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Hardwicke has been a Sanctum guardsman for almost as long as he could hold a weapon. It was his unwavering loyalty, family history of service, and strong sense of command that eventually earned him the position of Captain of the Guard at Sanctum. It was a visit to Farhaven as part of a Valardin contingent that first brought him into a chance meeting with a dorky Northern baker named Symanthe. She was the one to start sending letters down to Sanctum after he returned (addressed quite seriously with openings like "Dear cutie butt" and "Dear serious face") and, since his duty belonged to Sanctum and hers belonged to wherever she chose to put it, she was the one to pick up her life and relocate after deciding she was going to keep him. That he managed to land such a beautiful, vibrant sort of bride was the source of much consternation to his colleagues. Their contrasting personalities proved to be a good complementary balance for both of them. They had their first child when Hardwicke was 22 and Symanthe 20, and they had another six before she declared quite firmly that she was done now that she had a brood large enough to harass her unsociable husband for the rest of his life. Their marriage has not been without strife, but it's several decades later with all their children (mostly) grown and they haven't quit yet.

Hardwicke is a difficult man. He has a clear, strong moral compass, but it's shrouded by a social gruffness and a habitual prickliness that makes him difficult to get to know. He trends strongly to quiet reserve with a long-boiling sort of temper that is quite dangerous when it explodes. He is fiercely loyal with an unwavering sense of duty, but his high standards of behavior make him unforgiving to those who fall short, and his judgment of others can come swift and harsh. As a parent, he is tempered by his much more friendly, free-spirited wife, but his children have still been raised with a long list of expectations.