King Cuthbert I of Etrand

King Cuthbert I of Etrand was the ruler of Etrand between 275 and 318 AEKE. He was most remembered for his actions prior to his rulership - his actions during the Second Demonic Invasion and the The Long Raid. He is remembered as a highly skilled and talented general, a military genius. The 43 years he sent as a ruler are largely overshadowed by his actions in previous wars.

He was also known as the Steel Wolf, an epithet he won by rumours of him being "indestructible" and fearsome. While originally, it was a reference to his tendency to come out unscathed from all sorts of dangerous situations, and striking fear into the hearts of his enemies, by the time he was very old, it became a reference to his "refusal to die".

Early Life
Cuthbert was born on 249.96270653988. As his older brother Alfried was the heir-apparent, it was decided that while Alfried would be taught in the art of governance, bureaucracy and economics, Cuthbert would be soldier. Cuthbert was only years old when the First Demonic Invasion began. By that time, he was already being tutored on how to fight and was was constantly near soldiers, being further educated. A lot of experience he gained doing those two years came from the fact that he spent time with soldiers who were at war, rather than training during peacetime.

In 253, the First Demonic Invasion ended, allowing Cuthbert to spar in peace again. During the four years between 253 and 257, he was finally taught how to read and write, and his education in tactics and strategy began too. He was already skilled at swinging the sword, but it was discovered that while he had much muscle power, he lacked endurance and always wanted to finish off his opponents as quickly as possible.

Second Demonic Invasion
In 257 - when Cuthbert was just years old - he was enlisted into the royal army at an age considered exceptionally young - especially for royalty. He was assigned to a general who was previously his mentor. When said mentor was killed in action in 259, Cuthbert replaced him, allowing him to prove his skill as a commander. During the next four years, he would win all battles he fought in, never losing a single battle. However, he was chastised by his father and peers for risking his life by personally participating in the battles, rather than trying to lead from the back.

At one occasion, his horse got killed by a leaping horned demon, forcing Cuthbert to fight on foot. He did what was thought to be impossible, single-handedly killing a horned demon in melee.

The Long Raid
In 273, three disasters have stuck Etrand at the same time. There was a peasant rebellion in the north - which Cuthbert was tasked with suppressing - while at the same time, Etrand was being invaded from both the East (by Hulra)) and from the South (by the Clan Drmiah).

Cuthbert's not-so-warlike older brother Alfried was tasked with marching against the Drmiah, but one time, his horse went wild, dropping the crown prince that died of a broken neck. Morale was low, and Etrand losing ground to the Hulrans and the Drmiah quickly, both of whom plundered and pillaged a lot.

Once Cuthbert came back, he would quickly beat the Hulrans out of the country, but once arriving to the south to find burned villages and people unwilling to fight, he decided not to pursue the Drmiah. While Drmiah's campaign remained unpunished, Hulra did not have such a lean fate - Cuthbert continued to march forwards into Hulra, conquering it for Etrand, replacing the Kingdom of Hulra with the Viceroyalty of Etrancoast.