Astalah was a Sczarni fortune teller, (originally from Brevoy, she rebelled from the role planned for her) - part of a caravan that went from place to place - committed crimes and then moved on. Hers was a cover role - she rarely stole, but occasionally grifted some besotted client out of some cash for some worthless trinkets of protection or love. The name used by her folk to outsiders was Redd - but she was Astalah Orlovsky. She wasn't enamored of her life, as it turn out, but she had it pretty good. She had a fling with a likewise unfavored Brevoy noble-house younger son, who had joined the caravan as a guard.
Then disaster struck and the wagon train was hit by a flash flood - many of her kin and friends were washed out of her life. She survived, barely. She was found by a handful of Skull Clan youths on a hunting party, and they were going to have their way, but her Sczarni tattoo was found, and they got scared. They dumped her body at the door to the Outcast's hut, and fled.
Shi'ra was a Axe Clan shaman. The Shoanti revered such people greatly, but in a fit of curiosity, he animated a dead body to undeath and was seen. He was unclean and could not remain with the clan, but he had skills that were useful so he lived on the edge of a village, and stories were told to children about what would happen to them if they were bad - the Shi'ra would take your body and serve him in unnatural ways. Finding a woman at his doorstep - one with ripped clothing that which she still wore, soaking wet, and clearly senseless - was disconcerting. Thinking it a village task, he took it upon himself to make her better. In time, she recovered, but she had no place to go, and he had no desire that she leave. Akenni was born three months later. Together Shi'ra and Redd had three daughters, in each year following his birth - Ann'shra, Shi'red, Amara.
The oldest Ann'shra was about to leave and foster with the Axe Clan - to take her place away from her Outcast family, when Arkenni was seriously injured in a freak accident. Her adoption to clan was delayed as they needed to figure out what the omen of the event meant. Eventually it was determined inauspicious for her ever to foster - that is what the event meant. The second daughter the following year, was successfully fostered, and would one day be full Skull Clan. After the ceremony of acceptance, Ann'shra first tried kill Arkenni in his sleep, but when she was thwarted by making a noise, Ann'shra slit her own throat using Arkenni's knife to do it. Her last words were to Arkenni "This is your fault." She was nine years old. Arkenni did not speak for many months, and he became shunned by the Shoanti as someone cursed.
Astalah made arrangements for her son, her non-Shoanti son, to foster with her Uncle's household back in Brevoy (southwest of Skywatch). At the house where he grew to be a man, there was a libary, and if Arkenni was not at his chores or in bed, most everyone knew they could find him in the library. Arkenni read anything - sometimes things that had not been pulled from shelves in years, just because they had not been read in a long time. His learning became ecletic. When it was time to pick a trade, Arkenni chose music. They apprenticed him to the second chair Minstrel, so that he would learn a skill and earn his keep. Quickly it was found that he had a better voice than fingers to pluck. The musical apprenticeship left him much time of his own, and instead of playing with the other boys, he found his way to library.
It became clear, when he traveled with his Uncle's men, that to actually learn from the wilds and find things of note, it was not enough to know books. So more and more of his day was spent away from the library and with other young men or soldiers, learning to fight, and to be fitter for the adventuring life.
Upon release of his apprenticeship - he took to the road - at first to see his parents,. He made it back to the Axe Clan, eventually, it just took awhile. It was a happy reunion, and he got to see his sisters. When he heard that Brevoy was thinking about opening up the Stolen Lands, he decided to return to the land of his apprenticeship. He traveled back - reunited with his Uncle family, who introduced him the son of his sister.
Family Motto - "High Above" - generally he goes by his Mother's Shoanti known name - Redd - but in Brevoy Redd becomes his lesser family name.
