John is a 15-year-old freshman mystic squire a attends St. Magnus Academy of Scholarship in Bevenhome. John is of noble birth and is the second son of Hendrix D. Shepherd, Lord of House Shepherd. Among the noble society, he is popularly known as “The Golden Lamb” a reference to his brother Paulo’s nickname “The Golden Ram”.  A shortened version of his title "Goldie" results from an eight-year-old Hotaru being unable to properly pronounce his full title.

John’s family comes from a long line of Mystic Knights who for generations have served in The Empyrean Royal Guard, tasked with defending the Empyrean Crown. Mystic Knights are versatile warriors who combine their swordsmanship with magic. His family’s innate element is Geo Magic, allowing them to manipulate the ground around them. John and Paulo inherit Summoning Magic from their mother’s side, which grants them the ability to form contracts with lesser sprites to utilize other attributes. 

John is a kind, earnest, and diligent young man who is always looking to help those in need. Due to his grueling training as a child, he is quite confident in his combat skills despite his young age. Because of this paired with his fun-loving nature, his behavior often comes across as posh or arrogant, which tends to put others off and gets him into a myriad of unappetizing situations. Chiaki often describes him as a "little lamb”, stating that he still has some maturing to do before he becomes truly great.