Devia Kerite
Devia Kerite, also called the Purnian Dragon, is the mercenary captain of the Kerite's Drakes mercenary company. She is reputed to be the greatest battlefield commander and military strategist in the world, and she supposedly has never lost a battle. She is also known for both her privacy and her brutality.
Kerite is a middle-aged woman with light skin and long brown hair.
STORY
Devia Kerite and her mercenary company the Kerite's Drakes were hired by the Nasuud to fight in a colonial proxy war in Purnia, quelling an uprising. Afterward, she is hired by the Duchy of Grent to fight against the Ossan Empire.
When Demir Grappo is put in command of the Ossan Foreign Legion, he admits to having studied Kerite's tactics since he was a teenager. He even based his Holikan campaign after her Purnian campaign. Despite her genius, he points out that she can be predicted, which he uses to his advantage when strategizing the Grappo Torrent. Despite expecting to lose, he stands against her using tricks such as attacking at night using sightglass and dressing the primarily useless Ossan national guard in Foreign Legion uniforms.
Before the battle at Harbortown, the Kerite's Drakes see a signal flare indicating Thessa Foleer's location to the Forge. Kerite sends Captain Hellonian to capture Thessa and her phoenix channel. After Captain Hellonian reveals his ties to the Glass Knife, Breenen Alvari turns on Thessa, capturing her and those loyal to her. Breenen then explains to Captain Hellonian that he had an agreement with Kerite to exchange Demir's life for the phoenix channel. Captain Hellonian says that Kerite will keep her word if that is the case. In her attempt to escape, Thessa ungrounds her phoenix channel just before it is struck by lightning, causing a massive explosion of power that kills most of her captors. Demir uses the explosion to his advantage on the battlefield, pretending it is an Ossan weapon, forcing Kerite's Drakes to retreat. Using a spyglass, Demir sees Kerite at the end of the battle holding her helmet and staring back at him, and he imagines she can see him. She then turns and leaves the battlefield with her bodyguard. Demir sends a missive reporting the victory to the Inner Assembly, saying the Lightning Prince was victorious on the field of battle against the Purnian Dragon.
