Bran Llwyd

[Bran Llwyd]

Name: Bran Llwyd
Age: 16
Race: Half Human, Half Fae
Height: 5'10
Weight: 140 Lbs
Physical Description: Bran posseses an ethereal air, seemingly not of this world. His body is light and delicate, with almost feminine features. His skin is milky white, soft and uncallused. His hair is a golden blond, while his eyes are an almost otherworldly blue. His face is like it was chiseled out of a pearl, giving him an outwardly beautiful appearance. Yet despite all this, one cannot admire his beauty. His features seem to clash at moments with each other, his smile almost wolfish, his eyes having a predatory gleam. This makes him a very uncomfortable person to be around.
Possessions: A small carving knife, with a bone handle and a silver blade.
Powers or Strengths:
-Magical Contracts: Bran can form magically binding contracts with people. If one of the party breaks the contract, they will either have an intense compulsion to complete it, or suffer a punishment related to it if the contract becomes otherwise impossible to complete. (IE: I give you a sheep in exchange for painting my fence. You burn it down, animals now hate you). In order to initiate a contract, the party's must declare the conditions, and either written or verbal agreement must be given for these conditions. (I'll give you a sheep if you paint my fence entirely white. Do you accept these condition? I _______ accept these conditions).
-Clever: Bran is very clever and sneaky, able to twist words and meanings into something completely different. While he may give you a sheep, no one ever said it had to be a healthy sheep.
Magical Potency: Due to his Fae parentage, Bran posseses a strong raw magical ability. His mind can easily adapt to think in the abstract, and reality often bends in ever so slightly ways for him, making him appear lucky. A blade might be deflected last minute by his coinpurse, which had found the exact spot to trap the incoming blade.
-Storyteller: Bran has a Bard's knowledge of stories, specializing in the myths and folktales regarding the Fae. He can also compose and tell stories with great ability, comparable to an adept bard.
Weaknesses:
-Laziness: Bran is very lazy, preffering to take the easiest route possible. This often puts him at a disadvangate at learning new things, and can be very annoying to those trying to help him.
-Thanatophobia: Bran is very afraid of death, corpses, and cemeteries. The possibility of death is much more frightening to Bran than it is to other people, and he will often make panicked, rushed, and otherwise unthoughtful decisions when death is present. This also extends to battle, where Bran will attempt to pacify the enemy by non-violent or non-lethal means first.
-Magical Aura: Bran's Fae heritage lends him an aura of magical power around him, which the magically aware can pick up almost instantly. This is increased when Bran is making a contract, or enforcing upon it. Even the unaware often get odd feelings around him, making it hard for him to hide his magical power.
-No Training: Raised by a single human mother in an out of the way village, Bran recieved no training or experience of either the magical or martial kind. He is also unaware of how to fully use the gifts his Fae bloodline gives him, save the contracts. Set him up against a Fae-raised child, and Bran appears like a novice next to a master. As a result, he often has to use his wits to escape from trials.
-Poor: Bran's mother relied mostly on her family for her needs, and the family does not recognize Bran as a legitimate member of them. With the advent of Anwen's disappearance, Bran was left with nothing but his name and a small number of possessions he owned, many of which were sold. He has around five Bishani, some clothes, his knife, and a flint&steel, and nothing else.
-Prideful & Arrogant: Bran is very prideful, and cannot easily see fault with himself. In addition, he is under the impression that most people are much less intelligent then him, and will not suffer anyone to help him unless he plans or tricks them into it.
-Foreign: Hailing from a village to the south and west of Thar Shaddin, Bran is easily recognized as a foreigner unless he makes a determined effort to hide it, and speaks with a detectable accent and has a few dialect differences. He has very little knowledge of the politics of the region, and considers magical ability to be a inherent gift to be treasured, often putting him at odds with the xenophobic and fanatically Puradynic local populace.
History:
-Conception: Anwen Llwyd's beauty was radiant, and her wit was widely reported to match. Suitors came from far and wide, and were all turned down, Anwen having told them "I will accept only he who brings me that which can soar without wings, see without eyes, and has traveled the universe to and fro. Conquers the world, yet has never been anywhere but home." Suitors came from far and wide with gifts of gold, and silver, of gems and precious stones, and fabulous displays of might and power. But to each she just repeated the same riddle, and each was sent away, 'till one night, when came a knock upon the door to her chamber. "Who goes" She called out, and was met with a stony silence. Creeping, she opened the door, whereby she was met with a large bird with bright feathers. "I am Aubrian Faoláin, of the Faoláin Fae. I bring you my answer to your riddle." The bird spoke. Assuming she would dismiss him like all others, she repeated the riddle, then waited for the answer. The bird grew legs, changing into the shape of a beautiful man, who then sang a magical song, bringing every thought and dream she had ever had into her mind anew.

When the song was finished, the man looked at her, and spoke again. "You sought something no one but you could provide, and I give it to you anew. I give you dreams and hopes."

"Many men have come, seeking for me to be theirs, and them to be mine." She spoke, "All I have given this request, and all but you have walked away. I shall be yours, and you shall be mine, and we shall be one."

In the morning, Aubrian had disappeared, leaving only two things as proof he had ever been. One, a note promising to come again to Anwen, and to be true to her until then, and another, a son.

-Childhood: Bran's mother became shunned by all, her tale of the mysterious man doubted and laughed at. Her family quietly set themselves apart from her, and she was left with the care of the newborn boy all to herself. His mother brought him up with the knowledge of his father's promise, regaling him with stories of heroes and villains, of great evil and even greater good. She believed beyond the shadow of a doubt that the Fae would return to claim her. In exchange, Bran began to idolize his father, thinking that he was always watching, guiding his son into the paths he wanted to go on.

As time went on, Bran grew clever, always looking for a better alternative. He tricked all those around him, and developed a slight prankish nature, much to the ire of the village. People grew wary of making a promise with the young Bran, for those who did found they were compelled to complete what they had promised to do, no matter how convoluted Bran had turned it into. The other children regarded him with a mixture of fear and curiousity, for he tricked his friends as often as his enemies, and his strange appearance was appealing yet disturbing at the same time. He was lazy, but what he said he would do always was done, even if it was by another person.

-Adolescence: Bran's trickery and cleverness grew, and this brought him friends a plenty during adolescence. Despite this, Bran showed no interest in dating (or mating for that matter), prefering to spend his time begging tales off of wandering bards, or stories from the oldest members of the village. He learned of the many riddles and trials of the heroes of old, of the tinkering Gnome gadgeteers, the mystical elven mages, the great human swordsmen, and all the heroes of old. But what entranced him most was the Fae. In them he saw his father as every hero, tricking the darkness back on itself.

His mother grew pale as his fifteenth year drew to a close, and try as they might, the healers could not help her as she grew more and more wasted with a sickness. She was always at peace though, saying that her lover had promised to come, and come he would. Bran found himself doubting his father's powers, right up until the week before his sixteenth year. The new moon gave no light upon the village, and the autumn cold had brought many inside. Bran himself was preparing a small stew for the two of them, when he blacked out.

Awaking, his mother had disappeared, some of her most prized belongings having been removed as well. Bran worried for a minute, then stopped. His father had come, just as he promised. Why he hadn't taken Bran, he didn't know, but there was a good reason, he was certain. Of course, he realized. His father wanted him to learn his own way, and not force him into something. One day, if the fates willed it, they would meet again. Until then, he would find his own story.

[Niabi]

Approved.