Lord Chase Brody (Novel: Lord Marion Bromden)

## Lord Chase Brody (Marion Bromden)

An image from the instagram of the real Sean McLoughlin wearing a hat very reminiscent of Lord Brody's.

## Physical description

### Gender

Male (Novel: Female)

Lord Chase Brody (Novel: Lord Marion Bromden) is one of the five Noble Lords of Duilintinn. He/She is the Lord of House Brody (Novel: House Bromden).

*Disclaimer: In the AU, Lord Brody is male, but in the novelization, Lord Bromden is female. However, most of my current notes focus on the AU side of this world. Therefore, for the purpose of this wiki, I'll be using male pronouns for the time being.*

## Appearance

Chase was born to a plantation family in Tobatyr who marked their ancestry to the original settlers from Waldren, with dirty-blonde hair, pale skin, and striking grey eyes.

Muscle-wise, Chase has a generally average body type. Crossbows don’t require significant upper body muscles like regular bows do, so he’s not particularly toned. In addition, young Chase was actually lucky enough to be raised by a family of farmers, and rarely went hungry. I’m not saying he’s pudgy by any stretch of the imagination- the boy still worked daily on a freaking farm- but he certainly looked a bit softer around the edges compared to Jackie’s muscular frame, Henrik’s lean figure, and Marvin’s lithe form.

Of course, this was all back in the early days of the quest, when Chase abandoned the family farm to follow Sean’s group of adventurers, hoping to find some greater meaning and value in his life. Fast forward a few decades, and between his alcoholism, depression, and poor diet, Lord Brody looks a lot worse for the wear. Hardly any of his former strength remains, and his face looked downright gaunt when he was last seen. Of all the adventurers who adjusted to noble life in Duilintinn, Lord Brody arguably fared the worst.

## Attire

A grey tunic like this is simple, yet elegant enough to betray its nobility. Chase’s shirt is such an important clue for the theorist community that I wanted to find something distinctive without sacrificing simplicity. While this tunic is a little bit fancier than I originally intended (the fur edges are a bit much), it makes sense, since Chase is a noble lord, not a commoner.

A long brimmed hat like this one is the closest medieval equivalent to Chase’s iconic cap. They were usually made of felt, so imagine the cap on the right with grey felt, a red feather, and red embroidery along the brim, and you get the idea. It’s not exactly “noble” attire, but this meshes with Chase’s hat being seen as slightly immature attire for an adult, and the embroidery and feather is just fancy enough for it to be acceptable for the hat of a noble lord.
Every outfit in medieval times wasn’t complete without an outer layer, usually a cape, robe, or cloak. The cowl on the right would cover Lord Brody’s shoulders, with the excess fabric draped behind him. This was much more commonly seen worn by farmers, not noble lords, but since House Brody is mainly agriculturally based, the symbolic implications deflect any disapproval that might have come from Lord Brody dressing below his station. This cowl would also be red, in order to make up for the red imagery that was lost when I changed up Chase’s iconic cap.

## Skills

Lord Brody might not be particularly strong, but he’s a fantastic shot with a ranged weapon. In his youth, he used a slingshot constantly, and even as an adult and a lord he would do tricks with a sling and stone to amuse the kids, friends, or simply himself. A slingshot is a common weapon amongst farmers, but rather rudimentary for a noble lord, just like Chase’s nerf gun is a common toy used by children, but slightly immature in the hands of an adult trying to provide for his family. However, just like Chase eventually puts down the nerf gun and picks up the lighter to find his kids and face Anti, so too does Lord Brody put down the slingshot and pick up a crossbow when the situation truly demands it. His crossbow is approx the same proportions as a lego crossbow.

## Early Life

Chase Brody, youngest son in a strict family of farmers, never expected anything of value to come of him. It was an understandable sentiment; many who knew of the Brody Farm and their boys noted how hard it must be for Chase, to know that he would never inherit the family farm unless great tragedy befell the family. However, the young boy could have cared less about who got the farm, so long as he didn’t.

As a young boy on the family farm, Chase carried around a slingshot to scare off any wild animals that tried to hurt him during his work in the fields or pastures. Since such attacks were rare, Chase spent most of his working hours bored out of his mind.

To entertain himself, he started attempting trick shots with the slingshot, along with his friend Chad. While many of these stunts were borderline impossible or well beyond the range of their skills, the practice was still incredibly worthwhile. Chase might only hit a quarter of the complex trick shots he attempts, but a straight shot? Child’s play.

However, after his family caught him ignoring his farm duties to play with the slingshot, the boy was instantly punished whenever he used the sling for tricks beyond its intended use, even if he had finished all of his chores for the day. The poor boy was already struggling with his self-esteem- the moments he spent doing tricks with Chad were the only times he felt worthy of praise and value- and being punished for the only skill he truly felt proud of didn’t help matters.

Chase was lucky enough as a boy to get some basic education. The family farm produced enough surplus goods that they could send their son to a local school. His family might have been lower class, but Chase’s parents had high expectations for their son. He was supposed to work hard on the farm as a child, learn skills like his numbers (but not his letters, you don’t need those to run a farm) in school, inherit the farm as an adult, and use those skills to make the farm even more prosperous. It was all about the farm, all the time, and Chase was expected to be grateful for that. After all, there were many would kill for that sort of economic stability.

For Chase, however, this life held no appeal. The only thing that seemed likely to change was how much responsibility and expectations he would be expected to fulfill… and honestly, he’d already had enough of those. The expectations of his parents, teachers, and neighbors… they only seemed to prove just how useless Chase was as he consistently failed at them again and again.

Of course, Chase wasn’t stupid. His heart simply wasn’t in any of it. Why work hard at tending the fields when he never seemed to do it right? Why learn numbers for a future he didn’t even choose? Chase didn’t want a life of consistency and normalcy; he wanted a life of adventure and excitement. A life where he was a hero, where he finally proved to himself and the world that he was worth something.

For this reason, Chase actually has a secret love for fictional stories about adventures and heroes. These tales gave him hope that there was a life of purpose and value for him outside of the family farm. Unfortunately, these stories were frowned upon at his school for their lack of practical value, and Chase was mocked whenever he asked for someone to repeat to him the tales he couldn’t read on his own.

Years of this would eventually dampen Chase’s love for these stories, but never entirely put it out. A small spark of that dream remained, and in his early teens, Chase decided he’d had enough, and convinced Chad to run away with him. They had no clear plan; just that they’d be adventurers with their slingshots and make money off of the rewards for their heroic deeds…

The poor boys got in over their heads. Chad paid for it with his life.

While Lord Brody doesn’t talk about what exactly caused Chad’s death during their ill-advised adventure, it’s clear that whatever killed his friend couldn’t kill Chase. The boys were joined at the hip until Chad’s death; it only makes sense that whatever happened, happened to both boys. That Chase survived what Chad could not only reinforce the young man’s enduring tenacity… and also his depression. That too.

Chase's love for tales of heroes, rekindled at the thought of a true adventure with his friend Chad, was almost entirely wiped out after his friend’s death. Yet, against all odds, a small echo of hope still tugged at Chase’s heart, drawing him to follow the group of adventurers who crossed his path…

## Quest for Duilintinn

Fast forward a bit, and Chase is now tagging along with the band of adventurers on a quest to unite the lands under the future King Sean’s banner. Knight Jackie soon realized that Chase’s skills with a slingshot could be applied to more powerful weapons, and taught him how to use a crossbow. This was the first time Chase truly bonded with anyone in the group. The other two took a bit to warm up to him, but Jackie’s instincts were something both Marvin and Henrik had grown to respect. If Jackie trusted Chase (who never understood why he was worth said trust), then they would give the kid a shot.

Though young and inexperienced, Chase’s tenacity and insistence on doing his part to aid their quest endeared him to many members of the group, including Sean himself.

Chase’s skill with a crossbow would only grow under the tutelage of the more experienced adventurers. Marvin helped him develop his long range skills, though Chase soon surpassed the mage’s spellcasting aim. Jackie continued to give Chase tips and tricks for using the crossbow and how to apply his astonishing accuracy to combat situations.

Things really began to look up for Chase when Jameson showed up. A small lad, seemingly oblivious to the horrors of the world, who still believed in joyful times and happy endings. The fellow adventurer who tagged along for no other reason than a desire to help. The entertainer who could find a cause for celebration in almost every moment. Jameson always said that Chase saved him, helping the changeling lad find the accepting family he so desperately craved, but it was Jameson who saved Chase’s soul from the brink of despair, reminding him of his old dreams.

When the other adventurers saw the imagination and passion peeking out behind the dark clouds in Chase’s head, the entire group banded together to coax them out in their own ways. Henrik was the most successful (behind Jameson, obviously), and actually sat down with Chase and taught him to read, finally giving him access to the stories the lad was inspired by.

Along the way, Chase met Stacy, a tavern maid enamored with the band’s tales of adventure and new life who joined the group when they left town the next morning. Chase quickly fell head over heels for the fierce, determined, bright-eyed lass, and she for him and his indefatigable spirit.

## Post-Founding

Years later, when the group finally succeeded in uniting the lands and Stacy accepted his proposal, Chase actually believed that his dreams of a fulfilling life of passion and value were actually within his reach. Soon after the group went their separate ways following the kingdom’s founding, Chase and Stacy were married, with promises of prosperity, stability, and a bright new life that neither of them had ever known.

Despite the growth and prosperity of kingdom life and a daughter on the way, Chase found himself becoming restless. Once again, he yearned for a life of adventure and glory beyond the walls of their family home. However, the excitement of their daughter’s birth and early years wiped any desire to seek out new adventures. To him, Chase’s daughter was worth more than any adventure in the whole world. She was his princess, his magical fairy, his angel… and for a time, it was enough. For a few years, together with his beloved wife and precious daughter, they were content. Just under six years later, they were surprised with another child; this one a boy.

Then the king was attacked and fear rippled through the kingdom. Chase had begun practicing again with the rusty old crossbow from his adventuring days when a knock sounded at the door and King Sean himself stepped into their humble family home. To their collective astonishment, King Sean wanted to appoint Chase as the next lord of the kingdom. Chase, eager to his part in service to the kingdom and the new adventures this endeavor might bring, agreed, and the young family found themselves facing a life far grander than they could have ever dreamed.

## Nobility

Compared to the others, Chase was very young when he was titled. While the other lords were in their late thirties to early forties when they received authority over a province of Duilintinn, Chase was only thirty three years old. I know those of us in our teens and early twenties might think that’s still plenty old enough, but consider this: You can’t be the president of the United States at that age.

Now, one might argue that King Sean became king at twenty seven, therefore making Chase more than capable of leading a small portion of that land at thirty three. However, these are two very different people. Sean had twelve years of questing and leadership that prepared him for being king. Chase had five years of questing and 15 years of a fragile marriage to prepare him, not to mention a lifetime of depression and self-esteem issues.

The thing is, King Sean knew that Chase probably wasn’t ready to be a lord. He knew that, but he didn’t have much of a choice. Right before House Brody was created, the kingdom was facing its first real threat, the capital couldn’t manage Duilintinn’s entire food and resource supply and fight a war at the same time, and Chase was the only person Sean trusted in his court who really understood the culture of that region.

One could argue that, by making Chase a lord, King Sean is directly responsible for the horrible stuff that occurs in Chase’s personal life soon afterwards. Chase’s struggles with self worth only get worse as his people starve in the First Great Famine, his wife leaves him, his children are rumored to be taken by The Enemy, and the weight of all this eventually drives the young lord to attempt suicide.

After all of that, Lord Brody shot himself with his crossbow. And survived.

Let's say that again: HE SURVIVED A CROSSBOW BOLT TO THE FREAKING BRAIN!

Granted, this was in large part thanks to the legendary skills of Lord Schneeplestein, but still! The poor man might think he deserves to be dead, but his body certainly doesn’t. Either that, or there’s some higher power or something that knew Lord Brody still had a part to play in this story…

However, at this point, Lord Brody was also suffering from severe depression and alcoholism. That being said, while we’ve seen Chase Brody drink a lot… we’ve never seen him truly drunk. That’s not to say he can’t get drunk, just that it takes a lot of alcohol to get him to that point. Considering that Chase canonically drinks to cope with his depression, he’s going to be chasing that buzz. Which means he’s going to be drinking a lot. Which probably doesn’t help the whole alcoholism thing… God, not only is he depressed and addicted to alcohol, but it’s not even giving him the escape he’s seeking

## Personality

I’ll give you three words:

Depressed Dad Powers.

Okay, I’m really tempted to just end the post there for laughs, but I also want to go into more depth, so let me explain.

Chase has been torn between his family, duties, and dreams for his entire life. He genuinely cared for his parents and wanted to make them proud, but knew that he’d never be happy in the life they wanted for him. He would have died for his brothers during the quest to unite the kingdom, but had to reign in that hero impulse when their mission depended on following a plan. As a father, husband, and noble lord, Chase had to face this choice yet again… and according to his ex wife, he made the wrong one.

That’s the tragedy of it all. No matter what choice Chase makes, it always seems to be the wrong one according to somebody, be that his parents, wife, or even himself. These people would see him as immature. However, while Chase certainly makes genuine mistakes just like everyone else, he never goes into a decision without thinking it through first. He’s made the “wrong” choice so many times; can you really imagine him not trying to prevent that?

In reality, this boy is a sweetheart who cares about people. He is the living embodiment of the phrase “The saddest people smile the brightest.” Chase Brody has been through so much and desperately tries to protect the people he cares about from the same darkness, and once you realize that, he’s the most amazing, wonderful, likable friend ever. Of course, if you don’t know that, you might see him as immature. Many do, in fact.

If anything, Chase isn’t immature, but idealistic. He wants to believe in a world of heroic callings and happily ever afters, and is desperately trying to prove to himself that he belongs in that world. His depression doesn’t stem from nihilism or pessimism towards the world, but towards himself. No matter how hard he tries, it seems to Chase that the world of heroes and merry adventures doesn’t want him… and that thought is crushing.

A lot of Chase’s questionable choices take on a whole new light when you look at them in that context.

In addition, Chase happens to be very empathetic and parental, though simultaneously terrified of making yet another mistake in his care. Jameson, bless him, was a happy recipient of these affections, repaying Chase’s awkward support with the unconditional and heartwarming trust that the young entertainer gave out so freely. The two fed off of each other marvelously; Chase became a source of answers to even the most naive of Jamie’s questions, while Jameson’s genuine acceptance of Chase’s mentorship helped bring coax out much of the older ego’s former joy and confidence. This was good practice for when Chase had children of his own, and the lord proved to be an excellent father.

Of course… well, the story didn’t end there, did it?

## Relationships

### Family

Chase’s wife is named Stacy. Their eldest child, a daughter named Ashlee, was born in October 1583. Later, in March 1589, they had a son named William. As of 1614, these kids are in their twenties and thirties. Or they would be… if The Enemy didn't take them, as many suspect. And time passes slower in the fae realm… and that imagination dimension thing exists...

### King Sean

*(Disclaimer: The following is cut and pasted directly from my unfinished notes, terrible grammar and all.)*

Sean sees a lot of himself in this kid and wants to help him and chase sees sean as a massive role model, someone he could become. Hero worship as a younger kid, grows into mutual respect and trust that chase doesn’t always think he deserves. Sean sees something in him that he doesn’t, because chase is sean in many ways. However, while sean got a lot of support during those formative later years of his life during and after the quest, but Chase got that for a moment but then lost it as everyone drifted apart due to responsibility, tragedy, and abandonment.

### Lord Jackie

*(Disclaimer: The following is cut and pasted directly from my unfinished notes, terrible grammar and all.)*

Chase has big hero worship of jackie too at first. Jackie is actually the first to notice Chase tagging along behind them. One day, he asks the kid what he’s doing here, Chase stammers that he wants to be a hero like them, Jamie tells Chase to show him what he can do and says something like “hey, not bad, I bet you’ll make a great hero someday,” and chase is like WOAH. The next day, Jackie comes with a mid-sized crossbow and is like “hey wanna learn this” and so Jackie teaches him and for a while he just has this shadow hanging out behind him. Eventually he begins bringing Chase on missions. Early Jackie-Chase is sorta like Irondad but with the personalities sorta switched.

### Lord Marvin

Marvin’s cat loves Chase. The cat warmed up to Chase before Marvin did. Chase feels eternally grateful and unworthy of this cat’s affections and will die for the cat without question.

*(Disclaimer: The following is cut and pasted directly from my unfinished notes, terrible grammar and all.)*

Both of them actively left the left their responsibilities to their arguably oppressive childhood families and were faced with the harshness of the world afterwards. Chase reacted with hopelessness, Marvin reacted with anger. The two struggle to bond at first because Marvin has a negative drive to change things and Chase has a negative desire to give up, but at the same time that negativity resonates between them and slowly draws them together. They rarely talk to each other about their feelings, but they were often found just sitting each other with the knowledge that the other GETS IT in a way the others in the group might not.

*(End bad-grammar notes)*

Marvin and Chase are both notorious for making poor decisions, but in very different ways regarding their timing, goals, and personal worldview.

**Timing**: Marvin is impulsive, making decisions and acting upon them the moment they occur to him. Chase, however, thinks really hard about the choices he makes, often to the point of shutting down.

*Example: Faced with two different paths to take, Marvin would pick one immediately and without thought, while Chase would agonize over which path was right, get overwhelmed, and possibly hide from the responsibility in a tankard. Neither is good.*

**Goals**: Marvin is someone who seeks short-term solutions, and doesn’t consider long-term effects. Chase, on the other hand, is practically buried in the long-term effects of his past, skewing his decisions towards attempts to prevent or counteract these past mistakes.

*Example: Faced with an evil gang of bandits at their mercy, Marvin would probably want to destroy them, not considering the potential responses from other bandit groups, while Chase would remember how something went poorly the last time they destroyed a (slightly less evil) bandit gang and give the terrible advice of letting them go free with absolutely no consequences. Again, neither of these are good.*

**Worldview**: Marvin’s life experience has taught him that the world is already a mess without his help, so setting a few extra fires in an attempt to fix it is better than sitting on his butt doing nothing for fear of making it worse. In contrast, Chase is extremely idealistic, believing in a world where things could be better, and is desperate to prove himself worthy of that better world in a way that can lead to bad choices.

*Example: Faced with either a simple, charity-focused mission or a intense, heroic, but dubiously legal one, both would choose the latter, but for different reasons. For Marvin, building local rapport is a waste of time, since the people in power can force those they help to turn against them, and they should just target the big bads now and get rid of that issue. Meanwhile, Chase will jump at the task to prove his heroism in a desperate attempt to boost his sense of self-worth, even though building local rapport would be extremely well-suited for his skills. Obviously, neither of these are good. Again.*

Side Note: Now apply this to the choice of prioritizing family or his duty to the kingdom during the first great famine… and you can probably see why Chase made the call he did. It wasn’t even necessarily the wrong call in that case. Wasn’t necessarily the right one though either. Life is complicated.

### Lord Henrik

*(Disclaimer: The following is cut and pasted directly from my unfinished notes, terrible grammar and all.)*

TEACH TO READ PART TWO. Just as Henrik taught Jackie, Henrik teaches Jackie’s little shadow how to read and write. Chase actually has a bit of practical farm knowledge from his days in his home farm that he can teach Henrik (i.e. shuri telling bruce banner “why didn’t you just do this?” and bruce looking like the blinking white guy meme) because Henrik has a lot of sciency knowledge but chase has a lot of practical know-how. Henrik also tries to function as a sort of therapist for Chase, but only partially succeeds.

### Lord Jameson

*(Disclaimer: The following is cut and pasted directly from my unfinished notes, terrible grammar and all.)*

Jamie turns chase into a living example of “the people who are the saddest smile the biggest.” When Chase isn’t wrapped up in self guilt, he is very tenacious and encouraging, seeing good in everyone and the ability to keep going in them, if not himself. Jamie is someone that Chase really supports as the new “baby” of the group, and to his credit, jamie never makes chase feel like he’s a failure even when he goofs. Jamie helps chase build his confidence and self forgiveness, and chase is the tour guide for jamie in his first year with the group and the initial translator as the others got used to sign language. Sometimes the two will chat in sign language like little conspirators. They’re like the two school friends who are super different; one is a sad loner athlete and the other is a happy band nerd, and the athlete decides to protect the nerd from the world and the nerd is the moral support bean. NOT GOOD AT DEALING WITH JAMIE’S HYPOCHONDRIAC MOMENTS.