Five centuries and twelve years before the death of Peth’s parents by the hands of the Mihser, the first Rift appeared in Lineon, in Argil’s northern province of Algen. While the fortress in Lineon was renowned for its impregnability, the introduction to such a fascinating and unique enemy left the garrison helpless at effectively fighting back as the Mihser killed and collected hundreds of unsuspecting civilians, before disappearing back into the Rift from which they came. The invaders were powerful, yet small in numbers, and their short attack left many survivors. The power of the public, however, is to warp stories to emphasize their personal valor, so by the time the word of the attack had reached royal ears, the invading army was depicted as far larger than it actually was. The King of Argil at the time- King Marram the Unheeding, as he would be come to be known- was a very cautious and battle-born king, and was very eager to be the hero of such a monumental conflict. Immediately, the Royal Battalion underwent a tremendous reform to better prepare for the invading armies, wherever they may have popped up. Rather quickly, the engagements moved from massacres to defeats, and from defeats to victories- at least, victory by the definition of a very tired, very proud people. Entire academies were created under Marram for the further understanding of the Mihser, and by these academies, new technologies arose, utilizing the corpses of slain Mihser to power the society adapting to the unstoppable scourge.

           Growing up in the southern province of Treol, Peth was reared on the legends and tales of treasures lost to the academies; treasures that possessed tremendous power. The poor fishers they were, it was all Peth’s parents could do to keep him content with myths, rather than the depressing truth of their rather unimportant existence. Shone and Lorette had long since accepted their humble lifestyle, but feared their son, who was much like they used to be, would not. The pair had grown up in the small fishing village or Lar, married, worked, and raised their son all within fifteen miles of their parent’s homes. Lar was poor and unimportant, so there were never enough Rifts opening around to merit any form of Battalion support, but the people of Lar didn’t mind. They were all strong, able-bodied warriors in their own rights, and had lost less than a hundred citizens in the entirety of the Invasion Era. Peth’s parent’s were no exception. They lived to work, and occasionally, to fight. They were the town’s unsung heroes, holding the living record for most success in battle. But they refused to let it get to their heads. Peth, on the other hand, loved it. He loved that his parents could kill monsters, and it angered him to no end that they refused to do it professionally.

    Shone and Lorette would tell Peth stories to calm his valor; stories that they were both raised on and chased foolishly in their youth. They told him stories of famous warriors, clever strategists, and glorious kings. But the story that he loved the most was the Legend of Gaertringen the Stone, a man who had used a secret and ancient artifact to defeat an entire invasion single handedly. The Stone had fought in the Royal Battalion for nearly 30 years before losing his magic-like powers and falling in combat, dragged through the rift with the rest of the corpses.

    What fascinated the young Peth about this tale was not the use of magical items or powerful armies. No, what drove him to the dreams he created was the thought that one man could change so much just with his fists and his heart.

    And so, when Shone and Lorette were dragged through the rift, Peth changed who he was. He still fished, but he was not a fisherman. He still hunted, but he was not a hunter. Peth became something different that day.

    â€‹Peth became a legend.