Arak was born in the Slaver City of Yilith, two years before the Freedom Riots lead the ruling council to abolish slavery. This resulted in significant populations of orcs, goblins, and especially freed human slaves forming the shanty town, which became known as The Warrens, outside the city walls.
Araks father Marag, a slave since his childhood started an Orc tavern called the Beat Shed. Cheap strong liqor, bare knuckled fights, along with dog and cock fighting soon made the Shed riotously popular, not just with the former slaves, but also with brash young nobles looking to prove their bravery. In time Marag became a succesful businessman, and one of the most respected voices in The Warrens.
Eventually The Warrens warranted a council seat, and Marag was selected for the honor. One of the first issues raisedp was whether the exclusive Ithilmar Knightly Academy should be required to admit non humans. The Academy eventually agreed to do so, but only if these non humans passed the notoriously difficult entrance exams.
Arak, at ten years old, who had been leading an enjoyably wild childhood until this point suddenly found the dubious joys of academia thrust upon him. He was informed in no uncertain terms that he would be taking and passing, "that bloody exam", on pain of pain, and then attending the Academy to rub their smug faces in it. So Arak endured two years of studying, and then at age twelve took and, barely, passed the entrance exam, much to the Academy's dismay.
Needless to say his time at the Academy was not happy, standing head and shoulders above his fellow new entrants he was not bullied much, but he was ostrasized, and occasionally beaten by groups of seniors. Arak responded by taking a quiet glee in beating the living daylights out of his peers in official bouts and hardening himself with his faith in Gorum.
After five years he was passed out a year early a Knight of Yilith. He served his two years of required military service helping to form the new Orc unit and enduring the sneers of his superiors. Once his term was over he signed up with one of his father's friends a shady business man by the name of Narrow Dell. Dell provided muscle to local businesses, nobles, and caravans, and as a Knight Arak found himself much in demand.
Arak has just completed a year long job as bodyguard to Serelia Martiss the owner of Yilith's most upscale brothel - it was an educational experience. Now Narrow Dell has handed him an assignment to provide protection to a bunch of fools entering some dungeon or other. The client refuses to say just who is being protected, apparently wishing Arak's mission to remain unstated.
I've set it up so that Arak has been hired to join the party to protect someone, although he does not know who. Of course at the DMs discretion that need not be the clients real motivation.
