Born to a laborer parents, Mischa grew up in the town of Magnimar, idolizing the local watch, following them around until he became more of a pest than anything else. It was this persistence that paid off over time that won him the grudging respect of a sergeant at arms of the watch. Granak, a veteran of past wars and part-time adventurer, took pity on the boy but saw a spark in him that others did not. By the time Mischa was of age, he had picked up enough tips and tricks from Granak that he had an easier time training for the local watch than did most others. With Granak's sponsorship, Mischa attended training that helped to round out the stances he learned, the strength and reflex training techniques, and the art of the sword and shield when used in coordinated combination.
Granak, sadly, was killed during a pirate attack before Mischa finished his training. Mischa managed to hold himself together for the last two weeks of training, but immediately left after graduation, unable to walk the same streets that his mentor had walked; the memories were too difficult to contain. It took less than a day to find a merchant caravan in need of swordsmen. That merchant caravan has now arrived in Sandpoint, where Mishca is currently looking for work.
