Agrippa Orestes had always been a foolish man. He grew up as a shelp-herder on the slopes of Mt Taran in the north of Helyas. He was often compared to the shelp, a notably stupid animal. One day he led his flock over a small river when a sudden rainstorm broke. Agrippa quickly led the shelp across the river taking shelter under a steep embankment. Unfortunately for the shelp, the embankment was too steep for them to climb and they were swept away in the torrent of water that cascaded down the engorged river. Not being able to swim, Agrippa watch on helplessly as his flocked were drowned.
He decided to leave Mt Taran and seek his fortunes far away in the south of Helyas. He found employment as a stevedore, lying about his inability to swim which was considered an important skill around the chaotic docks of Terminus.