When orc warbands raid human settlements, sometimes they don't kill or carry off everybody. Sometimes they rape as well, and quite often this results in offspring. Such was the case in the little village of Carnleigh in shadow of the Erean mountains, in Trialt, when it was raided by orcs from Gadűhvrás. Bargarath Leafcutter the woodsman was away on a journey at the time, but his wife Kelgard was at home, and nine months after the raid she gave birth to a son, and died.
Bargarath was a good man, and despite his step-son's origins, did his best to bring the boy up properly, teaching him the woods-lore that was his trade. However, the other villagers were less understanding, and most of them - especially the children of Orrin's age - were pretty unpleasant to him as he grew into his teens.
At fifteen, then, Orrin bade farewell to his step-father and set off to see if he could get further in the nearest big city - Karennal, the capital. He reasoned that people there would have seen more unusual things than himself, and they'd be more likely to accept him.
He was both right and wrong. While Karennal was a cosmpoplitan enough place, there were elements there that were far less tolerant of half-orcs, some of them in quite powerful places. There were also elves, which Orrin had never encountered before, and they were absolutely intolerant of his kind. Things came to a head one night when an elf he happened to meet in the street drew a blade on him and tried to kill him. Somehow, luck, judgement, somehow, Orrin managed to kill him instead.
As he stood panting after the ferocious fight, a shadowy figure attracted his attention. It emerged from the shadows and identifed itself as Vorfal Tholag - another half-orc, the first that Sack had ever encountered. Pointing out that Orrin's life would be in serious danger if his deed were uncovered, Tholag offered him sanctuary, and took him to the thieves' guild; Thorlag, a member, had been stalking the elf Orrin had killed. The guild took him in, hid him, and recruited him. During this time he assumed the name Sack, in echo of the long-dead and famous upper-class thief Silk.
Sack proved skillful at his new trade, and qualified as a full guildmember within the year. He spent several happy years roaming the rooftops of Karennal, but finally the day came when his friend Thorlag was caught and hanged by the City Guard. Crushed by this, Sack took leave of the Guild and moved on.
Returning to his original profession, he signed on with the Crimson Eagles mercenary band as a scout and outrider, and served for two seasons, meeting up with Kobort and Surya in the process. When the two left the unit to form an adventurer band, he went along, more for variety than anything else.
Since moving to the future, Sack has become more and more distanced from his step-father's people, perhaps blaming humans for his childhood's rejection. His possession of the Blade of the Sun forged for the mighty elf warlord warlord Daltin Kotessë is perhaps the only thing preventing him sliding into genuine evil.
He declined to visit the Goldeneye in Gloiran, and so remains unaware of what - if any - cryptic hints the oracle would have given him of his future and nature. He does, however, know that he is of interest to certain significant individuals.
Over several nights, he had been having peculiar dreams. They began with a voice, calling him as if from a great distance. At first he wasn't clear what it was saying, then he began to make out words; it was calling to him, though stangely it was referring to him as "Orrin of Clan Vorzau". The tone was not hostile, in fact it seemed almost respectful, deferential.
The second night, he realized that the voice was calling in Orcish - a language he didn't understand - and strangely he could easily tell the meaning of this.
The third night, the dreams gained a visual component. Three forms, dressed in ornate robes and decorated with the spiky, brutal runes Orcs use among themselves; the outer two were indistinct, but the centre figure Sack would know again if he saw or heard him, it was from him that the voice was coming. Looking straight at him, the tall, magisterial orc besought Sack to heed him, to answer his summons, to come to him.
Several nights after the first dream, Sack found himself again seeing the vision of the three dignified, powerful-looking orc elders. This time he strove to reply, to speak with them.
The misty figures appeared surprised and pleased, exchanging glances before turning to appeal to him once more.
"Our divinations have revealed you to us, come from the mists of the past. Orrin of Clan Vorzau, your people have need of you. Your blood runs strong and your destiny calls you. Come! Come and claim the throne of your people!"
Sack sat suddenly bolt upright, shocked and sweating. As he shook the dream from his head, his eyes fell on the ground where his right hand was lying. A symbol, a rune, had been drawn there....
The next night - the night after the fight in the Thronehall of Khundrakar - he demanded more proof of the shadowy figures. Smiling grimly, they consented; and next morning, he discovered that his left hand had changed to an unmistakable orc's claw.
Sack split from the main band before they went to Viridor - allying himself with the hated elves was just too much to bear. He followed his second inclination, and set out to hunt down and slay Mazahir Daywalker and as many other vampires as possible. This brought him back to the Northkingdoms, where he recieved training as a Render of the Dark in order to further his vampire hunting plans. This phase culminated in his duel with Mazahir during which the Daywalker was slain.
Rejoining his comrades for the Kingmaker quest, Sack made good use of his time in the Underdark to slay as many Fae Mhor as he could get away with. He also met the shade of his biological father, who restored his hand, returning to him free choice as to whether to follow his own path or that offered to him by the mysterious orc shamen.
During the Siege of Vorsand he followed his urge for the unexpected, and sought out and slew Gozan Vraspan, then leading the largest remaining portion of Varkar's armies. This left the forces leaderless and unsure, perfectly placed as it turned out for Skufruss to take them over.
After the fall of Vane the Mace, it was Sack who, in a completely unexpected move, turned over the Sceptre of the Dragon Lords to Skufruss of the Kin, initiating the latter's rise to power as the Lord of Dragons and ruler of Tarlanor.
In the Erlyid Empire, he befriended the street urchin Rolc, and after the crushing of the vampire incursion there arranged for him to be adopted into Crown Prince Crixus, assuring him of senatorial rank and the best upbringing.
During the duel between the Wyrmslayers and Bramandin the assassin, Sack arranged to have his longtime bear companion Billy awakened, transforming him from a mere animal to a sentient being - a true person.
It was Sack who slew the Orc King Garkaur Kulataur, in the wake of discovering that he had attempted to trigger war between Tarlanor and Belamir, although it is quite possible that the discovery of the King's half-elven ancestry was what spurred him to the action.
After participating in the aborted war with the shadowkami of Sasutora, Sack disappeared from public view, although persistent rumour linked him to many mysterious and murky happenings for decades afterwards.