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{{TanithPortal}}
[[Colonel]] '''Colm Corbec''' was the second-in-command of the [[Tanith First and Only]] [[Imperial Guard]] [[Regiment]] from almost the inception of the regiment in 765.[[M41]].{{Fn|1}}
==History==
Colm Corbec began his career as an apprentice to his father, who was a machine-smith and furniture-maker. After he grew too old to help his father, Corbec switched to working in the lumber-mills, the main industry of [[Tanith]]. He worked there for a long time, eventually developing a serious cough caused by the sawdust in the atmosphere. Corbec decided that a healthier job would be a good idea and joined the Tanith Magna Militia. From there, his path to the Guard was easily-trod.
Originally a standard [[Guardsman]], Colm Corbec was promoted directly to the rank Colonel after the [[Fall of Tanith]] by [[Colonel-Commissar]] [[Ibram Gaunt]]. He quickly formed a bond with Gaunt, and the two eventually became firm friends - Gaunt once in fact described him as a "brother" - although Corbec remained just as close to his comrades in the ranks, particularly [[List of Gaunt's Ghosts Characters|Hlaine Larkin]], the famed [[Sniper]] and [[List of Gaunt's Ghosts Characters|Tolin Dorden]], regimental [[Medic|Chief Medical Officer]]. Corbec had actually been delivered by Dorden when the doctor was the County Pryze practitioner, and also felt that he owed Dorden his friendship due to the fact that Dorden saved the life of his mother, Landa. Despite initially entertaining doubts about his ability to command - particularly in his ability to issue orders that may have lead to the deaths of his soldiers - Corbec proved to be a charismatic, straight-talking and somewhat unconventional officer who appeared to be universally liked by his entire regiment, if not by everyone he happened to meet; Corbec and Colonel [[List of Gaunt's Ghosts Characters|Colonel Gilbear]] of the [[Volpone Bluebloods]] came to serious blows on one occasion.
Normally found leading the Ghost's 2nd Platoon, during the [[Caligula]] Liberation, Colonel Corbec was forced to lead the entire Tanith regiment without the aid of Colonel-Commissar Gaunt, including devising a strategy to deal with a [[Daemon|daemonic entity]]. This experience finally gave Corbec the courage and self-belief to fully embrace the responsibilities of command.
Corbec was a big man, bigger than most Tanith, but not as tall as the notably lanky Ibram Gaunt. His size and bulk enabled him to have some success as a wrestler before joining the [[PDF|militia]]; he was Pryze County Champion three times running. He was pale, blue of eye and dark of hair, like most Tanith and always sported a bushy beard that was just slightly greater than regulation length.
Gaunt in fact once despaired of his second's appearance, wondering how he was possibly going to enforce uniform discipline in the men when the colonel of the regiment looked like a "matted and tangled old man of the woods."{{Fn|12}}
His arms were thickly muscled, and tattooed with blue spirals. A regular smoker, showing a preference for liquorice-flavoured cigars after trying some given to him by a [[Basilisk]] commander from the [[Ketzok ‘Serpents’]], Corbec was missing the little finger from his left hand, which had been chopped off in combat. He preferred to sleep outside in the open air, if possible and had several hobbies, including wood-whittling and carving, birdwatching and of course, drinking with his men.
==See also==
*[[List of Colonels]]
==Sources==
{{Cite}}
*{{Endn|1}}: [[First and Only (Novel)]] — [[The Founding (Omnibus)]], Part Two*{{Endn|2}}: [[Of Their Lives in the Ruins of Their Cities (Short Story)]]
*[[Gaunt's Ghosts (Novel Series)]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Corbec, Colm}}
[[Category:Characters (Deceased)]]
[[Category:Characters (Human)]]
[[Category:Characters (Tanith First and Only)]]
[[Category:Gaunt's Ghosts (Novel Series)]]
[[de:Colm Corbec]]
