Forest

Forest
Title	Sergeant First Sergeant (later) Lieutenant (later) Colonel (later) General (later) Lord Marshal (later)
Member of	The King's Own
Culture	The Union
Book(s)	The Blade Itself Last Argument of Kings The Heroes Sharp Ends A Little Hatred The Trouble With Peace The Wisdom of Crowds

“	Boys, this here is the famous Corporal Tunny, one of the longest serving non-commissioned officers in General Jalenhorm’s division. A veteran of ...	”
	— Forest

Forest entered the King's Own as an enlisted man, and appears throughout The First Law series slowly rising through the ranks. He has fought in every major war since.

Appearance

Forest is a heavy-built fellow, with a rough voice, and an open, honest grin that seemed to represent the very best of the Union common man He has a pronounced facial scar, first mentioned in Last Argument of Kings. He later grows a lustrous moustaches, and habitually wears a campaign-worn fur hat.

History

The Blade Itself

Forest is introduced as a lowly sergeant sent by the Lord Marshal Burr to fetch Major West for an urgent briefing, presumably concerning the brewing wars in the North.

Last Argument of Kings

During the Battle of Adua, Sergent Forest is a member of Major Vallimir's patrol that Ferro Maljinn has attached herself to. They are tasked with harassing the Gurkish army as they advance on Adua, to lay siege to the city.

The Heroes

By the time of the Battle of Osrung, Forest has been promoted to First Sergeant, chief non-commissioned officer on the staff of Colonel Vallimir's King’s Own First Regiment, part of General Jalenhorm's division. He is Corporal Tunny's commanding officer, and takes great pleasure saddling him with greenest recruits.

Sharp Ends

Shevedieh goes looking for Javre, and finds her playing cards with three Union soldiers; Lieutenant Forest, Corporal Tunny, and Lance Corporal Yolk.

A Little Hatred

Forest has now risen to Colonel, and is appointed second-in-command in Orso's Crown Prince's Division. He raises and trains the soldiers for a planned campaign against the Northmen led by King Scale Ironhand and his nephew Stour Nightfall. However, an uprising in Valbeck makes the regiment go there instead, where it surrounds the city and forces the surrender of the Breakers.

The Trouble With Peace

King Orso receives an anonymous letter, warning him of a planned rebellion led by members of the Open Council, with "friends in the north". Orso calls upon Colonel Forest once again, asking him to re-assemble the Crown Prince's Division on the quiet. He also casually promotes him to the rank of General.

At the Battle of Stoffenbeck, General Forest organizes the royalist defences to face the rebels, with Lord Marshal Rucksted still in the south, and Lord Marshal Brint disgraced as a rebel spy. Just before the battle, King Orso appoints him to command the right-wing, and accidentally calls him Lord Marshal. When Forest tries to correct him, Orso makes the promotion official, thus giving him a seat on the Closed Council. In the battle, Lord Marshal Forest proves a brave and competent commander, acting as an oasis of good-natured calm, snapping out coherent orders, and turning back waverers. They face a ferocious onslaught by Stour Nightfall's Northmen, holding them back long enough for Rucksted to arrive with a great many reinforcements and for Leo dan Brock's heroic charge to come to grief.