Joshua Springer did not grow up an orphan, or the lost child of some royal family. No, his family was well off, his mother a wagon maker and his father one of her old friends from when they were young. They had no auspicious portents of his birth, just a midwife who made sure he was breathing, cleaned up, and promptly left after his mother was fine.  

His parents only had minor affinities, his mother had a small affinity for wood, and his father with a basic amount of typeless mana. He had a basic fire, and a small affinity for light. No holy, infernal, or other impressive magic to them, or spectacular amounts or talent. Just basic magic affinities, with around the normal amounts of mana.  

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When he was young, Joshua played around with other children his age, and eventually with his siblings when they came along. He had two younger sisters, and two brothers, one older and the other between his sisters.  His older brother was hardly around, as he actually had some talent with magic, and left for study in a larger city. 

The older of his sisters was the only one who showed talent in business, and the only one who was actually interested, so that was where she spent most of her time.  His other sister, though, showed considerable amounts of mana, but had little interest in the study of magic.  

When he was fifteen, there was a raid on their city by a large mob of beasts, and he joined the militia shortly thereafter to bolster their defense. That was when a strange youth with an absolutely enormous sword came through town...