4/13/20 "Monday Character Spotlight" - Captain Gregorr "Met" Metrigale
We find Gregorr Metrigale—fondly known to us as "Met"—as the beloved captain of the infamous CoEns (Corps of Engineers). But his backstory is quite an interesting one. If you've read last week's Character Spotlight on High Commander Terrin Korsing (and I highly recommend that you do if you haven't), then you will recall that Met was born into a nearly ruined family of the lesser nobility and was quite destitute.
The Metrigale family of Temparr was once a proud family of the mid-nobility, but poor management of the fields of their estate over several generations left the land overused and inarable. Young Gregorr was born as the sole heir to this estate and his family's last hope of saving it. Unfortunately, he didn't take this responsibility very seriously as a boy entering Academy.
As the very least of all nobility, the other boys his age did not receive him kindly and Met responded to this by allowing his natural penchant for mischief and havoc free reign which only served to make him even more unpopular with his fellow classmates and his instructors. Less than a year into his studies, Met was barely hanging on. He was less than a bent-farthing's width from failing out, when he took his trouble-making too far.
In the midst of one of his infamous pranks, he managed to knock a lantern into a pile of dry hay in the school's stables. They burned to the ground and more than half the horses within, some belonging to the other students as well as the Academy, perished in the fire. Everyone knew it must be Metrigale's fault (for who else could have caused such destruction?) but there was only one witness—Terrin Korsing.
Unbeknownst to Met, young Korsing happened to be down at the stables that night. When he couldn't sleep because of the pressures of his studies, Korsing calmed himself by spending time with his stallion in the stables, the only friend he had from home. Because of this, he witnessed the whole scene and barely pulled his own horse from the blaze in time. Obviously no one suspected that the upstanding and well thought of Korsing could have had anything to do with it, so when he was called before the headmaster to testify to what he'd seen, everyone fully expected that Met would finally be expelled, even Met himself. In fact the next morning, he'd packed his bags and sat in the bunkhouse he shared with Korsing and a handful of other boys his age with his bag packed, waiting for the guards to come and escort him from the grounds.
But they never came.
Instead Korsing took the blame for the fire, saying it'd been he who had inadvertently knocked over a lantern. He took Met's punishment and agreed to aid in rebuilding the stables and work to cover the cost of the lost horses. He didn't wish to see the sacrifices Met's family had made to send him to Academy go to waste.
Korsing may have grown up learning humility and service to others, but Met grew up being taught the value of loyalty. And from that day forward, Korsing had his. It took some time for Korsing to accept Met. Despite the sacrifice he'd made for the young Metrigale, he didn't have much respect for him. But Met was determined to prove worthy of Korsing's sacrifice—well, at least to Korsing himself. Met's pranks and antics didn't stop, but they were at least tamed a bit and he refused to allow Korsing to shoulder the full weight of his punishment, joining him in all of his labors.
By the time the stables were rebuilt, their legendary friendship had been cemented and they became inseparable. With Korsing's help, Met graduated from Academy and was appointed to his position as captain over a company of engineers. Unfortunately, this was too late to help his family. Shortly after his graduation, his father passed away from illness and the family lost their estate. It took nearly all of Met's monthly captain's stipend to see her well kept in suitable rooms, and he had no choice but to throw himself fully into his work.
The rest, as they say, is the stuff of legend. Met's Company rose to fame during Korsing's triumph over the Loreshi and became near mythic by the time Taurrin's Watch was taken and the Empire was assured. Korsing may have won the Empire, but Met and his CoEns built it. And perhaps someday those stories will be told as well...
The Metrigale family of Temparr was once a proud family of the mid-nobility, but poor management of the fields of their estate over several generations left the land overused and inarable. Young Gregorr was born as the sole heir to this estate and his family's last hope of saving it. Unfortunately, he didn't take this responsibility very seriously as a boy entering Academy.
As the very least of all nobility, the other boys his age did not receive him kindly and Met responded to this by allowing his natural penchant for mischief and havoc free reign which only served to make him even more unpopular with his fellow classmates and his instructors. Less than a year into his studies, Met was barely hanging on. He was less than a bent-farthing's width from failing out, when he took his trouble-making too far.
In the midst of one of his infamous pranks, he managed to knock a lantern into a pile of dry hay in the school's stables. They burned to the ground and more than half the horses within, some belonging to the other students as well as the Academy, perished in the fire. Everyone knew it must be Metrigale's fault (for who else could have caused such destruction?) but there was only one witness—Terrin Korsing.
Unbeknownst to Met, young Korsing happened to be down at the stables that night. When he couldn't sleep because of the pressures of his studies, Korsing calmed himself by spending time with his stallion in the stables, the only friend he had from home. Because of this, he witnessed the whole scene and barely pulled his own horse from the blaze in time. Obviously no one suspected that the upstanding and well thought of Korsing could have had anything to do with it, so when he was called before the headmaster to testify to what he'd seen, everyone fully expected that Met would finally be expelled, even Met himself. In fact the next morning, he'd packed his bags and sat in the bunkhouse he shared with Korsing and a handful of other boys his age with his bag packed, waiting for the guards to come and escort him from the grounds.
But they never came.
Instead Korsing took the blame for the fire, saying it'd been he who had inadvertently knocked over a lantern. He took Met's punishment and agreed to aid in rebuilding the stables and work to cover the cost of the lost horses. He didn't wish to see the sacrifices Met's family had made to send him to Academy go to waste.
Korsing may have grown up learning humility and service to others, but Met grew up being taught the value of loyalty. And from that day forward, Korsing had his. It took some time for Korsing to accept Met. Despite the sacrifice he'd made for the young Metrigale, he didn't have much respect for him. But Met was determined to prove worthy of Korsing's sacrifice—well, at least to Korsing himself. Met's pranks and antics didn't stop, but they were at least tamed a bit and he refused to allow Korsing to shoulder the full weight of his punishment, joining him in all of his labors.
By the time the stables were rebuilt, their legendary friendship had been cemented and they became inseparable. With Korsing's help, Met graduated from Academy and was appointed to his position as captain over a company of engineers. Unfortunately, this was too late to help his family. Shortly after his graduation, his father passed away from illness and the family lost their estate. It took nearly all of Met's monthly captain's stipend to see her well kept in suitable rooms, and he had no choice but to throw himself fully into his work.
The rest, as they say, is the stuff of legend. Met's Company rose to fame during Korsing's triumph over the Loreshi and became near mythic by the time Taurrin's Watch was taken and the Empire was assured. Korsing may have won the Empire, but Met and his CoEns built it. And perhaps someday those stories will be told as well...
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