He is the descendant of Gerald Tarrant's eldest son, the one he let live so his family line could continue. Tarrant gave his son an irrevocable commandment: he was the one and only Neocount of Merentha, and no one else was to claim that title. If one of his male descendants did, Tarrant vowed to slaughter them all. Defying this warning, Andrys' eldest brother, Samuel took the title for himself, and sealed his fate, as well as those of many of his siblings. Andrys would come home one day after that to discover his entire family brutally and mercilessly slaughtered, Tarrant appearing to tell him that he was only left alive to ensure the survival of his line. This has damaged Andrys severely, making him dependent on many different kinds of powerful narcotics, and alcohol.