been a few hours ago, he was sure that there was several potent elixir's worth in there, and all the while hoping that was just about enough for him to keep for his own concoctions.
A breeze rolled through the clearing, and the sound of Ms.Megume rising up from her grassy spot cut through the sound of the cicadas and birds around them - along with a considerable few clicks from her knees. "I think this will do nicely - thank you Yuurei" she grins, putting the magnifying glass back where it belonged and closing the bag. Dusting her knees - which were far greener than they had been at the start of the day - she looks back towards the general direction of the village. Yuurei and rises, rubbing his hands together to remove any excess dirt that had accumulated on them from digging around in the grass all morning.
"Same time next week?"
He grins, and Ms.Megume responds with a smile of her own and a nod of her head. The two part ways, though her route was more direct - all this talk of sentimentality made him want to take the long way back, today.