Bran

Branogenos the Wise Badger

Born in the mountains among the stones and the trees of Luma Forest, a quaint and small firbolg came to be. Small he would not stay, for once adolescence became adulthood, a giant grew into himself.
He would grow not as the trees do over many a year, but almost as a weed. Unassuming to start and before its realized, it has taken a hold and grown wildly. Wild he was, taking in the call of the natural world. Taking his time to study and listen to the trees, rock faces, and the various creatures around him. It was said Branogenos once meditated as still as a stone, nearly becoming one with a cliffside.
Blending in and breathing slow. Birds would perch on him, squirrels would chatter in his ear and, once in awhile, he would even hear the faint scraping of a badger in the distance. For in Branogenos' he had no surname at birth. He received it as an inspiration to an animal that spoke to him. He admired the badger. Quaint and self reliant, only looking to survive, unless provoked. When he came down from his years in the deepest and highest parts of the mountain forest, he had chosen his surname, his guide to the natural world.
It fit him well. He was never one looking for trouble; never wanting to harm...that is unless he was threatened or harmed. If such a thing were to occur, Branogenos had no choice but to refute his passive nature and unleash his giant's wrath. Branogenos was not so much one to train as he was one to feel and understand new abilities and ways of life. He spent nearly all of his time in and as a part of the natural world. He would speak to the trees, run with the wolves, dig with the mighty badgers. All to understand them better. All to be more in tune.
And it was being so deeply in tune with his surroundings that he first heard the wounded cries of the Elder Yew. Corruption. Hurt. Pain. While all druids were sure to have known something was off, he felt it especially deep. Many times throughout his long life he had visited and communed with the Elder Yew. He considered it almost a mentor and friend. Something anyone other than countrymen or druids would understand.
He visited the great tree and searched relentlessly for answers but found none he could interpret. He spoke to those who took care of the forests around it as well, and they told him of a peculiar plight. The old druid who kept peace and protected the Elder Yew was not only gone, but he had been corrupted much like the tree. Innocents had been captured. They had been used as a means to try and heal the tree. While Branogenos cared deeply for this tree, he knew it well enough to understand it was a part of balanced forest life. It did not want the sacrifice of innocents, and neither did the passive firbolg.
He was more troubled than he had possibly ever been. Never had he heard of such crimes against the natural world and innocents at the hands of someone he had once trusted, advised even. The circle was no more, the elder was corrupted; the elder Yew was as well. Branogenos would have acted sooner, but he was not one for quick decision or travel. He instead reacted as only he typically would. He searched for answers in the roots and in the chatter of the forest. For all nature is linked and Branogenos was linked to it. When no answers could be found, this is when he had gone to the Elder Yew.
He was also told of a group that had in an unfortunate series of events killed the old druid that had once been a comrade of his. He was unable to find out their whereabouts, but was told of their last direction and so he advanced from there. He did not seek revenge for that was not his way, but answers he was in favor of. Such an unusual and advanced group of travelers surely had some idea of whom or where to turn to for a solution to the increasing natural plight. In his search for answers he strode through many a forest and a few settlements along the way.
He even found himself in a strange and foreign place called Crucible. A vast forest of towering stone; bustling with all walks of life. Many he had never encountered. For while Branogenos was no young man, he had lived a life quite isolated, much like others of his race and order. The complexities, nuances, and constant bustles of societies did not mesh with a druid. There was far too great a lack of diverse creatures and plant life. The few times Branogenos had bothered to adventure into a town or a city he felt out of place and on edge. He went so far as to alter his appearance so he could better blend in with others. Branogenos was not typically one to be self conscious, but moving about crowds and getting in and out quickly was a bit more difficult towering 8ft tall. This was, of course, an innate ability of all firbolg, but not one Branogenos much cared for. After all he never met a squirrel or a sparrow who minded his mass.
But despite the foreign nature of such a place as Crucible, the firbolg was on a mission and would not be deterred. He asked about in taverns and shops. He was vaguely aware of whom he was looking for. In his asking and his travels, he had gathered a rough idea of the sort of adventurers he sought. Two horned folk, a couple of Paladins and perhaps some elven-kind as well.
This picture did prove a bit different once he was in Crucible. He found no Paladins, and mention of a traveling group of elves and horned folk brought no answers either. That was until a man passing as a scholar had his interest peaked when hearing Branogenos asking about a particular group. This man introduced himself merely as a simple scholar, but Branogenos could feel magic emanating from him. He did question the man, who clarified that he was a member of The Lunar Forum . This meant nothing to Branogenos as he did not encounter many wizards or scholars. This wizard told him that he knew vaguely of who he sought, but better than that he may be able to help the druid on his quest.
After a few drinks and a berating of questions, the wizard learned all that he could about the Elder Yew and the workings of nature. The wizard told Branogenos of the Lunar Forum's dedication to studying magic and how their resources and sources of knowledge were vast; that perhaps if they were to journey together to the hold in the north, he would work with the druid in using the knowledge of the Lunar Forum to aid the Elder Yew.
Maybe it was the drink. Maybe it was simple compassion, but the wizard was awe struck by such a passionate and gentle soul. Where other men sought fame and fortune, Branogenos sought to preserve the natural world and the key to that was saving the Elder Yew from its corruption. The Wizard told Branogenos they could leave at first light and travel first overland and then by ship. Branogenos scoffed at this. He had no need for manmade vessels, he could simply fly them there and cut the time drastically. The wizard went pale when this was suggested but his worries were not heard by Branogenos who had already downed the last of his ale and strode out the door.
The wizard hurried after him only to find a large dog padding off down the street. He scratched his head for a moment and then returned inside to rent a room and sleep off the drink. At first light the wizard met with Branogenos, and once outside of the city walls, the druid effortlessly shifted into a massive eagle. The wizard clambered up onto it's back and they were off.
They flew as far as they could each day, stopping when needed and making camp; telling stories and discussing various ways of magic. The Wizard was weary the first few nights of wildlife and the dangers they may pose. This, however, quickly went away when he saw that all manners of beast and creature felt at ease with Branogenos nearby. He was at peace and was eager to converse with all life he encountered, though the plants did not hold conversation as well as the stray bird or rodent.
This is the first the wizard saw of Branogenos' true form. He was astounded. He had read about many races, but little was known of the Firbolg and he had certainly never met giant-kind before. The man was massive. Never had this wizard, even in his studies, thought he'd meet something so seemingly harmless that made a brown bear seem small.
Without the worry of being eaten in the middle of the night and the cost of seafaring waved, good time was made to the Lunar Forum. Upon arrival the guards at the gates were alarmed at the site of a massive bird approaching. With the wizard on his back however, Branogenos was able to land safely.
And he was amazed by the site. Vast towers and gleaming stone. It was no mountain and certainly not a forest, but it had a certain beauty to it. Plus, if this structure held answers and could help bring about a healing of the Elder Yew? Branogenos figured he could adapt to this for awhile. After all the air was clear and there was plenty of space to wild shape. It wasn't home, but it would do.

Stop. Badger Time.

Eventually, Bran would succeed in his mission of locating this elusive adventuring party and joined them for a time. While they were unable to do much in his quest to fix the Elder Yew, Bran did feel moved to aid in their battle against Shepherd and his undead minions. His aid proved invaluable in defeating the lich and again later in their struggles against Lazaros and the Reckoning in Requiem.
Through his journeys with the group, Bran would continue to grow in his strength and connection to the natural world; gaining the ability to take on fantastical new shapes, even that of a legendary golden dragon.
In time, he would return to the Elder Yew and find that its situation had somehow reversed: Where before it was in a state of rapid decay and draining the life from the forest around it, now it was overgrown and bursting with life. But this growth was more akin to a cancer than healthy life. It became clear that this was a side-effect of the rapidly approaching Convergence of the Planes that had been set into motion by Cataclysm. Once more, Bran was compelled to leave his little animal sanctuary he had built in Luma Forest and again join the armies of civilized lands to combat the existential threat to all life.
At the conclusion of The Extinction War, Bran quietly returned to his nature-bound sanctuary. During the span of the conflict, Bran had managed to achieve a sort of conditional immortality. With his biological clock stopped, he spent his days wandering the deep wilds of the world, seeking out new critters, dragons, and magic, achieving status as something of a folk legend for the people of Archaios. As of 1590, his whereabouts are unknown, with only a handful of folks having a story of their lives being saved by a friendly badger with a propensity for ale.

Species

Firbolgs

Year of Birth

1004 587 Years old

Birthplace

Eastern Luma Forest

Current Residence

the deep wilds

Belief/Deity

The Sacredness of Nature