Valentijn van Zalingen was presumably born in the wilds and raised by their parents for much of their childhood. Obtaining such information from them directly has proven difficult or borderline impossible. But for our own independent investigation, we have gathered that their grandparents were residing in Rotterdam when the sea defenses across the Low Countries instantaneously failed in the midst of the Judgement War. Their father was sixteen when the floods devastated the entire region, making him a lone orphan. Rescue efforts began almost immediately before it was discovered that the water had been contaminated in some manner. And with the Judgement War getting bloodier every day, the European Union announced that all rescue operations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels, and The Hague were to be suspended, citing health and security concerns. Millions of survivors, including their father, were left to fend for themselves as conditions worsened across the region.

Not much information could be found on their mother, but we think that she actually was in Amsterdam when the flooding happened. But for some peculiar reason, she chose to leave in favor of The Wilds. Eventually, both of them met and spent years together while having five children. Valentijn, the middle child of the large family, was forced to grow up at an early age in a hostile environment that was out to kill. Mutants killed the oldest sister at ten while the youngest brother got a crippling birth defect. But it wasn't til the father developed lung cancer that the decision was made to send one of their children to safety with the Grand Union. At the age of eleven, he chose to apply his middle child to a Grand Union boarding school at the cost of crippling debts. It wasn't til a year after random inspections and extensive testing that Valentijn was able to bed enrolled at the city of Brussels. The Grand Union provided them with basic needs in exchange for service to the corporation (that included inserting experimental cybernetics for trial usage only).

During their time at military school, Valentijn was selected for personalized learning in strategic studies at fourteen. The Grand Union took an interest in them due to excelling in the Strategy and War course offered by the boarding school. And for four years, the instructors contributed to steering toward the career of being a military strategist for the corporation. Then, Valentijn turned eighteen. All orphans are forced to apply for permanent residency in the Grand Union upon turning eighteen years old. So it was their turn. Unfortunately, they were rejected. Upon rejection, all failed applicants have access to basic needs and services suspended and are ordered to leave Grand Union territory. And to add insult to injury, a massive debt was issued to them with expected monthly payments in the hundreds of Universal Credits—some sort of parting gift. Valentijn retreated into the wilds to find work in scavenging long abandoned cities. But then, they went back to civilization just one year after their deportation to work from Wolfhound LLC.

Working for the largest private military company in the world paid well enough to live, but it wouldn't ever be enough to pay off the debt. So, upon hearing of openings in a nearby shell academy, Valentijn took a calculated risk and applied for a spot at the cost of accumulating more debt to their name. But thanks to their time at a boarding school, they were easily accepted and then graduated a few years later. And during that time, they managed to buy the entirety of Ijsvogel, a heavy skirmisher and strategic supporter shell (some by saving up and others by collecting more debt). Fortunately, being a pilot from Wolfhound paid slightly better than their previous jobs could ever. But it still wasn't enough to be debt-free. So Valentijn had to do better in their missions, often at the cost of their own well-being. But two years into being a mercenary, it finally paid off when they were invited to join the elite Vulture Squad. For the first time in a long while, Valentijn felt like all of the blood and sweat would finally pay off; however, this was only the beginning of a long bloody chapter.

Ever since Valentijn was twelve years old, cybernetics were mandatory to combat the elements of the wilds. Although they were essentially a guinea pig for experimental cybernetics, the Grand Union only allowed a select few to remain. Bioartificial organs were medical necessities with constant updates to prevent a particularly nasty death. When they were selected for personalized training, the corporation allowed for bionic eyes that enhanced their performance while analyzing or planning. And their brain was subjected to clinical trial implants, which were temporary for a brief time period. It wasn't til recently they received an implant from Wolfhound LLC that established a connection between shell and its pilot. In addition, their limps still surprisingly remained made out of flesh and bone since leaving the wilds. Valentijn liked their augmentations and never rejected them outright if presented, but they weren't actively pursuing to be completely cyborg.

An obvious issue made pretty clear from the get-go is the fact that Valentijn was raised in the wilds. That hostile environment has made them somewhat hesitate to trust others even after living under the Grand Union protection for seven years. That suspicion is specifically directed toward those with authority, not that they won't follow orders given to them. Then, there's the pressing fact that much of their cybernetics are getting closer to being obsolete. Unable to afford the necessary upgrades after being deported, a sizable fund is still required to be completely updated with the current augmentations. And, of course, Valentijn hides the fact they have low self-esteem very well. But it's still there and hard to forget when you realize it. They also hide that they are deep in debt, paying hundreds of UCs on a monthly basis or risk the debt collectors' wraith.

TBD.