The Van Cei's where also wealthy farmers but where the Rand's became wealthy by treating their workers fairly and paying them an honest wage, the Van Cei's become wealthy through dishonesty and murder. Crop burning, bribery, false clams of necromancy (The Rand's have had a long relationship with Sorcery) and many more where used to undermine and weaken the Rand family. By the time of the Zentarim invasion the Rand family only owned two farms both of which where captured by Zentarim troops and used to fuel the war effort along with the Van Cei's who aided and helped the Zent's by feeding their troops and betraying any folk who showed signs of descent. When the revolution came the Van Cei's fled the region spoiling the soil and poisoning the wells on their way leaving the common folk to try and rebuild their lives.

The last Rand, Stormseeker was always a little bit strange. When other children where out playing in the fields Stormseeker (Or Firstson as he was called until his sixteenth birthday) was busy exploring his growing arcane powers or zapping the village cat. He took his adult name after being struck by lightning during the worst storm in living memory and walking away without a mark on him. After his naming ceremony Rand was sent to Clearwater to study the arcane arts under the direction of Lady Trea. After a half decade of trying to harness his gifts without much success Rand left Trea's care hoping that the outside world could teach him more than dusty old books and scrolls. After some months of adventuring around the region Rand contracted lycanthropy after being bitten by an infected hobgoblin on the forest road north of Clearwater. After some close calls the curse was lifted by the temple of Lythander in Dagger Falls.