Daichi's existence began well before his life. Even far before any who live today. Many centuries ago when the Amatatsu family rose to power in Minkai, the kami rained blessings on those who showed them honor and respect, granting the great Imperial Families great power and wealth. Many of lesser kami were even taken in to these families as guardian spirits and protectors of the lineages of the noble bloodlines. Others sprang in to being in places where the families built great shrines and fabulous palaces. One of these was a spirit named Daichi. A guardian spirit of one of the great shrines built by the Amatatsu family, his duty was to guard the land from intruders and to protect the honored burial sights of the departed family members. As he watched one family member after another pass through his temple, he came to not only respect the Amatatsu's but to care for them as his own family. For generations, his gentle watch was enough to guard the temple from harm. But it would not last.
The onslaught was quick and brutal. Before he even knew what was happening, the generations long plot of the Five Storms came to fruition. He could feel the souls of the Amatatsu as they fell, joining their kin as they passed through his shrine and he realized that something truly terrible must have happened. But as one bound to the land, he could not leave. He could only continue his duty and plead that one of the family would come to tell him what had befallen Minkai. Sadly, those that came were not of the Amatatsu. Minions of the Five Storms, not merely content to slaughter their enemies, arrived to desecrate and defame the shrine so that they might humiliate them as well. The battle at the temple gate lasted a full day and night before the kami fell, riddled with more wounds than any mortal could hope to survive. And as he lay dying, he could still feel the last souls of the Amatatsu, far away but still burning with the family's incredible fire.
With this last spark of hope, Daichi's soul refused to return to the earth. Instead, his spirit flew north, continuing until he was so far north that he began to fly south again. The further he traveled from his shrine, the more his soul began to degrade and his power drifted away from him, only his bond with the Amatatsu family holding his will together. He knew not how long her traveled, nor how many years had passed since the family had fled their rightful home, nor did he even know how long it took him to find that single spark of light that was the spirits of the Amatatsu's last scions. Finally, his ragged spirit, little more than will and loyalty held together by hope, found its way to Sandpoint and to the home of the Kaijitsu family. As he entered the house, he felt the familiar sensation of a life about to leave the mortal realm. His spirit was drawn, not to the main family, but to a servant couple who's newborn barely clung to life. In that instant, Daichi realized why he had been brought here. His life merged with that of the baby and he was reborn into the world as the son of two of Lonjiku Kaijitsu's servants, and destined to serve his daughter.
Daichi was a somber boy growing up. Though the life of the kami he once was had been lost when he was reborn, he still felt the drive that had driven the first Daichi to travel halfway around the world to find his family. His loyalty and care for the Kaijitsu family was never called in to question, though many wondered if his 'care' for Ameiko was from more... inappropriate desires. Daichi denied each of these claims. He felt the love for her that he might for a sister, but not a lover.
His appearance did not make such claims easy though. He wasn't terribly handsome, but his appearance was... exotic. His skin was pale as marble and as smooth as well, yet it felt like ordinary skin to the touch. His hair was jet black and his eyes were an almost unnaturally pale blue. Which was strange for, other than his coloring, his Tien heritage was obvious at a glance. His parents came to believe that some divine force touched him that night that he nearly died and that his appearance was a sign of celestial grace. They were not far off...
And though his memories had faded to rare flashes and occasional visions or dreams, Daichi's power had faded far less. He could still feel the call of the earth and the power of the world flowing through him. And with focus, he could make the earth bend to his will. He did everything in his power to harness this skill, training himself in its uses so that he might protect the family that he cared for. For some reason, he was certain that they were in danger...
