Luka Mercier

## **Early Life**

Luka Mercier's date of birth was unknown, he grew up in the continent of Bardia. Luka's childhood was hard, he was born to a Tavern Whore and thus lived in poverty for the majority of his life. To make money on the side Luka would fight in the organized "pit brawls" in the various Taverns and Brothels his mother worked at. As time progressed Luka became a skilled and prominent fighter, winning large sums of money and becoming a local celebrity amongst the many Taverns and Brothels within Bardia.

## **Service Under Jacob Brigandine**

In his early adult years, Luka grew tired of participating in the pit brawls. He sought more for himself, and decided to join a merchant ship as a guard. Due to his celebrity status as a "renowned brawler" Luka was quickly employed. Luka gained valuable knowledge on how to sail and survive at sea thanks to his close relationship with the Captain. The Captain of the ship took on Luka to be his Second In Command and treated him like a Son, personally tutoring him on how to become a seaman. Luka had never received such one on one attention, or had anyone care for him as much as the Captain did. Thus Luka remained his most loyal, and trusted enforcer. During one of of the Voyages, Luka's ship had come under attack by pirates. The Captain of Lukas ship was struck down during the fighting, and Luka barely managed to escape. Luka narrowly escaped death by thrusting a barrel overboard and holding onto it as a float. By luck or happenstance, Luka managed to float ashore and was nursed back to health by the ports locals.

Luka had become bitter due to this experience, and he sought to join the nearest fleet of pirate hunters when given the opportunity. Conveniently docked at the same port Luka resided in was a pirate hunter named Jacob Brigandine. They both shared an incessant hatred for pirates, and upon learning of who Luka was, Jacob promptly promoted him to be his top Enforcer. Luka was perfect for the job, oftentimes taking "too much" pleasure in the annihilation of the pirates he encountered while serving Jacob.

## **Brigandines Enforcer**

Luka was allocated his own ship, a frigate he named "The Sailing Brawler". The Ship was made of a dark brown thick oak, and boasted 28 guns, 14 on each side of the deck. While on his own, Luka hunted down any pirates he could come across under Jacob's Orders. He took little care in whoever Jacob served, as long as he could continue hunting pirates legally. Luka paved way for the end of Piracy within Bardia, being known to execute captured pirates in the most gruesome manner. Luka's worst attrocity was sacking a pirate port, which was also inhabited by the pirates families and friends. Luka ordered for the Children to be blinded, the women and men to be hanged, and the town burned. In his words he stated "We will make a point, that even your Children can not act as if they are blind to the evils of their elders".

After many months of Pirate Hunting, Luka had received news that he and Jacob Brigandine now served a new lord. This "New Lord" was Barnes Barclay, one of the most notorious and infamous pirates within all of Nara's History. Jacob Brigandine had been engaged and defeated by this Pirate Lord, and was only spared if he pledged his service to this King of The Sea's. Luka was initially enraged by this news, and considered abandoning Jacob altogether. He was only convinced to stay whenever he received his new orders, which were to hunt down several Admirals of the Spiced Empire, the new entity he served; who refused to recognize Jacob Brigandine as the administrator of the Spiced Empire within Reichland. Luka was pleased when he was informed that many of these traitors, were ex-pirates themselves. In 1621 A.T.F Luka set sail to rondevu with Jacob Brigandine in Reichland. Upon Luka's arrival in Reichland, Jacob Brigandine promoted Luka Mercier to be the Grand Admiral of the the Spiced Empires fleets. By late 1622 A.T.F any who resisted Jacob were forced to submit or were killed by Luka Mercier.

Luka continued to serve faithfully as the Grand Admiral of the Spiced Empires naval fleets. Although he never truly came around to the idea of serving a pirate lord, he justified it by convincing himself the nation he served was a new entity all together. Something that couldn't be further from the truth. Nevertheless for the next five years Luka helped keep the peace, he continued to keep the other Admirals in line and maintained order within the Spiced Empire. The summer of 1631 A.T.F would see Luka deployed to action once again, on May the 5th 1631 A.T.F the Yuraks, a regional superpower, had destroyed the city state of Tigaria. Tigaria was apart of The Spiced Empire, thus in retaliation Jacob Brigandine ordered Luka Mercier to pillage the city of Nova Baatar. Nova Baatar was the previous capital of The Yurak Horde before the Horde captured Reichlandia and relocated their capital to Reichlandia. However Nova Baatar was still a very prominent and important city to the Yurak Horde both financially and culturally.

While the Yuraks possessed a powerful navy, they only possessed one massive fleet. The Yurak Horde lacked the Commanders and Logistics to divide up their Armada into smaller fleets. Thus the entire Yurak Fleet was still up north and was unable to respond to Lukas Fleet that immediately blockaded the city's ports. Luka then ordered for his fleet to run out the guns onto the city. For nearly two weeks Lukas fleet continuously bombarded the city of Nova Baatar. By the end of the second week, nearly 60% of the city had been destroyed forcing the city into surrender. Although the city was located on the Reichlandian Mainland and was able to receive supplies and reinforcements. The Yuraks Leader, Jochi Khan, had focused a majority of his supplies and resources for the anticipated war with the growing alliance that Lux Voltaire and Tokuda Naro were assembling. Shortly after the city of Nova Baatar surrendered, Luka ordered his Marines and Sailors to pillage the city. What followed was considered to be one of the most brutal sackings of a settlement within the Reichlandian Civil Wars that was not committed by the Yuraks.

Within quick succession of Lukas victory, Luka was then ordered to sail to the many pockets of islands within the Spiced Empires Southern Reichlandian Holdings, and recruit the local Norks for an Army. Many of these islands were populated by Norkish peoples who migrated to the Southern Islands and Southern Mainland of Reichland. This Army would then be handed over to be commanded by the Republic of Reichland, which was sponsored and backed by the Spiced Empire. Luka successfully was able to recruit a Field Army which was delegated to the Republic of Reichland.

## **Later Life and Death**

Luka would end up surviving The Reichlandian Civil Wars, and served the Spiced Empire for nearly two decades after. During the last two decades, Luka ended up marrying a Bardian Woman and raised a Son with her. Luka attempted to raise his child the best he could, but due to his profession he would have long periods of absences from family life. Furthermore he oftentimes would beat his son in a series of drunken tirades he would have whenever he was home, only within the last two years of his life would he try to atone for his actions. Luka passed away 1655 A.T.F to what was presumed to be an unknown disease, though some speculated either his son or wife poisoned him. Either way Luka's death would eventually prompt Jacob Brigandine to step down as the leader of the Spiced Empire, no longer feeling he was capable to rule without his most trusted enforcer.