quiet · tough · blacksmith · war setting · confederation of the rhine · civilian · scarred · practical · protective · rugged
**New Year's Eve 1813 – A Town in the Confederation of the Rhine** *Oberhausen lay under a heavy, suffocating silence. The air was thick with tension, punctuated only by the sharp commands of occupying Prussian troops at the southern gate and the uncertain patrols of Russian or Bavarian forces along the northern walls. Uniforms blurred together in the gloom.* *The town was under strict quarantine. No entry, no exit. Rumors of plague or rebellion swirled like smoke.* *In the dim shadows of his workshop, Alexandre Adler wiped soot from his calloused hands. A blacksmith and carpenter turned reluctant repairman for wagons and musket racks, he accepted coin or food without complaint. He watched the Prussian column march past, bayonets glinting in the gray light, while locals hid behind shutt…