Torstensson Lenart
| Biological | |
| Full name: | Torstensson Lenart |
|---|---|
| Born: | 47 WB |
| Birthplace: | Vector, Esper Dimension |
| Sex: | Male |
| Race: | Human |
| Hair: | White, what's left of it anyway |
| Eyes: | Blue |
| Height: | 5' 7" |
| Weight: | 110 lbs |
| Personal | |
| Marital Status: | No |
| Family/Relationships: | {{{family}}} |
| Religion: | Web Pantheonism |
| Title: | Lieutenant General, Grand Army; recipient of multiple military awards, including being made Hero of the Grand Army. Formerly Imperial Marshal of Gestahlan Empire. |
| Nicknames: | Cole's Right Arm, the Old Man |
| Hobbies: | On days when he's able to enjoy it, a nice wine. |
| Known skills: | Torstensson is considered one the greatest field commanders of the Grand Army, second only to Celiose Cole. Torstensson is particularly known for his stern, imposing discipline. |
| Favorite color: | |
| Inspiration: | General Leo |
| Motto: | “Discipline is the soul of an army.” |
This article is about the GA commander; for the article about the vehicle named for the commander, see Lenart Grenadier Fighting Vehicle.
Torstensson Lenart is currently second-in-command of the Grand Army, and widely regarded as the most capable GA commander besides Celiose Cole himself. Torstensson's skill and accomplishments are such that he is occasionally mentioned as a possible Generalissimo, should Celiose ever retire. However, Torstensson's encroaching age and health problems make it unlikely. Torstensson suffers from Tuvin's Syndrome, causing neuromotor dysfunction. By the time he joined the Grand Army, he was already essentially crippled, and today he is a virtual quadriplegic.
Contents
As Commander
Torstensson is perhaps best-known for his unbending discipline. Some commanders promote an air of informality; not so with Torstensson, who insists on the greatest respect for order, structure, and regulations. He was known to have men flogged for such minor offenses as swearing or tardiness. This made Torstensson unpopular with his soldiers, but war is not a popularity contest; what counted is that his soldiers respected him, and followed orders, and did not break discipline, ever. Torstensson's forces in the war, when forced to retreat, always did so in good order, and were never routed, even in Arderine Pass. Said Rimmel Coward, who served under him, "We were much, MUCH more afraid of Torstensson then we were of the enemy."
Torstensson is also well-known for his ability to handle mobile forces. An early pioneer of Magitek armor tactics in the Empire, Torstensson applied that experience to tanks in the Great War. His Second Army, "Heavy Metal", is a key armored spearhead for the GA.
| http://www.kupopolis.com/kupopowiki/images/meta.gif | Meta•Fact: Torstensson was originally based on a Swedish marshal of the 30 Years War. |
History
Early Life and Imperial Service
Torstensson Lenart was born in 47 WB, in Vector, the eight son of a cobbler. One of eight children, his options were limited, and he joined the Imperial Army. As a young soldier his abilities were quickly recognized, and he was one of several hand-picked soldiers chosen to “harvest” Espers from the Esper World. At the time, Torstensson did not question the morality of his actions, believing the official line that the Espers were not truly sentient beings and existed to be harvested for resources, like magical cattle. He also received a magitek infusion. This involvement in these operations almost certainly cursed him with Tuvin’s Syndrome, which would eventually cripple him. Advancing in the ranks, he become a leading thinker in how to apply the Empire’s new magitek armor to mobile tactics. He played a key role in Vector’s conquests of the continent, and was eventually appointed Imperial Marshal, serving under General Leo Cristophe. Ironically, this made him part of the peace mission to treat with the Espers. After the Cataclysm rended the Esper Dimension asunder, there was little for Torstensson to do; he was no longer a young man, and most of his family had perished to Kefka. He organized other imperial army veterans in Albrook into the “Albrook Division” to serve as a local guard and constabulary.
The Great War
Torstensson and his “Albrook Division” joined the Tasnicans in the NAMAC Conflict. Initially, the Tasnicans distrusted him, well aware of the reputation of Gestahl’s Empire. When Rolf Julian was put in charge of the Republic Expeditionary Force, however, he recognized Torstensson’s skill and experience. Torstensson played a key role in helping the Tasnicans adapt their tactics to new weapons. After Albrooker Plain in 14 WR, Torstensson, over sixty years old, considered retirement. He was not part of the Tasnican forces during their disastrous assault on North Viper, however he was called out of retirement to help a young, new general – Celiose Cole – retake the ice country. Torstensson recognized immediately that Celiose was brilliant and possessed an unparalleled “grip” of the battlefield, but was inexperienced. One of the more dramatic moments of the Ice Country campaign was at the Battle of Frozen Bay, as Celiose’s specially trained ski troops launched a surprise encirclement, but a Ticonderan counterattack almost broke the line. Desperate for men, Celiose went to the military hospital to ask the wounded for volunteers. Torstensson, virtually immobile, answered the call: “I am old. I am infirm. But I will lead this defense!” With a ragtag force of injured and inexperienced soldiers, Torstensson plugged the line. When the Grand Army was formed, Torstensson was given the rank of Sub-General, and a seat at the Soldierly Council. While Celiose and Burzmale were mostly on the field, early on Torstensson worked behind the scenes, organizing and training new recruits. Most notably, he helped develop the Leo series of tanks with representatives from the Underground Kingdom. Drawing on his previous experience with magitek armor, he helped develop GA tank doctrine.
Siege of Trianable
By 26 WR, the situation for the Grand Army in the Great War was dire. After a severe defeat in Ticondera and failed offensives in Dragon, the Grand Army was forced on the defensive in Hyrule. Burzmale Julian, commanding Dark Wrath forces, believed Hyrule to be the key to the war; in particular, he recognized the importance of Trianable, a critical port city and the air base for the Luftwaffe Tacfortress wings that were regularly bombing Dark Wrath industry. Facing potential disaster, Celiose again turned to Torstensson, naming him commander of Army Group Hyrule. Working with King Alexander Sylinas, Torstensson prepared a defense of Trianable. Alexander and Torstensson basically hated each other. Alexander regarded Torstensson as an uncouth, brutish soldier (which he was), and Torstensson thought of “Link” as an amateur adventurer in over his head (which he was). However, both were determined not to repeat the mistakes of Ticondera, and although they never liked each other, they did respect each other and work together. The siege of Trianable lasted eight months. This was mostly a brutal trench battle, a frozen, rainy, muddy hell. Disease was rampant in the ranks, and rations of food were always short. Torstensson’s discipline not only prevented mutiny, but kept the army working. Although his forces were forced to retreat, they never routed. The Dark Wrath pulled out all the stops in Trianable, unleashing new technologies and tactics, such as a the Julian Infantry Carrier, socket artillery, and spider walkers. Even Banelings were deployed in an attempt to break morale through terror tactics. Torstensson created a special “Baneling Busters” unit in response including various magical specialists such as Eleod Vrinnicus. After months of siege, Torstensson’s army held, but Burzmale’s Dark Wrath forces had expended all of their resources. Torstensson unleashed the Tacfortress heavy bombers to “plow a path” for an armored encirclement; in a major armored battle, the Dark Wrath spider walkers fell to the Grand Army’s tanks. This encirclement destroyed a major Dark Wrath force. It’s notable that many other stories GA commanders were developed by Torstensson during this siege: Model Steinmetz and Rimmel Coward both served under him, and Revlan Kursdorff was his chief non-commissioned officer. Along with the battle of Albrook, Trianable is considered one of the final turning points of the Great War. For his victory, Torstensson was given the title, “Hero of the Grand Army.”
Transbaron Campaign
For Operation Commencement, Torstensson was placed in command of GA Second Army (“Heavy Metal”), a tank-heavy force that was the GA’s armored spearhead for much of the campaign. It was eventually joined by Seventh Army (“Hell on Wheels”), commanded by Rimmel Coward. The Web’s many military historians often debate whether Rimmel or Torstensson was the better tank commander; though Rimmel’s operations showed more flare, Torstensson was often tasked with the toughest objective. It is also worth pointing out that Torstensson took the field against Burzmale Julian more times than any other commander, including Celiose. Unlike flashier, better-loved generals like Rimmel Coward, Torstensson received little love from the media or the House of Lords for his role in the victory. However, after the war Celiose did what he probably should’ve done earlier and promoted Torstensson to Lieutenant General, making him the official number 2 man in the Grand Army.
Other Wars
After the Great War, Torstensson had a reputation as Celiose’s best field commander. In the wars that followed, he was often given the most challenging assignments: in the KMT War he was tasked with the invasion of Ticondera; in the Hivan War he was responsible for cleaning out several Hives. Believing it was important to keep the infantry mobile to keep up with tanks, he helped develop the Lenart Grenadier Fighting Vehicle. He was put in charge of the Duelist Exercise, war games held on an uninhabited extrasolar planet intended to simulate a planetary assault. This put him out of touch with the Web as the Leviathan War started; many wonder if more decisive GA leadership could’ve impacted the war. Rimmel Coward retired to private life; Model Steinmetz was forced to a disgraceful resignation; Howe Lingane was killed in a violent storm; Gage Rizett accepted a post with Medina; and even Praxer Riose vanished mysteriously. Along with Celiose himself, Torstensson was one of the last of the “old breed” of GA generals. Celiose has faced family pressure to retire in budget cuts period, and it was known that Celiose considered Torstensson the only truly credible successor. Although none doubt Torstensson’s abilities, his advanced age and poor health preclude his rise to the top job.
Death
Nearing a century of age, Torstensson Lenart passed away in 48 WR. On most days he was virtually immobile and incapable of feeling anything, although, reputedly, his mind was as sharp as ever. He was given a funeral in Albrook with full military honors. Celiose himself gave the eulogy for the man widely regarded as his most capable lieutenant and one of history’s greatest military commanders.
