Brom Tannek

> *"Put your back into it." - Brom Tannek, dispensing ancient wisdom.*
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## History

Born in Macridi, Druma, Brom was almost immediately set apart from many of his peers. He was a Palakari Kellid, a descendant of the Kellid tribes from Numeria mixed with Taldor blood. His parents wished him to have a broad education, and so paid for him to be schooled on who exactly the Kellids were - Taldor was a part of his normal education, and needed no further embellishment.

Made aware of his blood origin, Brom sought to maintain a hold of his cultural roots, though such things are of little concern in the money obsessed country of Druma. At least in Macridi, people weren't so ostentatious about displaying how much they had earned in the last financial quarter. When he was not busy logging, Brom practiced his martial skills with books bought from passing traders looking to cash in on the finest lumber in Druma. The Kellid tribes of Numeria were renowned for their brutrality and strength, and their blood immediately expressed that in Brom with his innate fortitude - but he tempered this with the wise teachings of the various martial arts he discovered.

In Druma, it was not possible to go far without becoming an adherent of the Prophecies of Kallistrade. Brom, however, saw little point in accumulation of wealth. What good was all that gold when it could not even be used to purchase anything? A Prophet could barely even touch others, couldn't eat most meats, and had to abstain even from giving to those in need. Such a chaste lifestyle, combined with unfeeling neutrality, displeased the man. When he came of age, and was no longer made to work in the logging industry of Macridi, Brom departed the town to find his own path in life, for he would never have one in Druma proper without following their ways.

As the Blackjackets kept the country quite safe enough on their own, there was little demand for private mercenaries or sellswords. Brom took up clothwork in his spare time, both to keep his own outfit in repair and to earn the precious coin needed to not live on the streets. Brom's countrywide travels, however, did lead him to meet many varieties of people - traveling priests of Desna, tourists from other lands, even the occasional lost trader who was grateful to be guided back to the main roads. One such encounter was with a priest of the Strong Man, who kept his shrine to his god with him at all times. Curious about the shrine, Brom was quickly schooled in the ways of a Kurgessan - and found it to be a religion to his liking. Kurgess possessed little in the way of doctrine, only espousing a healthy appreciation for competition and strength, but always encouraging sportsmanlike conduct, unlike the callous and exploitative nature of the ways of Kallistrade.

Inspired, Brom returned to the settlements of his home country, determined to bring Kurgess's spirit to the land of unthinking coin. He opened a small academy for the training of martial arts - barely more than a one room shack with a large floor space. Still, it was enough. Even if he was disfavored among the businesses for following Kurgess over the prophecies, it would have gone against the prophecies themselves to merely force him out of business.

Brom trained those who were willing to pay, but also those youth who had little place else to go. This act of charity naturally went against the prophecies, but since he was not an adherent, there was nothing anyone could do to stop him. Those who studied under Brom learned his unique style of fighting, dubbed 'Armstrong Style' after the iconic depiction of Kurgess, which involved a mixture of highly powerful strikes combined with the flexibility provided from multiple other styles. It was arguably not so much a style itself as much the combination of all other styles, but Brom didn't care to argue about it.

His school was just starting to pick up, attracting the ire of the local Prophets, when one day, Brom disappeared. The last student to see him reported that the master had gone into his room to sleep after a hard day of exercise, and in the morning, had been gone.

At least it was an irksome weight off the shoulders of the local adherents.

## Appearance

Brom's body bears the scars of the dangerous work that is logging as well as those brought from years of training his body to withstand those most mighty of blows. His head is cleanly bald, leaving only a scruffy looking beard that completely surrounds his chin.

His typical attire consists of a traveling poncho worn over a peasant's pair of trousers and shirt. The loose style of clothing hides his physique, leaving him to look more like a dour middle aged man than an experienced fighter.

## Personality

Brom rarely talked as it was in his home plane. In this new realm, he speaks even less, the sudden transfer and loss of most everything he knew having shaken him rather badly. He prefers to let his actions do the speaking for him, and speaks in short, to the point sentences. His sour demeanor does not hide anything at all - he is exactly as stolid as it would suggest, having little appreciation for fun & games.

However, he does have a soft spot for athletic competitions, and when he is engaging in physical combat or a sporting event, he quite clearly enjoys himself in his own, quiet way. Not only that, but teaching others his style brought him a small sense of joy - now obviously extinguished, along with his academy.

## Friends

Fellow adherents to the ways of the Strong Man will find an ally in Brom.

## Enemies

Those that would cheat at competition or exploit others for their own gain can be sure to find Brom as their enemy.

## Aspirations

Brom would vastly prefer to back to his home plane - however, that is impossible.

Instead, Brom hopes to achieve enlightenment and physical perfection through his study of the martial arts and religious adherence to the simple tenants of Kurgess. He also pays homage to Irori for similar reasons, though he dislikes the god's steadfast neutral stance.

Refounding his school, as well, would bring Brom a small amount of joy - especially if people took well to his Armstrong Style, the last remnant of his old life.