Hartmann

General Hartmann Redwater was the son of the illustrious general Almaric, and as such was always destined for a life in the army. At age sixteen he was commissioned into the Company of the Green Fields, the second-most illustrious company in the Veracian army, and at age seventeen he was married to Auria, daughter of the King's Chief Adviser. When she died in childbirth two years later, Hartmann dedicated himself to the army.

A meteroric rise through the ranks followed: by age twenty-six, Hartmann was commanding three companies of infantry, run by men often older than himself. By age thirty, Hartmann was leading six companies, and by thirty-five he was made the King's Chief Military Adviser. However, the bureaucracy and political infighting at the highest levels disgusted him, and he retired at thirty-seven.

Aged fifty-six, Hartmann was recalled and given the command of an expedition against one of the barbarian armies maurauding through the Northern Territories. Since all other Veracian troops were engaged, his army consisted of two companies of freshly-raised infantry, three companies of light cavalry and whatever troops he could muster from the Ubii. Hartmann, using his considerable skill, tracked down the barbarian tribes and defeated them at the Battle of the Nuerian Fords: this victory earned him the sobriquet Redwater.

On this expedition, Hartmann took in a young boy he found in a burning village and adopted him as his son. As the boy, Caunen, grew older, the two grew more and more distant: Hartmann had no idea how to raise a son, and feared upsetting him too much to discipline him. The only connection the two really shared was through the military, and they would spend hours practicing sword exercises or discussing strategy, tactics and logistics.

When, at age fourteen, Caunen announced that he was leaving to join the Myrmidons, the pair argued. Hartmann explained how he feared losing his son, but Caunen laughed in his face and left. The next day, Hartmann suffered a massive stroke that left him paralysed. A messenger set out to fetch Caunen back, but the general died in his sleep before his son returned. He was sixty-three years old.

Hartmann was one of the most talented generals Veracia saw, leading raw troops and barbarian allies to victory against a large and veteran army. He was given a funeral at the expense of the King, at which almost the entire Veracian aristocracy were present, and for months after his death his grave was covered with flowers bought by a grateful population.