[hider=Siegmeyer Heilborg]

[B]Username:[/B] Eisenhorn

[b]Character Name:[/b] Siegmeyer Heilborg

[b]Race/Species:[/b] Hochlander Human

[b]Gender:[/b] Male

[b]Age:[/b] 48

[b]Career (if any) and Skills:[/b] 
[i]Outrider of the Empire:[/i] Before leaving formal military service for the potential for a far more lucrative career as a mercenary, Siegmeyer was a skilled and experienced Outrider, building upon his earlier years of experience as a Handgunner of the Empire. His horsemanship is sound, but not at all noteworthy, but his marksmanship, even at full gallop, is remarkable. Maintaining his own gear was a necessity, especially for the rare, but powerful, Repeater Pistols and handguns. As he was expected to train and lead Pistoliers he has knowledge of tactics and leadership, though he much prefers to leave that nonsense to another wiser head.

[i]Veteran's Instincts:[/i] Men rarely survive long in combat, those that do have a few reasons. Skill, luck, the blessing of Sigmar, and Siegmeyer relies on instincts honed from years of combat. He isn't necessarily the smartest, fastest, or even the strongest, but when it comes to surviving in the field of combat, the former Outrider has a knack to be where and when he needs to be at the right time, often times without being able to readily explain beyond just getting a gut feeling things were going to fall apart that way.

[b]Weapons:[/b] 
Repeater Pistol - An ornate weapon, and gift from an old friend, that Siegmeyer carried on from his Outrider time, it eliminates the need for a rider to carry an entire brace of pistols by allowing him to fire off many times as many rounds as a single pistol without pausing to reload or draw a new pistol. Most of the useless ornamentation was stripped off, replaced with sturdier material to protect the inner workings, and considering the weathered look the remaining material has, the weapon has fired off more rounds than one might imagine. Reloading takes, again, many times longer than a traditional fire and discard pistol of a brace.

Sabre - Unlike the mighty greatswords of the Empire's infantry, or the sturdy and ornate longswords and lances of the Knightly Orders, the blade that Siegmeyer turns to when forced into a melee is a no frills, well forged sabre. While single edged and with a slight curve, it lends itself well to charging past an enemy, blade flashing and taking the head or limbs off whomever had the misfortune of standing in the way of the Outrider. It is a well maintained blade, with any chipping from hard hits repaired when possible to keep the blade as reliable as possible. 

[b]Attire:[/b] Siegmeyer wears the same half plate he wore when riding with the Outriders, with some modifications along the way. The breastplate of the armor bears a dark red coloration, with the ornate cross emblazoned on his chest being treated to bear a white coloring, reminiscent of the Hochland banner colors, red and white. The rest of the armor follows this coloration choice, personal to Siegmeyer. His right shoulder guard is missing, to promote freedom of movement for his right arm, the one that fires his Handgun, while he left the left Guard intact to help protect the side that often is faced towards the enemy when firing. He leaves the rest of his vambraces intact, removing the elbow plates to minimize the loss of movement capability. His waist is plated, as it moves very little, but beyond his greaves and upper plates strapped onto his thighs, he wears as little armor on his legs as possible to reduce weight and movement impediments. His helmet lacks anything that would obstruct his vision, a sturdy affair that lacks the ornamentation that one typifies with Outriders. Under his armor he wears a woolen tunic under his armor, for the purpose of arrows and softening blows from bludgeoning weapons that slam through his armor, while a tunic and well worn riding boots wrap up his attire. 

[b]Equipment/Other[/b] 
Siegmeyer's Horse
Several Days Emergency Rations for himself and steed
Spare Powder and Rounds

[b]Physical Description (as detailed as possible please, pictures not accepted.):[/b] 
Siegmeyer is a man of Hochland, standing barely over six foot, and is hardly what most would consider an object of desire for the womenfolk of the land. His figure is sturdy, lean in the right places, for survival and warfare, honed from years of fighting the battles of the Empire. His face is scarred, heavily, from Chaos seized Hellblaster Volley Guns ripping his allies apart. He still manages a rough stubble of dark brown hair, with highlights of grey coming through, though, belying his age since the normal ability to tell by how wrinkled one was is unavailable through the scarring. His tired, almost hazy green eyes glare at the world around him, sunken forever from one too many sleepless nights fighting against the forces opposing the Empire. His torso is riddled with shrapnel and burn scars, more unpleasant reminders of his meeting with the Hellblaster, on the wrong end of it, but wiry and lean muscle ripples beneath thick scar tissue, assuming one might see any of this beneath his ever present half plate and under clothes. There are other scars, lost amongst those from the Hellblaster, but they pale in comparison. The rest of his body follows a similar pattern, his hair cropped and kept short as to prevent discomfort when wearing a helmet.

[b]Mental Description/Personality:[/b] Siegmeyer is a consummate solider, first and foremost. Taking orders, executing them, and waging war come as naturally to him as breathing and sleeping might to other men, and it shows in his demeanor. He has seen the worst that war can throw at him, from the unspeakable horrors of the rampaging Northman and their daemons of Chaos, the Skaven under Empire during a Vermintide, to standing alongside the Dwarves against both Orks and Chaos Dwarves for the good of the Empire, and it shows in his commentary on the world around him, often likening them to the places he had seen during the war. The Conspiracy of Silence weighs heavily on him, and he often keeps comments on the Skaven to himself. He will teach others if they seek the teaching, otherwise, he lets them doom or save themselves, taking charge of a fight only when no one else can, preferring to ride as a flanking element and fight to drown out the memories than have to hang back, think on his experiences and how to apply them to the situation.

Out of a fight, Siegmeyer would much prefer the quiet solitude of the corner of a tavern, drinking in peace, to dealing with comrades in arms or celebrating. The former outrider doesnt need, or care for, idle boasting and celebration, he's seen enough of both to last him several life times. He'll keep to himself, maintaining gear and drinking himself into a coma, instead of share war stories and entertain the needless pestering of the younger ilk outside of teaching them how to survive in war.

[b]Background/History:[/b] Siegmeyer Heilborg is an old hand in the art of war for the Empire, and he would rather not have to still be fighting. He was born in Hochland, his father a retired Handgunner Sergeant, who took his Hochland Long Rifle home, as his father's had before him. His family were hunters outside of serving the Empire, and experienced Handgunners of the Hochlander regiments when at war, and it was of little surprise that Siegmeyer would take after his lineage of family sharpshooters and steady hands. He was hardly the best shot there ever was in the family, that title went to his Grandfather, but he was naturally good at shooting from rather uncomfortable positions, and even as a child, would outride most his family while hunting. But, just as he was turning sixteen, the call went out for a new regiment of Handgunners, and it was the old man's pride to see Siegmeyer march to war with his family's Long Rifle.

The destination for the newly founded Hochland Handgunners was right in the path of a Chaos warband heading south for plunder and wanton slaughter. Siegmeyer would find himself entrenched in a castle against the encroaching warband, and it was a living hell of a mire of siege warfare. Siegmeyer was at least able to act, his Long Rifle able to reach out and force the besieging Chaos band to keep its heads down, the important ones at least, or risk having a new, unwanted hole in their heads. It was a long affair, with the crack of rifles and the sound of siege engines working, before the final crush of battle, almost a year later, was made as the Northmen breached the main gate. Both sides knew the day was coming, so both sides had made preperations.

Siegmeyer was with his regiment, posted up on a platform behind the main firing line the Handgunners had formed, with regular Swordsman, Halberdiers, and Spearmen forming a front for the Northmen to crash into. The plan was to break the Northmen's charge at the gate, where they were most funneled, and had deliberately baited the Chaos worshippers into the breach. They got half way across the courtyard before the order to fire was given, and the Handgunners scythed down the first wave in short order. They were barely able to reload and keep firing as the Northmen just kept pouring in, eagerly crawling over the bodies of their slain comrades, using them as shields, and smashed the ranks of the frontline in short order, forcing most of the Handgunners to run out of ammo in their sheer, panicked volleys. Siegmeyer, by virtue of being nearest the hidden exit, was thrown on a horse and told to warn the main army, which was on its way, the castle had fallen.

Siegmeyer rode long and hard, evading the pursuing Warband as they realized the alarm was being raised. He had neither time to sleep nor rest, and he drove the horse hard, firing back at the enemy whenever they had closed enough to be visible. He eventually evaded the Warband, riding into the main camp of the Empire's army rallying to push back the Warband, and after delivering the warning, collapsed from sheer exhaustion, the horse dead from the effort. He was noted by the Outriders, and after he recovered and rejoined a Handgunner regiment, he would take part in the retaking of the castle. It took another two years to formally crush the Northmen push south, and he would spend the next seven years operating against the Orcs and Goblins alongside the Dwarves near the mountains, fighting and picking off important figures in the Orc Waaaghs. He would eventually receive a visit by the Outrider who had escorted him to deliver his warning all those years ago with new orders.

Siegmeyer had been selected to join the Outriders, both for his hard riding years ago, and having continued to prove himself to the point it was considered that his survival hadn't been just a fluke, or blessing of Sigmar. He had to relinquish his Long Rifle, however, which was returned back home to his father with the explanation as to why and it was replaced with a Repeater Handgun, but alongside a Repeater pistol he procured alongside the rest of his equipment, he was surprisingly effective. He would ride at the flank of an Outrider band, or just behind the Pistoliers he was accompanying, using his position to make good use of the Repeaters as well as guide the Pistoliers properly. He made himself highly effective, and was more often found working alongside large numbers of fellow Outriders than leading Pistoliers, and he was here when he found himself facing Chaos again.

The Northman had already overrun an army with the favor of several Master Engineers and had seized quite a few siege weapons, including a battery of Hellblasters. Siegmeyer and the Outriders he was with were attached to a large Army to obliterate these Northmen, not merely drive them off, and either recapture or destroy the siege weapons before they could be used to serious damage. The battle was met on an open field, initially favoring the Outriders black powder weapons as they flanked the main Northmen army, pouring Repeater fire into their flanks. Each attempt by the Northmen to flank the Empire's army failed, turned back by the Outriders, and it seemed like they hadn't the means to operate their stolen siege weapons. But, Sigmar was not with them when the Hellblasters opened up.

A false flank had drawn out the Outriders again, straight into the waiting maws of the siege weapons, which obliterated all but a few Outriders, and only Siegmeyer was able to drag himself back to the Empire's battle lines without being captured. Within a day, any living Outriders from the attack that had been captured were strung up on the eight pointed stars of Chaos, screaming in constant agony until they, blessedly, died. The Northmen would be repulsed, but Siegmeyer was in no condition to help until he recovered, after the battle was done. The next few years Siegmeyer would serve to train nobles who were seeking to be Pistoliers, until his 45 birthday when he decided the professional soldiering life was a road he was tired of walking, still haunted by the batteries of Hellblasters blasting his fellows into pieces.

Siegmeyer left for mercenary work, since he found himself unable to readily put his daemons to rest, figuratively speaking, and just quit making war. He figured he could fight as a mercenary for awhile, get a nice chunk of money set aside, and be able to retire and spend the rest of his life back home in Hochland, entertain his older brother's kids perhaps, as he had forsaken ever having a chance at finding a wife with how badly the siege weapons had scarred him. He would make his name serving as a skilled mercenary cavalryman, providing often well needed mobility to whomever had the coin to afford the high costs of the former Outrider, who charged accordingly for his services. He would spend up to his current age as a mercenary, and would continue to do so for some time, as he wanted to have enough coin to not have to work again.

[/hider]