Mags grew up a slave in the gem mine of Cole Pieters and his family on the very edge of Valdemar's newly expanded border outside the town of Blueflower Hill. He is approximately thirteen years old according to village priests at the time of the founding of the Collegia, sometime shortly after 850 AF. His early life and parents are unknown as he has been told that they were bandits, killed in a raid by the Royal Guard and latter discovered in a cradle in the bandits' camp. Initially cared for by the priests of the local Temple of the Trine, he was quickly adopted by Pieters and taken into slavery. To avoid beatings from Pieters' sons, Liem and Jarrik, Mags literally buried himself in his work, hoping to be freed if he made it to age sixteen.