Sometime before the spring of 99 AG, the forest surrounding the town was burned to the ground by the Fire Nation as a result of a battle, an example of the devastation that the nation had caused in their endeavor for world domination. Having lost their home, the wildlife that once lived in the forest fled to other parts of the Earth Kingdom. However, the Black and White Spirit, Hei Bai, had guarded the village's forest for thousands of years and remained there. Hei Bai, furious that his home had been burned down, transformed into a frightening and destructive creature.