At the center of the Kuuweh Desert, a crimson pillar marks the binding site of an dangerous entity. Kuu, the blood djinn that legend attributes the desert's red sand to, had been sealed there during the Lumen-Vesper wars in eons past. In recent centuries, however, the native Kuuo people of the desert had witnessed an alarming anomaly: the local wildlife was being mutated, their blood being converted into raw magic, kheji, and warping their physical bodies into pale monstrosities. These creatures, dubbed the venwel, sought only to infect healthy beings, manipulating their minds into surrendering their blood without a fight. As a result, hunting had become difficult, travel deadly, and the situation seemed only to worsen as time passed.
The Kuuo people pleaded with their patron god, Oktre, for a champion to deliver them from this plight. And one day, an aging priestess named Chalpry heard his answer. While engaged in a sermon during a particularly dire season, it was said by onlookers that a flock of innumerable birds descended from the heavens and consumed her body, leaving only a curious infant with the same blue eyes as her where she once stood. This infant, of course, was Allen.
From a young age, he had the mantle of "hero" and "chosen one" thrust upon him. Instructed by the greatest minds of his generation, he quickly became the vigilant protector of the various settlements in the Kuuweh, fending off venwel with ease due to his unnatural ability to overcome their enticing call. Most people had to undergo extensive training before being to resist the venwel's manipulation, and even then, they would be well into their thirties before being able to join the fight against the cunning beasts.
One of these people was Allen's combat instructor, a middle-aged man by the name of Jamul Kejorey. Allen had grown up under the care of various community members, but he had always felt the most attached to Jamul, whom he viewed as a father. Like Jamul, Allen was trained in the art of the spear, but unlike with his other instructors, Allen could never quite surpass Jamul's uncanny combat prowess. They went on many missions together as head hunters, facing near-death situations in their day to day lives until Allen was well into his twenties, and by all respects, a formidable young man. At that point, Jamul fell ill with a strange disease that began to rob him of his senses and memories. In a fit of despair, Allen embarked on a journey to Rehjolvnatys, the realm of the divine, in search of a cure for his dear mentor. Here, he would meet Dmitri Obaflr, a halfling who had recently completed a senior training course in medicine. The only one who would listen to Allen's plight, Dmitri accompanied him back to the Kuuweh and attempted to treat Jamul. But all he could do was ease the man's fits of rage and pain before he ultimately lost his life weeks later.
During this time, Dmitri and Allen became close friends: though they did not understand the different lands from where they came, they both knew the pain that came with loss of family and brotherhood. And when it came for Dmitri to return to Rehjolvnatys, Allen swore that he'd repay Dmitri for his kindness one day. From then on, Allen would be the only head hunter in the Kuuweh, a folk hero that singlehandedly culled the venwel numbers and brought peace back to the region. That was who he was, at least, to the people who didn't know him. To those who did, he came off as egocentric and arrogant, refusing to acknowledge that anyone could ever take a place at his side the way Jamul did.
This stifling pride would one day be brought to a halt when a wandering adventurer, Layla Kainafe, would best him at his own game. The well-travelled halfling would save his life during a dangerous encounter with an oroym, a living sandstorm, and begrudgingly earn his respect. He then offered to let her spend some time with him in the Kuuweh to enhance her 'worldly experiences': in reality, Allen wanted to see her trip up so he could claim superiority over her, refusing to accept that he had slipped up during combat. But he soon forgot about this petty competition as he learned about all the things Layla had seen in the world beyond the sandy horizons he had always known. Stories of golden meadows, unfathomable seas, and trees that touched the sky would capture his imagination, and he soon found himself realising that he wanted to know what life was like beyond battle and grief.
With the Kuuweh safe and leaving only a letter to explain his absence, Allen would then depart, sneaking out in the middle of the night to accompany Layla on whatever adventure awaited her next. This would bring him out into the world where he would meet many new friends, such as Aidan and Ren, and even old ones like Dmitri. Humbled by his experiences in a universe so much bigger than he had thought possible, he continued on, eventually settling down in Rehjolvnatys. He remains there to this day, romping around the Lumenlands on beast-hunting excursions and challenging both foe and friend alike to extensive bouts of sparring as everyone restlessly prepares for the war that draws ever nearer.