Sertorius

Sertorius was the only son of Marius II, king of the Samnites. Since he was born at a time when the elderly king had given up hope of siring a son, Marius doted on the child and made sure he lacked for nothing. He was tutored by the great orator Diocases between the ages of seven and fifteen, then attended his father at court to learn the skills of running a kingdom. The greatest Elven swordfighters came to teach him to wield a blade, and when he could ride he was given the most expensive horse his father's agents could find, a completely black gelding.

This idyllic life came to an end when the armies of Marduk invaded his kingdom. The Samnite army, a motley scraped-together force of militia, was defeated by Marduk's ruthless and veteran plunderers. Sertorius was captured trying to protect his father, and the pair were incarcerated in Marduk's keep to the north.

Tortured and imprisoned in a pitch-black hell, Sertorius was eventully rescued by Caunen's Army of the North, who defeated Marduk and restored him to the Samnite throne. When the opportunity arose, Sertorius led a Samnite army into the heartland of Veracia, defeated the barbarians and restored the Veracian monarchy with himself on the throne. After the victory, he took care to reward his followers with official appointments, setting up a personalised feudal system unlike anything since the time of Siegfried.

Sertorius died at the age of sixty-five in his sleep, succeeded by his son Siegfried VI. He was remembered as the restorer of Veracian traditions, and honoured alongside Siegfried I and Theodoric as one of the Three Founders of the kingdom. He never skulked at the back, but always fought alongside his men in battle and shared their hardships on the march.