Code of Honor

Prowess: To seek excellence in all endeavors expected of a knight, martial and otherwise, seeking strength to be used in the service of justice, rather than in personal aggrandizement.

Justice: Seek always the path of 'right', unencumbered by bias or personal interest. Recognize that the sword of justice can be a terrible thing, so it must be tempered by humanity and mercy. If the 'right' you see rings agrees with others, and you seek it out without bending to the temptation for expediency, then you will earn renown beyond measure.

Loyalty: Be known for unwavering commitment to the people and ideals you choose to live by. There are many places where compromise is expected; loyalty is not amongst them.

Defense: The ideal knight was sworn by oath to defend his liege lord and those who depended upon him. Seek always to defend your nation, your family, and those to whom you believe worthy of loyalty.

Courage: Being a knight often means choosing the more difficult path, the personally expensive one. Be prepared to make personal sacrifices in service of the precepts and people you value. At the same time, a knight should seek wisdom to see that stupidity and courage are cousins. Courage also means taking the side of truth in all matters, rather than seeking the expedient lie. Seek the truth whenever possible, but remember to temper justice with mercy, or the pure truth can bring grief.

Faith: A knight must have faith in his beliefs, for faith roots him and gives hope against the despair that human failings create.

Humility: Value first the contributions of others; do not boast of your own accomplishments, let others do this for you. Tell the deeds of others before your own, according them the renown rightfully earned through virtuous deeds. In this way the office of knighthood is well done and glorified, helping not only the gentle spoken of but also all who call themselves knights.

Largesse: Be generous in so far as your resources allow; largesse used in this way counters gluttony. It also makes the path of mercy easier to discern when a difficult decision of justice is required.

Nobility: Seek great stature of character by holding to the virtues and duties of a knight, realizing that though the ideals cannot be reached, the quality of striving towards them ennobles the spirit, growing the character from dust towards the heavens. Nobility also has the tendency to influence others, offering a compelling example of what can be done in the service of rightness.

Franchise: Seek to emulate everything I have spoken of as sincerely as possible, not for the reason of personal gain but because it is right. Do not restrict your exploration to a small world, but seek to infuse every aspect of your life with these qualities. Should you succeed in even a tiny measure then you will be well remembered for your quality and virtue.

Character

Branwyn has acquired a job as a Smithy apprentice at the #r-smithing@bwr(Silver Anvil).

His claim of aspirations of becoming a knight of the realm are becoming recognized by a few within the realm, who have begun calling him Sir Bran.

For a time he had taken up residence at the #r-justice@bwr(Church of Justice), and learning what he can from the paladins and priests there.

Branwyn is recognized by some for his efforts to get the #r-abbey@bwr(Village Abbey) restored, a task given to him by Thendash Sagacious.

A fairly adept woodsman, he frequently gathers herbs and roots for the #r-sieges@bwr(Healing Shop).

His efforts in the aiding the village defending against the undead threat have not gone unnoticed. He worked and trained extensively with the village militia.


Author's note: Rather than explain his past here, which can be gleaned through conversation and interaction, this section is going to address his reputation since arriving in Beware.

Appearance

Branwyn is a human male. His features make him look to be about 20, at most. He has no wrinkles set upon his face yet, and his eyes and smile bear the look of a youth. He is tall and lean, though, standing nearly six feet in height and weighing approximately 14 stone (196 pounds).

His face is not too angular, nor curved. His eyes are a bright blue, full of life and very expressive. He has little talent for hiding his feelings. The young man's hair is straight and golden-brown, not unlike a wheat field, and is rather untamed, spilling over his face on occasion and covering his ears often.

Branwyn usually wears a pair of hide boots. But the roughness of his feet indicate that he is no stranger to walking barefoot. Runner's legs are usually covered by cloth leggings of some kind, and a laborer's chest is usually covered by a bulk of multi-layered clothing. His hands are of a rough and calloused texture.

His movement shows some level of agility and grace, usually. The voice he bears is not unpleasant to listen to. A fair and level tenor, also quite expressive with tone and inflection.

Tales the Flesh Tell

He's begun to accumulate a number of scars. His left palm and wrist have several round, pale burn scars upon them. A pair of four inch long twin scars run along the top and bottom of his left forearm. A jagged dark scar can be found on the side of his right thigh, and further down, a line travels behind his ankle wrapping entirely from one side to the other. He also has a prominent, discolored scar on the right side of his neck. Even more noticeable and fresh is a long line traveling along his throat, from one side of his neck to the other.

His right hand is disturbing in appearance. It has no fingernails upon it and seems to consist of several strips of discolored flesh that have been arranged together like a puzzle, with darker indentations between them. His left eyelid is slightly misshapen and appears to be made of the same strange skin, and has no lashes on it. There in the middle of his bottom lip, the skin is considerably darker and raised, and in his mouth his tongue is disfigured, a bit shorter than it ought to be and not properly rounded at the end.

There is a very detailed carving of an oak tree on his left forearm, complete with vibrant color and very fine details. The roots are dark brown in color, and slowly fade to red as they seem to coil around the twin scars on that forearm, and further down towards his wrist. The trunk spreads out into great branches with green leaves that show detailed hatching on them. It appears almost alive.

Possessions

The following items are things that Branwyn almost always carries on his person. It is not intended as an all-inclusive list, however.

	Leather Rucksack: Branwyn lives out of the pack he carries with him. It contains his essentials. A small knife, a ball of twine, several short lengths of wood. He usually has a full canteen and various tidbits of food stored away. Flint, stone, and a bit of kindling. A rag or towel is arranged to line the inside of the pack, but can be removed when necessary.
	Shortsword: The weapon is just over two feet in length, and edged on either side. The weapon is very old and has seen many fights and owners before passing to Branwyn. Initially tarnished and dull, it was reforged into a brilliant shine with a fine edge by the elven woman known as Magic'song. A new chapter begins for the weapon, in the hands of the young man.
	Elven Shortblade: This black hued sword has a slight curve in its eighteen inch length. It has a gleaming razor edge along one side of the blade. It was passed down to him by the elven General, Kuaranthi Linath, as a gift.
	Sling: A simple strap usually worn wrapped about his right wrist. The sling is a device of many uses. He also usually keeps a pouch of small round stones on hand.
	Chainmail Shirt: His armor is mithril, woven with elven enchantment. A gift left to him at his campsite by Magic'Song. It fit him uncannily, and the enchantments would not allow the rings to yield under force and be pierced. Though it only covered his torso, the lightweight armor was more effective than he knew at this time.
	Long Chainmail: This mithril suit was entrusted to him by the elven General Linath. It is much longer and more difficult to conceal than the other suit. It covers his arms and hangs down to his knees, and when worn, is secured to his body at the waist by a leather belt.
	Buckler: A simple steel buckler, one foot in diameter. It serves him well to deflect and parry attacks. It was at first borrowed from the Silver Anvil, before full ownership of the simple shield was offered to him.