Haresh Clay was born in 801 in Kumbi in the Kingdom of Ghana with the name Areshanti. In 834, Haresh died his first death while attempting a tribal ritual which would have made him chief hunter of his tribe. He soon met his first teacher, Sudala, who not only taught him about his Immortality, but also taught him that he had to become the champion of the Africans and encouraged him to fight only the best. Eager to prove himself, he followed that principle with a vengeance: he challenged only the best, most powerful immortals, in the hope of proving his manhood to himself, having already failed his tribal ritual. Areshanti traveled the world, meeting other Immortals. He later meets his first student, Carter Wellan, who became his best friend.