History

Daiko’s story began in a sleepy village that lay deep within a lush forest. He was found abandoned as an infant, swaddled in a basket and left on one of the village elder’s doorsteps with nothing more than a collar that told his name. Jaull, an old tiger with no children or living family, decided to take the boy in and raise him as his own. The elder was known for his penchant for storytelling and avid belief in the legends of old... something that would heavily contribute to the young cat’s development as he grew up.

Even before he could walk, Daiko proved to be quite the rambunctious kit. He was bright, insatiably curious, and fearless in his pursuit to learn everything he could about the world around him. He’s always loved and respected the one he calls “grandfather,” but there was never a disillusion that Jaull was his real family; the elderly cat made sure Daiko knew of his origin from an early age. He didn’t feel the need to hide the circumstances of his mysterious appearance from him, and while the knowledge naturally sparked his innate curiosity, it didn’t negatively affect him or his relationship with his adopted guardian.

Other than his unexplained arrival, the one thing that Daiko was best known for around the village was his extremely active imagination - much of which being thanks to the many stories of courage and heroism his grandfather told him over the years. His favorite story, of course, was the tale of the legendary hero and how one day, a new Chosen One would rise to fight the darkness once it prophetically rose again. According to the myth, the ruins of what was supposedly the sacred spring where the Hero received his power existed not too far from the village - a fact that only strengthened his devotion to the tale. Daiko spent most of his free time here, investigating the broken fountain and training against imaginary monsters with slingshots and wooden swords when he wasn’t busy helping his grandfather or doing chores.

Despite Jaull’s gentle attempts to dissuade him, Daiko was absolutely convinced he was the Chosen One. All of the pieces fit: he shows up out of nowhere, with no known family or origin? Check. Has the characteristic star marking on his forehead? Check. Wants to save the world more than anything in his entire life? Double check. How could it not be him? So obsessed was he with this theory that the few other children who lived in the village were overwhelmed with his tenacity and rarely wanted to play with him. Even some of the adults, who at one time found the child’s enthusiasm to be charming, grew exasperated with his constant chatter about the legend and often chided him and Jaull for his behavior. But Daiko didn’t care - as long as he had the sacred spring and his grandfather, he was happy.

As Daiko grew older, so did Jaull - the tiger knew he didn’t have much time left in this world. His grandson vehemently denied this fact, always going on about how he had to stay alive long enough to see him become the hero and save the planet from destruction. Eventually, Jaull’s health declined so greatly that he was nearly completely bedridden. It was only then that the elder decided it was time to tell him the truth: he had known for a long time that he wasn’t the Chosen One. When he expectedly refuted the idea, Jaull explained that one of Daiko’s favorite toys as a child - a seemingly broken bell - was the key in finding the true hero. According to the legend, it would only chime when the Chosen One held it… and Daiko has never heard it ring.

Devastated by the truth and feeling betrayed by his grandfather, he almost lost himself. His entire life had been spent believing he was bound for greatness, born to venture out from this mundane existence at the village and do something that actually made a difference in the world.

But he was never special.

Soon after Jaull’s death, a fateful visit to the sacred spring would reignite Daiko's passion for the legend. For, when he arrived at the fountain, he noticed a trickle of water running from the crumbled spout into the basin below. Daiko knew from the prophecy that the flowing of the spring foretold the beginning of the great evil’s return. He realized then what he had to do: if he couldn’t be the hero, then he would have to find the real Chosen One and make sure they didn’t fail. He set out the next day without a word, still bitter from the revelation but determined to help save the world from the evil no one believed was coming.