Reinder "Blitzen" Stuhy/Stuf'fy (Klaus)

Reinder Stuhy (formerly “Klaus”) (born 25 December 1960 Gregorian Human Calendar, GHC) is a Kalubian politician and military commander. He was the first ever elected Föcan of Kalubio and has acted in office since May 11th 1988 GHC. As Föcan Kawubaiös, he led the region through an intense period of reform that included the Kalubian Civil (Pony) War. Stuhy was head of the Reformist Alliance until he stepped down from the position in 2008, serving the rest of his time there as the high commander-in-chief of the military division. Reformist policies promoted a drastic shift away from the previous Luvvar monarchy, supporting demilitarization, social welfare and benefit programs, and returning the region to a more traditional setting from before the monarchy.

As a child, Reinder Klaus was raised in a political family until the DQA resulted in conscription for the Gamian War (1971-1974). When he returned from service, Klaus participated in the Kalubian Revolution of 1974 in which he assisted in the storming of the Luvvar palace. Following the revolution, he fled along with his surviving family, plus Connor and Katherine Felidow, to the Dinotopia district, where he effectively started a new life. He studied political science at the Dinotopia Post-Secondary Educational Institute (DP-SEI), after which he became a member of the provisional Kalubian council. Klaus ran in the region’s first ever election, and defeated Ballaiy Luvvar to become the first-ever elected Föcan of Kalubio. Following the election, he became famous for his role in the civil war and leading the Alliance to victory over the Equalwi Throne.

Stuhy stepped down as Föcan in 2008 GHC, however remained involved with the Reformist Alliance as a military advisor and a commander of the Kalubian Federal Armed Forces.

Early Life (1960 – 1979)
Reinder Klaus IV was born on December 25th, 1960 GHC to Tangeth Klaus and Gorca’a Ba'anl. He was the second of four sons in the family, behind future PAC infantry Bluar "Razz" Praköz. Shortly after the birth of his youngest brother Pingew, his mother was forced to leave Kalubio due to rising political tensions. The family intended to meet her again, but never did, resulting in Reinder being essentially raised by a single father. The lack of a mother figure caused much emotional turmoil in Klaus’ childhood.

In schooling, Klaus was frequently a victim of bullying and assault due to his status as an elite in Kalubian society. He was expelled from his first primary school after he allegedly permanently handicapped a student in a fight. Reinder was set to be homeschooled, until the Gamian War broke out and was conscripted with millions of other Kalubian youth. During his basic training, he adopted the käm "Blitzen."

Klaus served primarily on the Mosba’ata and Schrema fronts in the war. He received the rank of sergeant for his service, before his first honourable discharge. The experience was one of disillusionment to Klaus, who lost one of his brothers in the conflict. Upon returning to Kalubio, he fled the region’s capital with his siblings to Dinotopia following the Kalubian Revolution.

In Dinotopia, Klaus resumed taking classes in public schooling, though he distanced himself from his past life in Calubiu. He completed primary education in 1979, and was accepted into the political science program at the Dinotopia Post-Secondary Educational Institute (DP-SEI) under the name “Ashki Felidow.”

Entry into Politics (1980 – 1985)
While living in Dinotopia, Klaus became close friends with former Fluffball frontman Connor “Tsunami” Felidow due to their shared living space. After enrolling at DP-SEI, he became acquainted with his former squadmate Collin’s brother, Aiza’ak Katzjung. The three formed a band together, known as “X-orsyzm,” with Klaus serving as a bassist and backing vocalist. After befriending performer Sabrina Y’Wixwun, the group rebranded as the “Þun’nzaı Ka’aı” (The Heavy Spirits). The band received moderate attention in the Kalubian underground scene until its disbandment in 1984, with Klaus and Katzjung returning to Calubiu and Felidow’s peacekeeping deployment to Jalfxia.

Klaus was an average student, save his notorious reputation for drinking large quantities at alcohol and consuming drugs at parties on a regular basis. He is recalled by many professors as an “outspoken, unbreakable soul” with a passion for debate and political change. Klaus received several internships in office during his program. He earned a major in Political Science with a minor in history in 1984. Following his graduation, Klaus was offered a full-time position as a secretary under the acting military advisor, Tikrael v’Xpaj.

Reformist Alliance (1986 – 1988)
Due to internal disagreements regarding the Skabb Crisis, Klaus was relieved of his duties as military advisor in 1986. Determined to withdraw Kalubio from the war, he and his friend Aiza’ak spent the next year gaining support and forming a political party. Klaus’ platform prioritized abolition of the provisional council, termination of Kalubian military involvement in Skabb, an end to the region’s conscription policy, a shift from military provision to military equipment and relief, and socialized healthcare and education reminiscent of systems such as Kikikoa or Schremn. The Reformist Alliance was officially formed in 1987, with Klaus as the head.

The party proved highly popular over the municipal districts but was viewed unfavourably by rural communities and in the Equalwi Royal State, according to polls. Despite his political experience and anti-militarism policies, Klaus had a reputation for being hot-headed and a heavy drinker. In addition, the role his father Tangeth Klaus played in the highly controversial DQA hindered his reputability even further in the upcoming election.

First Kalubio Election (1988)
The most significant rival to the Reformist Alliance in the election was the Dictoria Party, headed by Ballaiy Luvvar. While both shared similar anti-militaristic policies, the Dictoria emphasized improved assistance for veterans, increased wages and stronger reinforcement on hard crime such as theft, assault and murder. Additionally, it promoted a single-leader approach with Luvvar as the sole ruler instead of the separated power the Reformist Alliance held, which was similar to the unpopular council.

Both Klaus and Luvvar viciously butted heads over the election, in interviews and debates. Klaus was extremely cautioning of how similar the Dictoria policies looked to the Luvvar Monarchy that preceded the council before the 1975 Kalubio Revolution. This is considered to be among his most controversial acts in the pre-election campaigns, including a live performance with the members of his group “Þun’nzaı Ka’aı.” Other minor instances include his regular use of vulgar expressions and profanity in debates, and an alleged incident where he stormed the Council Hall while intoxicated on alcohol and Sinex and assaulted several staff before being ejected, although this was never confirmed.

By a slim margin, Klaus and the Reformists defeated Luvvar and the Dictoria party. Shortly after, a leaked document revealed Klaus ordering the concealment of nuclear weapons in secluded areas around the region, some near highly-populated cities. This resulted in outrage from the Equalwi Throne and the former Dictoria party (now operating under Bündtuprai Ballaiyin Akzivmakht, or BBA), who said his actions contradicted his anti-military promises and warranted suspicion of planning an attack on the state. Klaus denied both of these, stating the nuclear arsenal was only temporarily in place while the terrorist group the Skarred in Skabb considered Kalubio a valid target for attack (see 1986 Skabb Crisis). The situation caused intense tensions between the already uneasy Equalwi State and the municipal districts of Kalubio.

Civil War with Equalwi (1988-1998)
Main article: Kalubian Civil War

On August 15th, 1988, Vycanc Aiza’ak Katzjung was assassinated in Khauchi, Bathole. Klaus (now Stuhy following his marriage with longtime partner Susan Stuhy) and the Alliance immediately blamed the BBA and demanded the Equalwi Throne sever their alliance with them. The Throne refused, citing that the Reformists still had possession of its nuclear arsenal and posed a threat to it. The Reformists threatened military intervention to apprehend members of the BBA who refused to face trial for the assassination. In response, the BBA and Equalwi Throne invaded the district of Unifijž to recover and neutralize the alleged nuclear launch site there. The invasion resulted in thousands of casualties. This was the final straw before war was declared on the Equalwi State on September 4th, 1988 GHC. Shortly after, the BBA and ERAF forces alarmingly swept the north of Kalubio in search of more weapons. The districts of Dinotopia and Wourvilla sustained heavy casualties in the first year alone.

In 1990, Stuhy drew intense criticism for a BBA blitzkrieg strike on Pokitam that resulted in the deaths of over 50 000 soldiers and civilians (equivalent to roughly half of the district’s rural population) on the final day of Dvitma’ad. In response, Stuhy temporarily resigned his official position as Čan (though he kept the unofficial title) to join infantry in the fight against the BBA. He served in the CPCO unit, assisting in the defense of Calubiu and the liberation of Dinotopia.

During his time as an infantry, Stuhy was taken POW. His wife, Susan, was killed, a tragedy that affected Stuhy for the rest of his life. He also assisted in Jericho, leading the CPCO charge on the BBA stronghold in Equalwi. His son Scarlet was also killed in this battle, which Stuhy has since described as “the worst pain I have ever felt in my life.”

For his actions in the war and leadership, Stuhy was named a war hero for his efforts, and was reinstated by a significant majority as Föcan of Kalubio. Despite this, he experienced an alcoholic relapse and began receiving intense treatment for depression.

Second Election Cycle (1998-2008)
Stuhy's second term in office was generally received positively. After stabilizing relations with the Equalwi Throne, Stuhy sank the region’s economy by paying back debts to external regions. The Equalwi State was financially pardoned after it repaid the damages caused by the war.

In 2002, Stuhy was mixed up in a scandal involving illegal dealings with a criminal syndicate in Kikikoa that resulted in the assassination of high-ranking commander Stefano Belinski. Kikikoa threatened war against the weakened Kalubio, but withdrew its threat after tapes confirmed the defection of commander Belinski to the BBA and that BBA extremists had been illegally taking refuge in Kikikoa’s borders. While straining relations with Kikikoa, Stuhy was largely praised back home for his efforts in ending hostile BBA actions towards native Kalu-bloods and the Equalwi State. International reaction was more mixed, with several regions criticizing Stuhy's apparent lack of control over issues within his own borders.

Stuhy sent only a portion of the initial deployment back to Skabb to assist in finishing the crisis. Upon the neutralization of Skarred leader Janeiro, Stuhy followed through on his promise to the Equalwi State and ordered what remained of the nuclear arsenal in Kalubio to be decommissioned and the weapons destroyed. Thanks to funding received as payment for Kalubio’s contributions in the Skabb Crisis, Stuhy was able to stabilize the region’s economy and began the process of universalizing Kalubio’s health care system, a process he achieved in only two and a half years.

In 2006, Stuhy volunteered alongside HSCA commanders Joseph Rodenski and Hamlin Zoller to assist in the recovery of multiple Kikikan research teams from a project on Yešua’ehsnéxa (Earth). Here, Stuhy encountered humans face-to-face for the first time, including FBI official Ryan Campbell and USMC Sergeant Patrick Roberts. Though developing some sympathy for the humans, he was still largely disgusted by most of their practices, such as child pornography and slavery, superpower proxy wars, political censorship, Sharia Law and legal corruption, and vicious acts of terrorism in Chechnya and the Middle East. He left Earth with little more than pity for the “few decent bastards among them,” at most. The act, despite a minimal successful recovery, significantly improved relations with Kikikoa compared to immediately post-civil war.

With the immense success of the Alliance in this cycle, they were elected for a third consecutive term in 2008.

Legacy
Reinder is known as the “grandfather of Kalubio” (styvstyvs Kawubáɪös) for his role in revitalizing the region’s economy and for his efforts to unite the Kalu and Goldblut people there. He was also revered as a fierce and hard-headed leader for fighting alongside his soldiers in both civil wars, a stark contrast to the role of the Luvvar monarchy he played a role in deposingal groups, he is panned as a war criminal and a race traitor due to his role in the Kalubian Civil War. He was criticized for his notorious drug abuse while in office and politically incorrect mannerisms (including profanity, obscene gestures and irregular phrases, performing an underground concert, and views regarding various issues). He is mocked by some as not being a “true Kawu” for being a native Ba’ait speaker and being an aristocratic child of former advisor Tangeth Klaus, yet still using many of the phrases and behaviours of the culture (mostly picked up from the military, and his time growing up with Connor Felidow and dating his future wife, Susan Stuhy); almost like a “coon” or “poser.”

Appearance
Reinder is a tan Kalu-blood reindeer with a large snout and a pair of three-spoked antlers protruding from his head. He has a round, black nose on the end of his snout. He often wears a light blue scarf, and matching a Santa-like hat, even in combat and in public. He has a bulky, slightly chubby build. For formal events, he typically forewent the hat and wore more sophisticated attire such as a cape, formal suit top, or robes.

His käɱ marking is a football pattern under his eyes, and a black intricate pattern lining the top of his snout with a mark going down each side.

Equipment
Reinder was trained as a sweeper when he was a child conscript with KFAF. He uses a personally modified 46 Shadow automatic shotgun, painted black with flames on the front. He equips it with an EO holographic optic, extended barrel, and wooden stock. His secondary is usually an IMI Galil assault rifle with a low-zoom scope. Reinder prefers to use an M2119 pistol as a sidearm, and a typical combat knife for a melee weapon.

Personality
Reinder is hard-headed and opinionated. He never fears to speak his mind and is quite stubborn. He is viciously protective of loved ones, especially his family. He is typically short-tempered and quick to argue with others when convinced he is right. These have helped him be a stern and protective (perhaps overly so) father two his two surviving sons, having lost both his wife and his third child in the Pony War.

Despite his stubborn nature, Reinder hates to be seen as superior or better than others, even stepping down as Föcan of Kalubio to fight alongside his fellow citizens and defeat the BBA. While quick to speak his mind, he is also a considerate listener to opposing views from those he respects. Reinder is also very hard on himself when he turns out to be wrong. He has a soft spot for children, especially his own surviving sons. While serious in his work and with most military matters, he is shown to have a sense of humour when with his trusted, such as Connor, Kat, Susan or Joseph.

Trivia
-       Reinder is bisexual. He developed a crush on Joseph when he was younger that persisted for most of his life, and even had a long-term boyfriend in post-secondary before dating Susan.

-       Reinder speaks over a dozen languages fluently, including Ba'it, Kohl, Sovietese and Skalrein. While on Earth, he learned to be conversational in English, Spanish, German, Russian, Modern Standard Arabic, Hindi, Vietnamese, Japanese and Mandarin.

-       Reinder is a talented bass lute player. He mostly plays with a pick.

-       Reinder is the second of four brothers. His older brother is Bluar “Razz” Praköz, and his younger brothers are Pingew and Ashki Klaus. Ashki was killed in the Gamian War, in 1974 GHC.

-       Reinder suffers from chronic depression, another one of the reasons for his drug and alcohol abuse.

-      While often romanized with an "h," Stuhy's name can also be written with an "f:" in Kohl, the actual sound is a balance of the two, similar to the Japanese "フ" or "ふ." Furthermore, it is a held consonant, so it can also be romanized as "h'h" or "f'f."