Ephrem VII was born, 12/7/2238 in his family's home in Petroleum. His parents and extended family had a plan for his upbringing and indeed an intended course for most of his life. Throughout his childhood he was passed between a succession of aunts, uncles, and cousins to learn about the different facets of the Salt's enterprises. He would spend weeks at a time in the different salvage claims and workshops owned by the family learning the processes. The point wasn't to train Ephrem to be an artisan or scavenger however, but to demonstrate the labor and materials involved in the work. In order to be a good steward of his family's prosperity, he needed to have a deep understanding of the numbers and logistics involved in every aspect of their work. He proved a good study, and when he was 16