Captain Brandis of the Rangers

Overview
Captain Brandis is currently one of the faction leadership of The Rangers of Olaran. He is played by Caleb Campbell who joined the Weekend Warrior Event as an unaffiliated NPC in 2019 before joining the Ranger command staff for the 2020 event. The social media coordinator and community manager for the Rangers, Caleb is an invaluable asset to the team both in game and out.

Character Background
The son of a metal worker, Brandis grew up in a small village of Céimeanna an Rí near the Temple of Luminos. As a child he spent his time primarily learning, both how to survive in the Fire Mountains from his father, and the ways of Luminos by his mother. Between his love for smithing and his fascination with the ancient legends of Luminos, the boy was obsessed with finding ancient artifacts and sought to find them if he could. His ultimate goal was to find the Sword of Hope, a dream that stuck with him into his early adulthood.

As he got older, he began to do his own research into the legendary weapon, becoming more and more convinced that there was at least some truth hidden in the myth. His quest eventually led him to the Capital. Devoting himself entirely to gathering all information related to the sword, he spent years researching before finally discovering an ancient ballad that implied The Sword was in far off Ithacus. Thrilled by this discovery, he made his way to Thriese, hiring the mercenary Nyx and an eccentric adventurer, Logan. They booked passage to Ithacus aboard a Sea Lord ship Atalanta.

Once arriving in Ithacus, along with his companions Nyx and Logan, he set out to find the Rangers. Not trusting the other factions with something this important, he approached the Ranger leader, Captian Rook, with the information he had discovered about the location of the Sword. In the dark of night they, set out to search for the Sword, discovering it hidden in the ground. It was this trust of the Rangers with such an important and delicate task that led them to make him an official member of their faction.

The Autumn Feast (1117)
Brandis was not present at the royal winery during the events of the Autumn Feast, the word of King Osiric's death reaching him during his time studying in the capital.

The Ithacus Campaign (Late 1118 - Early 1119)
Upon the Atalanta's arrival in Ithacus, the trio of adventurers were quick to leave the main forces who were busy fighting one another over Duke Killian's attempts to become regent of Olaran, and delved deep into the Ithacan wilds. In time, Brandis' research lead them to an ancient temple, in which they discovered an ancient elven artifact which, despite his vast knowledge on the subject, he could not confirm to be the sword which they sought.

After some discussion, it was decided the group would return to the Olar expedition and hope they could find someone capable of identifying the weapon and be willing to compensate them for such a treasured artifact, Brandis emphasizing that he wished to be credited for its discovery. The main issue in this plan was the ongoing conflict between the various factions and so they had to choose someone who would not abuse the artifact's power, be it magical or symbolic. Thus it was decided to entrust their discovery to the ranger captain Rook who, despite his tomfoolery, seemed to understand the impact this sword would have on the current tensions.

As decided, they approached Rook, who obliged readily by sending a contingent of rangers with them to retrieve the weapon and return it to his encampment. Soon after this was done, Duke Killian also arrived at the ranger camp demanding the sword as his right as one of royal blood, to which Rook conceded. However, he gave the Duke a fake sword in order to test his intentions. Immediately, more fighting broke out regarding the sword and the ranger's suspicions of the Duke were confirmed.

Of the trio who discovered the sword, including Brandis, Rook offered them pay and assured them he would make it known they were the ones who had discovered it. He also offered them a position alongside the Rangers in battle, to which Nyx and Brandis agreed while Logan remained uninterested and went to cause havoc in his own, unique way.

These events led to The Battle of the Dread Fort, and the eventual preparations for the expedition to return to Olaran.

On the journey back, Rook approached Nyx and Brandis about joining the Ranger faction permanently, which they accepted.

The Battle of the Thornwood (1120 YL)
With their return to Olaran and the tense political climate, it was only natural fighting would begin again, and so The Battle of the Thornwood was begun, with the Sea Lords and Hearth-Guard opposing the forces of the Rangers and Kingsmen.

Brandis was essential during the two day battle, showing skills in both combat and leadership that did not go unnoticed by the ranger captains Rook and Arquus. As such, when the battle ceased and the year long peace to mourn the death of the High Priest of Luminos began, they promoted Brandis to Captain.

His actions during this battle also led to him being nicknamed the Glaive of Olaran, as he slew many an enemy while fighting in the Kingsmen line, polearm in hand.

After Commander Rook retired from the Rangers, Brandis was promoted again to Commander and was given command of the Ranger forces.

Personality and Traits
Brandis is a natural born leader and a keen student of all things Luminosi. His rough upbringing in the Fire Mountains toughened him both mentally and physically, and his work as a scholar is second to none. He also has some skill as a cartographer due to the many maps he has memorized and adventures he has had.

Friendly to all, but a fierce fighter none the less, Brandis is beloved by his fellow rangers and is respected be many in the other factions as well.