Captain Diego Alatriste y Tenorio

Diego Alatriste was born to a common family in Leon in 1582. At the age of thirteen, he left home and enlisted with the Spanish army. His title of captain is unofficial, but was instead given to him by his fellow soldiers in the Tercio Viejo de Cartagena, the unit of soldiers in which he served, because of an incident in Flanders when he took charge of the battle when the all of the Spanish commanders were killed. His courage and cool-headedness on the battlefield led him to form ties with many men in Spanish society, including many above his station like Francisco de Quevedo and the Conde De Guadalmedina, whose life Alatriste saved in Tunisia.

Alatriste is entering his forties, and bears many of the marks and scars of being an old soldier. His face is scarred in several places. His eyes are a...