In the Hold of Belkzen lies bands of orcs which recognize power as the only language. Force rules, and conflicts with Lastwall are constant. Occasionally, there are captives taken for slaves. Fritz's mother was one such captive, and though he never knew his orcish father, he did know his mother's husband, part of a band that made a successful enough counterattack to send the orcs running without taking all their property - including his mother.
Unfortunately, that process took 8 years. In that time, Fritz learned the harsh realities of life. His mother could impart language and basic morals, but culture in his youth was thoroughly orcish - crude and brutal.
Even in his earlier years, Fritz demonstrated budding skill with swordplay, and that prowess only increased under the tutelage of Lastwall's drill sergeants. Split between the culture of his younger years and that of his teens, the adolescent was most certain around a blade. The Lord in Iron's worship instilled upon him from before remained to bolster this focus, though the disliked deity in Lastwall proved a wedge between his rescue and true acceptance. As a counterweight, Fritz had reached the point in his training where the greener recruits learned from him; he was an asset to the settlement now, not a burden.
The rejection of his heritage, faith, and constraints of the draconian rules began to weigh heavily on the herculean half-breed. His coarse hair and darker skin were indications of his heritage, though the array of teeth was the clearest indicator; the human genes had won-out in most cases. His passing nature as fully human at a distance would allow him to acclimate himself to other places than Lastwall, and his talent at arms would ensure he found employment.
Bidding farewell to his mother and "father", he set-out East; he'd heart of the conflicting River Kingdoms looking for help, and they could satisfy both his wanderlust and need for work. The Lodovka family took him on as an swordplay instructor, and, having never known his actual father, he took their house name for his own - unofficially, of course, for one of his status could not been seen to taint the line.
Playing underclass directly to the aristocracy began to bother him though. A new opportunity presented itself with room to test his skills in earnest and prove he was worth the glory his name alluded to...
