Keele Masterton

Masterton was an imperial officer in the early Blue Protectoran. He is notable for rising quickly to the role of Admiral in the naval force and yet being primarily commended for land based combat success. His most notable achievement was accomplished soon after he was given the rank of Marix or Grand Admiral when he masterminded the Danoran Mountain Campaign.

## Appearance

Keele was a robust looking man. Strong across the shoulders typically wearing a strong bead cut squarely along his jaw. He was described as having sharp eyes and a distinct brow that seemed permanently furrowed with thought.

## Reputation

Keele was nicknamed Masterstroke because he was accepted as the tactical genius of his age. Though the Blue Protectoran were assigned as a naval force and were the junior force of the Empire the acquisition of Tatrak and Kolaran had hugely expanded their influence and size. Masterton brought them out of their role as the junior service and made them the front line of the still expanding Empire. He was considered unbeatable and renowned for detailed planning involving many moving parts and then using a single devastating move to bring his forces to bear on a point of weakness.

## Timeline

632PE: Keele born eldest son of a noble family in Kolaran.

648PE: Masterton was given a commission as an officer in the Blue Protectoran academy in Tatrak. He was in the top five of his class and was rated as 'Brilliant but delights in the overly complex rather than the secure'.

650PE: Masterton now a newly commissioned captain acted loyally in the Protectoran Mutiny in Tatrak. He refused to follow his Seamark when he tried to get those new Captains under his command to lead their troopers against the Fleet Admiral in command. Instead, at personal risk to his own life, Masterton refused but fortunately for him when the mutineers tried to have him and other loyalists killed his cohort sided with him over his superiors and defended him with steel. He then led his men and others who had remained loyal to seize control of the academy building and raised the alarm. After the action he received the Emperor's Favour as recognition of his behaviour and honour.

653PE: Masterton was made a Ship's Captain with the official rank of Commander though he was known by the title Captain.

658PE: Now a famous tactician, Masterton has the nickname Masterstroke and wins a naval engagement aboard the ship Master's Favour. He was credited with arranging a tactical maneuver that allowed him and two of his captains ships to flank an opponent and use on-board ranged assault weapons to irreparably damage two enemies and sink a third. As a result he was commissioned as a Seamark and assigned his own legion the 42nd.

660PE: Masterton was noted as especially capable in landside engagements something lacking in many of his Blue Protectoran colleagues. He is assigned to Kolaran and given command over several legions. Though he should technically have been promoted immediately to Admiral he opperated in the role for several years before such official recognition was given. It seems likely this was partially due to professional jealousy from some of the older high ranking officers.

663PE: Masterton masterminds the defense of the trade lanes around Kolaran organising his forces into flexible moving units often operating as twenty man units (Two Marks). He deliberately tasked a cleric, a wizard and/or civilian intelligence officers with these groups. This dramatically increased their effectiveness. After he effectively implemented this strategy he was officially made Admiral of Kolaran's landward forces and the legions from 40 to 60 were put under his command. It was this that led the Emperor to hear about the Masterstroke in the west. Due to this Masterton was invited to visit the Marshal of the Empire in Tor Kalash. When he visited the leader of Auria's military might he was somewhat surprised to find himself talking to Peter II the Emperor of Auria.

668PE: Emperor Peter II formalised his mediation work between the wizards, clerics and military in the Lakeside Accords. These formalised the rules governing these powerful auxiliaries and their interactions as well as their accountability to the state. It was only through this new clarity that Masterton was later able to design his revolutionary strategy in the Danoran Mountain Campaign. It was considered by many that Masterton was heavily influential in the detail of the Emperor's ground breaking reformation.

671PE: Masterton was made Grand Admiral of the Blue Protectoran by the Emperor. The personal promotion was seen as a personal commendation by Peter II. It seemed lightly that this was done with the Danoran Mountain Campaign in mind.

674-675PE: The successful campaign against the Danoran Mountain clans is planned and executed from Kolaran by Masterton. It becomes his most notable achievement. Though there were some defeats such as the ambush at Windy Pass and the first attempted storming of the Nest most of the two year war was filled with victories.

Masterton's tactics again and again reflected his desire to move large amounts of men in separate units and then combine them decisively for devastating effect. It also exposed something of a cold but brutal temper in the normally clinical Masterton. After the huge losses at Windy Pass the eventual victory against the Hollow Phantoms who executed the ambush was utterly devastating bordering on inhumane. Usually Masterton conducted his battles with a professional disconnect but times like that and the eventual storming of the Nest he showed a dangerous level of brutality when taking revenge for losses among his own.

Another important point to be noted was MAsterton's use of clerics, wizards, spies, civilian staff officers and defectors to support his combat units. These tactical decisions were the core of why Masterton was considered one of the most astute military leaders the Empire ever had.

675PE: Masterton was present for the official founding of Dardon Point (it was previously an independent fishing village) as an auxiliary port to Kolaran.

676PE: Masterton was invited to speak at the funeral of the Emperor Peter II. He also laid his old medal the 'Emperor's Favour', which he earned as a youth in the Emperor's tomb as a personal touch. It was said to mark that he would serve in the Eternal Vistas as he had on Tal. Though Masterton remained Grand Admiral for some time he never had the same level of relationship with later Emperors as he had with Peter II. This also led him to distance himself from the court or rather they from him.

687PE: The failed Saracan Expedition formalised the Aurian northern border which outlines the upper limit of the Kolaran Trading Area. Masterton's forces were heavily involved though he was not given overall command. That went instead to the Commander in Chief of the Yellow Protectoran at the time, who was in favour with the current Emperor Horus. The naval battles of the Scale Water and the landing action at Scardale were both imperial victories and involved the typical Blue Protectoran doctrine under Masterton. Multiple moving forces in constant communication combining to devastating effect with clerical, civilian and arcane wizard support.

694PE: Masterton steps down as Grand Admiral of the Blue Protectoran though he is influential in chosing his successor. He retired to write books including one on tactics called 'Masterstroke' and one on the Danoran Mountain Campaign called 'The Longest Year of Blood'.

707PE: Masterton died and was buried in his family estates in Kolaran with full military honours.