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Lucius Nepos is a Guardian Leader in the Imperial Blades, normally commanding a Squad of ten other Blades. His father, Appius Nepos, was a Blade of some renown both within their home town of Eastwatch and greater Fastheld. Lucius is currently posted away from his unit and has been seen around Hawk's Aerie.
Early life
Lucius Nepos was born and raised around Eastwatch in 600 ATA, to parents Appius Nepos and Claudia Hillborn. Appius Nepos was an Imperial Blade, a Guardian when he met and married Claudia near Vozhdya, one of his duty stations. Claudia was a journeyman weaver who largely gave up her job when she married and began to have children. A few years later they had Lucius, Appius was promoted to Guardian Leader and they went through a series of moves common to military families, especially freelanders. In all, there were three boys, and two girls, Lucius being the second child. In light of his father's excellent performance as a soldier, natural leadership gifts and tactical acumen, he was raised to the rank of Marshal, an uncommon command rank for one of his birth. He was posted to Eastwatch in 611 during the Second Wildling War and commanded a company of Blades who not only held the line against the encroaching Wildlings in the city but actually were able to counterattack and push back, largely due to the severe training and tactical innovations Appius introduced in his unit. This earned him commendation from the Emperor himself as well as the Blademaster, and gave him some leeway in determining postings for his sons, all three of whom were to join the Blades.
Joining the Blades
After an uninspiring childhood full of the usual mischief, Lucius joined the Blades and was assigned to the Imperial Westwatch Regiment (named for its original location), assigned to the West Aegis Garrison in proximity to the Shadow District. In keeping with the traditions of the Blades, and knowing who his father was, Lucius's trainers pressed him hard during his year as a recruit and challenged both him and his training platoon. Long forced marches with heavy packs, armor and weapons, field maneuvers, weapons training and sleepless nights of sentry duty prepared them well to assume their duties as Imperial Blades. Lucius finished near the top of his platoon, not a little bit because his father had never pampered him and had trained his son himself before he joined, in expectation. It also helped that he had some natural talent for the job and what it entailed.
Early Career
Being posted to the West Aegis Garrison was the best thing possible for Lucius. He was 17 years old, fresh out of training and out of his father's shadow, who was posted all the way across the realm. His company was headed by a hard charging Marshal, Samell Lomasa, who was able to persuade his superiors to the necessity in preemptive strikes on the nearby Shadow District's criminal gangs and rabble. From his early career, therefore, Lucius got used to dealing with bandits and combat within the context of both small and large unit. He sharpened his skills in these years in the Shadow District, as well as around the Western side of Fastheld, and moved up to command a squad of ten Guardians.
Elite Unit
While posted at the West Aegis Garrison, Nepos's company was recognize as being one of the most active in conducting dangerous operations, not to mention with an impressive success record and a bevy of heavily decorated soldiers. In recognition of this, the senior leadership of the Blades were influenced by the garrison's Captain, Iselore Zahir, to distribute various experimental pieces of equipment to the company. Their blades were forged using new techniques developed by the Imperial Armouries, they received a new type of javelin specifically designed to pierce deeply and then weigh an enemy down, and most importantly they were issued a new type of segmented steel armour which was created to be a significant upgrade to the standard chainmail. Their equipment did result in greater efficiency and less injuries on active duty, proving their worth in gold Kahars. Through much finagling and some very sympathetic quartermaster connections, all of the men, including Nepos, have been able to hang on to their new equipment even when leaving the posting, which is unusual to say the least.
Re-posted
The Imperial Westwatch Regiment has detachments all over the western area of Fastheld, but despite that Nepos remained, most unusually, within the same company and the same posting at the West Aegis Garrison, not withstanding the bi-annual duty on the Aegis. However, in 622 ATA, Nepos was transferred to a new company at an outpost operating about fifteen miles from Bramblestone. The company's mission was mainly route security, patrols in the nearby forests and sweeping of the marshes for vagrants and bandits. Needless to say there were more than a few of these concerns in the area.
It was with relief that the year after (623 ATA), Lucius was posted away from this dreary, swampy location location to Hawk's Aerie. Though he remains a part of the Imperial Westwatch Regiment, he has just arrived far outside its' area of responsibility and is not sure what this new assignment will bring.