Azaersi, Azi as his mother calls him, is a half-orc raised by adoptive human parents on their farm. He grew big and strong at a young age from manual farming labor. He also became adept with a bow when his father would take him hunting and the axe from hours of chopping wood. Other than his parents and farm life, he knows nothing of his heritage. When he would ask his parents how he got here, they would only tell him that his father found him wrapped in a cloak on the forest floor while out hunting.
One day when Azi was working in the fields he noticed three men on horseback ride up to his father and mother near the front of their home. Two of the men were big and dressed in similar metal clothing with swords at their hip. The other, smaller man was talking to his father, but Azi could only make out the word ‘taxes’ because is was said loudly. Azi was confused at this word and became anxious when the smaller man started yelling at his father.
Then Azi witnessed his father pushed to the ground when one of the bigger men ran his horse into him. The man dismounted and grabbed his mother by the hair and forced her into the house. He heard the man crudely state, "I'll take payment another way." The other two men just laughed, and said in unison, “Save some for me.”
Uncontrollable anger filled him, and with his farming hoe in hand, he ran as hard as he could. He first bludgeoned the bigger man still on horseback, then he ran in his house to find the other man on top of his mother. He threw the metal-garbedman off of her and starting punching him until he was nothing but a bloody pulp of flesh. He then looked at his crying mother, picked her up off of the floor, and gave her a big hug. "Momma, what happend. Why he do that. I got so angry at him. I could not control myself."
Azi and his mother went back outside to check on his father. His father stared blankly down the road. When they looked in that direction, they saw the smaller man galloping away. With his anger now depleted, Azi fell to the ground exhausted and so very confused. He wept because he did not understand what just happened.
With tear filled eyes, Azi’s parents told him that he must run far away because more men would come looking for him. His mother gave him some rations, and he grabbed his hunting bow and dagger. He ran far into the forest to hide.
Azi, provided for himself for the next several weeks. He understood the forest, and he knew how to hunt, but he missed his family. He returned to the farmhouse, but it was burned to the ground. There was no evidence of his parents. Were they burned? Taken Prisoner? He did not know.
He wanted revenge, but he did not know what to do. He went back to the forest and lived in the wild while anger seeped into his orcish blood.
Then, one day a group of forest dwellers found him and offered him food, new clothing, and shelter. They even gave him some leather armor and a giant axe. He learned that this new family lived in the woods and frequented a well-used road they claimed to own. When travelers passed they were told that, 'They needed to pay the toll.' He did not understand all of this, but he was never hungry or cold again.
Then one day a hooded traveler refused to pay and tried to fight. When the hood came off, the traveler tuned out to be a human female traveling alone. Then his new family threw her to the ground. Memories of his mother flooded his mind and once again he felt angry. He lashed out at the forest dwellers, injuring / killing many before he grabbed the female and placed her over his shoulder. He ran as fast as he could down the road knowing there was something called a town in that direction. He was told people lived there, and he thought maybe they could help.
Arriving in town, Azi put the woman down. She was very flustered but realized she was rescued and, although brutish looking, he meant no harm. In fact, he was her hero.
It turns out that the woman Azi rescued, was coming to town to visit her uncle, a weapons smith. She told her uncle about the rescue and he asked Azi where he was from. When he found out that he lived in the woods, he offered him a place to sleep and a job at his smithy where he would be an apprentice.
He accepted, and for the last few months, he worked as an apprentice and something called a bouncer for the shop. He was given additional training with his axe and the metal smith created giant, spiked pieces of metal that fit over his hands. Azi has been very happy in his new home, but he cannot help but look over his shoulder and hide his face on occasion in case his past finds him.
And this is where the adventure starts …
