Bran Halek
✦Subject Dossier✦
Known Titles:
Knight Sergeant of the Second Order
Compiled by: The Archivist
Access Level: Restricted -
Senior Scholars only
Filed: Winter, 1554 A.C.
2 years post narrative events
Age:
30
Race/Species:
Human
Sex:
Male
Place of Origin:
Cressa City (formally King's Seat), Atalan
Current Residence:
Temporary residence Voss Estate, Bastion's Reach
Affiliations:
Adernian Army, Second Knight Order
Status:
Alive
✦Documented Narrative Involvement
Sergeant Halek has been mentioned briefly in all reports involving the Monster of Savidor. While his involvement seems minimal and reduced to a simple guardian - of which he reports not minding - Bran's presence has been more of a quiet anchor to many of those whose roles have been of greater import. It has been somewhat difficult to retrieve information from the subject himself. Humility is a facet of this one's character. Most of the information in this dossier, therefore, has come from interviews with others.
Bran was involved in the capture of Luka on the battlefield - that much is certain. His injuries, while not extensive, unfortunately put him into the medical tent for three days after the initial incident. From there, he recovered and returned to Bastion's Reach with Garrick and the rest of the Second Order.
There are some concerns about Bran's inclusion in the Second Order, however. Records predating the war indicated Bran was quite the clumsy individual. He attended the healer's ward often. Small scrapes, bruises, cuts, and constant injuries are well-documented in his files. When interviewing Riven for more details as to why such an individual has been allowed to stay in such an elite Order, a dismissal was given with an amused smile.
Regardless, he was personally chosen by Garrick Voss to join the Second Order and, later on, as part of Luka's watchcare. Garrick does not choose soldiers lightly, so perhaps there is simply something unknown or unseen.
Supplementary Records
✦Addendum - It has come to my attention the majority of injuries occurred within the last five years, mostly when the Second Order was stationed around Bastion's Reach. His visits were directly to the Academy in the area - right around the same time Maeve became a student in the medical school. In this new light, most of my previous concerns now seem a moot point.
✦ Physical Appearance
Youthful, and often with a smile. Reports consistently note that while Sergeant Halek lacks overt physical strength and size, his speed is exceptional. Several accounts describe him as one of the most nimble among the Second Order Knights, a skill that compensates for his otherwise unremarkable stature. His features are slightly aberrant from the typically earthen tones of the native Adernians - sand colored complexion and brown accents in the hair and eyes. He is much darker in complexion due to his Atalan heritage in which ethnic diversity is common.
✦ Temperament & Disposition
Halek bears a steady temperament and humility in his every interaction with others. His calm often eases the anxieties in others. Garrick himself notes this ability in his personnel records, claiming it as one of his most notable attributes. He is far kinder than many others within the Second Order. Bran attributes this to his childhood, where he learned to be sympathetic to the caretakers who did their best and patient with the youngers who cried often. His passivity, however, sometimes leads to an avoidance of necessary confrontation. The incident in which he struck a superior officer out of vehement disagreement indicates exactly what happens when pushed to a breaking point. Despite this, Garrick himself has flagged him as a "potential candidate for promotion." Perhaps he sees hope in the young man's ability to improve on his command skills.
✦Addendum - I knew I recognized the name Halek. In a rare moment of openness, I learned Bran's arrival in Adern was dated after the beginning of the Seven Year Demon War in Atalan. His parents fled across the border when the war reached the borders of the country. He was only 3. His father and mother died in the final throes of the war attempting to give aid to their people. Because Atalan was still attempting to oust the demon invasion, Bran remained an orphan among the Adernians, where he was given to church care. Though sorrow still colors his memory, he regrets nothing as it allowed him to meet people who would become friends and family.
✦This is no addendum, but I fear placing my personal concerns in the public forums. Bran's interview brought back memory of the Seven Year Demon War. Atalan, in recent years, has been facing certain arcane and historical undercurrents that are similar to the age before that war - subtle shifts in magical activity, migratory patterns of monsters and beasts alike, and border disturbances that correspond too nearly with archived reports from the height of the ear. I do not claim certainty, hence my caution to make this statement in a more public forum, but I cannot deny my unease. The records rarely lie, and I have learned to trust the patterns they reveal. It would be wise to remain watchful. Should you read this lines later, perhaps we shall discover cause before it's too late.
✦ Capabilities & Known Talents
Primary Strength -
A calm, level-headed nature - in truth it does disrupt many conflicts within the Order before they occur, hence Riven's reliance on Bran as a source of stability. Records indicate outbursts are few and far between and if they happened suggested extreme stress or outside pressure.
Secondary Talent -
Speed and agility - he is the quickest on his heels within the whole of the Order. Many say his speed is legendary among the knights.
Notable Flaw -
Delayed Action - he himself notes that some situations might have been resolved sooner if he had simply acted (i.e. the incident between Riven and Luka in the healer's ward).
Notable Weakness -
Maeve tends to upend his personality and bring out a protectiveness that sometimes tramples autonomy. Meave reports he is learning to amend his ways.
✦ Associations
Maeve -
Childhood friends; Maeve and Bran grew up together in church care. Later, when Bran aged out and joined the army, he kept in touch with her.
Garrick Voss -
Commanding officer; deep respect and unwavering loyalty
Riven Hawthorne -
Friend and superior officer; their relationship was born from war and necessity. Trust between the two his high and well-earned.
Edain Glennan -
Friend and occasional thorn-in-the-side; forms the third in Bran's circle of trusted individuals.
Luka -
Former guard, now assigned to Luka's watchcare; the boy seems to ease around Bran's calm faster than most, though Bran knows he cannot win against his favor towards Edain.
Second Order Knights -
Full trust and consideration, their war bonds will not easily break. The new bloods are slowly earning trust, though certain narrative events have led to a bit of a strain.
✦Addendum - Bran, Riven, and Edain form a tight circle. Despite having only known each other 3 years prior to the Adernian-Savidorian conflict, their experiences during the war have created a trust that runs deeper than most.