Early Life[]
Matt Cruse first started as a cabin boy on the airship Aurora. He has two sisters―Isabel and Sylvia―and a mother. His father had died when Matt was younger, but the father left his son the legacy of a sailmaker.
Matt had always dreamt of becoming sailmaker; that way he could upgrade his stage until he could find a perfect position, despite his happiness as a cabin boy on the Aurora.
The Stranger Aboard The Endurance[]
One day, Matt spots an airship named Endurance that signals for help. Aurora calls for her, but the Endurance does not respond. Matt only learns later that it was Szpirglas' pirate crew that boarded the airship. Matt volunteers to go and help the airship in distress, and climbs a perilous way to the Endurance. He soon saves the man on it, Benjamin Molloy, but the poor man unfortunately dies soon after.
Kate de Vries[]
One day, as the Aurora leaves for another tour, Captain Walken, the Aurora's captain, holds it back. He says that a few passengers were late―and that the Aurora had to descend to fetch the late passengers. They were named Kate de Vries and the young miss' chaperone, Miss Simpkins. Matt soon grew very fond of Kate, and befriended her as soon as he could, to the disappointment of Kate's chaperone.