House Wenjansk’s spearmen were never given the respect they deserved, even before the house’s relocation. When the Duscarn Giants raided Wenjansków, the melee infantry gave their lives in shocking numbers, protecting the High Kestrel as he and his vassals escaped Fort Wenjansk. They sacrificed themselves to ensure that lords and peasants alike could flee the burning city. As such, their ranks were in disarray once the lowlanders arrived in Falthringor.

High Kestrel Mariusz recognized early on that the archers would not be enough to protect the castle from some such a massive threat, and so he elevated one of the few surviving spearmen, a scrawny, scrappy, low-born soldier, to the rank of Lord Ratchet. Mariusz tasked this unlikely leader, Zarek Deniczik (he/him) with re-establishing a squad of warriors who would protect House Wenjansk’s new home.

Zarek is a committed servant to the High Kestrel, but he is also a deeply practical and empathetic man. He witnessed untold horrors during the fall of Wenjansków, and he swore to find a better means to confront the Duscarn Giants in the future. He devised the “trip and spike” maneuver, a tactic that many of his spearmen loathe. They believe it puts each of them in far greater danger, as it forces groups of soldiers to get close to a giant instead of poking from afar with lengthy pikes. Nevertheless, Zarek stands firm. The tactic is the only reliable way to kill a giant at close range. If the giants were free to wreak havoc on Falthringor as they did Wenjansków… well, best not to think about that.

Defeating the giants means more than just strong walls and sharp arrows. It means leveraging every advantage House Wenjansk can muster. Lowlanders are nimbler than the giants, and so a squad can easily flank a given invader. Zarek’s forces are also more coordinated, and so targeted strikes should always be prioritized over the chaos of a free-for-all battle.

Zarek is oft-maligned by his peers and the common folk alike. They see him as both meek and knavish, a cowardly peasant who should have fallen in Wenjansków and who should never have achieved the rank of Lord Ratchet. And yet, Zarek persists.