After the Ritual of the Iron Oak, which marked the beginning of the Third Age, the Order of Cranes sank into a period of obscurity, leaving the people of Ikaiguchi to heal and recover from the costly war of the Shin’rei that had ravaged the islands. A time of relative peace spread across the land, as isolated communities grew out of the seven great kingdoms over which the Shin’rei had fought. During the first century, farming and fishing communities developed from the previous warring factions, and most turned their backs on conflict, hoping to cultivate a community built on peace and accord. But this era of unity was not to last.
As the island thrived, so did the greed of certain leaders. They coveted control over the burgeoning industries flourishing throughout Ikaiguchi and sought to control their territories like the Shin’rei of old. Clans began to form, some shaped in the image of the ancient Shin’rei, and soon hostility spread across the land once more as fledgling daimyo vied for control.
For the next century, power drifted between these varying factions, often threatening to spill over into all-out war. It was always halted by the wise words of old sages who relayed cautionary tales of the misery caused during the Second Age. It was not until 212 T-K that the wisdom of the elders was finally abandoned, and caution was cast to the four winds.