Branwen Rosegrain

The daughter of farmers, Branwen was born on a farm just outside of Linwood City. With an older brother to take over the farm, Branwen had wanted to join the royal guard, but they didn’t take women. So, as soon as she turned twelve, she joined the Rangers. She trained hard and earned her blade at twenty-one when, driven by a recurring dream, she rode north without her mentor’s permission. Two Rangers on patrol near the border with Fannar had gone missing a month prior, and nobody had been able to find them. Branwen, though, rode hard into Fannar.

Nobody had thought that the missing Rangers might have been the victims of ongoing border scuffles that had been the result of the theft of the Hearts a year prior, but Branwen’s dream drove her to Bellodhur, where the two Rangers were being held captive. She managed to rescue them both without killing the Dwarves stationed there and bring them home.

Twelve years after Branwen earned her blade, Linwood was attacked by bandits. They killed King Ailill and Queen Catriona, and even some Rangers were killed. One of them was Branwen’s mentor, and Branwen found herself being named the new Blade Mistress. She took on a few protégés over the years, always focused on helping new Rangers grow, whatever their main weapon was.

More Rangers died in the attacks that killed King Ithel and Queen Rhiannon. Like everyone else, Branwen was certain that Ithel’s sister, Agrona, was behind it. Rumors soon began to follow, though, that a little princess had been hidden away, and someday, she would rise up and take her throne. Branwen, however, never put much stock in the rumors, feeling that they were just that. Still, she did nothing to persuade anyone that they were not true, recognizing the value in the hope that they brought.

The orb was brought to the camp and hidden by Ryder and Arya, who had risen to become the Bow Mistress and Ryder’s second-in-command. Though Branwen had certainly been a Ranger longer and could remember when Arya was nothing but a thief, she did not begrudge the other woman the position. Branwen had never desired rank, and though the two certainly would not admit their feelings for each other, Branwen could see that they worked together well, in a way that partners should, and that Arya was the better choice.

She was surprised the day Arya brought eight-year-old Tesni to camp, four years into the Years of No Rulers. There was no king or queen on the throne because Linwood would not acknowledge a ruler that had not been acknowledged by the orb. Something about Tesni struck Branwen as being noble, but she brushed it off.

The girl was happy to be in camp, and worked hard to be accepted by the Rangers she intended to join once she was old enough, something Branwen could appreciate. She was more than surprised, though, when two things happened. The first was that Ryder discovered the girl was his daughter. The second was that Tesni was allowed to start training at the age of ten. Still, Branwen trusted Ryder to know what he was doing, and agreed with his reasoning. She’d had to help fight off Agrona’s forces a few times to help protect the girl.

Branwen watched Tesni’s progress with interest, but she also had a protégé of her own. Fiona was sixteen when she first came to the camp, eight years Tesni’s senior, and had a natural talent for throwing knives. By the time Fiona was twenty-four, she had made Branwen truly proud, earning her blade when she took down a fuath, a creature that inhabited water-filled ruins, guarding stolen treasure, though they were very rare.

One day, excitement flew through the camp. Curious, Branwen watched as Arya retrieved the orb from its hiding place and placed it in Tesni’s hands. When the orb recognized Tesni as Linwood’s proper queen, Branwen went down on a knee, acknowledging her and swearing her fealty, just as all the other Rangers did. In her heart, she was elated. Linwood finally had a proper ruler again.

Branwen fought in the Battle for Linwood alongside many of the other Rangers as well as members of the royal guard. Later, she stood in the crowd and watched as Ryder placed the crown on Tesni’s head. For the first time, there was a Ranger on the throne, Tesni having also earned her bow.

Peace lasted for ten years in Linwood before Tesni and Rowan’s daughter, Princess Nia, was kidnapped. Branwen, like all other Rangers, immediately helped in the search for the lost little princess. It was eleven years, though, before the princess finally came home.

Though she was worried about the coming war, Branwen found herself spending more and more time with Alastar Redleaf. The former thief was becoming more legitimate, and Branwen found herself falling in love with him. When they realized that their love was true, they became engaged. Their marriage never happened, though. Alastar died in Branwen’s arms after failing to retrieve the Heart of Yewsel.

Branwen began to fall into a depression, though she continued to aid in the fight against Bhimar. She could not blame Ryder when he turned to drinking again, and then when he married his former lover, Cliona. She knew, though, that she could never replace Alastar.

Brokenhearted, Branwyn threw herself into her work, training harder than ever, vowing that her beloved would be avenged. She also worked closely with members of the Shield Maidens and the Saryamata'a, both learning and teaching blade techniques. The extra training came in handy when, in Yewsel, Branwyn took part in the Battle of Hearts.

Two years after the Battle of Hearts, Branwyn found herself growing restless, partly because she couldn't seem to escape the memories of Alastar and how he died in her arms. The result was that, when Tesni decided to authorize a secondary camp close to the Fannarian border, Branwyn was the first to volunteer to lead it. She left with Ryder's blessing, and Fiona became the new Blade Mistress at the main camp.