awww balder was honestly a little sweetheart growing up until his teens. he was adopted by a miqo woman and an elezen woman in coerthas after his parents were murdered. they are extremely protective but loving, and tried to hide him from temple knights when they came to their inn because they were afraid of how they would treat balder. in his teens, balder resented that and often snuck out to cause trouble with his childhood friend vaaska (a female hroth who was the daughter of the stablehands)

they would sometimes sneak into ishgard and scare people before balder got into big trouble and almost bought the farm because of it. he was spared by edmont, who balder didn’t know at the time was the one who saved him, and he ran off back home never to cause trouble again.

he was always studious thanks to his mother dula schooling him due to her noble history that she denounced, and his mother celeste taught him how to shoot a bow and arrow so he could help people if needed when he got older. he loved to climb trees and explore ruins and learn, but when he was finally old enough to leave home, he did, and his title of the warrior of light came swiftly after