In a small poor village by the name of Matsunagi, there dwelled an amazing power known as the lotus, stemming from the souls ancient villagers and warriors of the past.  This power came to be from the needs of the village.  These souls took on the responsibility of providing the village with what they needed to survive, whether it be strength, health, or in some odd cases super natural abilities.

An evil decendant of one of the souls, named Tsomaro, has a strange connection to The Black Lotus.
With this connection, Tsomaro was able to attack the lotus and steal a portion of the mystical power.
The Black Lotus managed to escape, but not with out losing some of its power to Tsomaro.  Upon the escape, the lotus seperated into 4 Spirits and spread out among the village to find the strongest, and most skilled warriors.