Captain Claude Riesen

## **Background**

Ikarian Army

Ikarian Armed Forces

## Appearances

### Appears in

Nodrian War: Lameanr's Class C (appears)An Alchemical View on the Presence of Deities in the Universe! (appears)

Nodrian War: The Ardenian Front (mentioned)

Ikarian Civil War: A Fractured Country (appears)

Nodrian War: Squad 361 (mentioned)

### Debut

Nodrian War: Lameanr's Class C

Born in a town near the border of Ikaria and Ardenia, he was raised in a relatively normal environment. His town was recovering from a mass amount of bandit attacks, to which he led a militia to wipe out their camp. Through this, he learned the value of teamwork and compassion and really shined through with his innate leadership skills. It was through these experiences that he decided he should enroll in the Lameanr Military Academy, to help others find their confidence and to protect against anything like what happened to his town happening anywhere else.

## **Birth and Childhood**

Claude was born in Sayre in the year 326, the day after the New Year, which is seen as the luckiest time to be born. It was on the border of Ikaria and Ardenia, though it was extremely militarized, it had to be, because of all the bandits that continuously raided the town. When Claude was just 13 years old, he raised a militia and destroyed the bandits and when he was 16, he enlisted in the Lameanr Military Academy.

Claude's childhood aside from that was relatively normal. He lived with his mother and father, neither of whom served professionally in the military, though they both served in the Sayre Militia. Claude grew up with one sister, whom he loved very much. She, along with Claude, enlisted in the Lameanr Military Academy, though since his sister was two years younger, she enlisted when Claude was 18.

Claude often read military history books when he was young. He was particularly fascinated with modern history and the exploits of famous Ikarian generals such as Yuki Erisa, Eloisa Upton, and Jutte Betham, though he also read about military exploits of many historical figures such as Leon Audibalt and his Order of Knights. He was fascinated with the stories of small military forces overpowering much larger military forces, he was also fascinated with stories of officers who led on the front lines, such as the great Isemis and Leon.

### **Ancestry**

The Riesen family was of Ardenian descent. In Ardenia, the Riesen family was a minor nobility whose land was conquered by Ikaria during the First Great War. The Riesen family then faded from relevance until Claude's parents joined the Sayre Militia and Claude Riesen promoted himself to the rank of Captain. Once Claude left for the Lameanr Military Academy (LMA), his parents moved closer to Lameanr and his younger sister enrolled in the academy a few years later.

## **Early Military Career**

### **Applying to the Lameanr Military Academy**

Claude initially didn't really have much of an interest in joining the military or anything similar. He didn't think he would ever be able to live up to the idols he had in his history books, such as heroes from the First Great War, or historical figures. However, the people of his town offered to pay for his entrance exam fee and encouraged him to enroll, so he took them up on their offer.

Nowadays, Claude considers the Academy to be the best experience of his life, it isn't so much because it is part of the military, but because of the sense of familiarity and security that he feels with all of his classmates, it helps him get through the day.

He spends a lot of his time playing what he calls 'matchmaker' which consists of him looking at the relationships each of his friends have with each other and doing everything in his power to make this relationship grow, whether it be to put them on the same duties or placing them in a mock battle simulation together.

With Claude's former experience in the Sayre Militia, combined with his high test scores, physical aptitude, and overall combat experience, he entered the Academy as a Warrant Officer First Class.

### **Nine Days War**

In an effort to gather some real combat experience, the Lameanr Military Academy sent Claude Riesen's class to the site of multiple battles in the Nine-Days War under the supervision of the 1st Infantry Division. It was here that Claude Riesen became familiar with larger scale battle tactics and started to make connections between things he learned in the academy and how he would apply it in battle. He also became very familiar with the 1st Division's Commanding General and was able to procure many recommendations with his help.

While Claude's class wasn't directly involved in combat and was only at the site of the war for three of the nine days, they learned a lot and took many things they saw into their mock battles and won handily because of it.

## **Second Great War**

The Nodrian-Ikarian War, also known as the Second Great War began in the year 345 SIY, though it was kept tightly under wraps for the first few months of the war as the government believed they could win the war in just a few months. The war lasted for 2 years before the Ikarians signed a peace treaty with the Nodrians, it was an Ikarian victory.

Claude Riesen played a pivotal role in the war. Some of his most notable battles were the Victory over the Freezing Plains, a skirmish near the Nodrian city of Hemda, the siege of Elric Wall, and the Conquest of Nodria.

## **Post-War Era**

The post-war era was a difficult time for Ikaria, and it was quickly followed by the Second Ikarian Civil War, in this time, Claude stayed with most of his graduating class, married Elaine Giselle, and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. Claude was given control over his own Independent Battalion. Many of his top advisors and staff were those he served with in the Second Great War. He helped with natural disasters and other humanitarian aid projects proposed by the military.

## **Second Ikarian Civil War**

During the Second Ikarian Civil war, Claude took part, quickly earning himself a promotion to Brigade General, granted directly from the Empress herself. Claude led many successful campaigns against the rebels, though ran into trouble against Linoch Holst's forces. In one battle, the two fought so ferociously and were in such a horrible stalemate, the two ended up soaked in the rain, bloodied and bruised, in a brutal physical fight.

## **Relationships**

### **Classmates and Friends**

**Edward Fleming**

- He and Edward are best friends, they've known each other a long time.

**Elaine Giselle**

- Elaine is in love with Claude, though it's a tightly kept secret that only Elaine knows.

**Aisha Evans**

- Aisha likes to mess with Claude, but they're friends.

**Ingrid Hawkin**

- Ingrid likes everyone in Class C, but she is a bit shy, so she doesn't talk with people other than Aisha too much.

**Thea Thatcher**

- Thea's flirted with Claude before, but he didn't reciprocate the same way, so she gave up.

**Sylvain de la Croix**

- He doesn't interact too much with Sylvain, but holds him in high regard.

**Cornelia Jezelia**

- Claude respects Cornelia's serious "get things done" attitude.

**Yuri Astrovska**

- Claude and Yuri are very close friends.

**Michele Wilson**

- Claude loves Michele's optimism.

**Amelia Kirk**

- Claude loves Amelia's light-hearted nature and ability to make jokes of almost anything.

**Axel King**

**Victoria Vicks**

- Claude thinks Victoria is a hard worker.

**Elizabeth 'Sixer' Niles**

**'Nine'**

**Nico Emmy**

**Amy Castre**

**Blaire Neward**

**Marcel Reux**

**John Watson**

**June Harpass**

**Hans Serte**

**Laurence Milo**

**Henry Nick Harrison**

**Gordon Newcastle**

**Orion Lambart**

**Petra Montgomery**

### **Rival(s)**

**Linoch Holst**

**Lina Holst**

## **Quotes**

“We’re officers of Lameanr, we gotta do our best!”

"We're representing the spirit of Lameanr, we can't look foolish!"

“As Commander, I’m tasked with making sure we all get out of this alive,”

“Hey guys, let’s all calm down a little, we’re all friends, let’s just settle down and talk it out,”

"You really okay with fighting your own people, Yuri? I mean, you grew up with them. If you want to sit this one out, you can,"

“Silence is never a done deal on a battlefield, you just can’t hear anything because your blood is rushing through your ears too loudly,”

“I’m fighting to protect the things I love, I grew up here, there’s things behind me that I need to keep safe, to protect at all costs, so, you know my answer, no surrender!”

“When you’re at home, relaxing with your family, the son, or the daughter, or the grandchildren, they bury their elders, but in war, it’s completely different, the elders are the ones who bury their young ones,”

"War is hell, everyone knows that, and while we may have signed up for this, volunteered for this, it doesn't make it any less difficult to do what we do, to stand in the face of adversary and give it our all. All of us are still so young, and nobody here wants to die before we get to live out our dreams,"

## **Orders, Decorations, and Medals**

In accordance with uniform regulations, orders, decorations, and medals are organized in rows of three with the honor with the most precedence being furthest to the top and closest to the heart. This is the same for all branches of the armed forces. Foreign awards are placed after all Ikarian awards in the order received.

Claude Riesen was one of the most decorated officers of the Second Great War, having a combined 15 different military honors, excluding foreign awards.

 **2nd Row** | Army Service Star
 **3rd Row** | Offense Star
 **4th Row** | Liberty Star
 **5th Row** | Special Operations Star

## **Dates of Promotion**

 Rank

\*Claude was promoted directly to Brigade General, the youngest ever to do so, it was a reward for victory in the Nodrian War straight from the Empress herself, and what she says, goes. For administrative purposes, official records show he was promoted to Colonel and Brigade General on the same day.

## **Claude Riesen Military File**

**Surname: Riesen**

**Given Name: Claude**

**Middle Initial: F**

**Birth Date: 1/2/326**

**Age: 19**

**Country: Ikaria**

**Branch: Army**

**Country of Birth: Ikaria**

**Security Number: 07**

**INN (Ikarian National Number): 978-32-7619**

**Rank: Captain**

**Religion: The Holy Coven**

**Blood Type: A+**

**Military Lineage: None**

**Biography: Claude grew up in a village on the border of Ardenia and Ikaria. It apparently had quite the bandit problem and he led a militia against the bandits, sustaining minimal casualties and defeating the bandits.**

**Unit/Squadron/Regiment: The Lameanr C Squad**

**Unit/Squadron/Regiment Type: Active Mixed Unit**

**Specialty: Armored**

**Weapons: ZTR-63 Pistol, KFS-331 Rifle**

**Enlistment Date: 3/30/342 (Lameanr Military Academy) 5/23/345 (Regular Army)**

**Majestic Merit Star**

**Defense Star**

**Honorable Conduct Star**

**Army Service Star**

**Special Operations Star**

**Dutiful Star**

**Volunteering Star**

**Veteran Of:**

**Special Jobs: Armored**

**Active/Reserve: Active**

**Deployment Status: Actively Deployed**

**Dependents:**

**Next of Kin: Emily Riesen (Sister)**

**Drafted: 5/23/345**

**Commissioned: 7/15/344 (Lameanr Military Academy) 5/23/345 (Regular Army)**

**Conduct Record:**

**9/20/345 Attempted fight with CO. Put on probation.**

**9/21/345 Probation lifted.**