Editing Thomas Gaudin (section)

===Youth===
Not much is known of Gaudin's early childhood once he landed on Sturmundrang, only that the planet was mired in a bloody and stagnant civil war that had lasted for centuries. The use of chemical and nuclear weapons had rendered the very air caustic to breath, so much so that it was impossible to survive for more than a few minutes on the scarred surface without a breathing apparatus and a body suit. Domed settlements shielded against the atmosphere rose out of the desolate plains, some cultivating food and others manufacturing equipment. it was for control of these settlements and the roads between them that the many armies fought. Warfare was all about machines, with armored vehicles clashing against one another for control of the vital highways.

What records do exist speak of how he was raised in the neutral domain of Moritzen by its ruling Lord. His pod had been found by a searching expedition looking for archeotech among the wastes, and given the child was somehow still alive despite the toxic atmosphere, Gaudin was recognized by his surrogate family as a truly valuable individual, rising to take over after the Lord’s death from respiratory illness caused by prolonged exposure to the atmosphere.

Though small, thanks the neutrality of his foster domain, Gaudin's home had a very small standing army of men but a fairly sizeable reserve of vehicles, mostly infantry fighting vehicles and tanks. These vehicles were the lifeblood of war on Sturmundrang as they were sealed from the caustic air, using recycled air filtration systems and were able to refill air tanks for ground troops. Gaudin noticed how stagnant the fighting was on his world and how the endless series of clashes led to little result and the continued decline of the planet and wished not only to enhance Moritzen but also the whole planet. Having studied the way war was waged and enhanced it with his own ideas, Gaudin now planned to use the few troops he had to revolutionize warfare on Sturmundrang. The army of Moritzen was small but under Gaudin they were given specialised training in mobile warfare and all the supporting arms that usually stayed back at base were mechanized so they could go out into the wilderness along with the armor i.e. artillery, supply, communication and medical care. This would allow his forces a greater period away from a dome settlement and a greater radius of action. Long since sickened by the seemingly endless and brutal war, Gaudin vowed to use his new army to unite the planet under one banner.

[[File:Planet Carbon Aluminum Sphere Earth-Like Lt.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Gaudin's cradle: the Death World Sturmundrang]]

Using this small, well trained and highly mobile force, Gaudin set out beyond the borders of Moritzen and began his crusade across the war-torn, toxic surface. Having been taught that mercy is a necessary and sadly rare virtue among leaders by his adoptive father, Gaudin offered terms to all those who would listen. If they refused to listen to them or refused to obey them, Gaudins army would crush them under track and boot, using fast strikes to cut them off and leave them isolated and unable to fight back. Gaudin knew that sometimes you could win without fighting, and often forced enemy forces to surrender without a shot being fired. In rare cases a pocket of resistance managed to halt the roaring advance of the crusaders, sometimes for days, weeks or even months. Impressed by the guile and courage shown by these men, Gaudin would allow any survivors who were willing to either join his army or to return home to their families. In many cases, impressed by the jovial giant they willingly joined his forces and were placed in veteran companies, acting as the spear tip in his advance.

His armies spread out, taking dome after dome, using the resources from each to fuel the continued crusade. His armies never stopped moving and never looked back. Gaudin himself was restless, always leading from the front, only stopping to negotiate surrenders and terms before setting off again. Finally, however the last great dome-city fell before his might, and Gaudin was struck by the enormity of what he’d done. He’d united Sturmundrang under his banner.