Bran "Halfboots" Robards

### Details

Bran Robards is a spearman and a member of the Fifth Order. He started out as a captive, taken by Bhaegar Alastor and Stevyn Havens for questioning, after an attack he was part of on the village of Millethill. Stevyn threatened to torture Bran, and he hastily told them who he was working for - Akeron Grym. For his cooperation they did not torture him, but removed the tops of his riding boots, earning him the nickname "Bran Halfboots."

Bran has since become an official member of the party and tends to try and curb Stevyn's sadistic impulses whenever he can. He is skilled with the horse and polearms, products of his rural upbringing as a groom in Weizenmeer.

Bran was accepted as Bhaegar Alastor's personal squire after Bhaegar became a Lord. The two make an exceptional team in combat, often fighting enemies in tandem.

#### Interaction Traits

* *"I am slow to speak and slower still to act, I prefer to make decisions that are well-thought-out."*
* *"If someone is in trouble, I will throw caution to the wind and help them."*

#### Ideal

* **Duty.** *"Each must do their duty to uphold the whole. It is my duty to risk my life so others may not."*

#### Bonds

* *"I will protect those who cannot protect themselves, and I will serve those who serve others."*

#### Flaws

* *"My reluctance to act or speak out can sometimes become a mask for cowardice, which can reap terrible consequence - for myself and others."*

### The Fifth Order

Bran was originally an enemy to the Fifth Order, helping Akeron Grym in his attacks on villages in Felderland, such as Sudfeld and Millethill. He was sent to light the port on fire, making the spread of information to other villages slower than the platoon of riders. After he lit the ships, he was knocked out of the saddle and restrained by Bhaegar Alastor. Stevyn Havens then took a pair of horse hoof-trimmers and threatened to remove his toenails if he didn't tell them who the black-armored knight was. He divulged that it was Akeron Grym, and the party let him join them, but only after Stevyn removed the tops of his riding boots.

Bran continued to travel with the party, helping defend the captain of their ferry during an Aelderman attack, entering in a tournament in Rankein, and helping them secure the Andolfort from Skothikans.

In The Battle of the Fearless Forty, Bran helped Bhaegar and Theodoric DaCavalier disable the fort's onagers and opened the gate. He then stood with the Fifth Order and the Fearless Forty Skoths who joined them against the 400 Skothik defenders, and held the gate until Aldo Kreuzzig's men arrived. For his bravery, he was rewarded by Kylon Ludan (200gp), the most gold he'd ever had in his life.

After The Battle of the Fearless Forty, Bran offered himself up to Bhaegar as a squire - an archaic practice where one man serves a knight and does the jobs of many servants and aids. He sees the position as one of unparalleled duty, and strives to do everything he can to serve and protect Bhaegar.

### Skills

Bran is skilled with the spear, as well as horseback riding.

### Backstory

From a very young age, Bran was trained by his father as a groom to the town watch of Weizenmeer's stables. His time there taught him much about the handling and managing of horses, and also instilled in him a deep desire to fight alongside the soldiers of the Ludanian Empire. He trained with a senior watchman named Gavin Reyner, who taught him how to use the spear on foot and on horseback. When the recruiter came from Grymstein, Bran hastily accepted, promising to send home gold to his family in Weizenmeer.

The Gryms were harsh commanders, and his time in Grymstein was not a pleasant part of his life; full of dull watch duty and needless punishments. He took the opportunity to ride with Akeron Grym and his platoon of light cavalry, no matter what the mission was. It turned out that the mission was to burn fields and farms under the false banner of Kaihart Ludan, the empire's Secondprince. He regreted his decision, and reluctantly agreed to join the Fifth Order, hoping they wouldn't lead him down another foul path, like the Gryms twice before had done.