Sir Henry Marshall
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Sir Henry Marshall (7th of Owyn's Flame, 1700 - 1st of Horen's Calling 1804) was a knight of the Holy Orenian Empire and distinguished officer of the Imperial State Army. Sir Henry was knighted in 1715 by Joseph I, Holy Orenian Emperor as a token of thanks for saving him from a Reiver assassin in the employ of the Empire of Renatus, during the onset of the War of Two Emperors. Despite his young age Sir Henry was immediately thrust into the brutal struggle between the Empires that would decimate the realm for years to come.
Contents
Early life
Having been born in Aeldin in the year 1700, Henry was quickly grown accustomed to periods of conflict that the continent suffered through often. At the age of 13 at the behest of his father Joseph, Henry booked passage from Aeldin to Arcas where he could carry on his house name in service to humanity like his great-uncle Ser Henry Marshall who had fought in and died at the Siege of Johannesburg. Arriving in 1714 he found the realm in a poor way, tensions rising within Empire of Renatus had begun to lead to small scale skirmishes and raids in the lead up to the War of Two Emperors. In the spring of 1715 Henry bore witness to the coronation of Joseph I within the city of Reza, with little to lose Henry began to follow the camp of the Emperor as banners were called and men prepared for the coming battles of the year. Whilst patrolling the encampment one night outside of Haense, Henry saw a shadowy figure leap a gap in the palisade wall beginning to make its way to the Imperial tent. In hot pursuit Henry burst into the tent of the Emperor cutting down the Reiver assassin before it had time to strike and saving the life of the Emperor. It was for this act of loyalty that Joseph I knighted Sir Henry and soon the gathered army began to march toward Helena.
Sir Henry was absent from the Battle of Upper Rodenburg and the Battle of Lower Rodenburg before taking to the field for the first time in the Siege of Helena, It was during the battle that Sir Henry had grouped up several Owynist soldiers part of a group known as Owyn's Flame, who had been among the first over the wall. The group fought alongside the rest of the Orenian forces making it to the throne room where they were eventually repulsed from the city. Defeat shook Sir Henry as he watched for the first time how quickly things could fall in life. Continuing to follow the army in its numerous defeats Sir Henry left the makeshift encampment in Haense following the Treaty of Reza in 1721. His connections however to the men he fought alongside at the Siege of Helena proved fruitful, as together the men created in 1722 The Caer Bann Company, which would mark the first official station in a long career for Sir Henry.
Career
Now fully employed by The Caer Bann Company as a Lieutenant, Sir Henry began work with the rest of the officers under the diligent leadership of Richard of Reden to seek out new contracts from the safety of their fort in Roberston. In 1723 Sir Henry with the rest of the Caer Bann Company were called by Adrian I of Kaedrin, known at the time as Helton Hadrian Helvets, to defend Ves from the grasp of the Drumm Hall Coup. Sir Henry, alongside Arnold de Langford, Sir Jayce Lancefeld and the rest of the company followed the orders of Richard de Reden and carried out their contract to rid the city of the beet boys. After several hours of fierce struggle the corrupt guard force were driven back to Drumm hall where the coup was finally put down. Despite this hard work, remnants of the Beet Boys escaped the city and would begin an insurgency campaign that would last two years before finally being snuffed out.
It was during this time that The Caer Bann Company was given a full time contract to act as the guard force of the city of Ves, Sir Henry set to work with his fellow soldiers defending the city over the next several years, In 1726 the Republic of Ves was formed into The Commonwealth of Kaedrin. It was then that The Company of Caer Bann was rebranded into The Army of Kaedrin, fully embedded into the Commonwealth Sir Henry now a high ranking officer in the Army of Kaedrin set to work on a logistical overhaul of the armed forces in order to improve success on the battlefield, such inventions like the Kaedreni Incendiary Device, shield wall rotation tactics and close support artillery became commonplace as a result of Sir Henry's work, proving doubly effective during the Ratman Scourge which plagued the city and surrounding countryside from 1724 to 1730. Serving dutifully throughout the years Sir Henry was present for a majority of the Commonwealths history, seeing the return of the Holy Orenian Empire under Peter III, Holy Orenian Emperor, remaining in active service as the Army of Kaedrin was once again rebranded and incorporated into the newly formed Imperial State Army as the 2nd Regiment of Grenadiers. It was at this time Sir Henry departed the Holy Orenian Empire for his homeland of Aeldin to tend to his recently deceased fathers affairs.
Career in The Imperial State Army
Sir Henry returned to the Empire in the year 1760, at sixty years old he had petitioned his longtime friend Frederick Armas to fund his recommission into the Imperial State Army. Beginning as a Cadet Sir Henry set to work once again, despite his age he continued to strive for martial prowess. In 1762 The entire might of the Imperial war machine was brought to bear on a bandit fortress in the Imperial heartland known as Boomhill, leading an infantry squad at the rank of Ensign, Sir Henry displayed fine acts of valour in personally leading his squadron into the breach to seize the open pit mine, line after line of bandit militia fell before the mine was secured for the Empire. Over the next few years Sir Henry continued his work overhauling Imperial State Army logistics whilst also serving as a combat academy commandant in the 2nd Brigade. In 1770 General Alren DeNurem saw fit to promote Sir Henry to Captain of the 2nd Brigade, working hand in hand with Lieutenant Erik Othaman the pair created a staunch recruitment and training campaign to improve the quality of the soldiers in the Imperial State Army.
In the year 1780 Sir Henry was once again promoted, this time to the rank of Major. Being moved to the position of a staff officer in the Imperial Headquarters Sir Henry once again found himself with time on his hands, taking up his own business he finally created a storefront for Imperial Crown Jewels, bringing jewels and fine goods to the city of Helena that he now called his home. In the year 1784 sadness once again returned to the life of Sir Henry, Peter III, emperor and longtime friend of Sir Henry died in his sleep, serving as a pallbearer at the Emperors Funeral Sir Henry finally laid his friend to rest. In 1785 The Imperial State Army, after years of planning began a coordinated offensive with the rest of the coalition against the growing Inferi threat. Five years of bloody campaigning followed as Sir Henry continued his service to the Empire taking part in numerous raids against Inferi held Korvassa and Al-Faiz before finally taking part in the final battle of the Inferi war in 1792. Commanding the left wing of the Imperial State Army's formation, Sir Henry had nearly 10,000 men under his command for the final confrontation, marching next to The Empress across the dark skied Korvassa towards the remnants of the Inferi in attempt to cut off the retreating Inferi with a flank. It was then that a volley of malflame erupted from behind enemy lines hurtling towards the advancing troops, In quick fashion Sir Henry turned tackling The Empress to the ground and shielding her unprotected body with his own. Although clad in fireproof uniform Sir Henry suffered a large burn along his unprotected neck passing out from the pain and shock of the magical fire.
A New Land
Sir Henry awoke three days later in a makeshift field hospital pleased to learn The Empress was safe. He continued his service to the Army for the next several years assisting in the evacuation of Arcas for the new land of Almaris, A new land brought new struggles and Sir Henry worked tirelessly in his position of Major to attempt to curb the bandit threat which had begun to spring up across the new continent. Despite this new threat, disagreements began to emerge between Sir Henry and his friend General Peter on the state of the ISA, this disagreement began to grow and eventually led to Sir Henry officially retiring from the Imperial State army on the 7th of Harren's Folly, 1801, after nearly 90 years of military service.
Retirement & Political Ambitions
Death
