Orc-blood

"Orc Blood" is the term used specifically to the adoption and conscription of 18 Half Orc foundlings rescued along with human captives from the camp of an Orcish raiding tribe by the Pikemen of Covington.

Accounts vary as to the parentage of these children but it is clear that none of the Covington families would agree to take them in ,some might even go a step further abandoning the child to the wilds or worse

The people of Covington have been in a nigh state of war with the area Orc and Bugbear tribes and Wild men that plague these hills for generations and while a pious folk, the hatred and feuds which now take on a family matter caused stark divisions in the community.

This created a conundrum as to what to do with these children. Eventually, it was so ordered by the Commandant that

A. It has been investigated and concluded that these children did not belong to any of the families of Covington and must be the orphans of other poor human captives from lost travelers, tribes of wild men, hermits and the like. This matter is closed as is public discussion of baseless rumormongering. Continued rancor will be treated as sedition. Let none claim ignorance of the law.

B. That these children, despite their inherit wickedness and eventual bloodlust are still children of the Goddess, innocent of any crime or sin of their own doing and still of Alexian blood. And thus must be provided for under the oath

C. It is so ordered and ruled that the Orc-blood foundlings are wards of the Fort and are to be remanded to the custody of FT Covington.

Most of the foundlings early childhood consisted mainly of being servants for the militiamen and officers of the Fort itself. In time becoming soldiers themselves. As Half Orc's mature faster that human children in a mere 10 years these children went from servants and maids and cooks to manning the watch, joining patrols and leading counterstrikes and rescue missions.

Military life and training was very harsh on these 13 children and their instructors were bigoted and cruel. As a result 4 of the recruits died either in training exercises or in dubious accidents. Worse still the recruits were angry, defiant, undisciplined and held in line by threat. Stratford was no exception. This lasted until Commandant Rollio assumed command of Fort Covington in 1503 after Commandant Elescu surrendered to old age at 95.

Rollio employed a different tactic with the training of the recruits, whose number now had grown to 14 as more foundlings were discovered a few years after the first. Their training was hard but never "cruel". but the new focus was on redemption of their souls via service in the proud Alexian military tradition.

Constantly reminding them of their inherent wicked natures that they had to be vigilant against. That the nature of the orc was one of lust and rage and that also was in them. Only via hard discipline, strict routine and relentless adherence to process can give them what humans take for granted, a conscience. Controlling dangerous and sinful emotions can save lives and it can give you power to fight the evil that spawned you.

Thus Rollio's methods involved teaching delayed gratification, going through channels, oppositional defiance, using group accountability and teamwork, matching positive reinforcement balanced with swift punitive consequences.

He presented this into a system of phrases, drills, commands and routines which the recruits acted under and were subject to at all times. Rollio's efforts bore fruit as he also had become something of a Father figure to the recruits, slowly and calculatingly giving validation and approval based on achievement and being "Human".

Rollio had stoked the flames of their self hatred and inner rage but gave it focus and ritual, a cause and procedure, a direction and an enemy, most of all it offered them a path of redemption and a chance to enter the afterlife like humans do. To achieve being human via a life of military service.

In time the recruits had embraced his system well. They were disciplined, cool under fire, stronger, faster and more durable that any of the other Militiamen.

It is unknown if this practice still continues.