Bruneg

Character overview

Bruneg — a broad, heavy-set man of middle age, equipped for close combat and committed to protecting his allies.
Beneath a deep grey hood, Bruneg has dark eyes beneath a heavy brow, a strong nose, and a full, well-kept dark beard. His build is described as the result of decades of hard physical work. He carries a shield and has been seen with a sword, scimitar, morningstar, crossbow, and other weapons.
At the Phaendar market festival, Bruneg took part in a cart-and-shield game, overpowering two attendants and pushing through obstacles as onlookers laughed and admired him. At the Taproot Inn, he drew sword and shield against the Ibzairiak Legion, fighting while temporarily immobilized by glue, damaging an enemy, then freeing himself and raising his shield. Recognized as an engineer with expertise in crane operation and bridge mechanics, he examined the neglected repair crane at Fender’s Bridge and determined it could not reach the Ironfang Legion but could collapse the bridge by smashing its wooden repair frame. He worked with the party to position it for that purpose. In a battle with Ironfang hobgoblins, he severely injured a Fahrak captain before killing him, then helped gather weapons and alchemical items. He organized Main Camp for the survivors, led a watch group alongside Aubrin and other aristocrats, and joined discussions of salvage and crafting, emphasizing the need to gather resources.
Bruneg suggested killing a Zulgat to scatter its patrol and moved into position with the others. In a cave fight, he charged with his shield raised. He advanced toward Kellogg’s cabin, triggered an ankle-height string trap that fired an arrow into him, was struck by Kellogg, and continued forward before dropping to a knee badly wounded. Finnetharyn Fimbleshanks and Vendel Coldblade healed him repeatedly. He hacked at Kellogg and rose to attack again; Kellogg’s final retaliatory strike hit Bruneg as Kellogg fell. At camp, Auburn helped him toward his tent to rest. His team kept watch through the following days and nights, and Bruneg continued watch after the rain. At Gristledown, he advanced with his shield raised and smashed two bloody skeletons apart.
Bruneg speaks Abla and Goblin well enough to understand Fahrak scout shouts. He has fought with a scimitar and temporarily wielded a Crushing Morningstar, using a Potency Crystal to enhance his weapon. During a pool ambush, he cut Gundugar Herdtender’s filament and hauled him ashore. He struck a chrysmal with his shield until it broke apart, and split a dark mantle apart. In the xulgaths’ Small Underground Chamber, he met a warrior head-on and carved into him, held the line, was briefly blinded, used a Potency Crystal against the leader, suffered a draining touch that weakened him, and received patching from Arsène. In the burial Unused Empty Sarcophagus, he took the Crushing Morningstar. Against a Gelatinous Cube, he drew it toward himself and landed a crushing critical before its slime paralyzed him; he recovered as the cube fell.
During a hobgoblin patrol engagement, Bruneg moved between trees for cover, was struck by the initial volleys, charged the nearest scout, double-sliced an enemy, and raised his shield. He killed the last scout with a blow to the head and joined the post-fight healing and looting. In a glen, he noticed a wounded man’s movements were wrong and warned Fangwood Six that an illusion was likely. After a corpse burst, he rushed to Gundugar Herdtender’s side to patch him; he tried thrown weapons, switched to his crossbow, and hit the corrupted pixie. Travelling with Fangwood Six, he carried a shield and morningstar. He forced his way up a fort’s jammed stairwell, shoved a redcap back with his shield, and smashed it into red mist. Against an older redcap, he was tripped, turned aside a kick with his shield, rose, and hammered her while Nova pressed the attack. A trollhound bit him repeatedly; he stood, patched himself up, and returned to the fight. In the training room, a stuffed bear seized and mauled him until it lost its hold. A workshop korred’s living hair tangled him and left him clumsy. In Halk’s Throne Room, Bruneg charged the korred warlord, killed one spriggan, endured Halk’s blows, and kept pressing him; he then finished the remaining spriggan after it failed to frighten him.
Bruneg has also fought with a crossbow and shield, firing at Canopy Trolls and helping defeat the remaining trolls. He engaged giant porcupines in close combat and was injured by their quills. At an abandoned campsite, he found a large broken tusk covered in thick green-black hair, which Wren identified as belonging to a troll. Travelling with the party toward Fort Nunder, he carried a shield and two weapons. At an overturned cart, a cave bear charged, bit, and seized him; he counterattacked with both weapons and held the line behind his shield. At Fort Nunder, he and Gundugar understood the Jotun argument in the ruins. Trolls shouted about eating Bruneg and betting over his legs when he stepped into view. During a trollhound attack, he held the front as the creatures bit and tried to drag him down. When ordinary trolls attacked at the broken gateway, grabbed Arsène, battered Bruneg, and reached around the rubble, Bruneg answered with heavy swordwork. He lowered his weapons when Wren called for parley, ending the fighting. Afterwards, he searched the welcoming statue with Finnetharyn Fimbleshanks and found a secret compartment containing silver arrows and a disguise kit.
Bruneg travelled with the party in armor, carrying a sword and shield, and extinguished a magical light before they continued toward Fort Trova-Lay. When the fort’s defenders were alerted, he collided with Vendel Coldblade, advanced between two eagles, and struck one heavily. He badly injured another as it flew past, endured repeated attacks, and was wounded by an arrow. He treated his injuries, struck down a hobgoblin, blocked another arrow, and continued attacking as the soldiers withdrew. Inside the fort, he listened at a blood-scented door and examined bones with large bite marks. A specter knocked Arsène unconscious and wounded Bruneg; Bruneg raised his shield, restored Arsène to consciousness, and struck the specter repeatedly until it was destroyed.
A member of Fangwood Six, Bruneg carried a shield, two weapons, and the Salakut and Yissti keys. At the kennel, he opened a door with his shield raised and shouted at a troll that did not understand Common. He observed that the hobgoblin leader carried a lightning-covered double-bladed weapon and was more disciplined than hobgoblins he had encountered before. Wounded by arrows and pressed by axe-bearers, he killed a soldier with two strikes. He blocked the leader’s attack, struck at her as she tumbled past, and attacked her again while raising his shield. An axe-bearer tripped him, and an archer shot him while he was down. He rose and struck the leader again, then charged a troll, avoided its bite, and struck it. A cleric’s smite severely wounded him. After the fight, he repaired his shield. In the forge, he struck a creature whose hide dulled his weapon and continued attacking the basilisk after its gaze slowed him. He killed a garden cat with a shield strike. In the former armory, he advised Arsène to keep back and tried to shake a covered box from a distance. After Finnetharyn removed its bricks, Bruneg lifted the canvas. He used the keys to open two locked doors and told wounded Chernasardo Rangers that Fangwood Six opposed the hobgoblins and intended to take the fort. He told a troll they had killed the hobgoblins there. Upstairs, he opened a chamber, checked a bedroom drawer, attacked a defender, raised his shield, and later killed a foe and a dire weasel.
Bruneg entered the fort’s tower with the party. He advanced on Jang, struck her, and raised his shield. During the fight with the dragon, he raised his shield, asked about the submerged hoard, and tried to take a coin from the water. He moved through the water to Wren and tended her wounds. After taking Finnetharyn Fimbleshanks’s flying potion, he flew out to the dragon and struck it; its tail knocked him unconscious, and he fell into the river and was further injured. Arsène treated him, restored him to consciousness, and helped him reach shore. Bruneg returned to the tower before the looting began, taking the shocking bastard sword and later the crossbow. At the caverns, he objected when Finn joked that he and Arsène could be interrogated, saying he had been unconscious and had not seen the others. He later recalled the Molthuni corpse found in the fort.
After signs of the parasite were found, Bruneg and Vendel Coldblade recalled that the eggs could be removed surgically, though the operation was dangerous and time-consuming, and that gloss leaf was used against the parasite. Bruneg attacked the dancing woman; his second strike missed. When she attacked him, he raised his shield and her blow missed. He attacked her again, and Arsène later killed her. When the party resumed searching for gloss leaf, Bruneg found none. On the way back toward the refugees, he spotted smoke and alerted the others. He recognized a hobgoblin they had previously spared, then charged the deserters and attacked their alchemist when fighting began. At the refugee camp, he saw moving bumps beneath the leader’s skin and helped the party get the refugees to drink the treatment. He agreed to help keep Wren safe when Arden asked, and said he would be waiting for Finn’s song about the dragon.

• Bruneg has fought in melee with a shield and several kinds of weapons, and has used a crossbow and thrown weapons.
• He has raised his shield against attacks, blocked an arrow, and repaired his shield.
• He has used a Potency Crystal to enhance a weapon and has been slowed, blinded, weakened, paralyzed, and knocked unconscious in combat.
• He has tended wounds, patched himself, and helped gather supplies after battles.
• At Phaendar’s market festival, Bruneg completed the cart-and-shield challenge by overpowering two attendants.
• At Fender’s Bridge, he worked with the party to position the repair crane for the bridge’s destruction.
• At Camp, he organized survivors’ watch and took part in discussions of salvage and crafting.
• At the refugee camp, he helped the party give the refugees the treatment and agreed to help keep Wren safe.