As punishment for the many crimes of his father. Arnim's noble family was stripped of all titles, and holdings associated with it. He felt lucky that the whole family wasn't executed for treason. Needless to say, he and his sister had to find their new place in the world. Ashley became a merchant, and over four years of hard work managed to get her own ship. Arnim chose to apprentice himself to a blacksmith. Recently, he achieved the skill level of journeyman. This meant he was able to leave and establish his own forge when he was ready. However, the world was out there, and he was keen on seeing it before settling down.