Brannir Nightglade

Brannir was raised by loving parents, mom was a druid, dad was a ranger of some renown in the area. Both taught him many things, loved him and spent as much time with him as they were able, mixed with daily living requirements as well as jobs to sustain a simple lifestyle. Dad was not around as much as his trade would take him to far off places more often. They often lived on or very near the Sword Coast, with several places they remained at for a few years, about the longest time they remained in any one place. Eventually father became ill, some foreign illness according to mother, from some accursed job he took because the pay would set them up for a very long time. Mother set out to find some extremely rare herb(s) to cure him. She succeeded, but when she returned she wasn't quite the same. The spark of life and child-like enthusiasm was still there, but dulled. She saw or experienced something out there that she never spoke of. They are still alive, living a quiet life in the bay northwest of Mosstone, to the west of the Forest of Tethir, which is far south along the Sword Coast. Brannir visits them whenever he is in the area or if it has been too long.

Father's stories of these distant and strange lands captivated Brannir and he swore he would visit and experience as many different lands as he is able to in his life. He became very familiar with coastal life and therefore coastline was naturally his first specialty in the wilds. He is very at-home in nature and prefers it over structured towns and cities. He often time feels quite uncomfortable in these constructed places if he dwells in them too long. He is not only comfortable in nature, he yearns for it, he belongs in it, and he believes it speaks to you, if you just take the time to listen. As he became a young man, he started taking jobs with his father and learning the trade. After father became ill, Brannir continued taking jobs to help provide and allow his father to rest and heal. Brannir is uncertain if his father ever fully recovered, he can't quite tell.

Brannir had a difficult childhood and adolescence at times. He never felt fully accepted by elves or humans, and often felt ostracized by both. He found solace in solidarity and nature; his favorite place to be. Often he tried to put that behind him and make friends with other races, mostly to end up dispirited by experiencing similar results. This made him become a bit jaded towards others, strangers, races new to him, and people as a whole. He disregards these feelings almost instantly if he witnesses someone or something being 'bullied' by someone or something obviously more powerful or in a position of status. He detests those who would engage in such behavior and has no mercy for them as they apparently have none themselves.

Brannir saved Umbra as a kitten from a monstrosity that slayed her mother and siblings. An immediate and unbreakable bond formed between them as he cared for her in her infancy. He thought he was teaching her and training her through the years, but eventually learned that they were teaching each other many things. He considers Umbra his equal and partner. Their path in life is not necessarily predetermined, but perhaps 'guided' by some greater force to send them to where they are needed. He feels they are warriors for nature and are here to protect and maintain the balance.

As mother and father settled nicely into what is turning out to be their permanent place and have had no real need to adventure any longer, Brannir continued doing so, trying to build a solid reputation for the sole purpose of getting more jobs that would take him to new places. He doesn't care about glory or being considered a hero, just exploring new lands. He would often be gone for days and sometimes weeks, but would always come back to spend time with them. Mother and father are both quite fond of Umbra and she still loves stretching out on them both like she did when she was much, much smaller. He loves the cove and the place his parents built is beautiful, comfortable, honors nature, and was strategically built for defense as well, though they've very rarely had any trouble there. They often employ young men and women to help with daily tasks, etc. in exchange for various training. It brings warmth to Brannir seeing his parents living happy peaceful lives. He always pitches in to assist in repairs, hunting, or whatever current needs are when he visits. Recently during a visit he noticed his mother looking at him intently, with a warm smile. "What is it, ma?" he asked. She gently touched his cheek and said "You have grown into a very brave and wonderful young man. Your pa and I are so very proud of you. You really should start looking for a place you would like to call home. A place that calls to you. A place you can settle down in and build a life of your own. You will know it, as you will feel like you're home the minute you find it." Brannir was taken back by this as he had never conceived such a notion, to find place to settle down. He only thinks of the wanderlust in his heart and cannot fathom such a thing as being stationary at this stage of his life. He smiled back and replied "Perhaps when I find that place, I shall consider that very thing."

It was like she knew well the wanderlust that lies within him and that more and more time would elapse between visits. He began taking longer journeys and often more dangerous jobs as he and Umbra learned each other's strengths and weaknesses and created routines and complimentary battle tactics. He loves this life and feels like he and Umbra are on the path they are supposed to be. His heart races as he explores new areas and is exhilarated to see new geographical features, fauna, flora, and even indigenous peoples. Though he still is wary of new people, he has taken an interest in hearing tales and stories of people and adventures and amazing lands. Often he finds himself at dusk, sitting with Umbra lying next to him purring, smelling the air, feeling the grass, looking as far off to the horizon as he can, and lightly playing a newly concocted tune on his thelarr as he dreams of the far off different places he will visit.

One day he was visiting a small town to resupply and overheard a shady merchant up-selling a local fruit to a female dwarf who was obviously not from this area. He listened as the merchant raised the price at least twice while intertwining tales of what this 'mystic' fruit could do for her. Having heard enough he brashly called out the merchant, sparing the dwarf from his drivel and completely unfair deal. They hit it off, rare for both of them as neither of them are particularly socially adept. Arla is her name and she expressed her fondness of cats and was drawn to Umbra as she was unaccustomed to seeing such a large species. She told Brannir that she was traveling the world and new lands in honor of one who gave their life to save her own, but admittedly did not really know what she was doing out in the wilds. Hearing her tales of military service and knowing very well the value of one you can trust that truly knows combat and is good at it, he offered to assist her. That was the beginning of their friendship that has lasted about a year now.