Ion was born in a hamlet lying in the highlands of Orenia. His father, Simon, was a merchant from the heart of the Empire who decided to settle in the countryside, while his mother, Iliana, a daughter of one of the local shephards. Ion's childhood has been happy and rather uneventful. He never lacked anything, his family having a relatively prosperous life, as his father owned a large flock of sheep. Since he was young he helped in pasturing his parent's livestock. Simon was able to provide his son a fundamental education, teaching him how to read and write himself, as well as installing in him proper manners and values.
While Ion was thirteen years old, his father died of tuberculosis, without him in the household managing their property became much more difficult. Iliana's brother, Isidore, moved in with them to help his family manage their livestock and household, and to rise his sister raise her son. After a few years Ion grew up to be a young man. He decided to move from home, partially in order to find a work to help his family financially in the future, and partially motivated by curiosity and desire to see more of the world, and partially driven by ambition to make more of himself.
