Ethan’s family were refugees after the civil war that overtook Corliss after they defected from the Calanthian Empire. Ethan’s parents took refuge in Feuerland, as they were both doctors, and the Feuerlanders offered them good wages and positions if they relocated.

Calanthian-descent doctors are very, very special and hard to come by. Ethan has the equivalent of X-ray vision. He can see inside a person’s body as if looking through an XRAY, Cat scan or MRI depending on how he uses his powers. Human doctor’s can’t do that without the use of equipment, so having a field doctor with that ability is very useful.

So he is of Calanthian descent, but he was born and raised in Feuerland.

Commander Freidrich is part Calanthian, hence his half-pointy ears.