| abstract | - Rathar was the Marshal of Unkerlant. As commander of all of Unkerlant's armies, he was the second most powerful man in the kingdom. He was crucial to Unkerlant's victory over Algarve during the Derlavaian War . Rathar, a peasant boy, had been impressed into Swemmel's armies during the Twinkings War. In other kingdoms of Derlavai, low-class recruits had no chance to become officers; however, Swemmel gave greater weight to ability and loyalty than to aristocratic birth. Rathar became an officer within several months, was a colonel by the end of the war, and continued his fast rise until the very top. Rathar commanded Unkerlant's armies in the struggle against the invading forces of Algarve, from the early stages when the capital Cottbus was in danger of falling until the Unkerlanters turned the tables and conquered Algarve's own capital. He took many personal risks, especially during the prolonged Battle of Sulingen. While acting ruthlessly when he felt it was needed - for example in punishing deserters - he was never gratuitiously cruel, encouraged initiative among his suborordinate officers and was popular among them as well as among the common soldiers. He gained a reputation for repeatedly challenging King Swemmel's orders, and surviving such defiance, which was virtually unheard of. This he managed to do by making taking great and constant care to convince the perennially suspicious monarch that while he sometimes disputed orders which he felt were wrong, he had no designs on the throne. In truth, Rathar was perfectly satisfied with running the army and had no higher ambitions. Swemmel had put to death many people whom he unjustly suspected, and Rathar worked hard to keep the king from suspecting him. For example, during the victory procession in Cottbus after Unkerlant's victory in the Derlavaian War, Rathar became alarmed when he heard the crowds chanting his own name. He immediately started calling out Swemmel's name instead and got the crowds to join him.
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