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.
Hidden deep within Nōberu no Mori lies the Nara clan cemetary - a well-tended plot dedicated to the lost lives of Nara clan-members. Whilst the cemetary is hidden deep within the forestry, it is surrounded by tall, spiked metal fencing, to try and keep unwelcome visitors out. Considered a sacred place for members of the clan, what's unique about this cemetary is even though it is based in Hi no Kuni and is mostly considered as the resting place of any fallen Nara from the region, the cemetary welcomes its brethren from all walks of life, no matter how far their kind had travelled. Because of this, though political tensions may rise and fall, the cemetary is a no man's land where those who enter are joined only for the respect for their passed relatives. Any kind of combat is disallowed, and for this reason, the Hi no Kuni-based Nara have ensured that two guards are present at any given time to keep the peace.
Whilst the cemetary doesn't house any standalone buildings of its own, it lies in the shadow of a long worn-down church. With its windows having long since smashed in and parts of the wall having crumbled away to time, nature has taken it back as its own. Ivy creeps up its walls, desparately attempting to climb past the trees to capture any sunlight it can get, and amongst the rubble grow wildflowers. The flowers, which change each year depending on what's carried with the wind, grow of their own accord and thrive within the church's hallowed walls. It's said that this once was a hub for Nara activity, but with many members having moved to other regions, as time passed, the usage and upkeep of this building also dimmmed, rendering it the skeleleton of its former self that it is today.
Location guidelines
If you aren't from the Nara clan, then you will need to complete the equivalent of a D-Rank mission to locate the cemetary in the expanse of Nōberu no Mori. This does not need GM moderation to achieve success.
Following the above, anyone may enter this thread and pay their respects to the dead. Please clearly state your intentions with appropriate 'Enter' and 'Exit' posts.
Violence will not be tolerated within the cemetary. All NPCs are on high alert for such behaviour and will attempt to stop any fighting.
As this is a peaceful site, this thread is non-death enabled, which is ironic, because it's a cemetary.
NPCs
Protecting the site and ensuring that no ruckus is being caused, the Nara family have guards on rotation to ensure this. Whilst they have a rotating cast, these are well-seasoned Nara clanspeople equivalent to jounin-rank, and typically those who have retired from an active shinobi lifestyle who are now volunteering their time at their ancestor's resting place as a way of giving back to their community. Whilst they do not typically interact with visitors to the site, they are trained to disengage any kind of combat that occurs at the cemetary by any means necessary. Being as diverse as the flora and fauna of Hi no Kuni itself, they come with a range of different unique abilities, though their connection stands in their abilities to mold shadows to their will and their use of Kagura-Shingan to detect any unwelcome guests.
One guard stays watch at any given time and can often be found at the entrance of the cemetary to identify those who enter, though they do at times also monitor the rest of the cemetary as part of their daily routine.
A selection of the more commonly seen guards can be viewed below.
Name | Nara, Shiyomi Age | 37 Appearance & Personality| Shiyomi, though nearing her 40s, is fortunate to look a few years her junior. With long, flowing black hair and gently tanned skin from spending so much time outside, she doesn't look too disimilar to her fellow Nara clanspeople. Her eyes are a dark shade of brown, and could be considered as being almost black. She looks quite casual to compared to the other people typically on rotating guarding the cemetary, though isn't seen without her flak jacket and pouches to hold her accessories, just in case it's required. All things considered, she's quite short, measuring only 5'3", making her one of the shortest guards on the watch.
Polite and talkative, Shiyomi is a favourite of visitors to the cemetary due to her glowing personality and kind nature. But - when your colleagues are absolute grumps, is that really that hard to achieve? Despite coming across as a very gentle-hearted person, Shiyomi is very spiritual, and believes the Cemetary to be a most holy resting site for her fallen Nara relatives. Because of this reason, when faced in combat she comes across as a completely different person, as if someone had flipped a switch. She has been known to scare even the most steely of shinobi - and when she's not needing to stop any unwelcome visitors, she can often be found roaming the cemetary in search of cats. Specialisms | Ninjutsu Slots | Nara, Katon, Raiton
Name | Nara-Suzumoto, Raizen Age | 51 Appearance & Personality| The most threatening looking of the guards, Raizen is also the current longest-serving guard, despite only being at the cemetary part time due to his commitments as a medic to Konohagakure. Despite this, he enjoys his time volunteering at the cemetary, as it means that he can often visit the gravesite of his young child, Haru, who unfortunately passed away at 3 years old. Silent and stalwart, he doesn't make much conversation and even when engaged with it, typically chooses not to converse longer than what's require by his role. Despite this, a softer side can often be seen, as when not guarding the gates of the cemetary or checking the perimeter, he can be found tending to various graves around the plot, making sure that weeds aren't overgrown and that they look respectful.
Raizen stands at a towering 6'5", with the width and muscle to match. Though his days serving as a shinobi running around the world are long gone, his body shows the scars from his youth, the most prominent being a slice running aross his forehead. He has ear-length black hair, the colour being very inkeeping with the dominant traits of the Nara family, and has dark blue eyes. His chin is decorated with black stubble - the type that makes you question whether it's a result of an intentional shave, or just poor self-care. He wears traditional garb, though not without including spaces for any equipment required by his role.
Name | Nara, Kageshi Age | 42 Appearance & Personality| Kageshi, though getting on a little at 42 years old, was considered a very handsome man in his youth, and as he grew older the attraction has remained, but now is considered as more of a 'daddy' than a 'baddie'. He stands at approx. 5'11" and as a result, slightly shorter than his comrades, but has beautiful facial features to compensate. Quite lean, he has shoulder-length black hair, and dark brown eyes. His skin is quite pale despite the amount of time that he spends basking in the sun (a result of applying copious amounts of sunscreen), and similar to the other guards who protect the area, he wears respectful traditional garb.
He's happy to make conversation with people who come to visit the gravesites, though due to now being in a fully commited relationship with his wife (who packs his lunches when he's on shift at the cemetary), he makes a point of not being as open to any young women who try it on with him. Otherwise, he's quite a friendly man despite the resting bitch face which can sometiems be seen on his face, and enjoys nothing more than listening to birdsong. With a speciality in inton, his purpose is to ensure that potential threats to the harmony of the cemetary are incapacitated, and supports his colleagues through manipulating the minds of those with ill-intent.