A seedling in its infancy does not know what the future holds. As its journey begins, the sun, moon, and stars will guide it toward the skies. But as the plant grows, so must it learn to fend for itself. And each stage is a milestone in the cycle of life that shapes it from seed, sprout, and small plant, to a fully grown Sequoia tree. Once fully developed, a Sequoia tree can live for over 3,000 years.

And just like the Sequoia tree, the young Ronin was once a seedling. He had no idea what the future held. He only knew that he had to take each day as it came and do his best to make the most of it.

He was born an orphan and raised in the courts of the kingdom of Ojrokawa. His tumultuous childhood was a valuable experience that shaped him into a man. He learned to be resourceful and resilient and developed a strong sense of self-awareness. He mastered the sword and many other forms of combat, and his rise to power was unprecedented. The young Ronin soon became known as the fiercest warrior in Japan and fought numerous battles for his Lord, the mighty Emperor Gima.

With his every victory, the kingdom of Ojrokawa became stronger until no clan was left to challenge the great Emperor Gima. But in those days, the Ronin was not a Ronin; he was a Samurai, and like all men, he hungered for love and found it. But love is like an ocean, its depths are either your watery grave, or its waves can carry you to a safe harbor, a refuge from the storms of life that are in constant pursuit.

And as the roots of love took hold, the young Ronin forgot that his love was forbidden, so he paid the ultimate price. Love can both heal and destroy, but sadly it was the latter for the young Ronin; as he was banished from the kingdom he had called home, stripped of his titles, and betrayed by his friends, he became an outcast, a Ronin. For years he roamed the countryside until he found refuge with the Iccna Monks.

And so it was that the Ronin found himself in the land of Iccna. A land where some say that the Gods walk among men and where magic is as common as rain. And there he met a woman, a sorceress who could read minds and see into the future. The sorceress told him of a prophecy that foretold his return to Ojrokawa.

But little did the young Ronin know that this was just the beginning and that in the years to come, he would be molded by the fires of affliction, shaped by the hammers of fate, and anointed on the anvil of life, and unknowingly become a pawn in the game of the Gods.