Shane was a simple city boy living in Casomir. His father was a day laborer, and his mother earned extra money as a washerwoman whenever she could. Shane was a simple boy, his parents station meaning he never received any education apart from what he learned on the streets. Most of it dispensed at the end of a pair of fists. Sometimes those of other street kids, other times his father. And not just a few lessons were taught by the city guards.
One day as Shane, only eleven years of age was helping some older boys relieving one of the city's nobles of some furnishings in his manor, the noble in question bursted in, with a half dozen guards. A fight ensued, and Shane quickly yanked something off the wall to protect himself. It turned out to be a Mwangi shield, and Shane moved about, deflecting countless blows as he headed for the exit.
Alas, just before he could escape, he was pinned down by the owner of the house. As most of the crooks lay dead or wounded, Shane knew it was over and surrendered, expecting to be send to gaol for the rest of his life, which would most likely be when he swung from the gallows. But his captor had other plans. It seemed that Baron Vils as his name was, was an explorer and a respected member of something called the pathfinder society. He was looking for a new squire to accompany him on his travels, and he was rightly impressed by the young boy's skill with the shield. He offered the boy a way out of prison by joining his expeditions.
Although Shane's parents were none to happy about the whole affair, they saw no way out and agreed to the offer. And so Shane found himself on the boat for Tian Xia a few days later. Baron Vils was going to explore something called the Valashmai jungle. He spent seven years following the baron, and in that time saw many strange and wonderful things. Vils tried to teach Shane many things about the world, but it just didn't seem to stick with the boy. He did turn out to be a marvelous bodyguard though. A few months back, baron Vils decided to retire from adventuring. He gave Shane a bag of coins and told him to go and find his own place in the world.
Shane took the money and started adventuring, determined to make a name for himself.
