Elena Ravnos

For most of her young life, Penny thought she was alone.  With no blood relations of her own and no records of her birth, it was only natural that she came to view the other members of the Parallax Club as her family.

It thus came as a great shock when a series of dreams and visions led her and her Clubmates to the untamed wilderness of the Czech Republic.  There they encountered a troupe, or kumpania, of Gypsies, pureblood Rom, and their ancient matriarch.  This old woman was gifted, or perhaps cursed, with the Sight, and she recognised in Penny a similar gift.  The old woman's name was Elena Ravnos, and she was Penny's grandmother. 

It seems that Elena's daughter, Anna, had gone to America some fifteen years previously.  Anna had been a circus performer, a trapeze artist and acrobat, and had chosen the USA as the place to seek her fortune.   Unfortunately, she had fallen out with her mother, and used her own substantial gifts to block Elena's Sight.  The matriarch had felt the birth of her grandchild but could not locate her, and it was not until Penny had grown older, and her powers more potent, that she was able to sense her grandmother searching for her.

Elena has informed Louise that it makes sense for her to continue looking after Penny, for she is better able to look after the girl than a travelling band of Gypsies.  In the old woman's words, "it is certainly unfortunate that my grand-daughter's guardian is a blood-sucking shilmulo", but Elena has sensed that Louise's affection for Penny is genuine.  Elena and her troupe continue to travel around Europe, and Penny occasionally spends time with them.

As to why she feels Penny needs looking after, Elena's Sight has told her that the girl has a special destiny.  The legends of the Rom speak of the Daughter of the Crescent Moon, a Gypsy who will "one day hold all creation in her hands", and Elena feels that great things are in store for her grandchild. 

The fact that Penny has a birthmark on her back in the shape of a crescent moon is, of course, merely an interesting coincidence...