Bruinan Lifthraisir

In the ancient realm of Hangard, where the bear-like Northlanders dwell, a legend was born in the year 13929 CE. Bruinan Wilhelm, son of the mortal Aeirina and the Earth God Branon, came into the world as a demi-god, his destiny intertwined with the fate of the kingdom. From the moment of his birth on the 15th day of winter, Bruinan's life was marked by secrecy and danger.
Fearing for her child's safety, Aeirina fled into the wilderness, hiding Bruinan from the prying eyes of gods and mortals alike. Unknown to them, Zastor, the god of magic and Bruinan's grandfather, watched over the child from afar, shielding him from detection through his divine powers. These early Years, spent in the shadow of forests and mountains, instilled in Bruinan a deep connection to nature that would shape his character for centuries to come.
Tragedy struck when Bruinan was still young. Goblin raiders, part of the ongoing conflict that had plagued Hangard for decades, attacked their hidden refuge. Aeirina fell defending her son, her sacrifice etching a permanent scar on Bruinan's heart. In the aftermath, he was taken in by Halgrave Wilhelm, his mother's cousin and a respected Northlander warlord.
Life in the Wilhelm clan was a stark contrast to Bruinan's early Years. Surrounded by the warrior culture of the Northlanders, he found himself an outsider. Unlike his peers, Bruinan was drawn to scholarly pursuits, particularly the forbidden lore of the Elves and the ancient histories. This intellectual curiosity was nurtured by his Aunt Romeina, who became his closest ally and confidante in the household.
As Bruinan grew, so did the tensions within the family. His cousins, Vander and Lisander, resented his presence and the attention he received. Their animosity would play a crucial role in shaping Bruinan's future. Meanwhile, the young demi-god struggled with his own identity, caught between his mortal upbringing and the divine heritage he was yet unaware of.
The year 13944 marked a turning point in Bruinan's life. The Battle of Aistwald erupted, bringing the Goblin War to their doorstep. It was here that Bruinan first encountered the Hangardian warlocks, dark sorcerers allied with the goblin forces. In the chaos of battle, Bruinan's latent powers awakened. He fought with a skill and ferocity that belied his Years, standing against the warlocks when seasoned warriors fell.
Yet victory came at a terrible cost. Halgrave Wilhelm, the man who had raised Bruinan as his own, fell in battle. The loss devastated Bruinan, but worse was to come. In the aftermath, Vander and Lisander falsely accused their cousin of disobeying orders and following Halgrave's knights into battle without permission. The accusation stuck, and Bruinan found his fledgling military career in tatters, his commission in the Hangardian Army revoked before it had truly begun.
Disgraced and mourning, Bruinan faced his greatest challenge yet at the Durvanild Academy. The combat prowess he had displayed at Aistwald seemed to have deserted him. He struggled through the trials, his failure to obtain a commission a source of deep shame. He was the first Wilhelm in memory to enter the army as a mere private, a fact that his cousins never let him forget.
It was during this low point that Bruinan's path took an unexpected turn. In 13946, he became embroiled in a daring scheme to steal the Makkari diamonds from the Cartels in Aerendor. The heist was successful, but it brought Bruinan face to face with Sigun Bathar, a powerful warlock with ties to the dark forces that had aided the goblins at Aistwald.
The confrontation with Sigun Bathar was a crucible for Bruinan. Once again, his latent powers manifested, allowing him to defeat the warlock in combat. But the victory was bittersweet. Bruinan found himself arrested, his actions, though well-intentioned, landing him in prison with a twenty-year sentence.
Fate, however, had other plans for the young demi-god. After a year behind bars, Bruinan was offered a chance at redemption. He entered the Queen's Secret Service in 13947, beginning a new chapter in his life that would test his skills, his morals, and his understanding of himself in ways he could never have imagined.
Over the next decade and a half, Bruinan threw himself into his work for the crown. He honed his skills as a warrior, a spy, and a diplomat. His natural affinity for nature and animals made him an exceptional tracker and survivalist. His scholarly interests, once a source of derision, now served him well in navigating the complex world of espionage and politics.
The culmination of these Years came in 13963 when Bruinan was knighted by Queen Mescilla Erlin XIII for his valor during the Jingthol conflict. He had become the most decorated soldier of the 65-year war, his exploits the stuff of legend. As a reward for his service, Bruinan was given lordship over the valley-province of Aistwald, the very land where he had grown up.
Returning to Aistwald as its lord was a bittersweet homecoming for Bruinan. He ruled from Castle Wilhelm, the same halls where he had once been an outsider. His governance was marked by wisdom and compassion, traits that endeared him to his people but sometimes put him at odds with his fellow nobles.
It was during this time that Bruinan's true nature began to manifest more clearly. By his fortieth year, it became apparent that he was not aging as other Northlanders did. At sixty, he still appeared no older than twenty. This seeming immortality, coupled with his incredible combat prowess, led to whispers and speculation among both his subjects and his peers.
The truth of his heritage was revealed to Bruinan in a momentous encounter with the gods Zastor and Branon. They appeared to him, acknowledging him as their descendant and revealing the destiny that lay before him. Branon gifted him the Great Sword of Lifthraisir, a weapon of immense power that would become Bruinan's most treasured possession. With this act, Bruinan was recognized as the first in the line of the Lifthraisir, a lineage of divine champions that would shape the future of Hangard and beyond.
With this knowledge came new burdens and responsibilities. Bruinan learned of the Line of Lifthraisir, the succession of demi-gods to which he now belonged. He discovered the limitation of his bloodline - that he could only sire one child, and only with another demi-god. This revelation brought both clarity and sorrow, explaining his inability to have children with his first wife.
As the Years turned to decades, and decades to centuries, Bruinan's legend grew. Perhaps his most enduring legacy was the founding of the Order of the Trident, an elite organization of warriors and specialists dedicated to protecting the realm. Under his leadership, the Order became a force for good, undertaking perilous missions and standing against threats that would have overwhelmed ordinary armies.
The Order of the Trident was renowned for its versatility and expertise across a wide range of specializations. Bruinan recruited and trained members in various disciplines, creating a multifaceted force capable of addressing any threat. The Order's ranks included expert archers known for their unparalleled accuracy, feared assassins who could strike undetected, and black ops specialists trained in covert operations behind enemy lines.
One of the Order's most distinctive features was its corps of gryphon knights, unmatched in horsemanship and aerial combat. These brave warriors often served as the vanguard in battles, their presence alone enough to strike fear into the hearts of enemies. Bruinan himself was known to lead charges atop a magnificent gryphon, the Sword of Lifthraisir gleaming in his hand.
The Order's reach extended far beyond the battlefield. Bruinan established branches for intelligence gathering, diplomacy, and even supernatural threats. The Order's demon hunters became legendary for their ability to identify and eliminate malevolent creatures, while their god hunters specialized in neutralizing rogue deities that threatened the world's stability.
Under Bruinan's guidance, the Order of the Trident played a crucial role in maintaining peace and justice throughout the land. They negotiated treaties between warring factions, enforced laws in troubled regions, and undertook perilous explorations into uncharted territories. The Order's engineers and metallurgists revolutionized warfare with their innovations in weaponry and armor, while their siege specialists became unparalleled in the art of both attacking and defending fortifications.
One of the Order's most significant achievements came with the defeat of the demon lord Asmodeus, a victory that cemented their reputation as a force for good in the world. This triumph, led by Bruinan himself, showcased the Order's ability to face even the most terrifying supernatural threats.
The true test of Bruinan's leadership and the Order of the Trident came during the Second Black Fire War. The conflict culminated in the Battle of the Sea of Grief, a pivotal engagement that would determine the fate of the world. The forces of Branon and the Northern Earth Elves of Han Alaspanar, led by Bruinan himself, faced off against the Black Dragon King and his army of fire elementals in the treacherous waters of the Aegel-Fariel ocean.
For days, the battle raged across the vast expanse of the Sea of Grief, a place known for its dangerous currents and violent storms. Ships clashed, magic tore through the air, and the sea itself seemed to boil with the intensity of the conflict. Bruinan, wielding both the Sword of Lifthraisir and the Trident of Daeranon, stood at the forefront of the alliance's forces.
The Trident of Daeranon proved to be a crucial element in the battle. With its power, Bruinan was able to rally the sea races to their cause, turning the tide of the battle. Merfolk, selkies, and other aquatic beings joined the fray, their natural affinity for the sea proving invaluable against the fire-based forces of the Black Dragon King.
The battle was fierce and brutal, with heavy losses on both sides. The sea ran red with blood, and the wreckage of ships littered the waters. Yet Bruinan and his allies fought on, their determination unshakeable in the face of overwhelming odds. In the end, their perseverance paid off. The Black Dragon King was slain, his forces scattered to the winds.
The victory at the Sea of Grief marked a turning point in the Second Black Fire War. It proved that the forces of good could triumph even against the most formidable of foes. The battle's outcome set the stage for the ultimate defeat of the forces of darkness, cementing Bruinan's reputation as a legendary hero and the Order of the Trident as an indispensable force for good in the world.
Yet for all his accomplishments, Bruinan remained haunted by loss. The memory of his mother's sacrifice, the death of Halgrave, and the mysterious disappearance of Mayori, the half-elven demi-goddess who had captured his heart, weighed heavily upon him. He carried these sorrows with him, hidden behind a calm exterior that rarely betrayed the depths of his emotions.
In the year 14660, at the age of 730, Bruinan's life changed once more with the birth of his son, Bruithor. The child, born of a union with another demi-god, represented both a continuation of the Line of Lifthraisir and a new chapter in Bruinan's long life. Fatherhood brought new joys and challenges, as Bruinan strove to protect and guide his son while still fulfilling his duties to the realm.
As the centuries passed, Bruinan became more than just a warrior or a ruler. He was a living legend, a bridge between the mortal world and the divine. His wisdom was sought by kings and commoners alike. His strength was called upon in times of great peril. And through it all, he remained true to the ideals that had guided him since youth - compassion, justice, and a tireless dedication to protecting the innocent.
The last confirmed sighting of Bruinan was in the year 14981, when he was 1052 Years old. By then, his name had passed into myth and legend. Some said he had finally found peace, reunited with his lost love Mayori. Others believed he still walked the earth, continuing his endless quest for knowledge and justice.
Whatever the truth, the legacy of Bruinan Lifthraisir lived on. In the songs of bards, the tales told around campfires, and the hearts of the Northlanders, his story endured. He remained a symbol of hope, a reminder that even in the darkest times, heroes could rise from the most unexpected places. And somewhere, perhaps, the bear-like demi-god still roamed, his amber eyes scanning the horizon for the next adventure, the next battle, the next chance to make a difference in the world he had sworn to protect.

Parents

Branon