Niro’s Backstory: The Lonely Child Who Found Friendship

Niro was born the unfortunate child of an Oni and a human woman. From the moment he drew breath, his fate was sealed—frail and weak, he was deemed worthless by his Oni father. The Oni, a cruel and prideful race that despises weakness, showed him no mercy. Without hesitation, the child was cast into the deep woods to die.

But Niro did not die.

Oni grow far faster than most races, and within hours of his abandonment, his eyes opened wide, and his instincts kicked in. Hungry and alone, he tried to eat anything he could—leaves, bugs, dirt, and worse. He was only an infant, but he survived.

Years passed in that wilderness, and eventually, an elderly human couple stumbled upon him. They took him in without fear, touched his heart with warmth and kindness, and, for the first time, he felt what it meant to be loved. They gave him a name—Niro—and a gift: a soft, stitched teddy bear. To Niro, it wasn’t a toy. It was his first friend.

But peace never lasts.

The very same Oni tribe that abandoned Niro came upon the couple’s tiny home one fateful night. Flames consumed the hovel, and as the old woman—his mother in all but blood—held him close one last time, she whispered:

“Run, Niro.”

Then, nothing but darkness.

When Niro awoke, he was in a cave, surrounded by strange, dreamlike figures. A small dog wearing a scarf. Two Satyrs. A group of dancing skeletons. A hand made of stone gently petting his head. And then... Friend—his teddy bear—walking on its own, alive and smiling, wrapping its arms around his leg.

One by one, the figures faded into the shadows, until only Niro and Friend remained.

From that moment, Niro's greatest desire was born: the longing for friends—real friends, not just memories or shadows.

Life in the Forest

Niro learned to survive in the forest on his own. He ate whatever he could: poisonous insects, bitter plants, bird eggs, and small rodents. His body became scarred from run-ins with goblins and a particularly cruel fairy who tried—again and again—to steal Friend from him.

Despite the hardship, Niro endured.

But everything changed when he met a group of adventurers.

They didn’t hurt him or run away. They spoke to him, smiled at him, and even invited him to join their quests. For the first time, Niro was not alone.

Together, they went on many adventures. Niro laughed, learned, and fought alongside them. They even helped restore the Great Gaia Tree, the World Tree that had been sealed away by a dying deity. As life returned to the land, Elves began to settle around the sacred tree.

Eventually, one by one, Niro’s companions went their separate ways. All but one—the kind female adventurer who had become like a mother to him—stayed behind. She watched over him as he continued to grow into his Oni body, towering over most men at nearly eight feet tall.

But his mind remained unchanged: innocent, curious, and playful like a child.

A New Beginning

Despite his size and scars, Niro loved to play with the Elven children and ask endless questions—often to the annoyance of the more serious Elves. But Niro was happy. Still, part of him missed the thrill of adventure, the dangers, and the strange friends he had once met.

One day, with a spark in his eyes, he tugged at his “mother’s” cloak and asked,

“Can I go out and play?”

With a sigh—half love, half worry—she finally said:

“You can go out and play… but when the sun sets, you have to come right home.”

With that, Niro clutched Friend tight, beamed with joy, and dashed out of the forest.

The world was calling again.

And Niro was ready to answer it—with a heart full of scars, dreams, and the hope of finding more friends.