Rickart was born to respected smithy in a medium sized frontier community. When the orc raid came it was a complete suprise, they'd never dared drive so deep into Imperial territorial, let alone launch such a massive assault.

Rickart was young enough to be spared and yet strong and fierce enough to be set aside by a specific warrior caste.
These human captives were raised with better food and their labor, while hard, was not meant to destroy them, but rather build their body while crushing their spirits. In short, he was being groomed to breed half-bloods.

The Imperial response took long enough that the orcs grew too bold and confident... when Rickart was found after slaughter wrought by the human armies he was found surrounded by four dead orcish guards, all of which he strangled. or beat with a tent stake.

Now many years have passed, the only outward signs of Rickart's ordeal are the criss-cross of scars upon his every inch of exposed skin...
Somehow the humanity did not get crushed, but rather the spark flared brightly, and Rickart now follows the calling of the Light, a Paladin of the Hosts of Heaven.