Friedrich von Bock

Friedrich von Bock, also referred to as the 'Butcher', was a German general in service of the Deutschmeister Ariald I. Von Bock is most famous for his ambush at the Battle of Helmani Tribe which is by some considered as the greatest ambush in Adonatus' history. He is often considered the pillar on which Ariald built his empire.

## Friedrich von Bock

Friedrich von Bock as imagined by painter Arturas Slapsys

## Childhood and Upbringing

Friedrich von Bock was the only child of Walter von Bock and his wife Marie von Bock, two prominent members of the Germani tribe that founded the Deutschmeister empire. As a young warrior he joined the conquests of the Deutschmeister Ehrenfried, father to the later Ariald I, who solidified his rule and established the Deutschmeister amongst the many tribes hailing from the Tauerns Back mountain range. During these campaigns Friedrich was noticed for his keen understanding of warfare and Ehrenfried personally granted him 200 warriors to lead into battle. During the disastrous battle of Tochen where a coalition of Tauern tribes beat and slayed Ehrenfried it was Friedrich's detachment that saved the army from impending doom by unexpectedly raiding the Tauern camp. The flames called the pursuing enemy back to their belongings but when they arrived Friedrich had left it already and guided the army to safety. The Von Bock name then gained immense popularity amongst the nobles and during the succession crisis of 24 b.Z. Walter von Bock tried to seize power from Ehrenfried's son Ariald. The coup failed miserably as most nobles stayed loyal to the Deutschmeister but the Von Bock name was drained in shame. Walter was executed for his actions and the Von Bock family was exiled. Friedrich left to live with the Lerani, a mysterious people that were known to avoid pitched battles instead relying on ambushes and raids. For 11 years Friedrich lived amongst them and even became an appreciated warlord amongst their ranks. In his 12th year of exile messengers from his homeland came bearing news that Ariald was looking for military experts to improve the army needed to maintain the ever expanding Deutschmeister Empire. Friedrich returned to the court of his exiler but was immediately recognized by Ariald who threatened to have him murdered for defying his judgement. Friedrich then left the hall but that night he came back with 50 Lerani men he had brought with him and occupied the palace of the Deutschmeister. When asked by Ariald why he had done this Friedrich replied: "For I am the only man on this world that can grant you an empire and you only seem to listen to swords rather than words." Ariald then laughed and impressed by Friedrich's actions he appointed him as a military advisor, forgiving him his father's actions, in which Friedrich had not participated.

## Advisor to the Deutschmeister

During the military reforms carried out by Ariald, Friedrich was a military-advisor that drilled the troops into a more disciplined fighting force which outperformed the other mountain tribes in pitched battles. Friedrich also handpicked the equipment that should be used by the army, selected to be suitable for fighting in the mountainous, cold and rough terrain of the high-North. Friedrich preferred to have a small but elite army rather than a big mass of untrained, underequipped peasants. As such the German warmachine came to be. Friedrich was all but an advisor however and did not take command for the coming twelve years. During these years an elder noble by the name of Erhard von Schlingen was the commander of the army and he held a personal hatred towards Friedrich whom he saw as an arrogant bureaucrat. This was a clash between the old and the new order as Ariald had brought the Germani people to a whole new way of living. Previously the Germani had been living just like any other tribe in the region had. They lived in smaller communities and rallied behind their leader, the Deutschmeister, in times of war and need. During these wars the men fought as individual warriors and bravery and skill on the battlefield decided the outcome of campaigns rather than tactics and strategy. These were the old ways but Ariald was a man with great ambitions and in Friedrich he saw a man who could transfer his realm from a loose federation to an empire. Erhard was of a great noble house however and as such Ariald could not send him home whenever he wanted. After six years of reforming the army was done and now Ariald saw to improving both the economy and society as well. For this he wanted to implement more southern ways of ruling, a way to increase control over his realm as well as increase his prestige in Adonatus. Especially looking for marriage ties with nobility from other realms had a high priority in foreign policy. These new reforms were not popular with the nobility who lost much freedom in the process. They would tolerate Ariald for now but when he seized all the iron mines for the state they rebelled. Led by Erhald von Schlingen the nobility mustered an old-fashioned host of warriors and seized the capital Hohen Eisen. Ariald managed to flee in time and joined Friedrich at the training grounds of the new military. The two armies clashed in front of Hohen Eisen but Friedrich and his army destroyed the enemy without much effort. Much of the old nobility died, including Erhard and henceforth Ariald ruled supreme. His first action as supreme head of state he promoted Friedrich to general.

## General der Deutschmeister

### Battle of Helmani Tribe

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For six more years peace remained in the Deutschmeister empire and Friedrich continued to modernize and improve the army, as well as expand it. It was in the year Zero when Friedrich had his first real test. That year a Tauern tribe by the name of the Helmani had attacked a caravan owned by the Tirians, killing most. The Tirians had immediately raised an army under the command of Cadwallon and a few months later the Helmani were sieged down in their capital. The Helmani then approached Ariald I, offering him tribute in exchange for military support against the Tirians. Ariald was excited, this was a great opportunity to prove German strength in the region as well as increase German prestige in the continent, Tir was a great power after all. Von Bock was sent to the Helmani capital at the head of his army and the two powers met on a hill in front of the fortress. Attacking Cadwallon's position was suicide however as the Tirians held a strong defensible position on the hill. As such Von Bock negotiated a settlement with the Tirians that included a non-aggression pact between the two empires. After this Cadwallon returned home with his army. Von Bock had no intentions to let the Tirians escape however as Ariald had wished of him to show German strength. As such he followed the Tirian army for a week, only marching during night so the enemy would not realize they were being followed. It is here that Friedrich's reforms paid dividends as the army would maintain discipline during these demanding night marches and with incredible speed they caught up with the Tirians. Von Bock ordered his troops to deploy behind a hill west of the road the Tirians would use the next day. Cadwallon, not suspecting anything, ordered his troops to march further and nearing the end of the day a tired Tirian army would make its last miles. Before the enemy could set up camp Von Bock sprung the trap and attacked, destroying the enemy completely, Cadwallon died in the fighting. The day had been a glorious victory and on that day the Deutschmeister empire was established as a force to be reckoned with. Friedrich would later justify his actions by saying he never had had the authority to negotiate a non-aggression pact and as such it had never gone into effect. When Friedrich demanded tribute from the Helmani. They refused and for their defiance Friedrich attacked them. The Helmani fell back to their fortress capital once more but this time no aid would come. A week later Friedrich's forces took the fort, burning it to the ground and pillaging the Helmani treasury, as well as enslaving the tribe. For these ruthless actions Von Bock gained the nickname 'the Butcher'