One such mage was Sartauvoir, who had taken up residence in a small farming hamlet a stone's throw from the city where he concealed his identity, posing as a local tutor and academic. Discovered and approached by the IVth, the proud mage initially rebuffed their advances, but began to take an interest in their offer upon hearing of Legatus Gabranth's vision, similar and yet fundamentally different from that of the Empire he so despised. Realizing what Sartauvoir could offer them, the IVth - patiently, yet persistently - reached out to him on multiple occasions, trusting the mage would have a change of heart. One day, Sartauvoir was greeted at his place of learning by a soldier unfamiliar to him. Though the soldier stood alone, was advanced in years, and carried not even a dagger in his hand, Sartauvoir knew in an instant that even his most potent incantations would be no match for this man. So it was that he exchanged words face-to-face for the first time with Basch van Gabranth, and so it was that the mage - struck to his very core by the legatus's words - did swear to him his undying loyalty.
In the nigh thirty years since, Sartauvoir has served the IVth well and true. Though he has honed his already-potent skills to greater heights of power under the tutelage of Sadr rem Albeleo, his pride as a mage-knight of Mannatheihwo still burns within him as fierce as the blazing infernos he wreaks upon his foes. And yet he wields his magicks not in the name of wanton destruction, but rather in the hope of realizing the long-held dream of Noah van Gabranth - the same dream once held by his father...
Sartauvoir was one of those. The Garleans found him in a small village near Mannatheihwo, where he was hiding and leading a small academy. At first he refused to help the oppressors of his home country, but the Garleans didn't back down. After some time an unknown fighter appeared in front of Sartauvoir's academy. He was old and carried neither weapons nor armour, despite that Sartauvoir knew at once that he had no chance to best the man with his magic. This stranger was Basch van Gabranth. Sartauvoir was so impressed by Basch and his visionary plan, that he swore loyalty to him.
Since then thirty years have passed. The mage regiment was reinforced by the powerful mage Albeleo but at its core it still consisted of the mages from Mannatheihwo. Sartauvoir proudly kept the traditions of his home alive but also readily learned from Albeleo. Together with the new legatus of the IVth legion, Noah van Gabranth, he tries to make Basch's legacy reality.
COMPARISON POINTS OF NOTE
→ In the ENG version, "Sartauvoir taken up residence in a small farming hamlet a stone's throw from the city where he concealed his identity, posing as a local tutor and academic", whereas in the GER translation, it states "in a small village near Mannatheihwo, where he was hiding and leading a small academy" - this has hilarious implications about Sartauvoir's idea of laying low after the Garlean invasion of Mannatheihwo. Obviously the next village over he deems to be far enough away (!!) and the idea that he's running a small academy (!!!) is the most ridiculous idea of going incognito ever.
→ When we look at the sections about Basch, the ENG field note states "so it was that the mage - struck to his very core by the legatus's words - did swear to him his undying loyalty", vs the GER note "Sartauvoir was so impressed by Basch and his visionary plan, that he swore loyalty to him." I personally prefer the ENG version in this case, for the undying loyalty part. Ough, the implications...