Ryu's Backstory

My name is Ryu. I was born in the military nation of Lingshen and lived with my mother and father. My father was a great samurai General. Early on, my father instilled in me the importance of the Bushido, the warriors code of loyalty, honor, and martial arts, as customary of all young boys in my homeland. My family lived close to the border of neighboring nation Kaoling, a militant nation of hobgoblins. Kaoling forces routinely led raids into Lingshen, burning villages to the ground, murdering and enslaving women and children, and stealing food and supplies. My father spent most of his life defending the Lingshen border against the Kaoling invaders. I didn't join my father in battle against the hobgoblins until I was 15, and even then my combat experience was limited. During my first battle, my first real taste of War, my best friend, Aoki, took an arrow through the neck and died in my arms. I was enraged by this and my hatred for hobgoblins only increased. In my second battle, i had my first kill, followed by many more,  fueled by anger and rage. My father watched me battle in awe and fear. He saw I was talented at killing but feared my anger would consume me and lead me to be reckless. Before he died, he instructed me to travel to Quain and seek out Master Omo, a samurai master who he hoped would hone my skills and quell my anger. I was 16 when i left for Quain. After many struggles and hardships i finally found Master Omo and began my true samurai training. I trained endlessly, devoting my entire life to the pursuit of becoming powerful enough to destroy the kaoling hobgoblins and save my nation. My continued practice of the Bushido code my father taught me, along with the meditative trainings of Master Omo have taught me to be more centered and less filled with hatred, however negative emotions of anger and rage still linger. My natural skill and prowess along with Master Omo's Martial arts training have made me nearly unstoppable. Master Omo believes that now I am finally ready. The hobgoblins of kaoling worship an evil samurai god, the Black Daimyo General Susumu. He is the half brother of Shizuru, the goddess I worship, and Master Omo believes that to defeat the kaoling enemy for good, I must find the long lost Blade of Shizuru, a legendary weapon imbued with the power of the Empress of Heaven.