Xander

Alexander (Xander) of Lionburh was a highly trained soldier in the Galefridish military. He is currently a mercenary, working for the Aurum Order.

Background
Born in the city of Lionburh, Xander first joined the Galefridish military as a runner (transporting messages) at the of 14. At 16, he officially began his training to become a soldier in the army. Unlike many who settled for a family, Xander continued to train and learned tactics and war strategy from his superiors. As a result of his perseverance, he quickly rose in the ranks, becoming a Sergeant at age 22 and Lieutenant at age 31. By the age of 46, Xander held the rank of Captain and commanded a company, the Golden Claws of Galefridus. In 1006 GD, following several raids conducted by elves into Galefridish settlements near the border, Xander and his company was deployed as a show of force to deter further aggression by the elves. However, by 1007 GD, following a disastrous skirmish with rebel elves along the Galefridus/Myvanna border, Xander was court-martialed for his actions. He was stripped of his rank and sentenced to life imprisonment in the maximum security prison in Brookborough. After his unintentional release from prison during a raid by the Aurum Order, Xander sought out his old comrade-in-arms, Kest, and offered his services as a mercenary.

Training
Starting at a young age, Xander was trained with the traditional weapons wielded by Galefridish soldiers such as shortsword, flail and shortbow. Over time, and as his physique developed, he trained with larger weapons such as greatsword, maul and longbow. While most common soldiers are expected to form lines of spears or a shield wall, Xander, as an officer, eventually adopted the use of long reaching polearms such as halberd and glaive. While these two-handed weapons prevented the use of a shield, it did give Xander the ability to strike his enemies while remaining behind his front line soldiers. Moreover, it also allowed him to quickly give hand signals to coordinate his men in the heat of battle.

In addition to his diverse martial training, Xander was also well schooled in combat tactics and battle strategy. As a company commander, he was expected to formulate strategy for over 100 men in combat, utilizing his subordinate officers to execute his plans. Nevertheless, Xander would also charge into the heat of battle to push through enemies defenses or to re-establish order and confidence in beleaguered soldiers. While he understood that the lives of his men were secondary to the successful completion of his orders, Xander was not one to waste lives. He regularly spoke to the men under his command, listened to them, helped them develop into better soldiers and even helped them in their transition back to citizen life after their discharge from the army. As as result, his men trusted him, and willingly placed their lives in his hands.