Morbrant Faron - Characters

„Ironic how nearly dying made me realize what's worth living for.“

Born in a temple, son of a prophet and a priestess, faith and fate were deeply rooted within the life of Morbrant. The absence of the father left a hole which Morbrant knew to fill with anger as well as contempt for all kinds of prophecies.

Mathilda was a caring mother. She knew how to comfort her son in times of need and tried to prepare him for the years ahead of him. Still she was always aware that the temple of Morena isn't what people considered a „normal home“. Even with great care and wisdom she couldn't keep Morbrant's temper at bay forever.

In his young adult years he left the temple and the watchful eye of his mother to venture out in search of his own path.

Eventually he joined the mercenary company called the „Black Banner''. Missing a male role model Morbrant quickly integrated himself as an eager recruit. His adoration for the battle hardened mercenaries made him a fast learner in the art of war and the straightforward business of a sellsword. He left behind everything connected to the goddess Morena and great prophecies.

Or so he thought...

Kanka is built by just the two of us. Support our quest and enjoy an ad-free experience for less than the cost of a fancy coffee. Become a member.

The Winter Flood Rebellion

Some wild years followed as the members of the Black Banner were far from being noble knights. Passionate but disciplined the company gained a reputation as ruthless and effective force eventually hired by the Dragon Emperor himself to reinstall order wherever civil unrest was boiling up.

„In these times Order was valued higher than kindness.“

A fateful day dawned in the middle of winter a few years after joining the Black Banner. Storm and warmer temperatures than usual have caused the river beds to overflow. Dams broke and the water pathed it's way further down into the flat lands around it.

The sudden flood took a lot of lifes and destroyed a lot of important food storages. Supplies were heavily rationed and morale low. People spoke of „A punishment from the gods“.

When the unrest grew too great and some peasants went to arm themselves the Black Banner was called to break their ranks and disperse them.

Hard hit the flail of the peasant rebel which brought Morbrant to fall and break through the thin ice underneath him. Deadly cold embraced him as he gasped for air fighting through the pain of his broken ribs. The shock pulled him deeper and blackness surrounded him.

In what he thought ought to be his last moment he remembered the temple of Morena which had served him as a childhood home. He remembered his upbringing, the warmth and wisdom his mother shared with him and the religious teachings. Suddenly and maybe for the first time in his life he felt at peace with himself and the world.

„Morena“, he thought, “I am ready for your embrace.“

June 8th, 2023 June 8th, 2023

The Recovery on the Farmstead

Morbrant woke up freezing. The bright red sun brought a new dawn. He found himself wrapped in stinking untreated sheepskin on top of a horse wagon. A farmer and his daughter found him in the early morning barely clinging to his life. “Lucky one that Giselle here spotted you.”, the rough voice of the old farmer said, “From the sight you could’ve been a Bolotnik covered in mud as you were. You better survive…we went through a lot of trouble getting you out of the ditch. If the gods are merciful you shall live…and as long as you behave.” The rest of winter and spring Morbrant spent recovering from his wounds. The farmer’s daughter Giselle often came to check on him much to the displeasure of her father George. Mercenaries, especially ones from the Black Banner, didn’t have a good reputation amongst the simple folk.

“Warriors don’t sow, but are eager to reap.” - George

At a first glimpse Giselle seemed to be a shy and silent girl but Morbant very quickly learned not to judge a book by its cover. A failed attempt of him using his “roguish charm” ended in him making a fool out himself. Giselle wasn’t shy at all; she just knew to be careful around strangers. Behind her innocent looking eyes lied a bright, even cunning mind. Much to Morbrants relief though she didn’t hold his “attempt of seduction” against him and still kept coming to check on him. She would ask him questions about his past and listen to his war stories, often giving commentary with a healthy dose of criticism. Slowly Morbrant began to reflect on his past and behavior. It was good to have someone to talk to, someone that wasn’t afraid to talk their mind. And surely Giselle wasn’t. She read Morbrant like an open book. In return he would learn about her. After initial hesitation he learned that her family has a deep connection to the goddess Morena, that she would like to have her own farm one day. She had a knack for organization and improving things…and people… Living amongst the farmers gave Morbrant a perspective on the world, one that he hasn’t seen before. When in need the farmers gave each other a hand, lended tools, shared food. It had a sense of community which was foreign to the young mercenary. “If we’re not looking out for each other no one will.”, was the answer to why they are so eager to help. Still he needed to pull his weight. George saw Morbrant’s survival as a sign of the gods, but a man can be mistaken so he kept a keen eye on the young man. Winter was coming to an end. Meanwhile Morbrant recovered enough from his wound that he could slowly start out lending a hand at the farm. The flood and uprising left a lot of devastation. Roads to be cleared, houses, stables and barns to be fixed and lastly the preparations for the celebration of the coming spring. He was tasked with lighter work at first due to his early stage of recovery but also because “He doesn’t know shit about being useful.” as was George’s gentle way of putting it. Gaining the trust and respect amongst the farmers was not an easy task. Especially George showed his skepticism more than once. Learning to be a farmhand from the scratch, Morbrant often grew frustrated. It was thanks to Giselle’s insight and way with words which always ended up disarming all his heated rants about leaving. Whatever her motivations were, she managed to keep Morbrant at the farm, overcome the initial hostilities and finally helped him integrate at least to an acceptable level.

“Power to take what you want is useless if you don’t know WHAT you want.” - Giselle

Though the traditional drowning of the Morena’s effigy brought up some bad memories for Morbrant, the celebration itself marked a big turning point. When people started celebrating it was for just one day that all hostilities were forgotten. After a lot of dancing and drinking the day had turned into night and the celebration slowly came to an end Morbrant suddenly got grabbed and dragged off to a hidden spot nearby. It was none other than a slightly tipsy Giselle. Whatever happened between these two this night a gentleman will never tell. The next morning the reality quickly came back to both of them as with the start of spring the real work began and Morbrant still had to make himself useful. The coming days Giselle would keep a healthy distance waiting for any possible rumors to calm down before she would come to have long talks with her mercenary again. Spring passed so quickly Morbrant barely realized how. He didn’t want it to end. The work was hard, but good and he has grown accustomed to it not to mention his other motivations to stay. “Today is your lucky day, Morbrant. Spring work is finished and your debt paid. Time to let you go back to your people.”, George said in a joyful tone. At first the words didn’t spark any joy, just confusion and some weird kind of pain close to his heart. But George was right. After all he was just a guest in debt. This life wasn’t his. The farmers goodbye was a warm, but short one. Morbrant was given a sack with supplies for the road and directions where the Black Banner was last rumored to be seen. Giselle took Morbrant into a deep embrace while her sister Isaebel was keeping a keen eye on both of them not to get too close in front of people. Before letting go of her Morbrant whispered to her:

“By Morena, I swear. I will come back for you."

June 8th, 2023 June 9th, 2023