Blyden Kreg was born in a small coastal town and grew up with the ocean as his backyard. His father was a fisherman, a hard man who expected Blyden to follow in his footsteps. But Blyden had grander ambitions. As soon as he was old enough, he joined the Seacean Navy, seeking adventure and glory. His time in the navy, however, was anything but glamorous. Blyden quickly learned that the rigid hierarchy and strict discipline suited him well, but his temper and intolerance for incompetence often put him at odds with his superiors.

The incident that led to his discharge involved the mistreatment of a crewman under his command. Blyden maintained that the crewman had been insubordinate and deserved the punishment he received, but the navy viewed the situation differently. With little support and no desire to fight the decision, Blyden accepted an honorable discharge and left the service.

Afterward, he found work in the merchant fleet, where he thrived. Blyden’s no-nonsense attitude and ability to handle tough situations made him a reliable, if unpopular, officer. When airship travel became more widespread, Blyden saw an opportunity to combine his naval experience with this new frontier of the skies. He signed onto an air freighter and worked his way up to captain.

“Sometime today, Commander,” Captain Kreg said, sounding as if he was in his usual mood. Captain Blyden Kreg was as crotchety as they came. A salty old bastard who, like many of the crewmen, had learned hard discipline from one Four Fiefdom navy or another, the old man had never been known for a kind heart. But he’d been worse than usual since a week ago, when the savant’s hellion had disembarked from the Griffin by blasting a hole in her hull. Jacob didn’t blame him for being in a sour mood over it. The girl had killed a handful of airmen and damaged the engines as well. The airship had damn near fallen from the sky. Everyone on board had a right to feel something. But no one took it out on others quite the way Captain Kreg did. The slightest infraction, whether genuine or not, was met with the harshest of penalties. As the Griffin’s first mate, such disciplinary action fell to Jacob. No one yet had felt the lash, thank the Old Gods, for this wasn’t a military vessel, but he’d been forced to double work schedules and watches, dock pay, and generally make good sailors’ lives miserable.

- THE NULLIFICATION ENGINE

Now, as the captain of the Griffin, Blyden runs his ship with a tight grip. He doesn’t care if the crew likes him, only that they respect him and follow orders. The job comes first, and in Blyden’s eyes, a well-run ship is one where the crew gets paid on time, even if they have to endure his rough leadership. Beneath his gruff exterior, Blyden has a deep sense of responsibility for his crew and ship, though he rarely shows it. Years of hard living and tough choices have left him with few friends, but Blyden wouldn’t have it any other way.

FIRST APPEARANCE

Blyden first appears in The Nullification Engine (The Alchemancer Book Two).