When Lieutenant Gaston Dubois is demoted and disgraced after fighting a duel he is posted, much to his horror, to the second company of the fifth squadron of the 31st Dragoons.
Not only is this an affront to his honour (and his dress sense), but taking command of the “Accursed 31st” he faces an unruly, neglected, ill-disciplined company, who are battle shy and weary, and have little appetite for their duty. Demoralised and disheartened, they are one of the worst units in the Armee Iberian (Napoleon’s Spanish Army).
Much of Shadow of the Serpent details how Dubois transforms them into a proper fighting force again. Through a combination of charm and discipline, he gradually restores their pride, their mounts and equipment, and their military capability, until they are ready to face the enemy once more.
During Gaston Dubois’ adventures, the Accursed 31st become vital to transforming his own fortunes too. He has already won over the granite-faced ex-guardsman Sergeant Bastien Sacleaux in Feast of the Dead, giving him a natural lieutenant and confidante.
Yet, if he is to have any chance of facing down the horrors to come in Keeper of the Hidden Flame and beyond, he will need allies, dependable soldiers who he can rely on to face enemies on the battlefield and supernatural terrors off of it. So, let’s meet them, the handpicked of the “Accursed 31st”.
Brigardier Armand Dumont
A veteran soldier but a rather mild and anxious man, at first Corporal Dumont acts as a go-between for Dubois and the Second Company. As he sees Dubois change the Second Company’s fortunes with his new methods, Dumont starts to trust his new commander and becomes one of his most ardent and faithful followers.
Trumpeter Gael Ferrer
The Second Company’s trumpeter is a young, artistic, and idealistic musician. A constant companion at Dubois’s side, he is vital conduit for issuing orders on the battlefield. At just eighteen, he is tender in years and somewhat naïve. His handsome looks and mastery of the Spanish guitar mean he is a creative, soulful young man, quite the target for Spanish ladies’ affections.
Louis Desaux
A gigantic muscular presence, Desaux is a hulking ox of a man but beneath his rather brutish exterior he is a surprisingly thoughtful and academic. Quiet and mediative, often with his head in a book, he enjoys literature, philosophy and science. Once aroused though, he is a ferocious fighter, a towering presence in the melee of cavalry combat.
Gabriel Laurent
A thin, wiry rogue, his charming manners and handsome moustache make it easy to forgive his more criminal tendencies. An acquisitive wheeler dealer, Laurent is able to source all manner of supplies, valuables and trinkets, forage from the battlefield and even conjure treasures and plunder seemingly from thin air.
Pierre Leroy
A fiery and waspish old hand, Leroy is the company’s medic and foremost horse doctor. whose brusque and forthright manner belies an honest, passionate campaigner. His love for animals is genuine, and he prefers them to human beings most of the time. His harsh tone melts the moment he has to attend to the sick (human or horse), and he is a competent if endlessly grouchy attendant to the Second.
Henri Moulin
A rangy, blond-haired fellow with a drooping moustache, Moulin is a quiet and taciturn man, not given to idle conversation. His reticent demeanour masks an expert scout and pathfinder, a cold-eyed marksman, who is able to nail a moving rabbit through the eye at sixty paces. A master of firearms, he is equally adept with pistol, carbine or musket, but deadly with his signature scavenged Baker rifle.
Raphael Chastain
The Second Company’s foremost sabre is a diminutive but highly skilled swordsman, a compact fellow who carries himself with a natural poise and elegance. He is quiet, reserved, almost anonymous most of the time but in the heat of battle his sabre skills are exemplary. He often spars with Dubois, each testing the other’s sword skills to the limit.
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