Utrik

Appearance:

Physically, Utrik is a normal Orc - around six feet tall, broad-shouldered and narrow at the waist, with long, powerful limbs. His clothing and trappings depend on his situation, and he habitually carries a backpack with several (very different) outfits.

Background:

Utrik was born into a Orcish warband which raided primitive human settlements along the nothern frontier. His mother was the warband's chief cook, and his father could be any one of fifteen Orc warriors.

From birth, Utrik realised he was different. The sluggish thoughts of his comrades amused him at first, until he was old enough to realise the broader implications of his nature. He was different - intelligent, perceptive and adaptable. He survived in the vicious heirarchy of the warband by hiding his differences and playing the role of the typical Orc warrior.

In the summer of his sixteenth year, the warband fell upon a remote farmhouse and slaughtered the inhabitants. In the aftermath of the battle, while the others sated their various appetites, Utrik found himself drawn to the interior of the farmhouse. Inside, he found a collection of books - a history of the human civilisations, several farmer's almanacs, and a clutch of children's fables which belonged to the farmer's daughter. Intruiged, even though he didn't understand them, he collected them up and stashed them in his travelling back.

As the months progressed, he unravelled the complex notation the humans used to record their thoughts. Though his understanding was imperfect, it was enough to make him realise that he could have a better life surviving by his wits than he ever could relying on his sword arm and the questionable loyalties of his comrades.

The next spring, he pulled together his meager possessions and crossed the border, heading into human territory. He was no more than a dozen miles along the road when he was accosted by a party of grizzled hunters, heading north to cull the red deer. The hunters immediately attacked Utrik, who called out in a loud, clear voice that he was no Orc, but a maiden from a nearby village who had been transformed by a foul curse - a tale taken directly from the storybook he had found at he farm. The hunters paused, confused by this - but eventually accepted his tale and agreed to escort the unfortunate 'maiden' to the local wise man. When they camped, that first night, Utrik prepared a soporific draught for his saviours, then raided their pockets and supplies, cast their quivers into the fire, and continued south.

Since then, Utrik has lived by his wits, playing the 'transformed maiden' role a dozen times over the last ten years. At other times, he wraps himself in priestly robes and passes himself off as a travelling cleric or a questing Paladin of a humble order.

Roleplaying Notes:

Utrik is motivated by more than simple survival - he seeks amusement, and will often undertake difficult tasks or complex manipulations to make the irony of his deceit all the sweeter. He is well-versed in human prejudice and fantasy, and has taken advantage of them many times. He is an accomplished, first-class liar, able to convince even the most sceptical adversary that his outlandish tales are true. He has, in the memory of a kindly priest who aided him even after his orcish nature was revealed, vowed solemly to avoid violence wherever possible.