Abalim emerged from the shadows of the capital city's dangerous underbelly, born to the notorious Raven Clan crime syndicate that operated deep within the Empire. His early childhood was steeped in dread and violence as his family engaged in black market smuggling, thievery, and other illicit activities right under the noses of imperial authorities.
Young Abalim witnessed beatings and worse befall those who crossed the Ravens. Though he trembled in fear at the gruesome punishments, he soon hardened his heart, realizing compassion was worthless on the streets. When Abalim's own parents were killed in a turf war with a rival gang, the orphaned boy was taken in by his uncle, the Ravens' cold and calculating leader.
To survive under his uncle's ruthless mentorship, Abalim needed an edge. He found it one fateful night when he awakened his dormant powers of sorcery, summoning flickers of flame to his fingertips. Soon he was practicing spells late into the night, poring over stolen arcane texts to expand his mystical abilities. Before long, the former street urchin had grown into one of the most formidable mages in the city, cloaked in mystery and darkness.
Abalim's fearsome magic allowed him to rise high in the Raven Clan hierarchy. He led dangerous heists and wielded his spells to terrifying effect against the Raiders' enemies, becoming his uncle's most trusted and valued lieutenant. The immense power was seductive, and Abalim came to view his magic as a weapon to wield only for personal gain, giving little thought to the harm he inflicted.
But the ambitious mage's meteoric criminal career was cut short when an imperial sting operation finally brought down the Ravens, snaring Abalim as well. Sentenced to life in a harsh imperial prison, Abalim found himself with nothing but time to reflect on the darkness in his own soul. He slowly realized the harm his gifts had caused when misused. Steadily, reading holy scriptures slipped to him by sympathetic jailers, Abalim devoted himself to cleansing the darkness from his heart.
When finally paroled for turning over evidence against his former gang, Abalim emerged a changed man. With staff in hand and spellbook on his hip, he now uses his great power only in service of the poor and downtrodden of the Empire. Though he moves in the shadows, the former criminal has become a champion of the people, the mystical guardian angel of the slums. Abalim remains determined to continue on his path of redemption by using his magic to lift up those who need his protection most.