Konstantine Curze

Konstantine Curze is a Dragoon of the Alpha Clan, most famously known for commanding forces during the early days of the Invasion of Roommenor, especially the Siege of Burradoo.

## Early Life

Born in Sarawak to a sergeant in the Alpha Clan, Curze grew without ever really knowing his father. His mother claimed that he'd been killed in a border skirmish with the Zeta Clan but Curze believed he was simply the product of a sexual fling.

From a young age Curze was inquisitive and became increasingly interested in entomology, even going as far as telling his mother that he had no interest in entering the academy and would rather pursue science. His mother refused his request and Curze was entered into the academy at a proper age.

Reports indicate that Curze was a rebellious student always more interested in exploring nature than his studies. One incident during a simulator exercise found Curze studying a family of beetles while the rest of his classmates were pinned down.

Despite his black marks Curze graduated and even received accommodation when it came to tactical analysis.

## Alpha Clan Service

Following graduation, Curze was placed in Damascus Squad and sent further south to Raqua to deal with a coup by a Brotherhood of Cain. Though the engagement was small Curze learned valuable experience executing urban combat maneuvers and is credited with firing the final shot of the conflict.

Shortly after, the Shah Campaign began, Curze and Damascus Squad were shipped north to crush any resistance. There Curze would witness brutal combat, the experience scarring him. He later would develop a facial tic due to the stress though he refused to acknowledge or deal with it. A year into the conflict Curze would be promoted to sergeant and given command of Blitzen Squad.

### Blitzen Squad

Determined not to fall into the same mistakes as his colleagues, Curze came to believe that proper intelligence was essentially to fighting and winning in Shah. He advocated more surgical strikes and downplayed the usefulness of reprisals. However due to his position Curze was mostly ignored and still found himself chasing an enemy that simply would not commit to open combat.

Try as he might, Curze could not keep all his troops alive and following one particularly grizzly insurgent bombing, Curze lost two Dragoons and eagerly agreed to participate in a retaliatory massacre. Years later his wife would express that it "broke something inside of him." and Curze's tactical analyses became more brutal and unforgiving.

#### Operation Achilles

Blitzen Squad was pulled from Shah and following a week reprieve was thrust into the heart of Operation Achilles, fighting fiercely in the city of Lumpur. Utilizing his experience from Raqua and the ferocity he'd developed in Shah, Curze smashed through his designating objectives in record time, leaving a trail of pitiless destruction in his wake.

As a reward Curze was moved to assist with the final assault on Poseidon's Hall, his squad battling elements of the esteemed Lion Battalion before the Zeta capitulation. Curse was honored for his zeal and tenacity during Achilles and was soon promoted to hauptmann and given command of Baxtel Company, Sixth Battalion.

### Northern Reach

With the Invasion of Roommenor looming, Sixth Battalion was assigned to the Northern Reach with the task of resolving conflicts and keeping order including squashing sects of the White House organization and aiding corporate allies when necessary. During this time Curze was resolute not to let anything within his power hamper the hallowed Invasion.

With the creation of the Recon division, Curze was also given the responsibility of managing the Recon unit assigned to his region (notably including Flynn Kirkland, Talia Hellion, and Mercedes Ruiz).

### Founder's Mesa

Following the assassination of the Chieftain's oldest son, Curze was reassigned to Founder's Mesa to assist with security around the Chieftain's family. He was specifically chosen due to his unflinching loyalty to the clan and to the Bloomer family.

This new assignment thrust Curze into the political scene and much to his dismay saw him developing rivals on all sides as well as his nickname: "The Sickle". Eager to remove himself from such attention Curze astutely choose the seemingly insignificant mountainous town of Burradoo as the objective for his company during the Invasion.

### The Invasion

#### Burradoo

Despite all intelligence gathered by Alpha Clan agents, they failed report the Queens Guard garrison located around the town. As a result Curze and his men were unprepared for the level of resistance they encountered upon landing in the town. In addition no thought had been given to the resistance offered by the civilian population itself. Determined to conquer the town with no additional reinforcements, Curze ordered his men to shoot anything that might be a threat, fighting brutally from house to house.

The resulting carnage only caused the Queens Guard and their civilian compatriots to fight harder and the battle turned into something of a protracted siege, the cobblestone streets littered with dead from both sides. Seeing the rest of the Invasion progressing and not wishing to be behind schedule, Curze made the decision to call in air support to flatten the opposition sooner. However due to pilot error the intended target was missed and instead a school was bombed, killing nearly all the citizens seeking refuge inside.

Believing themselves to be facing a merciless opponent the Queens Guard surrendered, hoping to spare any more civilian casualties. Curze eagerly accepted the surrender, unaware that he'd ultimately become one of the most hated men on the continent.

### Assassination

The bombing of the school in Burradoo became a rallying point for the resistance and symbol of Dragoon brutality. Recon units quickly began to locate pamphlets villainizing the act and placing a bounty on Curze's head, asking any able-bodied and right minded individual to kill him. While this seemed to trouble Curze he never believed there was any credibility to the threat.

Only a few months following the marriage between Chieftain Bloomer and Queen Galad, resistance fighters would make good on their threats when they ambushed Curze at a restaurant in Adelaide. It isn't known how many participated but reports estimate as many as ten insurgents fired on him, shooting him approximately thirty times. He was pronounced dead at the scene and quickly shipped back to Founder's Mesa for burial.

## Personal Life

Ever the dedicated soldier, Curze would not apply much time to his personal affairs nor document them. What is known is that during a leave from the Shah Campaign he met Orlagh Nesbitt who was serving as a transport pilot due to combat injuries she'd sustained early into her Dragoon career. Curze struck up a correspondence with her and a little over a year later married her in a private ceremony at Founder's Mesa.

Curze was content with Orlagh working as a pilot and never pressured her to undergo reconstructive surgery, happy to accept his wife for who she wished to be. Together the couple had a daughter Priscilla, who would follow her father's footsteps and enter the academy.