Commander: Hasdrubal Bowelle
Type: Offensive
Hasdrubal Bowelle was born and raised in the Tu Desert at an oasis outpost near the western border with Etroa that saw Hasdrubal meet countless travelers, pilgrims, and griots. The childhood home of Hasdrubal was a permanent posting for his father, a Rulaaran cavalry officer, who oversaw most of the goings-on in the outpost and was treated as de facto governor by the civilian residents. His mother was a faithful Chiite and remarkably tall among Askians - a trait passed down to Hasdrubal, who stood a head taller than his peers. The guidance of Hasdrubal's parents saw him adopt the Chiite faith of his mother, while his father's influence saw him acquire a growing interest in the military. Hasdrubal spent his youth attending school, learning to ride a horse, how to maintain an Askian maglock rifle, and interacting with a wide variety of travelers before deciding he'd join his father in walking The Iron Way and devote himself to the life of a warrior.
Hasdrubal attended the Askian War Academy and graduated top of his class before being placed in command of a platoon in training. While there had been plenty of peace between nations for a generation, Askia had been plagued by Chijindum rebels, and Hasdrubal's unit was part of a company being created specifically for the task of rebel suppression. Training largely emphasized mobility and rapid pinpoint strikes using small squad tactics in conjunction with support from weapons teams as opposed to the relatively recently outdated battle lines.
Being a student of warfare, Hasdrubal was quick to pick up on the direction of the evolution of combat as battlefields saw more industrialized warfare. This willingness to adapt reflected itself on the battlefield through Hasdrubal's ability to improvise tactics as situations evolved. This proved beneficial during a particularly brutal three months when a full-on civil war threatened to break out in the northern Tu Desert. Hasdrubal was in charge of enforcement of martial law and suppression of dissidents that was considered to be a low-risk area. This turned out to be false, as a significantly well-armed rebel group formed up one evening and besieged the command post set up in the town square. The CP was hit hard, with Hasdrubal's two immediate commanding officers being killed during the first volley of grenades. Hasdrubal was quick to reorganize his men and beat back the assault, but instead of pulling out of the area or digging in to recover he launched an immediate counter-attack with anyone who could still move and shoot. Rebel forces were hounded during their retreat, and while the street fighting was intense, Hasdrubal's troops were better trained and inspired by Hasdrubal's presence (and his demand for immediate retribution). Eventually the rebels were surrounded and besieged in a multistory cramped apartment building, which required extremely close-quarters fighting. Pistols, bayonets, knives, rifle butts, a few broken bottles, some table legs, and a cinderblock were used to clear the building room-by-room.
While the successful counterattack led to the local rebellion being destroyed, other pockets along the northern coast required clearing. Hasdrubal was given quite a hefty promotion and put in charge of the entire operation - a battalion-sized force. The suppression of revolts and widespread success of the "Hounds of Hasdrubal" put Hasdrubal Bowelle on the fast track up the ranks, and garnered him favorable postings as his actions drew the eye of a grateful state. As the threat of war with Etroa bloomed, Hasdrubal had the distinct honor of being the highest-ranked officer in the Askian armed forces that had seen and survived direct combat during the Period of Peace, which made him the prime candidate to act as the Brigadier General directing our forces along one of our flanks.