The Rat King

Raigō (a.k.a. Tesso, The Iron Rat)

The Rat King, also known as Tesso, is a Yokai rat spirit that can manipulate and communicate with rats.

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

The Rat King appears as a ghoulish emaciated man with decrepit, mummified skin. He has glowing read eyes and rat like features like claws, a tail, and large front incisors. He often is surrounded by ghostly green whisps. indicating his paranormal, undead nature.

Apparel & Accessories

Much of the Rat King's body is wrapped in bandages to hide the appearance of decaying skin and rat bites. He still wears his traditional Buddhist monk robes but they appear torn and dirty from age. Around his neck he wears prayer beads.

Special Abilities

Rat King can communicate with rats and mice telepathically. He can understand them and empathize with them emotionally. He can also command the rats to do his bidding. This even applies to mutants with rat DNA, like Splinter, where his ability can invade his mind and control him.
Rat King is also invulnerable to most attacks. Though appearing to be frail, he is strong and his skin is as strong as iron, earning him the iron rat title. He is however weak to magic and prayer.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Tesso was once a Japanese Buddhist monk called Raigō, who was the abbot of the Mii-dera temple, near Mt. Hiei. The emporer approched Raigō to pray he be granted a son and heir, promising anything the monk desired if successful. When the prince was born, Raigō requested new ordination building be constructed so he could ordain new monks into his sect. However the rival sect, Enryaku-ji protested and threatened retaliation, forcing the Emperor to rescind his promise.
Enraged, Raigō protested by starving himself for 100 days but would go mad from hunger and ultimately pass away, On the hundredth day, just before he died, he performed a magic ritual that would curse the Emperor. He returned as a vengeful, rat-like spirit who could control the rats. He used the rats to plague the region, infest people's homes and the palace, create messes, eat sacred texts, and kill the Prince.
Tesso's magic cursed the land for several years. but instead of appeasing the spirit, the Emperor would continue to ignore the problem by having the palace blessed from evil spirits. Eventually he would pass away and his successor would call for the help of one of the The Guardian Clans to purge Tesso's curse from the region. They were unable to kill the spirit, so they captured him instead, keeping him sealed away in a demon prison in the Yokai Realm for the next several hundred years.
Spoilers for Mystic Forest

While searching for the tsukumogami demon that is attached to the Yoroi Ketsueki, The Shredder releases Tesso and makes a deal with him, promising that if he helps him in destroying the Hamatos he will provide him with the grandest of temples. After escaping into the human realm, he finds himself acquainted with the New York Sewer system and the abundant rats, and takes on the name The Rat King.
He would also discover that one of the Hamatos had become a rat, a fact he would soon exploit by driving Splinter to madness.

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

Rat King's motivation is based around revenge towards those who have wronged him. Whether it be the Emperor's betrayal, or the Hamato's for imprisoning him. He just wants to see those who he deems as unsavory to suffer. However, his afterlife spent among the rodents have left him with the believe that most humans are flawed and are better off eradicated.

Personality

Raigō was once a pious man who strictly followed Buddhist teachings, and was generous with how he spent his time and prayer. He did not ask for much, and saw no need for things such as riches, but he did greatly value his religion. Despite this, he could be quick to anger, stubborn, and hold grudges. He was unable to let go of his anger for the Emperor's betrayal that is blinded him even in death.
The magic that he used to curse the Emperor also turned him into a dangerous yokai fueled by rage. The curse clouded his mind and made him violent and cruel. Despite using his powers to harass and harm people, he still believes that he is justified in his actions. He found himself relating more to the plight of the rats than to humans, and eventually rejected his humanity altogether.

Social

Religious Views

Tesso was and still is a deeply devout Buddhist in life and still is in undeath, however, his perception of it has been warped with time and madness.

Mannerisms

Magic has warped Tesso's soul and made him more rat-like. He has a tendency to walk on all fours and hiss and screech like an animal. He has taken on mannerisms of the rats he spends the most of his time around, gaining their trust and loyalty. However he is still a monk, and can be found spending his time praying and meditating.

Hobbies & Pets

Tesso keeps the rats he encounters not just as pets but as family. He has a deep, emotional connection will all of his rats, especially so with his favorite, a large rat named Shiori. Shiori tends to hang around Tesso more than any of the others and he can often be found hand feeding and petting this particular rat.

Speech

Tesso's voice is low and raspy, almost whisper-like. He does not often and when he does it is quietly.

Species

Yokai

Yokai Type

Kami

Age

At Least 1000

Gender

Male

Eyes

Red

Hair

None

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Mumified.

Height

5'6

Known Languages

Japanese

Rat

English (From the Rats)