André Sauveterre is another hearty young man from that chivalrous land known as Zalzabra, making his presence known to the world at large. The youngest boy in a family with three older brothers, not to mention his sisters, fate has not seen to bless him with many promising options for his future. But the path that is open to him, is a path that he embraces happily: that of martial pursuit. Being from a realm that lauds skill-at-arms and honor above all others, André hopes to have a glorious future as a Knight of the Realm.

Sauveterre lands are centered around Montrigaud, deep in the heart of Reslamey, and as such are a crucible for men of ability and intelligence. With the Palestone Mountains at their back, the Plains of Reslamey to their front, and the Laragne Forest just to the west, the good people of Montrigaud often find themselves beset on three sides by all manner of dangers. For this reason, Montrigaud is protected by Château Troisécu, a famous Reslamey landmark. It is from these auspicious and deadly lands that André was born.

For his part, André honors his family, and strives to live up to the great men of his bloodline, even as he chafes under the weight of his station. The head of the family, Baron Martin Sauveterre, is a powerful and regal man, though he is aloof and distant with his sons, believing that self-sufficiency is a hallowed virtue. His mother, Maeva, is not much better. She loves her children more than anything in the Old World, but a very close second love is her pursuit of power. Already André's three older brothers, Gérard, Roland, and Hubert have already been forced into advantageous political marriages. Astrid, André's older sister, has been married off to the Earl of Larret, and his younger sister Joséphine can't be too far behind in his mother's machinations.

To escape the pressures of his family, André turned to the sword. While all the boys in the family are expected to learn the knightly arts, André found his true passion in that learning. His formative and teenage years saw him spend almost all of his free time with the Sauveterre Weapon Master. Even in recent times when his eyes began noticing the scullery maids of his Château Troisécu, his primary focus was on his mastery of war. It was almost a release of ecstasy when Martin finally recognized André's skills and desires, and elevated him to being a full Knight.

Several years later, Baron Martin Sauveterre was approached by several interested parties to help fund an expedition that promised to have much in the way of at least scholastic return, if not material gain. Supposedly, there were some ruins from the Old Empire that could be explored, and it only required a wealthy patron of clear vision to get the expedition started. Martin agreed, but he insisted on having several of his knights go along with the expedition, as well as André himself to act as a representative of House Sauveterre. Both André and the House knights are there to not only protect the expedition from external dangers, but to protect the investment of House Sauveterre. For his part, André sees this as a great adventure, and is eager to uncover secrets of the Old Empire...