Legend says that once upon a time there was a dog Faunus and a fox Faunus. The former was smitten the latter upon having been partnered up temporarily for an errand at work. Classic, yes? He had been sent to fetch her after the assignment finished, since his canine family was all about trust and loyalty, and supported his decision to court her. Inevitably, flaws bloomed in the dog Faunus' dream of a marriage. For one thing, this particular part-fox's family was...rather shady. Mysterious. Those folks were known for their clever instinct. Not to mention they were experts at escaping. He wasn't keen on attempting to befriend them, straight from the beginning. Smart dog- his strategy, not so much. Slowly but surely, the plan sought to distance the fox Faunus and her family. Possibly by causing her to adore his own family until she scarcely spoke to hers.
Her sly nature slipped past his mind.
Then one day, they were both held up in an town. The town resided on an island. A severe hurricane warning was going to storm past (pardon the pun) the border facing the continent it belonged to. He caught up to the female Faunus, who was less experienced at escaping than her elders, and informed her of his intentions.

"Hmm... let me think... welllll, would you look at that. I'd rather not," drawled the fox Faunus.
His ears drooped. "I'm sorry, but this isn't a choice, you'll have to. I'm taking you with me. You'll adore my family, I promise, love," said he.

She smirked. He swooned. Offering her nimble hand, she smoothly proceeded, deciding she liked his optimistic spirit- just a tiny bit. "I'll spin you a deal. I'll travel with you." A pause for dramatic effect. The part-dog held his breath. "Only if you agree to making our families eternally linked."
And so they left the town, a compromise reached, each with satisfied thoughts churning in their head. The town was called Wycanwyndeaux.

Born into the decrepit slums of Mantle without parents, Lloyd’s future seemed hopelessly linked to the deteriorating signs of the once great civilization, a fate that he looked to share with many residents that could not or would not brave the frigid, perilous journey to Atlas, and even then, nothing was guaranteed. For a time, the lonesome child lived off of whatever he came across, from the scraps of food he had scavenged, to the clothes and rags that covered him while he slept. He was one of the orphaned kids that scoured in packs through the outskirts away from the capital, where the danger was high but the rewards were plentiful, relatively speaking.

There was safety in numbers, but scavenger packs rarely lasted a few weeks, members succumbing to any number of things: the elements, malnutrition, and especially Grimm, just to name a few. The little boy would have certainly met his end from such a creature if it wasn’t for the timely intervention of another orphan named Jin Tacca. From then on, Lloyd stuck close to this bold and ambitious young boy, his ideals and aspirations for greater things inspiring the trusting lad to want to follow him to the ends of the world, which really meant something given where they were. They watched each other's back, whether it was by keeping watch at night or even stealing right from under unsuspecting people's’ noses.

They had quite a talent and dexterity for picking pockets… or so it seemed until they were caught in the act by a woman named Maria Renult, a talented and fervent survivor who, rather than do away with the pair them, took the boys under her wing, somewhat appropriate phrasing given how they became the newest members of her gang, referred to as the Gale Blades, alongside quite a number of other child members. A few years past, Lloyd especially loving the safety and genuine sense of comradery, finding a mother figure in Maria, though she tended towards the “tough love” approach when dealing with everyone, who were more often than not younger than her.

Things changed however, when a scheme on Jin’s part, meant to humiliate and drive out the leader of another gang, instead prompted said leader to call upon his older brother, who came in force to wipe out the Gale Blades once and for all. Neither of the two boys will forget seeing Maria fight them off to the bitter end, buying them enough time to escape and be rescued by members belonging to Meridian, an expansive alliance of likeminded associates determined to take control of Mantle for the protection and well being of all its members.

The agents had been sent to secure the area, and would have ignored the boys if it weren’t for them claiming to know Maria, and to have had both their semblances unlocked by her. But what clinched the decision to take the young pair with them was that Maria had also apparently given each of the boys a special eagle tattoo on their back, just like hers; passing the moniker of “Lelugira” down to both of them. Legends persist of great warriors whose legacy is passed down not by blood and ancestry, but by spirit and skill, a legacy that transcends even race. Maria was widely believed to be the last “Lelugira”, she having received the title from a renowned faunus soldier.

Over the next several years, Lloyd and Jin both worked their way up the ranks of Meridian, operating and living within the fairly safer capital city. Lloyd proved himself a capable defender against the marauding Grimm that frequently attacked the syndicate's outlying operations and settlements, while Jin grew into his role of ensuring the smooth operation and order of the organization’s various ventures, whatever it took. In time, the boys were so distinguished in their respective areas, that they eventually rose even further until finding themselves within Meridian’s inner circle, answerable only to the leader of Meridian, a kindly yet formidable old faunus, The Apex.

Over the years, Lloyd continued to trust in Jin, at the same time coming to regard the entire syndicate as his family, which he believed he’d go to any length to protect. However, even he underestimated Jin’s ambition and the lengths he’d go. Taking advantage of his own influence, Jin incited a sizable membership, even from among the inner circle, to ally themselves with him, leaving only Lloyd to decide where the allegiances of him and his powerful defense team lied. In the end, Dahliall tried his best to talk his best friend out of inciting the deaths of hundreds, but it was to no avail; nothing was going to stop Jin from taking Meridian by force, not even his best.

A terrible duel ensued, but as it looked as though Lloyd had the upper hand, he couldn’t bring himself to kill him, instead deciding to smash Jin’s sword to pieces. Feigning surrender, Tacca waited till Lloyd let his guard down before exposing a dagger, slashing it diagonally across his chest down to his abdomen, Dahliall blacking out soon after. When he had reawakened days later, Lloyd was bandaged up and a part of a refugee caravan destined for Atlas, the young man miraculously found following his fight and loaded on one of the many convoys formed as a last ditch effort to escape Jin’s bloody takeover of Meridian.

Stubbornly pushing himself instead of recuperating while Grimm assaulted the refugees and a final time when the caravan reached the Atlas border during a skirmish between a security patrol and a pack of Beowolfs, all instances saw him rise to battle carrying the Borellese, a weapon that was transported along with him, courtesy of The Apex himself. It was at that last battle that a colonel took notice of Lloyd’s fighting talents, encouraging and even sponsoring his admittance into Atlas Academy.