You may have participated at Cartenau, but did you have a reputation? Did you become a Lieutenant and knock out the backbone of Garlemald's key strategic establishment? Did you earn yourself recognition on a level to be assigned leadership roles and inspire the minds of hundreds of lesser-ranking people who looked up to you?

Did you give the GC leaders and Tavernkeeps enough of a reason to think explicitly of you when all hell broke loose?

I think that is the angle that matters.