Oyi ga'aje (son of the soil)

Crisis and Blessings.

In time past, the people of the Idoma kingdom faced immense challenges. Neighbouring empires and distant powers laid the kingdom to waste, leaving its people vulnerable to their enemies. Weakened and intimidated, the Idomas lived in fear.

Around 1200 AD, the Attah dynasty, a powerful empire that rose from feudal west Africa, ruled over the kingdom. The Idomas were treated as inferior caste, forced to endure cruelty and oppression under the Igala empire’s rule. They were denied the freedom to live life to the fullest, bound by the empire’s strict regulations.

Despite numerous attempts at revolution, the Idomas were consistently thwarted by the might of the Igala warriors. This relentless threat undermined the sovereignty of the Ochi’doma, casting a shadow over the kingdom’s future.

For centuries, the Idoma people suffered under the yokes of oppression, until the dawn of 1200 AD. It was on this fateful day that the celestial council, moved by the plight of the downtrodden, chose to intervene.

With divine benevolence, the gods merged the seven fundamental elements of nature into a resplendent stone known as the Echur. This sacred relic radiated a kaleidoscope of colors, each hue symbolizing one of the seven elements, while an eighth luminescent white light seemed to embody the divine essence of the gods.

A local Idoma hunter ventured into the field on this fateful night, seeking to bring down his usual prey. As he spotted a plump, mature antelope, he offered a silent prayer of thanks to the gods. But before he could take aim with his arrow, a searing pain shot through the back of his head. He spun around to find a monkey standing defiantly beside a glittering stone. It dawned on the hunter that the monkey had used the stone to strike him, sending the antelope fleeing in alarm.

The hunter’s initial instinct was to chase the monkey, but his gaze fell upon the stone, and he was taken aback. He picked it up, awestruck, and couldn’t help but marvel at its beauty.Earlier that day the monkey had stumbled upon the stone in a secluded area of the forest . as it gazed at the stone in wonder, it was clear that the monkey had never seen anything like it before.

However, as night fell, the monkey’s fascination with the stone gave way to anger, and it decided to use the stone to defend itself against it oppressor - the hunter.

The hunter, meanwhile, had been having a dismal night. Despite his best efforts, he had only managed to catch two grasscutters.

As he trudged back home, the stone in hand, he couldn’t shake off the feeling of disappointment. Upon his return, the hunter showed the stone to his wife, who was immediately taken aback by its unusual glow.

“you should take this to the spiritual head”, she advised her husband.

After some deliberation, the hunter decided to heed her words and seek the spiritual head’s guidance on the mysterious stone.

As soon as the spiritual head laid eyes on the stone, he knew it was a divine gift. He rushed to the palace, eager to share the news with the king.

“Agaba’ido, there is still hope!”, he exclaimed. “the gods have sent a sign, a sign, my king!”

The spiritual head reverently produced the Echur, and the royal cabinet gasped in unison as they beheld the mysterious stone. The king commanded the spiritual head to seek guidance from the gods, inquiring about the stone’s meaning and purpose. The spiritual head complied, omitting any mention of the hunter’s role in discovering the stone.

After communing with the divine, he received a revelation from the celestial council. They disclosed the stone’s significance, explaining the symbolism behind each color it illuminated. The gods instructed the spiritual head to identify eight chosen men, each imbued with a power corresponding to one of the stone’s colors.

This divine authority would be passed down through generations, remaining within these eight bloodlines. The spiritual head conveyed the message to the king, who promptly ordered a search for the chosen individuals.

Within a week, the eight men assembled at the temple, ready to fulfill their destinies.

Among the eight chosen men was Achadu, the hunter who had unwittingly stumbled upon the Echur. These eight individuals would go on to become the ancestors of the eight most powerful bloodlines among the idomas.

Following the ritual, each of them was bestowed with extraordinary abilities;

OLA GO’CHO (OLA) BLOODLINE; This bloodline descended from Ola Elaigwu, a farmer from the mountainous region of the kingdom. He was granted the power to wield the element of fire.

EDOH’GACHE (EDOH) BLOODLINE; The Edoh bloodline originated from Oyihoma Edache, a native of the western forest region. He was endowed with the ability to control the element of air and its motion.

EDIKWU BLOODLINE;Edikwu Onyebe, a skilled warrior who served under the Ochi’doma, was blessed with the extraordinary ability to command and bend the earth and soil to his will.

AGILE BLOODLINE; Agile Ohimini, the eldest son of the chief of the Agile clan, selflessly relinquished his claim to the throne in response to the god’s call. As a reward, he was granted the power of astral projection, transmogrification and realm walking, enabling him to create clones of himself in various sizes and traverse realms, appearing in different locations beyond human capabilities. His clones possessed the unique ability of inertness which is to affect the environment without being affected by it, rendering them invulnerable.

IGOCHE BLOODLINE; Igoche Onyemowo, a renowned merchant from the southern region of the kingdom, demonstrated unwavering loyalty and dedication by abandoning his career and business to serve the king and the gods. In recognition of this devotion, he was bestowed with the exceptional arts of war/skills of a warrior, allowing him and his descendants to develop ancillary fighting skills and serve as noble warriors, protecting the kingdom’s sovereignty.

OFU GO’CHO (OFU) BLOODLINE; Ofu Inalegwu, a respected nephew of the Ochi’doma and a member of the royal line, chose to forsake his princely position to honor the gods. As a result, he was granted the ability to harness living organisms, a formidable power that enabled him and his descendants to accelerate and decelerate mutation of living organisms in a matter of seconds. This ability made them loyal and formidable guards of the king.

IJAHA BLOODLINE; Ijaha Enegolinu, the sole female candidate chosen by the gods, hailed from the riverine region of the kingdom. Despite her youth, she was revered and admired by the women in her region for her remarkable strength and humility. The gods blessed her with the ability to control water, a powerful gift that would be passed down through her lineage.