Nadeem Aradhya (Arcana)

Born to a pair of street vendors, the beginnings of Nadeem's life in the sands of Cresas was a simple one. They owned one of many of the stalls within its market and, much like your average family in the city, they partook in the trading business, known best for their confections and the bite they provided. "Best" was subjective here; it's not like their goods made them famous or anything, but they made a modest income out of what they offered.

Unbeknownst to the cub, his parents' relationship grew strained over time. While his father wanted to stay in the desert, his mother wanted to expand the business and turn their little stall into a corner store, maybe even start a chain later on. They argued about the risks of taking on such a venture; how one was fine with what they had while the other wished to do more with their lives.

The decision was made for them when Nadeem's father passed away.

Stricken with grief, his mother couldn't run the stall on her own and they had to close it down. After a time she began working for a competitor instead, staying out until late in the evening as she became the sole breadwinner of the family. This was when Nadeem was left alone for some hours after school, doing the chores she would be unable too. He even started cooking at an early age, mostly frozen dinners or canned foods whenever his mother worked overtime.

Was she the best caretaker? Not really, but she did the best she could despite what happened. Nadeem was young but he knew to appreciate everything she's done for him. Unfortunately though, her resentment for his father's passing only grew over the years. She changed, and it wasn't for the better.

Everything the tiger did, his mother kept an eye on. No mistake was left unpunished, usually in the form of lectures, some in the form of ear tugging. He took all of her scolding to heart as something he deserved for upsetting her. Nadeem worked hard in school to keep her happy and grew more quiet so as not to say something out of line. But even that wasn’t enough.

Much like every other aspect of his existence his mother tried to take control over his love life as well, pairing him up with a girl she approved, then another when the first didn't work out. They were headstrong just like her, but in turn they were just as demanding. All the attention must fall on his girlfriend, why hang out with his friends when she was all he needed? This did not even factor in his disinterest in girls in general. With the second relationship broken off as well, he explained the reason why to his mother so she wouldn't find a third.

Nadeem was disowned on the spot for the trouble.

Confused and distraught that she would take such extreme measures over something so small, the tiger was at a loss of what to do once he was sent out of his home. He wandered the streets in search of work, thrust with the sudden responsibility of making ends meet on his own. Unsavoury crowds eventually took note of his size and offered him payment and a place to stay if he did something for them. Desperate for both, he agreed and was entered into an underground fighting ring.

For years Nadeem fought as a competitor to please the gamblers outside the cage. It didn't take long for him to be known as the most forgiving of the fighters, offering mercy to his opponents and even healing their wounds after the battle. That's not to say he wasn't incompetent however. On the contrary, he was exceptional in combat, having particular skill in downing challengers without going overboard.

The cycle ended eventually. The tiger wasn't quite sure how. All he could remember at the time was waking up in a bed, covered in several bandages, and sitting in a chair close to him was a fox. He was told he was hired as a bodyguard despite his injuries - was he in a fight? They didn't usually get this bad - and that they could leave as soon as he was able to move.

Wait.

They could leave?

Nadeem let himself be led outside the building into a car - the place had more burn marks than he remembered - and then into a helicopter. Any questions he had about what happened were swept aside, and he was instead informed that he was to live with them in Zoloto. And, well, he couldn't complain too much. It was better than the ring.

So the tiger resided with the Hoshizoras, a wealthy family known for the protections they provided against the many crimes within the city. The extent of their work was revealed to him over time, and while he didn't mind the new knowledge too much, he'll admit to being satisfied with just making sure the heir was safe and not getting too involved with the shadier side of the business.

It was all the better when the youngest generation moved from the dangerous city to a new, quiet town to expand their influence. And, as always, Nadeem followed them.