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Bastien Lafayette
Lieutenant-General of the Westmark Theatre
Field General of the Regalian Army
"I am a warrior, Your Majesty. A warrior may retreat. He does not flee. He may lie in ambush. He does not hide. He may experience victory or defeat. He does not cease to serve."
Lieutenant-General of the Westmark Theatre
Field General of the Regalian Army
"I am a warrior, Your Majesty. A warrior may retreat. He does not flee. He may lie in ambush. He does not hide. He may experience victory or defeat. He does not cease to serve."
Basic Information
- Full Name: Bastien Montier
Le SeurLafayette - Age: 39
- Gender: Male
- Race: Ailor
- Main Ambition: To ruthlessly pursue a legacy as one of Regalia's finest military leaders
- Culture: Leutz-Vixe / Imperial
- Languages: Common, D'Ithanie (birth language: understands it but refuses to speak it), Alt-Regalian (from time in the military: semi-understands, cannot speak)
- Special permission: Expert School of Leadership
Skill Information
- School: School of Leadership
- Level: Expert
- Source: Studied Discipline of Theatre Command after 10 years and relevant experience in Battle Command
Bastic Information Expansion
Admiralty Academy [Discipline of Battle Command]: 281AC - 291AC
Field Officer: 285AC - 289AC
Field Commander: 289AC - 295AC
Marshal's Academy [Discipline of Theatre Command]: 291AC - 295AC
Field General: 295AC - Present
- Bastien is a widely respected military leader and tactical commander in the Empire, holding the rank of Field General and Lieutenant-General after being promoted to the highest rank in the Westmark Army by Emperor Cedromar I. Bastien lives in Regalia and considers it his home but often returns to his uncle's land in Pays-Sud to escape the businesses and intense atmosphere of the Holy City.
- Whilst Bastien intends to become a famed military leader he intends to achieve that through his command of the Westmark Army, hoping to lead the Empire in a successful campaign against the Nelfin tribes to bring stability to Hyarroc, Ithania and Daendroc in order to pave the way for a pure Ailor colony with the exception of Orcs.
Admiralty Academy [Discipline of Battle Command]: 281AC - 291AC
Field Officer: 285AC - 289AC
Field Commander: 289AC - 295AC
Marshal's Academy [Discipline of Theatre Command]: 291AC - 295AC
Field General: 295AC - Present
Visual Information
- Eye Color: Blue
- Hair Color: Dark Brown
- Hair Style: Relatively long, tucked behind his ears and neat with a short trimmed beard
- Skin Color: Tanned
- Clothing: A formal military hussar
- Height: 6ft 1in
- Body Build: Average
- Weapon of Choice: Concealable, thin blade, gold hilted dagger.
MonMarty
LadyTeddington
Bastien Lafayette possesses a very calm and collected demeanour appearing to have extremely clear motives and ambitions. He is by nature a very interesting and engaging person as he holds his own unique take and approach on everything. He is often described as philosophical because of the manner in which he speaks, willing to draw on historical examples and practical evidence to argue his points and is highly analytical in discussion and debate. Bastien is also refreshingly composed and is never prone to emotional outbursts or aggression most likely down to the fact that unlike the majority of military leaders his expertise is based in academics and tactical command rather with no experience in physical combat. He does not come across as emotionless however, there are things he likes a great deal and people that he is very loyal to but his emotion is shrewdly invested rather than wasted on angry episodes. His reputation is of a dedicated individual with an immense loyalty to the Empire and the military and his personality often matches what is spoken about him. Many have described him as polite and respectful, a persona that he often extends to both his friends and his enemies alike. Bastien's suave, sophisticated mannerisms hide a ruthlessness however and his hunger for success can become evident to some to are willing to study his behaviour for long enough.
Bastien is a very well measured and calculated individual who always avoids acting on emotions and instead favours an analytical and logical approach. He is very confident in his own abilities and cares very little what is thought of him, often too focussed on his aims and goals to waste time altering his appearance or adjusting his personality to accommodate other people and their opinions. Bastien is a perfectionist and always tries to act with precision and decisively which is reflected between his social interactions and his strategic approach. Bastien interests are invested in the bigger picture or game, favouring glory of the Empire over personal success but he is very willing to take risks to ensure victory. Bastien's motives are that of the end, he is willing to take any and all measures necessary to achieve victory but he acts as a realist, making moves and basing his opinions on evidence rather than speculation.
Bastien is polite and respectful of everyone so friends and family don't receive any less or much more. He remains particularly formal in the presence of close friends as he often socialises with them in public places and rarely has time to sit alone with them. He does go out of his way to try and accommodate those he believes need more attention or support; he isn't necessarily empathetic but he does try to be supportive, he often tries to give people he considers close to him advice rather than assisting them. Having been raised alone by his uncle in the ways of the military he often tries to guide younger people with an eye on the military in a similar way, taking them under his wing and pushing them to achieve as much as possible in their younger years.
Bastien is inherently amoral meaning he neither favours good nor bad action. He understands morality as a matter of perspective and knows that all actions can be contested depending on the opinion and approach of any one individual - what may seem good to one person can appear bad to another. For this reason Bastien aims to achieve what is necessary, not what is right. If this means acting unconventionally and ruthlessly or even generously and with mercy then so be it, he will do what he believes the situation needs for him to achieve his goal within it.
Bastien has never associated himself with one single position, rather he picks and chooses his principles and positions based on what appeals to him. On the topic of religion Bastien is a non-active Unionist, he understands the Imperial Spirit not as a tangible diety but more so a concept or an ideology. Bastien's approach is that he wants to achieve glory for the Empire, if this means following Unionism and dedicating successes to the Spirit then so be it but he sees Unionism as synonymous with the Empire and thus follows the former because of his loyalty to the latter. In terms of his approach to the military Bastien takes an intellectual approach to tactics and strategy strongly believing that in order to defeat a worthy opponent a commander must value the importance of understanding every aspect of his enemy including their culture, art and philosophy in order to defeat them. He maintains a respect for every enemy of the Empire because if they were not worthy adversaries they would not be considered a threat to the Empire's interests, he admires even the most savage of cultures because of their renegade strategies and highly unpredictable tactics.
"No wonder you are equipped in spirit to fight like you do. War is in your blood. I study the art of war. Work to perfect it. But you...You were forged by it."
- Intelligent: Bastien has a very natural intelligence and has a desire to learn and gain knowledge. His intelligence allows him to speak confidently and fluently on numerous academic topics and his formal presentation of much of his learning makes his extremely interesting to talk to. He thinks quickly under pressure and is able to manufacture plans and strategies for a huge variety of scenarios either through improvisation or by sitting down and planning.
- Tactician: Bastien is a highly skilled military tactician in part due to his 14 years in the School of Leadership but also down to his experience in the field of combat. Bastien has been seasoned in a variety of theatres and campaigns throughout his time as a tactician and exhibits an impressive knowledge of his enemies using his insight into their tactics and philosophy to achieve victory. He focusses on understanding all aspects of his opponent from their culture to their history, drawing on examples of art and social structures to analyse what his opponents hold dear and how to defeat them in their own territory.
- Not easily intimidated: Bastien holds an immense confidence in his realist approach, favouring evidence over speculation. His scientific and analytical mind leads him to believe that with enough tangible power anything can be defeated whether it be magical or mythical. Intimidation on a social level does not register with Bastien, he sees arrogance and ego in anyone who intends to intimidate others and sees it as a desperate if not pathetic attempt to establish power relations over another.
- Unadaptable: Bastien is a strong conservative and a supporter of the status-quo, disliking change. This makes him appear very unprogressive and unadaptable to changing social climates and environments but he sees it as a commitment to tradition rather than a rejection of the new. Bastien favours an old-fashioned approach to everything and where new systems or new methods are developed he becomes highly sceptical if not denialist.
- Culturally Convoluted: Bastien has a serious conflict of opinion when it comes to his heritage and culture. Throughout his life he has followed morals, ethics and ideologies associated with the Regalian Empire and for this he has come into serious conflict with his family and the Ithanian culture. Since he was disowned, this detachment from his Ithanian roots has grown stronger but he often reminisces on his childhood and the fond memories he has of his family. Bastien fights to reject and condemn these feelings on a daily basis, observing the fact that many of his interests and traits have developed from his experiences as an Ithanian. He can turn particularly aggressive, almost believing that he carries his culture as a scar, if someone calls him Ithanian.
- Physically incapable: Bastien has never trained in any form of self defence or physical combat and despite him being physically fit and healthy he is not at all strong, intimidating or proficient in combat. Bastien avoids combat at all times knowing full well that the average swordsman or sizeable opponent could defeat him with ease. As a commander that likes to lead on the front lines this is highly problematic as one mistake or event leading the the compromise of the tactical headquarters would leave him virtually defenceless against a foe.
Likes
- War: Despite understanding and noting that in war casualties and deaths are to be expected, Bastien believes that war and military conquest in the only way of bending subordinates and revolutionaries to yield to the will of the state. Only the strongest and most intelligent are victorious in war and in a way it is a way of ensuring weak men do not hold powers above their own ability. Bastien thoroughly enjoyed his 14 year military education and further enjoyed the many wars and campaigns he took part in as a Field Commander and General.
- Order: Order and law are two pillars that any state must possess to ensure its own survival and future. Order keeps people in check and discourages revolutions and uprisings which only end poorly for the weak- a strong and firm leader will never have a revolution on his hands as the people fear the consequences of testing his ability to defend his position. Law is essential in keeping the peace and authorities must exist to keep a balanced climate. However charters and authorities must act justly as they work to protect the state and its people, if they provoke the people they put the state at risk and this cannot be tolerated.
- Art: Bastien is fascinated and intrigued by art from all cultures and races. Bastien likes to study art because he believes that studying it can allow him to delve into the psyche of the people of the cultures that the artists belong to particularly applying this to the art of the Empire's enemies.
- Architecture: Much like his obsession with art Bastien has a particular intrigue in architecture often scoring buildings as he walks to streets or averting his gaze to the internal design of rooms when talking. His appreciation for architecture extends to all designs and variations but he has a very definitive handful of specifications that he likes in particular that he is not shy to share with those that fall into the trap of indulging his interest in the architectural design of a room.
- Perfection: Bastien has high expectations and always desires himself and those around him to meet them. Whilst he recognises the importance of efficiency he prefers perfection and is willing to sacrifice the swift production of something for a higher quality finished piece.
- Ithanian culture: Despite being born into an Ithanian family his time at Lutherstadt and studying the military opened a world of politics and war to him which the Ithanian culture refused to adopt. His ideals became centred on the Empire, the military and politics which lead to his falling out and eventual disownment from his family. He dubs the Ithanian culture as lazy and morally corrupt for their laid-back and overly luxurious lifestyles.
- Mercenaries: It is a conscious mistrust for mercenaries by principle that Bastien is opposed to. He does not dislike the concept of selling men as soldiers but knows that mercenaries fight wars for reward and riches rather than loyalty and duty. He does not trust the integrity of mercenaries and feels that when offered the opportunity they would desert their allies if promised greater reward elsewhere.
- Magic: Magic to Bastien is a dull and cowardly device, perhaps his understanding is lacking but he feels there is no bravery or skill in using twisted and strange powers to kill another man. Bastien dislikes all those who condone the use of magic and dispels it as an inept ability employed by freaks and cowards. Despite his only soft relation to religion, he admires the Ninth Creed which denounces magic has heretical and subtly hints at violet means by which to deal with those with unnatural powers.
Bastien Le Seur was born in Regalia to Erika Beauvue, an Ithanian seamstress and Benoit Le Seur, a Leutz-Vixe Naval Field Officer. The pair married in Regalia in 267AC after Bastien was born but Benoit's commitments to the Navy meant he would spend little time with his family which lead to him sending his wife and son home to Ithania whilst he remained on military campaigns.
The Le Seur family home, handed down three generations to Benoit consisted of a small Champagnard household with a small collection of pastures surrounding it on which Bastien lived with his family for fifteen years, enjoying the births of two siblings Marco and Lisabelle, and receiving a basic education in a local village. Bastien adored his father but he was a stern and serious man and so Bastien often tried to impress him on his brief breaks from military duty by saying he wanted to join the Regalian Navy like his father. Bastien had military style costumes made for him by his mother when he was little but his father, despite being a military man, despised the idea of his eldest son joining the Navy. Benoit's brother, Bastien's uncle Wilhuff, had similarly taken the military approach but fierce fighting across various campaigns had turned him fierce and horrible. Bastien's father did not want him to become his uncle, he not only refused to humour his military ambitions but also barred him from visiting Wilhuff.
The dispute carried for many years into Bastien's early teenage years and like any free thinking and inquisitive young man, Bastien longed to meet the uncle that his father refused to allow him to visit. His father however still had to go off on frequent military campaigns and could not control Bastien completely and in 279AC at the age of thirteen, Bastien convinced his mother he was going to go camping with a friend when instead he asked that friend to help him get to Brissiaud stating that his father had given him permission to travel to see his uncle. 13 year old Bastien finally made it to Wilhuff Lafayette's compound to the West of Courr River and introduced himself. At first Wilhuff made arrangements to immediately send Bastien back to Ithania after refusing him entry to his home but a storm prevented ships from leaving that evening which meant he was forced to allow Bastien to stay the night. Bastien, who had already refused his father's orders and had gradually been developing an animosity toward his family's control over him impressed Wilhuff with his knowledge and ambitions of joining the Navy and his uncle took an absent minded liking to his nephew. Wilhuff, amused by Bastien's determination to reach him despite his family's orders, opted to accommodate Bastien for a few more days. He took him into the thick forests to the East of Allaque and taught Bastien to hunt and stalk the wild creatures. Wilhuff despised Bastien's father and devised a plan to get back at his all-too-serious brother to knock him off his high horse. Bastien spoke frequently of how his father hated the thought of him joining the military and so Wilhuff gave Bastien as much informal education in the art of military leadership and strategy as he could before the Le Seur family became alerted to Bastien's disappearance. Wilhuff convinced Bastien to write home often to make up stories of how he had extended his camping trip to a few weeks or that he was living and working with friends across the border in the safer regions of Daendroc.
Eventually Bastien grew confident and arrogant under Wilhuff's guardianship and wrote back to his family stating that he had run-away to pursue military education in Regalia, although he did not include that he was with his uncle. For two years, Wilhuff instilled basic military education on Bastien and took him on frequent trips to the dense forest where he'd often abandon him in an attempt to harden and instil a ruthlessness into his nature, one that centred on basic survival and promoted efficiency and obedience to his word. After two years, Bastien was not just a sinister achievement of Wilhuff over his brother, he resembled a well versed military minded young man and it became very apparent to Wilhuff that Bastien was capable of achieving excellence at a military academy. Bastien, to Wilhuff, was a project, a blank slate where he could imprint everything he knew, amend his own personal failures and see Bastien thrive as a product of his own like the son he never had. Wilhuff hailed his nephew as if he were his own son and organised for him to travel to Regalia to attend the School of Leadership to start his path toward a career in a high military position.
Bastien attended the School of Leadership to study Battle Command passing his exams with ease, making use of his uncle's education on Naval and Land command and expressing a natural calmness in potentially high stress environments from his trips to the forest. Bastien chose to make use of the state funded boarding system which would see him live away from Wilhuff and even further from his family. The Le Seur family had sent letter after letter to seek Bastien out and his return, but Wilhuff ensured that he collected and destroyed all letters for Bastien to further encourage him to trust him with his upbringing. Bastien studied extremely hard at the Admiralty Academy, engrossing himself completely in military command and strategy. His family had no idea that he was studying and he began to entirely disconnect himself with his past and his heritage. Not once in ten years did he write to his family home in Ithania, opting to take holidays in Regalia and take additional courses in politics and philosophy. He spent his six years of field experience in various places as assigned by the Academy, with the bulk of it shadowing Field Commanders and Generals in the Chrysant War between 286AC and 291AC.
Having studied for ten years in the Discipline of Battle Command focussing on Land command, he returned to what he know considered home, to his uncle Wilhuff to share in his achievements. Wilhuff opened his compound and his finances to Bastien on noting his progression, truly embracing the young man like a son. However Wilhuff continued to poison the discourse of the Le Seur family and forged a letter from Bastien's father which told him to return home or face being disowned and exiled. In reality the Le Seur family, particularly his mother has been devastated by what they saw as the loss of their son, corrupted and turned against them by Wilhuff who showed no guilt or remorse in doing so. Bastien went off once more to Regalia to further his education, enrolling into the Marshal's Academy to study the discipline of Theatre Command. Bastien excelled in his work rate, becoming extremely unsociable and aggressively set on graduating and becoming a Field General, spurred on by his uncle and the animosity he held for his family toward lofty ambitions. Bastien graduated as a Scholar and Field General from the Marshal's Academy, graduating with distinction from the Academy whilst also leaving Regalia well versed in political and philosophical discourse that he immersed himself in during his annual leave.
Bastien returned to Brissiaud to Wilhuff's compound and told his uncle of his desire to disown himself from the Le Seur family name, adopting the name 'Lafayette'; a Leutz-Vixe name Wilhuff had adopted after his falling out with his brother some thirty years prior. Bastien convinced himself that his detachment from his family was their fault and to further convince himself that it was the right decision he began telling people that it was the Le Seur family who disowned him, a story which he continues to maintain. His frustration and displacement from the Ithanian culture soon solidified and it turned his personality sour, he craved more than just military success and despite frequently operating in Hadar as a Field General he returned to his uncle in Brissiaud to educate himself in the state and activities of politics and nobility in the Holy City. Wilhuff stressed the importance of being a Unionist in Regalia, despite never being brought up with a religion, Wilhuff taught Bastien basic principles, ideals and Creed's. Wilhuff also versed Bastien in the ideologies of the Regalian Jingoist Lobby of which he was a firm supporter, an influence like many of his uncle's that still stands firm today.
Bastien moved to Regalia around the Winter of 304AC and began setting out his goals to become a famed and revered military leader and tactician.
Life Story Summary
266AC - 270AC: Born in Regalia. When Bastien was four his father returned to his military duties and his mother moved to the Le Seur family to their home in Ithania.
270AC - 281AC: Bastien lived in Ithania with his family for thirteen years receiving a basic education. From the brief periods he saw his father, a naval officer in the Regalian Fleet, he fantasised about following suit. His father however did not like Bastien's obsession with the military and so Bastien ran away to his uncle who lived in Brissiaud who taught him skills of survival and military poise so as to prepare him for military education against his father's wishes.
281AC - 291AC: Bastien attended School of Leadership to study Battle Command, he passed his exams with ease, making use of his fathers brief lessons on Naval and Land command and expressing a natural calmness in potentially high stress environments. Bastien studied extremely hard a the Admiralty Academy, engrossing himself completely in military command and strategy. He spent his six years of field experience in various places as assigned by the Academy, with the bulk of it shadowing Field Generals in the Chrysant War between 286AC and 291AC.
291AC - 295AC: Having studied for ten years in the Discipline of Battle Command focussing on Land command, he furthered his education, enrolling into the Marshall's Academy to study the discipline of Theatre Command. Bastien excelled in his work rate, becoming extremely unsociable and aggressively set on graduating and becoming a Field General, spurred on by spite of his family and his own ruthlessly lofty self-ambitions. Bastien graduated as a Scholar and Field General from the Marshal's Academy.
295AC - 296AC: Bastien returned to Brissiaud to Wilhuff's compound and told his uncle of his desire to disown himself from the Le Seur family name, adopting the name 'Lafayette'; a Leutz-Vixe name Wilhuff had adopted after his falling out with his brother some thirty years prior. Wilhuff versed Bastien in modern politics and nobility whilst opening up his meat business to allow for Bastien to take a proportion of his uncle's wealth for his move to Regalia to establish their name. Bastien was reluctant and decided to operate as he had always dreamed in the military as a Field General.
296AC - 305AC: Bastien spent seven years as a Field General operating out of Hadar, before he returned to Brissiaud and started investing in land and farms across Loiree and Vixhall with the intention of expanding his uncle's business across the archipelago. It reached his attention that a new government was being put in place following the Bone Horror crisis and the Lo Occupation and he sailed hastily toward the Crown Isle, hungry to establish himself in Regalian Curia Militum.
305AC - Present: Find out IC.
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