Sondor Velem Merigmon

**Sondor Velem Merigmon** was a Veinto-Rindish commander and soldier of the 1st Rindish Dragoons regiment who served in the Krofto-Veintish Conflict. His bravery as a leader and death in combat made him renowned within Rindland, where he became a hero, and later a historical military figure. Prior to the Pan-Almorian War, he was the highest ranking Rindish soldier to be killed in action.

Merigmon was the first soldier to be awarded the Hero of Rindland award, due to his efforts in resisting the invading Kroftish forces in combat.

## Biography

### Early life

Merigmon was born in 340 in the Rindish town of Helzorueg, shortly after the unification of Veintland and Rindland. In his early years he trained to be a carpenter with his father, who later died in 356 due to illness, when Merigmon was just 16.

Following his father's death, he moved to Shnijhofin where he met Anija Begor, who he married in 358. He had a son and a daughter with Anija, whom he raised from his wages as a carpenter in Shnijhofin. In early 360, his carpentry business had failed, and he was severely indebted. To earn a better wage he commissioned as a lieutenant in the Rindish Dragoons.

### Military career

Upon his commission into the Rindish Army, Merigmon was given command over a small cavalry platoon of 20 men and 10 horses. Eventually he commanded a company, and then the entire Rindish Dragoons regiment. For the majority of his time as a commander, he was stationed with his men in Volfkruvung. In 372, his regiment was pulled away for border defense duty on the eastern banks of the Farna river, near the village of Londdruf, on the Veintish-Kroftish border.

#### Krofto-Veintish conflict

On May the 12th, 372, Kroftish emperor Karel I dispatched 3 regiments to invade the Veintish occupied lands east of the Farna. Defending these lands were only two Veinto-Rindish regiments: the 1st Rindish Dragoons in Londdruf, and the 3rd Veintish Infantry in Zemolokdruf. The main Kroftish attack was aimed at Londdruf, seeking to take control of the river bend.

Around dawn on the 13th, Merigmon's men were awoken to cannon fire near their encampment. Lookouts had alerted him that an advancing force of two Kroftish regiments were approaching, and that he did not have much time to evacuate his men back across the river. Merigmon briefly met with his junior officers to discuss a plan of action shortly after. Upon hearing all of his junior officers suggest a tactical westward retreat, Merigmon is said to have gone into a rage, scolding the men for cowardess. He made the decision to hold the village, and quickly assembled a defense around the camp.

As the camp was barraged by Kroftish cannons, Merigmon attempted to assemble a small force of about 30 horse as a counter-attack. Upon failing to get 30 volunteers to fight, Merigmon volunteered himself to go fight with the other 20 cavalrymen to push back the Krofts. The initial counter-attack was swift, with his men pushing back an entire infantry company and reaching the cannons, but was later stopped by a larger Kroftish infantry force.

Upon encountering the other Kroftish infantry company, his men dismounted and fixed their bayonets to charge their ranks, despite being outnumbered five-to-one. Merigmon and all twenty of his men were killed in action. Despite this, their counter-attack provided enough room for the retreat of the rest of the regiment across the river.

## Legacy

Merigmon is generally perceived to be a hero for his actions in keeping his honor and refusing to surrender. Due to Rindland's rather limited military history, he is one of few Rindish commanders to have any notoriety. Despite his mostly positive reputation, critics have claimed that Merigmon's actions cost the lives of his men when retreat was readily an option.

Several statues and streets have been named in his honor.