Past
According to Roland, he was formerly a "kickass" Grade 1 Fixer who mainly dealt with intelligence and information (and did not participate in actual combat) before being demoted to the lowest rank, Grade 9. He then started a one-man Office to continue making a living as a Fixer, before mysteriously finding himself inside the Library while trying to visit a HamHamPangPang sandwich shop.
Also according to Roland, he does not have any surviving family; his parents died when he was young, and he used to live with his grandmother until she mysteriously disappeared one day. He was also married, with his wife being another high-graded Fixer. However, both his wife and their unborn child were killed when their house collapsed in a disaster that happened in Roland's home district while Roland was away. Despite this, he claims to have accepted his loss, insisting that his tragedy was nothing special amongst the denizens of the City.