Written By Kona
Ninjas are a race shrouded in mystery; most mortals don’t have the slightest clue where they came from or what they truly are. However, some mortals—old and wise—know the truth about Ninjas. These mortals have often spent their entire lives interacting with the peculiar race, thus learning of their true nature by extension.
Ninjas are not humans at all; they are simply humanoid creatures, or at least human-shaped. Ninjas evolved from humans, but instead of evolving for agility and strength, they evolved to favor stealth. Most of these people lived in dark hills or valleys, learning to hide amidst the terrain. However, some of these new stealth-favoring humans lived in an ancient and vast magical forest.
Over time, the effects of this mystical nature began to embed itself into the small collective of people, gradually forming the basis of magical powers. With this new gift, the forest people emerged from their woods to share their discovery to all that would hear. Some shunned these witches and wizards, either afraid of the power or the forest itself, but after showcasing their magical abilities, most were persuaded. Those within this branch of humans who still rejected the magic were cast out and began to live amongst regular people, eventually merging their lineages over the ages and fading their magical presence.
The now-magical society began experimenting with spells and potions to enhance the stealth they so desired. All was well in this progression until one day when a witch experimenting with new forms of magic heard a slight whisper in her ear. The voice was female, disjointed, and carried an air of humor, almost like a child plotting a prank. The witch, confused by the whisper, looked around, but when she saw nothing, she dismissed it as her imagination. Continuing her experiments, the witch suddenly had an idea, resulting in the creation of a new spell. Little did she know, the idea wasn’t her own.
This new magic was shared with every member of their branched society, and for years, it granted them the ability to become one with the shadows when they desired, and return to their normal form just as easily. However, people soon began noticing that even after stepping out of the shadows, they appeared shrouded in darkness. Over time, they grew darker and darker until they eventually became fully one with the shadow, unable to return to their original form.
These new shadow beings, while able to maintain their shadowy form, could not interact with the world around them, except through words. So, the scattered remnants of their people came together to find an answer. After much deliberation, they prayed to the gods for help. Their prayers were answered by the god of mischief, who granted their wishes—but in a cruel manner.
The people had prayed for release from their spell, but instead, the god of mischief gifted them magical clothes. These outfits allowed them to physically interact with the world again, but in a cruel twist, they made them weaker. While donning these outfits, the shadow people could touch once more, but they could also be damaged. If their outfit was pierced or torn, their shadowy essence would begin leaking out. When this damage occurs, the shadow being is forced to repair their outfit using their limited magic ability, for if they don’t, their essence would leave them, inevitably causing their death. The shadow people, horrified, begged the god of mischief to remove the outfits, but she ignored their pleas. Trying to remove the outfits, they discovered that the clothes had all but fused with their form, making them unable to remove the clothes without bleeding out.
Thus, with these permanent outfits affixed to their bodies, the shadow people wandered the land, earning a new name from other beings in the world: Ninjas. Ninjas would use primitive magic to create an illusion, this illusion resembling a face, this creates the illusion of Ninjas seeming like men wearing outfits, though the truth is much darker. The Ninjas would despise mages for the rest of their days, as it was the mages who caused their downfall.
After getting used to their shadowy form, the Ninjas started understanding their situation. They realized that they could die of old age, the fabric they don getting more frail with the years, until it eventually turns to dust. The lifetime of a Ninja resembles that of a human, for that is seemingly something that their transformation did not alter. This brings up another question: How do Ninjas reproduce? The answer to this is quite complicated. For Ninja offspring to be created, two members of their race must travel to some place where shadow dwells, day and night. Then, in the darkness the two must meditate for seven days. After their meditation has stopped, a small shadow, wearing the same outfit of fabric will lie in front of them. These Ninja babies grow over time, their growth cycle being the same as humans, and as always, the outfit never leaves, growing with them.
When it comes to the traditions and society of the Ninjas, they lead lives drastically different from those they once had. Ninjas take advantage of their shadowy form, sneaking through woods and other dark areas, becoming indistinguishable from the darkness around them. Ninjas are very keen to stay hidden, and if someone discovers them, they often become hostile. For this reason, humans are taught that if they see a Ninja, they should pretend they didn’t.
Many debate whether Ninjas can communicate with humans, a speculation that stems from the mystery surrounding Ninja intelligence. Some say Ninjas are not intelligent, no smarter than other forest creatures, but they are wrong. Ninjas are, in fact, quite intelligent, possessing the ability for critical thinking and communication. Ninjas rarely speak human languages, but this inability does not stem from a lack of intelligence; rather, humans do not teach Ninjas or provide them with the resources required. Despite this, some Ninjas have learned human languages and speak them well.
Ninjas’ society is very different from that of humans. They are lone wolves and rarely form large groups. Even with their hesitation to converge, groups of Ninjas up to 50 members have been known to form. These large gatherings usually occur for a common cause, such as driving off hostile goblins or organizing a mass exodus due to natural disasters.
Ninjas are wanderers and do not create villages or towns. A Ninja may travel thousands of leagues in a week, always searching for a better place to live as part of this hermit lifestyle. They are hunter-gatherers, and for this reason, they do not farm, choosing the blade over the sickle. Aswell as this, Ninjas, being creatures of shadow, do not eat like other creatures as they do not need nutrients to carry out any normal bodily functions. However, they still must consume because, if they do not, their shadow begins to dissipate and wisp away. The way they eat their food is also unique, simply inserting the food into their bodies where it blends into the shadow itself. To aid them in acquiring food, Ninjas have developed a variety of tools and weapons, the most well-known being the kunai and shuriken.