Like many other orphans on Gregos Alpha, Keyser was afforded the opportunity to attend the Gregosian Academy in order to benefit from a first-class education that could serve as a stepping stone to a life of prosperity and meaning. And like a great many of his parentless peers, Keyser summarily burned out when confronted with the Academy’s demanding workload. Where he excelled, however, was in making friends — most notably, Lance. Despite their polar opposite demeanours — Keyser an outgoing and boisterous loudmouth, Lance a stolid introvert — the two boys formed an immediate connection that developed into an unbreakable bond. That connection was so strong that when Lance opted to leave the Academy, Keyser willingly followed in tow, trading academy life for hardship on the streets of Gregos Alpha’s capital. 

Running their grifts and cons, the duo’s contradictory natures actually complemented their strengths well. Lance’s cold emotional exterior and unflinching presence made him an intimidating front man, while Keyser’s gregarious affability helped in networking with the planet’s underworld, creating job opportunities where none might otherwise have materialized. Those connections eventually caught the attention of Quentin Talus, who took Lance and Keyser under his direction and tutelage, joined later by Kris.

Keyser’s prodigious penchant for working with technology and machinery generally places him in a support role for the group’s more technically-demanding contracts. Where Lance and Kris lead, Keyser happily follows. His easy-going manner and light-hearted approach to difficult situations makes for a noticeable departure from his comrades’ more dour sensibilities, though as a result, he often finds himself in the unenviable role of having to constantly boost the team’s morale and serve as an emotional intermediary for Lance and Kris. As such, he has increasingly come to epitomize the glue that binds the “gutter rats” together.