Celiose Cole
http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/4374/celiyoyseywh6.jpg
Our Brave Generalissimo.
| http://www.kupopolis.com/kupopowiki/images/meta.gif | Meta•Fact: Though not acknowledged in Kupopolis canon, Celiose once died and was brought back to life with a Resurrection Potion. This potion was acquired by using Relm to sketch Intangier 888 times wearing the Cursed Ring, and defeating the mythical Tenth Dragon using X-Zone with Umaro in your party |
Celiose Cole is the Generalissimo of the Grand Army. His victories protected the Web in several wars, establishing his reputation as one of the greatest military minds of all time.
Contents
Fast Facts
Born 4 WR, in Albrook, to Locke and Celes Cole.
Became commander of the REF at the age of 17(!).
Five feet, nine inches tall.
Blonde hair, gray eyes.
Married to Shana Cole, early 25 WR.
Known for his distaste for politics, politicians, and the media.
Once had a stuffed chocobo named Napoleon the Figgy. (Once, Kefka attempted to impersonate Celiose, and revealing that this stuffed animal was on the honeymoon bed was how the real Celiose proved his identity.)
When he fights on the front lines, he can do so either with his sword, Illumina, or his Seraphim, Archangel.
Also, a terrible singer.
Early Life
Celiose was born in Albrook, in 4 WR. The son of two of the Fourteen Against Kefka, Celes and Locke Cole, Celios already had a heroic parentage. Born shortly after Albrook joined the Tasnica Republic, Celiose was born a Tasnican citizen, and though the Tasnicans are quick to 'claim' him as 'theirs', Celiose seems to have had little affection for the Republic outside their military traditions.
Growing up, Celiose was a prodigy. He learned to read at a young age, and excelled at several subjects at school. Some historians have opined that in more peaceful times Celiose may have grown up to be a great scientist, but in the years of the Great War, it was inevitable that any bright young man would focus on the military arts. Celiose was very much a 'mama's boy', taking after his mother, the former imperial general Celes. His father, Locke, still did solo adventuring, and was often away from him. This contributed to much resentment from the young Celiose.
Celiose lied about his age to join the REF as an artilleryman. In fact, his very first surviving military writing is a table of artillery ranges. He almost certainly would not have been accepted if not for the Republic Expeditionary Force's disaster at the Battle of North Viper in 14 WR; Tasnica needed people to fill its ranks as fast as it could.
The Great War
REF Service
Celiose rose quickly through the ranks, as his intellectual and theoretical understanding of war was well ahead of his contemporaries. Celiose emerged as "the brains" behind the restructured, reborn REF, emphasizing co-operation between all arms, thorough professionalism, and the importance of supply. Celiose's paper Supplying War is still required reading in almost every military academy in the Web. All this earned the attention of Rhodes Palmerston, who decided to gamble by promoting the young man to General of Artillery and putting him in charge of the REF.
This was a highly controversial move. Celiose was still very young (17), and although he had seen some small skirmishes, he was an untested commander. Although everyone acknowledged his brilliance and potential, the REF Officer Corps preferred an officer with more experience and grit. Fortunately for Celiose, he formed a friendship with Burzmale Julian, a more experienced officer who helped "sell Celiose". Burzmale was probably one of the only close personal relationships Celiose would have in his life.
The Ticonderan Legions seized the Ice Country in 21 WR; the following three-year campaign made Celiose's reputation. While previously he had been mostly behind the scenes as an organizer and theoretician, on the battlefield he grew into a commanding, charismatic figure with an unparalleled 'grip' of the battlefield. The Ticonderans first opposed the REF's "re-conquest" at the town of Todoburg. Celiose's ability to maneuver his artillery around the battlefield to deliver accurate fire caught the Legions off guard. A well-timed cavalry flank netted the REF a multitude of prisoners. This was the first "Celiosian envelopment", a tactic which he would repeat time and again during the Great War, even as tanks replaced cavalry.
From then on, Celiose was well accepted as a leader to his men. Even though he was a charismatic presence and steely professional, the underlying core of his popularity was simple: he won battles.
Still, Celiose could, at times, get a little too confident in his own abilities and plans. After training special ski troops to launch a surprise encirclement at the Battle of Frozen Bay, the Ticonderans almost broke out. Celiose, desperate for more men to plug the line, went to the military hospital and asked the wounded for volunteers. Torstensson Lenart, crippled with Tuvin's Syndrome, responded: "I am old. I am infirm. But I will lead this defense!" Enough men stepped forward to plug the line, and most people regard this as a heroic episode for Tasnican arms. This was key to containing the Ticonderans on top of a large chunk of ice. Celiose then lit up a huge artillery barrage, and drowned the last remaining Legionnaires in the Ice Country.
Generalissimo
The Ice Country campaign came at a critical time in the Great War. It secured the Mana Dimension and the Tasnica Republic against aggression. It was also a severe defeat for the previously invincible Ticonderan Legions. Rhodes Palmerston used this opportunity to try to form an alliance: the Grand Army Charter. It is unlikely that Rhodes would've gotten the support for such an initiative if there was no obvious leader. Celiose's reputation made the Grand Army possible, and he was given the title of Generalissimo in 24 WR. For the rest of the war, Celiose would be the undisputed "head strategist" of the war effort. Only a handful of other people in the Web have ever had to direct a war on this scale--and Celiose was the only to win.
Only shortly after being appointed Generalissimo, Celiose demonstrated the political callousness that would mark his entire career. He appointed follow Tasnican Burzmale Julian as his second-in-command, much to the objection of the House of Lords, which desired a more diverse command team. Celiose refused. Celiose had an adamant confidence in his own ability to recognize military talent. Burzmale Julian and Torstensson Lenart were invaluable in forging the multinational hodgepodge of forces into a single, unified army. Celiose recognized the importance of air and naval operations in the context of the larger strategy, and choose innovative thinkers like Gage Rizett and Howe Lingane to lead the Luftwaffe and Kriegsnavee, respectively. At first, the GA's intelligence operation was shoddy, but the addition of Praxer Riose in 25 WR would eventually create on of the Web's most formidable intelligence agencies: the Celpo.
Celiose initially structured the forces of the Grand Army along REF lines. He was, perhaps, a little too enamored of magitek armor and undervalued traditional infantry. Celiose was a military innovator, but it would take time and experience in the field to determine what worked.
Celiose's first campaigns as leader of the Grand Army were against the NeoEmpire, based in the Esper Dimension. The NeoEmpire provided very tough opposition as they had their own magitek armor. Progress was initially slow; Celiose was able to win battles, but the Grand Army lacked a decisive victory that could put the NeoEmpire out once and for all. The addition of several dwarf-made tanks transformed the battlefield. Celiose used armored spearheads to encircle and destroy a large Imperial army outside of NeoVector. Celiose then assaulted NeoVector itself, with the help of several freelance adventurers such as Kusaku and War Moogle.
Celiose had a run of success, winning victory after victory. With the help of Kusader, he attacked Zeromous with the new technology of Ultima missiles.
When Chrystalis returned from her self-imposed exile, she met with Celiose, at Kupopolis. This partnership would transform the war effort as they participated in high adventure around the Web. Celiose would meet many other key figures, and Winlan, Hyrule, and even Ticondera would all join the Grand Army Charter. Celiose met Shana Goldmoon, the woman he would later marry. A woman brainwashed into the service of Ganon, Shana was struggling to overcome her past deeds. Celiose was taken with her apparent vulnerability, and she was taken by his apparent fortitude. Celiose realized Shana had great depths of strength, and Shana realized Celiose was concealing some personal weakness. Ganon tried to abuse this relationship by re-asserting his mind control over Shana, but Celiose invaded his castle and killed him.
Nonetheless, this phase of the war was problematic for the Grand Army in many ways. It could take territory, but struggled to hold it. It became clear that the Grand Army would have to grow even more and take over the lion's share of the warfighting throughout the Web. It was also clear that this would be a potentially painful transition. The Light Gods again departed the Web, further limiting available resources. This would permanently embitter Celiose to the gods; he cared little for any apparent divine plan and came to believe that the fate of the Web would be settled with "blood and iron."
Celiose's war
Victory
In the last phase of the war, Celiose's attention was mostly absorbed by the Transbaron campaign.
KMT War
That, too.
Hivan War
He met with some success.
OmniSent Conflict
Not one of his prouder moments.
Leviathan War
He was on vacation in Aryth, then came back and stopped it.
New Wraith
Booya.
Aryth War
Kicked DeLaykrinn's ass.
Budget Cuts
Alliance Congress 1, Celiose Cole 0. Now most of his Great War staff is washed up.
Kupopolis Neo
Celiose dies of old age at the very beginning of Neo, and the Second Great War begins immediately afterwards. Shana outlives him by a bit. Celiose is the grandfather of Avarael Cole.
Trivia
Has a hard time buying groceries.
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