~ NAPOLEONIC WARS OC ~

Jean-Antoine de Vauclair was born in 1786 into a once-respectable French family whose fortunes had been steadily declining for generations. His father, a former royal officer, believed in discipline, tradition, and the unquestionable authority of the aristocracy. His mother, meanwhile, taught Jean that a person's worth was determined by their actions rather than their ancestry.

Unfortunately for his father, Jean inherited considerably more of his mother's outlook.

When the French Revolution transformed the country, the Vauclair family found itself caught between a disappearing old world and an uncertain new one. Jean grew up watching powerful men lose their titles, families lose their fortunes, and ordinary citizens discover that the world they had known could change practically overnight.

Rather than pursuing a comfortable civilian life, Jean enlisted in the French Army as a young man. He had little patience for the aristocratic officers who treated their soldiers as disposable pawns, and even less for commanders who mistook shouting for leadership.

He wanted to prove that a man could earn respect rather than inherit it.

His opportunity came during the campaigns of Napoleon Bonaparte.