The Solar Exalted known as The Ghost of Rat’sp was born in the city of Corland, a somewhat small place near the ruins of the ancient city of Rat’sp, originally founded by a First Age host of his Exaltation, which has returned to the area every time since to find a new host. This ancient city once held a law which required every citizen to train and serve in the military, as a reservist if nothing else until they could no longer hold a weapon, to the point that death in battle, when it occurred, was seen as a favorable way to go over many others, though by no means were such deaths seen as dishonorable, and Corland was one of the many around its ruins which still took such a legacy seriously, teaching many of its sons and daughters in the arts of war, from how to wield a sword, bow, or axe to the art of strategy, tactics, and the like. A few were even trained in the martial arts, though not many, the teachings of the city focusing mostly on the arts of Melee Fighting, Archery, and Warfare.
The Ghost was born there, though he didn’t use that name there. That name was given to him later, during an event we will cover in due time. He trained with the City Guard, fighting first against the other initiates and then against the innumerable monsters, bandits, and other foes that infest the area around the ruins near the city. The leaders of the Guard quickly found that he had a natural grasp of the arts of war that few could match, at least among the humans of the town. He rose up the ranks of the guard to a middle officer in his life as a human, facing many a foe along with his brothers and sisters in arms. Over time, he became close with a fellow member of his Guard Platoon, a Guardswoman named Ikeba.
Then things went to shit. In his twentieth year of life, a creature emerged from the Ruins. They had always known that dark creatures lived in the ruins, of some sort or another, but this was the first proof that they’d ever seen of it, though legends told of all sorts of horrid creatures living within. This monster, for none could think of a better name for it, found its way to the city and attacked it, breaking through the gates despite the best efforts of the guard, and killing many.
It was in this moment that the Guardsman made a choice that would change his life forever. Heedless of the complete impossibility of taking such a creature down, he charged, refusing to back down in the face of death, knowing it would come for him, but refusing to back down, pushing his body to its limits… and for this, he was rewarded. With a burst of golden light, he changed, his body becoming faster, stronger, every aspect of his being enhanced as he renewed the fight. Collateral damage abounded, the street torn up, buildings destroyed… more by the creature than him, as far as he remembers only a couple actually fell because of him… but in the end, he was victorious, driving his blade through the skull of the creature and ending its unnatural life.
Reactions to his Exaltation were mixed, some wanting to force him to leave the city, at least a few wanting him to stay and protect it. Soon after, he left the city, reasoning that despite his strength, the city was safer without him, as it would not draw near as much attention as if he was there… and there his current chapter begins.
