Shraga was born into an extremely poor family, like any elf from Minrathous. His parents weren't particularly kind to him or his siblings, and he lost many of his older brothers and sisters to hunger, disease, or particularly harsh winters. Shraga himself grew up as a weak child with little hope for a better life, as he was of no use even for household chores or small jobs, for which he often lacked the strength. The conditions in which he grew up made him into an extremely withdrawn and quiet person, as if every habit he adopted would help him one day to completely disappear from this brutal world.

 When he was around ten years old, he was sold into slavery to provide the rest of his family with the means to survive. In a sense, he always envisioned this future for himself — treated as an object, tossed from one corner to another in filth. Eventually, however, a buyer was found, a powerful mage and an influential magister of the Tevinter Senate, who particularly favored elven servants. Shraga began a new life, despite his captivity, better than the one he had led in his family home – he was provided with a bed in a common room with other servants, fed regularly, and cared for to ensure his ability to perform simple tasks. As he grew older, he even became something of a pet for his master, who appreciated his quiet nature, extraordinary obedience, and beauty. Shraga was therefore unpopular with the other elven servants and quickly developed a reputation as a snitch and a bootlicker. He spent his time in the magister's household alone, isolated, and surrounded by insignificant praise – submission was merely his means of survival, and the mage's recognition brought him no personal pleasure. When he reached adulthood, the magister he served selected a handful of his favorite elven servants to conduct a magical experiment on—the goal was to create a personal living weapon for himself in the form of a reaver, a warrior with potent powers and extraordinary control over his body. Shraga was first in line for the transformation ritual, where he was fed dragon blood against his will – but his weak mind was not enough to control his suddenly acquired strength, and he fell into a pure, murderous rage. He lashed out at the nearby slaves and slaughtered them without hesitation, driven by a lust for bloodshed, whether it came from his own companions in distress. In the chaos of the attack, his master managed to escape, leaving his raging servant among the elven corpses. After recovering, Shraga fled the scene of the massacre, and after several days in hiding, he set out, heading for the borders of the Tevinter Empire. All he wanted then was to get as far away from his own crime as possible.

 The drastic events of the past and the hard life of constant flight changed Shraga – his fear transformed into an unyielding desire for revenge, both on his former master and on every magister he meets along the way. He's spent years not only wandering around, but also acquiring combat skills – and while he may not be the greatest warrior yet, his Reaver powers and murderous spirit make up for his lack of formal training. From a submissive coward, he had become an unbridled maniac, without impulse control or concern for his own safety – perhaps from the sudden injection of beautiful freedom, or perhaps from the madness of dragon blood slowly consuming his mind.