Balthasar Jaeger Voll
Balthasar Jaeger Voll is a seasoned mercenary who has proven himself both on the battlefield and in specialised missions with small teams. Where other mercenaries track, repair or advise on scholarly matters, Balthasar is a warrior through and through, and his commanding presence and gift for motivating comrades suit him to leading small special forces on hard missions.1
Origins
Although he carries Voll as if it were a surname, the name comes from Vossmark, a large town in the Whiterun province where his life began as an orphan. A woman passing through left him as a baby in the town square without telling anyone, and no one expected him to live. A band of mercenaries, collecting bounties for a local gang leader, took him with them and raised him. Balthasar is a common name in the Empire; Jaeger was the hired sword who took him in, and who died of a fever soon afterwards.2
The Scarlet Spears
As a young man Balthasar joined The Scarlet Spears and, through years of success on the battlefield, rose to captain. In time the company's rigid structure clashed with his sense of freedom; it was more an army than a guild. After playing a significant part in suppressing the Twinrivers Rebellion, he unexpectedly went his own way. He still has friends among the Scarlet Spears, above all those who served during the rebellion, and they hold him in high regard.2
Character
Balthasar is in his late thirties. He goes to war in a well-made breastplate with a zweihander-type greatsword, which he has mastered, and a crossbow he uses only when he must. He enjoys casual conversation but does not share deep matters with strangers and is slow to trust. He rarely stays in one place for more than a few months, drinks little, likes dice and gambling, hates travelling by ship and enjoys the comforts of cities.3
In battle
His intimidating, fearless and direct style is not anger or lack of control but the opening move of psychological warfare. He goes first for powerful threats that can be removed quickly, to break the enemy's will to fight, and he prefers manoeuvres that control the field over simply dealing harm. He draws fights into open ground, away from tight spaces and horseback, where his footwork serves him best. He ignores his own wounds, and only in the direst straits does he fall back, waiting for a better position to return to the fight.3
Notes
Sources
This article draws on:
- MCMercenary Compendium(Bad Badger Games, 2024), pp. 12, 30-31
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