Ronin Of Dreams
Still Watching...
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You know, there's a great deal of things that could be said. So, I wonder, what will you think of THIS?!
Name: Jakaero Corosco
Age: 57
Affiliation: Confederation of Warsmiths / Duchy of Tinsal
Appearance: Though old and with hair long-since leeched of all color save the stain of ash, Jakaero holds himself tall with a reservoir of vitality that burns brightly within his green eyes. Hair hangs limply to his shoulders, replete with split-ends and singed strands, which he usually ties back high on his head with a strip of worn hide. His garb is notionally indistinguishable from that of the common folk, consisting of sturdy if patched leather breeches, serviceable boots, and a homespun cotton tunic that hangs to his knees. On both formal occasions and taskings to the front, Jakaero tops the simple garb with a long coat of rich indigo brocade. Upon this heavy contrast to his common appearance, several badges of rank lay pinned and polished, designating him not only as a former veteran of the 3rd Light Voltigeurs but a recognized master artisan across several kingdoms.
History: If ever a man was born meant to use his hands, and use whatever is at hand to accomplish a task set to him, Jakaero would be considered by many to be that man. Born to an unassuming village, Jakaero was raised harshly by a demanding father. Food was scarce, pressing the young boy into learning field craft in the hopes of bringing more meat to both the table and for village barter. With neighboring woods claimed by surrounding nobility as private grounds, Jakaero was often forced to range far and wide to trap and hunt enough game worthy of returning home. Any less would be met with beatings, though to his father's credit, the elder took no joy in the act. It was, as often is, merely a reinforcement of how little Jakaero's family actually had to eat week by week.
By the age of fourteen, the lad had begun to finally master some of the elements of field craft, but further refinement of dodging patrols of guardsmen and tracking spoor came to an abrupt halt. A unit of the Archduke's Heavy Dragoons rode through the village, conscripting any male of sufficient age. The Archduke of Galvain had designs on his neighbors of Tinsal and Élan, and assumed he could crush both of the smaller Duchies beneath his heel with a swift strike of overwhelming force. Jakaero, being old enough to be pressed into service but young enough to lack a refined will that would foment rebellion during training, was assigned at first to a pike square.
While the Archduke may have been current on the efficacy of a lightning strike with his army's ranks swollen and fat with conscripted blood, both Tinsal and Élan proved a murderous bone that would lodge in Galvain's throat for years. The Debacle of the Duchies, as it became known in local parlance, bled the forces of all sides until terms could be reached, prompted by the interest by other kingdoms to topple the lands of all three. Jakaero, during that time, was shuttled from unit to unit not necessarily due to skill, but a stubborn streak of surviving the odds. Common and noble blood was shed upon his pike, sword, and knife. His final assignment was also his first command, a skirmisher unit armed with crossbow and dagger. The 3rd Light Voltigeurs proved extremely effective during the final months of the campaign, accomplishing near suicidal objectives, though the heavy cost of lives within the unit weighed heavily upon Jakaero. Sickened by the glut of blood and death around him, Jakaero relocated himself into the Duchy of Tinsal shortly after the treaty was signed.
The accrued pay from several years in the field allowed him to purchase a smithy left vacant by the slaughter of the war, and for a time Jakaero turned his focus to the more pleasant task of improving the life of those around him one plow blade at a time. Work was not exactly brisk, however, as the same vacancy in the forge was echoed on far too many fields for his comfort. With time came experimentation and some degree of mobility. Other smiths of the area who were members of the guild saw far more than the talents of a farrier and plow maker in the jaded veteran, eventually petitioning him to join the guild and better utilize his natural aptitude of learning practical tasks into refining his techniques and expanding his work base. Though the guild fees initially drained the last from his coffers, the turnaround was swift into bringing new requests and a greater portfolio of business to Jakaero's forge. It even brought a spark of brightness and intent to Jakaero's life in the form of a wife, and soon after, their daughter.
With the rise of Alquen as a threat, the entirety of the Three Duchies became an unsettled mass of knotted fears. Unless they fielded sons barely of age, Tinsal alone could at best raise a few squads, and neither of the other Duchies were capable of much better. Understanding that war would bring nothing more than horror and strife to the ravaged region, Jakaero approached others within the guilds of smiths and artisans with a plan. Raise a small levy of smiths old enough to remember the past conflicts but young enough to still travel well, and give their support to the alliance forces, taking the place of their young in the effort to rebuff Alquen's advances. It is with that noble thought in mind that Jakaero was able to leave both wife and daughter behind to carry on the Corosco name, likely not to survive the conflict himself.
Unit description: War is coming to the lands which Jakaero holds dear, and the old Corosco does not wish to see the crusading forces spread like a wildfire through the three Duchies he has grown up among. Through his contacts among the various artisan guilds, he has assembled a small support force to bring with him to the coalition of forces looking to stop Domirus. A pair of fully laden carts holds anvils, bar stock, scrap, and a wealth of tools from which the artisans can work to keep the greater coalition armed and armored. War is not lost just by strength of sword arm alone, and Jakaero saw enough needless casualties of friendly forces due to armor in disrepair, notched swords snapping in twain, and so forth. The artisanal force has also been trained in the use of crossbows on their extended trek to met the coalition force. Each battle smith, if called up for service on the field, are armed with a crossbow, pavise, two sheathes of steel-tipped crossbow bolts. There is a great strength in these weapons, capable of puncturing armor with almost frightening ease as distance closes, but the small size of the volunteer unit and relative inexperience in combat conditions would suggest judicious use in vital defense only. Better to have the smiths continue to repair armor, sharpen swords, and replace pike, spear, arrow, and bolt than to have them fight on the front lines. This ad-hoc artisanal force numbers thirty strong, not counting their leadership.
In addition to this diminutive battle force, Jakaero has also brought a large number of laymen and peasants to the field. Paid for by Naysmith Carter's funds, these laymen are elderly grandparents who wish to spare their daughters and grandchildren the horrors of war. They have zero battle experience, but merely hope to lessen the burdens of the fighting forces by handling camp affairs and any heavy labor. They are unarmed non-combatants, but number an additional fifty men to the force of skilled artisans.
Unit organization: Though all of the artisans within the Confederation force have seen prior combat to some degree, they have only a loose concept of the chain of command. Notionally, they will follow any order given in the name of the Duke of Tinsal if an outside commander seeks to give them orders. Internally, the battle smiths prefer breaking into small bands ranging from four to eight, and inserting themselves into the camps of other allied forces. Jakaero holds overarching command of the volunteer force, and each such squad is led by one of the few veterans available within the force. In the event of Jakaero's death or capture, each of these squad leaders has been instructed to act independently as best they see fit. As is often the case, however, a few are more naturally charismatic and fit to lead than others, three of which have risen to claim "lieutenant" positions underneath their captain.
Authorities in Command:
Orric Farrier - Older even than Jakaero, Orric is the only veteran of multiple conflicts among the battle smith group. His weight of combat experience can lead to him butting heads with Jakaero's notional command, but Orric never held more than a squad command himself. The occasional friction is often balanced out by the informal nature by which the smith's would prefer to group within.
Constantine Of Galvain - Hides the fact that, though distant, he is of the blood of the Duke's family, and rather well off compared to his compatriot volunteers. A touch brash and headstrong, he is nonetheless capable but may not cooperate fully if ordered about by coalition commanders other than Jakaero. His blood status places him eighth in the line of succession for the Duke of Galvain, though the Duke's family has not followed him closely. Only Constantine is aware of one of Jakaero's intentions regarding the conflict, as he is also the only nobility aware that the Three Duchies have no available forces to raise if Alquen takes the pass.
Naysmith Carter - A former Factor of the collective smithing guilds of the region, Naysmith is more notable for having a touch of affluence that has financed this foray of smiths and elder laymen to the front. The power of wealth far outweighs his personal skills around a forge or carpentry bench, but his peers respect him nonetheless, for a proper head for money is as difficult to find at times as a skilled arm in the forge.
< Message edited by Ronin Of Dreams -- 11/17/2014 22:14:36 >
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