Riko Matsumoto Eruwin

*This is a Sinonian name; the family name is Riko.*

Eruwin in her command tank, circa 1948

## Early Life

She was born in 1926 in a lower-class family. Her father was a factory manager during the Warring States Period and was paid fairly poorly. Being raised in the Juixi Prefecture near Kaijing, she was at least homeschooled and learned Sinionian (Mandarin Chinese) and Frank (French) and English. She was a single child so with the little her father made, she was bought small tanks models. She would become obsessed with history and tanks. She was known for leading her friends in war games where she got the nickname "Town Marshal" since she would dress as an Imperial Officer when she was little. She would later meet her future friend Suzuki Takako, the two met after Eruwin's group of friends would encounter Takako's group in one of their war games. Eruwin would, with a stick, bash Takako over the head with the stick. After realizing her mistake, she did help Takako. The two would later become good friends after this, Takako would be known for accompanying Eruwin everywhere. Earning her the nickname "Caesar." Tragedy struck on July 9th, 1943, a warlord army went on a rampage throughout her town. Her father being a male in the town was forced to defend the small town. Her father would be killed fighting off the warlords, and with the battle lost the warlord ravaged through the town. The result of this would be her mother's death along with some of her friends, she became enraged and would work to gain enough money to enter the Imperial Officer Academy.

## The Beginning of a Career

### June 6th 1944: Joining the Imperial Officer Corp

She would eventually get enough money along with her friend Caesar to join the Academy. She would only be allowed in along with her friend due to them both getting a perfect score on the test despite being women. She would be known for constantly outsmarting her teachers. Always talking back and making sure she would state her superior tactics against her commanders. This would get her in trouble multiple times, facing punishments such as scrubbing the bathrooms, fire-watch duties, even once being beaten with a baton from a superior after saying "Captain Haung Lui should be fed to the dogs due to his idiocy" to her friends.

### May 8th 1945: Graduation

After almost a year of training as an Ensign. She would eventually graduate at the rank of Upper Lieutenant (OF-1). She would be put in charge of a platoon of men after her superior officer told her no to the tanks. Her superior said no due to the fact she said "Major Xi Han reminds me of the battle of Juixi.. and absolute failure." She said this after Major Xi Han's defeat at the battle of Chungzhou, loosing fourteen tanks and 243 soldiers. Her first battle, the Battle of the Yui Long Heights, she would lead her platoon of fifty soldiers aggressively into the tyrannical warlord Chu Lu's forces. She was outnumbered but some recall she took her officer's saber and charged the lines first. While she was shot in the legs, she managed to take her objectives. Going very much farther than ordered just to spite her superiors.

### Early Military Achievements

After the battle of Yui Long Heights, she would be promoted to Captain. Actually being put in charge of a platoon of tanks and cavalry. However, she was very critical of the horses saying "What are we? The barbarians of the ninth century? I want trucks not horses" and she would later be screamed at by the same Major she made fun of earlier. The next battle would be the Third Battle of Nui Song. Saying before the battle to her tankers, "Why there is a Third Battle over the same patch of rice is beyond me. However, I want you to know what you're are fighting for. Not for the money but for your brothers next to you and your families! Keep in mind my comrades, sweat saves blood, blood saves lives, and brains.. saves both." Now with moralized troops, she would concentrate all of her tanks in one area to make a massive break in the warlord's lines. Going this time, 10 kilometres past supply lines. She would be reprimanded from this for defying orders but she said she was doing "Advance Scouting" and so, her higher-ups could do very little about this. By the time January 5th, 1950, she would reach the rank of Colonel. She would be in charge of the 881st Armoured Regiment of the Cuixi Corp. She had reached this rank due to her multiple victories on the battlefield, despite the fact she never listens to any of her superiors unless, or how she puts it, "Comes from the Emperor himself." Some in the, at the time, Two Banner Imperial Army, would nickname her "Colonel Closed" as have they viewed her as closed-minded. When she figured out of this nickname given to her by her superiors, it is said that she went to the TBIA's headquarters and fired an HE shell from an A-50-01 tank at General Major Koi Lu's staff car. However, this is only rumored. She would be most known however for taking her Regiment at the battle of Kol Gunzhou, 43 Kilometres past friendly lines. She routed the Kui Warlord to the point to make them surrender to the Yan Family. This would give her first promotion to a staff officer position, General Major (OF-7).

## Post War

### A War Hero to Look Up To

In 1952, after the devastating Warring States Period, which had finally ended after over 100 years of war. Eruwin would reach the rank of General Lieutenant, being in charge of three divisions. Her childhood friend, Caesar, would be her deputy for the first time. She would personally meet the Late-Xinjing Emperor, being awarded her Knight's Cross of the Steel Cross. She was awarded this award two times before, reviving the Steel Cross Second Class and the Steel Cross First Class. She would also receive the Juixin Cross for her "Excellence in Battle and in Leading the Mandate to Victory" which is the words of the Xinjing Emperor. She would be known to be very close to the Emperor after this, getting promoted quite quickly. To the Sinonian People, she is a very well known figurehead and a well respected one at that. Being one of the most seasoned and most skilled officers in the FBIA.

### Liaison to Nevonian Rebels

While the Yan Dynasty was in the GCN, there would be a civil war boiling in Nevonia. The Sinonians would politically support the Nevonian Monarchists however, they could not support them directly with military aid. However, General Lieutenant Riko and ten other officers would take a "vacation" to Nevonia to help them train their militia and soldiers. She was later promoted to General of the Armoured Corp (OF-8) after this.

### 1st Dorfplatzer War

During the first Dorfplatzer war the Imperial Expeditionary Force (IEF) would be sent to the GTU to fight the Dorfplatzers after they nuked the GTU, YSFR, and Foxton. As have she was a General, she was in charge of the IEF. She fought on the ground as she always did, she was told multiple times that it was unsafe to due so due to her rank. Her stubborn self of course said no, and would be deployed side by side with enlisted men. She would be the overall commander of the IEF and liaison to Terran Forces. She was known for using her relatively small force compared to other major powers to exploit breakthroughs and would always be very close to the frontline. However, she was nearly killed after a 20mm shell from an aircraft hit her in the upper chest. No more than a day after she was shot, she demanded to go back to the front but was prevented from doing so when General Lieutenant Caesar stopped her along with many medics. She would be out of action for a week despite her multiple complaints to return to the front. After the end of the Dorfplatzer war, she was sent home and was promoted to Field Marshal (OF-10), skipping the General Colonel (OF-9) rank.

### Haungzhou Coup

After the death of the Xinjing Emperor, a military Junta was put into place after no direct heir was found. This illegally disbanded the Senate and the Imperial Court and put the military in power. Eruwin was offered the position of the head of the Junta, however, she declined and actually denounced the Junta. However, due to her being very popular and a major war hero, she wasn't dismissed. This, however, would be a massive mistake on behalf of the Junta. As have she would later use the Late-Emperor's Niece and friend to justify a coup against the Junta. She installed a new, much more democratic, government. With the Haungzhou Empress at the head of said government. She made sure not to give herself a position of power without another person. Though despite this, the Haungzhou Empress would grant her the rank of General Field Marshal (OF-11) and be appointed to Head of the FBIA.

## Position as General Field Marshal of the FBIA

After her grand promotion, she would be the first woman in the FBIA to ever reach a position of OF-11. Her deputy always accompanying her wherever she goes, and now has a massive influence on politics. Rumors say she influences the Empress's decisions to fit what she thinks is right. However, once again, this is rumored. She is now a highly decorated war veteran and would have many of the highest awards in the FBIA. However, this has lead her to but heads with other seniors officers. Most of the FBIA high command hate her due to her power and influence. Only having a few friends in the FBIA Staff Office. This has lead to many of her subordinates delaying her orders and sometimes outright not doing them. She has fixed this court-marshaling many high ranking generals. However, her tactical ability is outstanding, and has won almost every battle she has ever fought. Until the Sinonian-Alandian Wargames that is.

### First Ambrosian Incident

The First Ambrosian incident was when Eruwin's deputy, General Suzuki, was kidnapped by Ambrosian and Sinonian Communist in order to gain leverage against her. Eruwin was forced to help Ambrosian communist win a civilwar due to her tactical knowledge. She almost won the civilwar for the communist until with a genius, she outstretched the Communist Forces thinly on purpose and made sure to get rid of any communist general capable of handling the situation correctly. She betrayed Caesar's kidnapper Zhou Shendong by finding the location where Caesar was held and rescued her with eighty other FBIA officers. She would later find Shendong and would shoot him in the head once after finding him. She'd later leave Ambrosia to its own devices with the help of Alandian officers.

### Second Ambrosian Incident

The Second Ambrosian Incident involved the leader of the Anti-Communist Faction in Ambrosia calling upon GRI to assist in getting rid of Communist terror groups in Ambrosia. Eruwin was summoned with her deputy and multiple Alandian commanders. All battles against the communist terrorist were quickly won with little lost. However, Ambrosio, the leader of Ambrosia, betrayed Eruwin by trapping her in a mountain with the Alandians. Though they would eventually get off the mountain after three days of marching, without vehicles and low on supplies. When she and her men got out of the mountain, both the Sinonian and Alandians kicked Ambrosio out of Ambrosia and installed a friendly Monarchy which is now Great Xiaolian.

### Attack on Kaijing

During the Dorfplatzer Republican Terrorist movements, the Republican Terrorist attacked Kaijing in an attempt to kill the Sinonian Crown Prince and Eruwin. However, Eruwin's deputy was caught in the crossfire instead and Caesar was almost killed with the Crown Prince being killed by a pipebomb. Eruwin shut down the city and with help from extra Alandian forces, Kaijing would not fall to mass terrorist attacks.

### The 2nd Dorfplatzer War

The Second Dorfplatzer War would involve a seven-nation alliance to get Fascist Dorfplatzer out of power. Eruwin would have a less direct approach for once but would still deploy herself side by side with her soldiers on the ground. She has fought the Dorfplatzers before, and the Dorfplatzers used the same tactics as last time making the war a very easy one to win. Eruwin would state after the peace treaty was signed that "It was the most boring war I have ever fought in my life." She would also write it off as a training exercise.

## Secrets of the Riko Family

Something very few people know is that the Riko Family used to be very powerful during the Haungzhou Era. Many of the Generals of the Haungzhou era were part of the Riko family, though some were tyrants and was the main reason why the Riko Family was nearly purged during the Warring States Era. Many of them being killed off which is the main reason why the remaining parts of the Riko Family went to the northern prefecture of Juixi. One of the tyrannical deeds of the Riko Family would be Eruwin's Great Great Grandfather, Riko Kaifang, who was the Viceroy of Nanchu Region. Kaifang cracked down on protestors and killed many civilians in the process of doing so. This however, is mostly forgotten to most, Eruwin herself does her best to avoid conversations about her ancestors. While there are many redeeming ones such as Riko Yui who defended the Eastern Haungzhou Territories from barbarian invasion, Eruwin still doesn't speak of her ancestors due to a certain few who committed great crimes.

## Awards and Orders (Minor Awards Not Shown)

* Grand Cross of the Steel Cross
* Knights Cross of the Steel Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds
* Steel Cross 1st Class
* Steel Cross 2nd Class
* Medal of Honour (Alandian)
* Grand Cross of the Blood Cross
* Blood Cross
* Juixin Cross
* Order of the Sword
* The Purple Heart (Alandian)
* Wound Badge in Gold and Diamonds
* Wound Badge in Gold
* Wound Badge in Silver
* Wound Badge in Black
* Order of the Mandate 2nd Class
* Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown
* Order of the Crown 4th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st Class
* War Merit Badge
* Bronze Star (Alandian)
* Great Merit Award/Pour le Mérite
* FBIA Long Service Badge Five Years
* FBIA Long Service Badge Ten Years
* FBIA Long Service Badge Twenty Years
* Tank Battle Badge
* Tank Destruction Badge
* Cross of Warring States Period
* Order of the Family of Riko