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{{SpoilerBanner}}
  
 
{{Infobox Character
  
{{Infobox Character
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|image = Tw3 journal kingbran.png
 +
|Image = Tw3 journal kingbran.png
  +
|Aka = The Conqueror<ref name="aka">''[[A Fractured Land: Tales of the Northern Realms]]''</ref>
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|titles = [[King of the Skellige Isles|King]] of [[Skellige]]
  
  +
|Status = Deceased {{Small|text=killed by a bear}}
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|nationality = {{Skelliger}}
  
  +
|Hair_color = White, formerly brown<ref name="tw3"/>
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|gender = Male
  
  +
|Eye_color = Blue<ref name="tw3"/>
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|profession =
 
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|abilities =
 
⚫
|family = [[Clan Tuirseach]]
  
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|partner = [[Birna]] {{Small|text=wife}}<br>[[Unidentified Bran's concubine|Redhead woman]] {{Small|text=mistress}}
  
⚫
|relative = [[Eist Tuirseach]] {{Small|text=brother}}<br>[[Crach's mother|Unnamed sister]]<br>[[Crach an Craite]] {{Small|text=nephew}}
  
 
|Race = [[Human]]
  
|Race = [[Human]]
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|Eyecolor = Blue
 +
|Gender = Male
  ⚫
|Nationality = {{Skelliger}}
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|Haircolor = White with gray
  
  +
|Born = {{Year||canon=no|year = 1192}}<ref group="N" name="birth"/>
⚫
|childrens = [[Svanrige an Tuirseach]] {{Small|text=son}}
  
  +
|COA = COA Tuirseach.svg
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|appearsin = Books<br>{{TLW}} <br>Games<br>{{Tw3}} {{Small|text=deceased}}|status = Deceased}}
  
  ⚫
|Titles = [[King of the Skellige Isles]]<br>Jarl of [[An Skellig]]
⚫
{{Quote|text = Sit at my table and let's drink!|citation = King Bran, {{Gwent standalone}}|audio = King Bran voice line.ogg}}
  
  ⚫
|Family = [[Clan Tuirseach]]
  +
|Partner = [[Bran's unidentified concubine|Redhead woman]] {{Small|text=mistress}}<br>[[Birna]] {{Small|text=wife}}<br>At least one other {{Small|text=wife}}<ref name="tw3"/>
  ⚫
|Children = [[Svanrige Tuirseach]] {{Small|text=son}}<ref name="tw3"/>
  ⚫
|Relative = [[Eist Tuirseach]] {{Small|text=brother}}<br>[[Crach's mother]] {{Small|text=sister}}<br>[[Crach an Craite]] {{Small|text=nephew}}
  +
|Appears_books = {{TLW}}<br>{{TTotS}}
  +
|Appears_games = {{Tw3}}<br>{{BaW}} {{mo}}<br>{{TWRPG}}
  +
|Appears_other = {{Hexer}} {{mo}}<br>{{Witcher TV}} {{mo}}
  +
}}
  +
{{Quote|text = Smooth seas this morn. As if the gods themselves were payin' respect to the great Konung Bran.|citation = [[Sjusta]], {{Tw3}}}}
  +
'''Bran Tuirseach''', called '''"the Conqueror"''', was jarl of [[An Skellig]] who ruled as [[King of the Skellige Isles]] in the 1250s before the ascension of his brother [[Eist Tuirseach]] and from {{Year|year = 1267}} until {{Year||canon=no|year = 1272}}.
   
  +
Though initially a marriage of his nephew [[Crach an Craite]] and Princess [[Pavetta]] had been planned, King Bran managed to form an alliance with [[Cintra]] by marrying Eist off to Queen [[Calanthe]] in {{Year|canon=yes|year=1252}}. With crown passed to Eist, the bond elevated into a personal union.
−
'''Bran Tuirseach''' was a monarch of [[Skellige]], the maternal uncle of [[Crach an Craite]] and the brother of [[Eist Tuirseach]], with whom he had a friendly relationship and who led his army as [[Jarl of Skellige]]. Other than his brother, the [[king]] had a good friend and confidante in [[druid]] [[Mousesack]].
  
   
  +
After an interregnum following King Eist's death, Bran regained the iron crown of [[Skellige]] and ruled for a few more years. Once he felt too old, Bran set out to hunt a [[bear]] and died.
⚫
== Biography ==
  
   
  ⚫
== Biography ==
 
=== Early life ===
  
=== Early life ===
  +
Born in {{Year||canon=no|year = 1192}},<ref group="N" name="birth">In {{Gwent standalone}}, Bran is said to have just passed 80 when he decided to end his life. As {{Tw3}} is set in 1272 and it mentions the king as "recently-departed", Bran's birth year can be deduced as being 1192.</ref> Bran had two siblings, brother [[Eist Tuirseach]] and a [[Crach's mother|sister]] who later gave birth to his nephew [[Crach an Craite]].<ref name="tlw">{{TLW}}</ref> As a member of [[Clan Tuirseach]], Bran eventually inherited the title of the jarl of [[An Skellig]] and thereby the clan's leadership.
−
Bran was born into [[Clan Tuirseach]] on the Isles and grew up with his brother Eist Tuirseach and at least one other [[Crach's mother|sister]], who gave birth to his nephew Crach an Craite. He also developed a friendship with native Mousesack, and this lasted even after one became king and the other gallant druid.<ref name="first source">{{TLW}}</ref>
  
   
  +
After the previous [[King of the Skellige Isles|Konung]] died, Bran submitted his candidacy and proved himself worthy by slaying a [[dragon]] named [[Evren]]. The display of valor won the hearts of the jarls, and Bran was given the crown.<ref name="tw3">{{Tw3}}</ref>
−
Also possibly around this time he met [[Birna]], not his first wife but the mother of his first born son, [[Svanrige an Tuirseach]].<ref name="second source">{{Tw3}}</ref>
  
   
  +
[[File:Gwent cardart skellige bran tuirseach.jpg|thumb|170px|Bran with the honor guard]]
⚫
=== Reign ===
  
−
They say the seas smashing against Skellige's shores would sooner bow to a ruler than its inhabitants. Yet they bowed to Bran. He united all the clans behind him and held them together in an iron fist until his death. He was seen as a strong and courageous leader and its said that the fewer warriors he led, the more fiercely they fought. He also had selected shield maidens, who served him as his personal guards. They were known to be loyal and defend their king fiercely, fighting through any injury short of death itself.<ref>{{Gwent standalone}}</ref>
  
   
  +
=== Primary reign ===
−
When [[Queen]] [[Calanthe]] of [[Cintra]] organized [[Pavetta]]'s 15th birthday feast in [[Timeline#1252|1252]], would-be suitors arrived. Bran sent Crach as well as Eist, Mousesack, [[Draig Bon-Dhu]], and thirty seamen as an entourage for his nephew. However events went rather unexpectedly and while Crach didn't get Pavetta's hand, Eist married none other than Queen Calanthe.<ref name="first source" /> After this, Bran handed over the crown to him and Eist remained king for 13 years until both Eist and Calanthe died in the [[Battle of Marnadal]] and Bran received the crown back.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20000305080928/http://sapkowski.fantasy.art.pl:80/wc/ciri/eist.html.po Genalogy of Ciri - Eist]</ref><ref>Since Sapkowski's work or its adaptations do not contain any information about Bran's death (and he finally appears in ''The Witcher 3''), the reason of Eist's coronation is unknown.</ref>
  
  +
King Bran united the [[clans of Skellige|clans]] through the way unknown to his predecessors: compromise. He invited his rivals to banquets and with sweet words, coin, and barrels of mead persuaded most to join his side.<ref name="gwent">{{Gwent standalone}}</ref> During one such feast, warrior [[Uve Jabberjaw]] got drunk and insulted the king. Angered, Bran let Uve live but ordered him to tear out his tongue and therefore retain honor.
   
  +
At some point, Bran had met the love of his life [[Birna]] who, although not his first nor last lover, had always been closest to him and had become the mother of his firstborn son, [[Svanrige Tuirseach]].<ref name="tw3" /> To keep rivals in check, King Bran was aided by his wife, who told him every suspicious rumor or deed that she had noticed during the feasts.<ref name="gwent">{{Gwent standalone}}</ref> Aside from her, King Bran had [[druid]] [[Mousesack]] as an advisor and confidant. His brother Eist who by then rose to be the [[jarl of Skellige]], commander of the armed forces, was an advisor as well.<ref name="tlw" />
−
=== Death and funeral ===
  
⚫
[[File:Tw3 the king is dead.jpg|left|thumb|220px|Bran's final voyage]]
  
−
He lived a long life but when he started to feel old and decrepit, he went into the woods to hunt a [[bear]] armed with only a knife, leaving the world on his own terms. Unlike his brother who was buried in a traditional tomb next to a cenotaph to his wife, Bran's body was put on a longship by his warriors with all possible things he could need in an afterlife on board. When everybody bid him farewell, [[Unidentified Bran's concubine|his younger lover]] lied willingly next to his body as the ship was set out to sea and set ablaze by Crach.<ref name="second source" />
  
   
  +
When [[Queen]] [[Calanthe]] of [[Cintra]] set up [[Pavetta]]'s 15th birthday feast in {{Year|canon=yes|year=1252}}, would-be suitors arrived. Bran sent his nephew Crach an Craite with Eist, Mousesack and [[Draig Bon-Dhu]] as an entourage but the event turned out unexpectedly. While Crach didn't win Pavetta's hand, Eist married the queen.<ref name="tlw" /> Bran was pleased with the result as it seated the remote islands at the same table as the mightiest dynasties of the [[Continent]].<ref>''[[The Art of the Witcher: Gwent Gallery Collection]]''</ref>
⚫
== Associated quests ==
  
⚫
* [[The King is Dead – Long Live the King]]
  
⚫
* [[The Cave of Dreams]]
  
   
  +
=== Pause and continuous reign ===
⚫
== Journal entry ==
  
  +
Despite his wife's repeated requests, the King refused to champion their son Svanrige as rightful heir to the throne. He perceived the concept of hereditary monarchy as preposterous and believed that the boy would earn the crown himself was he worthy.<ref name="gwent" /> By {{Year||canon=yes|year=1257}}, the crown has been bequeathed to Eist while Crach became the new jarl of Skellige.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20000305080928/http://sapkowski.fantasy.art.pl:80/wc/ciri/eist.html.po Genalogy of Ciri - Eist]</ref> The reign of his brother and Queen Calanthe, titled ''Ard Rhena'' (High Queen) on Skellige, lasted for over ten years until they died fighting the [[Nilfgaardian Empire]].<ref>{{BoE}}</ref>
⚫
: ''King Bran, former [[King of the Skellige Isles]], lived a long and storied life. When he finally felt decrepitude taking a hold of him, he went into the woods to hunt a bear armed with only a knife – and thus ended his reign. It was remembered as an honorable and respected one, though some complained he preferred raiding to confronting the Isles' long-term problems, and that he let his wife's tongue wag too freely. Some connected the two, claiming Bran sailed out to fight overseas battles to put off dealing with the ones awaiting him at home.''
  
  +
  +
After a brief interregnum during which Jarl Crach an Craite was effectively the steward of the Isles, leading the Skelligers against the Black Ones,<ref>{{TTotS}}</ref> Bran was reinstated as the king.<ref name="trpg">{{TWRPG}}</ref> For the next few years, Bran continued to rule as before, keeping the clans under him and leading them on profitable raids. Nevertheless, he never united the jarls as one massive fleet which could seriously threaten Nilfgaard.<ref name="tw3" /> Bran's reign was marked by continuous peace and he was given an epithet of "the Conqueror".<ref name="aka" />
  +
  +
=== Last hunt ===
  ⚫
[[File:Tw3 the king is dead.jpg|left|thumb|215px|Bran on his final voyage]]
  +
Bran lived long and reached 80 years of age in {{Year|canon=no|year=1272}}. When his hands began to tremble and his ideas wandered off mid-sentence, Bran decided to go into the woods of An Skellig to hunt a great [[bear]] armed with only a knife and dressed in delicate cloth, leaving the [[world]] on his own terms.<ref name="gwent" />
  +
  +
His body was put on a [[drakkar]] in [[Kaer Trolde Harbor]] by Tuirseach warriors with all items he could need in an afterlife. When everybody bid him farewell, [[Bran's unidentified concubine|his young lover]] willingly lay next to his body as the ship was set out to sea and set ablaze by his nephew, Jarl Crach. One shepherd sacrificed his best mare for the king, while a group of An Craite warriors offered Bran their manes, swearing to remain bald until a new king had been chosen.<ref name="tw3" />
  +
  ⚫
=== Legacy ===
  +
[[File:Tw3 cave of dreams Bran.png|thumb|215px|The specter of Bran]]
  +
On the same day, a wooden bust of Bran with detailed trimming was carved out by the harbor's artisans to be put up on the shore of [[Larvik]] where, the islanders believed, its fierce gaze would protect them from Nilfgaard.
  +
  +
At the wake in [[Kaer Trolde citadel]] that ensued straight after the funeral, Bran was recalled as a hero by all present. [[Holger Blackhand]] remembered him fondly for keeping Birna in line and hoped for the next king to be his equal. With toasts raised to his memory, there were still likes of [[Cerys an Craite]] who felt Bran did little to resolve old quarrels.
  +
  +
To prove himself a worthy candidate to the crown, [[Blueboy Lugos]] set out to best his fears in the [[Cave of Dreams]]. He took along [[witcher]] [[Geralt of Rivia]] and two warriors, Uve Jabberjaw and [[Jorulf the Wolverine]]. Inside, Uve saw specters of Tuirseach warriors and Bran. As his fear of insulting Bran once more came true, Uve had to defeat the warriors before he could continue.<ref name="tw3" />
  +
  +
Bran was also commemorated as a leader card in [[Skellige Gwent deck]] by [[Igor Monnier|Igor]] and [[Martin Monnier]], counts of [[Toussaint]] inspired by their visit to the isles sometime prior to {{Year|canon=no|year=1275}}.<ref>{{BaW}}</ref>
  +
  +
== Personality and traits ==
  ⚫
{{Quote|text = Sit at my table and let's drink!|citation = King Bran, {{Gwent standalone}}|audio = King Bran voice line.ogg}}
  +
Unlike the other jarls and konungs of Skellige, Bran knew how to use compromise to his advantage. In his early years, hospitality and friendly demeanor enabled him to easily win over any opponent and turn him into his vassal.<ref name="gwent" /> However, by the end of his reign, memory began to fail Bran and he could no longer unite the clans to pose a serious threat to the Nilfgaardian Empire.<ref name="tw3" />
  +
  +
== {{Tw3}} ==
  ⚫
=== Journal Entry ===
  ⚫
:''King Bran, former King of the Skellige Isles, lived a long and storied life. When he finally felt decrepitude taking a hold of him, he went into the woods to hunt a bear armed with only a knife – and thus ended his reign. It was remembered as an honorable and respected one, though some complained he preferred raiding to confronting the Isles' long-term problems, and that he let his wife's tongue wag too freely. Some connected the two, claiming Bran sailed out to fight overseas battles to put off dealing with the ones awaiting him at home.''
  +
  ⚫
=== Associated Quests ===
  ⚫
*[[The King is Dead – Long Live the King]]
  ⚫
*[[The Cave of Dreams]]
  +
  +
== {{Gwent standalone}} ==
  +
Bran is a leader in the Homecoming version.
  +
=== Reward Tree entries ===
  +
:'''''Scroll 1:''' They say it is easier to tame the seas crashing against Skellige's shores than the Skelligers themselves. Yet Bran did just that. He united the isles and the clans behind him – and long ruled with an iron fist.''
  +
:'''''Scroll 2:''' What was his secret? How did he succeed when others failed? Was it courage? Cunning? Intimidation? No, nothing of the sort. Bran tapped into a power previously unknown to the isles' inhabitants – compromise.''
  +
:'''''Scroll 3:''' When others would reach for ax and bow, Bran invited his rivals to banquet. With honey-sweet words, purses laden with coin, and barrels heavy with mead, it proved difficult to disagree with Skellige's king for long.''
  +
:'''''Scroll 4:''' Despite never slaying an ice giant or raiding the City of Golden Towers, Bran is remembered as a truly great ruler. Though not a hero in his own right, he delivered peace to the Isles, ushering in a period of growth and prosperity for the next generation of Skellige's champions.''
  +
:'''''Chest 1:''' Bran's closest advisor and confidant was his wife, Birna. During banquets, she always sat at his side, silent, nearly unnoticeable in the bustle. She could recall every uttered rumor, every knowing wink, every raised eyebrow. Then later, in the bear skin-adorned bed of the royal bedchamber, she would whisper into her husband's ear all that she had learned...''
  +
:'''''Chest 2:''' Despite Birna's repeated requests, Bran refused to champion their son, Svanrige, as rightful heir to the throne. He believed if the boy truly deserved the crown, he'd earn it without the king's intercession. If found unworthy, so be it. Bran found the Continent's long history of dynastic rule preposterous. Birna, on the other hand, could not be persuaded to feel the same...''
  +
:'''''Chest 3:''' Bran lived a long life – a very long life. When, just after his eightieth birthday, his hands began to tremble and his thoughts began to wander mid-sentence, he set out with a small hunting party. Wearing only delicate linens and armed with only a knife, he departed for An Skellig in search of a bear... And an honorable death.''
  +
  +
== Trivia ==
  +
* In Middle Welsh, ''brân'' means "crow".
   
 
== Gallery ==
  
== Gallery ==
 
<gallery>
  
<gallery>
  +
Skins Bran front.png|Gwent leader skin front
−
Tw3_cave_of_dreams_Bran.png|Illusion of Bran in The Cave of Dreams.
  
  +
Skins Bran back.png|Leader skin back
−
Tw3 cardart skellige leader king bran.png|Gwent card art
  
 
</gallery>
  
</gallery>
  +
  +
== Footnotes ==
  +
<references group="N" />
   
 
== References ==
  
== References ==
 
<references />
  
<references />
   
−
== External links ==
 +
== External Links ==
 
*{{Gwent|Bran Tuirseach}}
  
*{{Gwent|Bran Tuirseach}}
   
 
{{Skellige}}
  
{{Skellige}}
   
  +
[[ar:بران تويرسيخ]]
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<!-- Interwiki Links -->
  
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[[cs:Bran ze Skellige]]
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[[cs:Bran an Tuirseach]]
 
[[es:Bran de Skellige]]
  
[[es:Bran de Skellige]]
 
[[it:Bran di Skellige]]
  
[[it:Bran di Skellige]]
 
[[pl:Bran]]
  
[[pl:Bran]]
 
[[ru:Бран]]
  
[[ru:Бран]]
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[[sk:Bran Tuirseach]]
 
[[uk:Бран Турсех]]
  
[[uk:Бран Турсех]]
 
[[Category:Humans]]
  
[[Category:Humans]]
 
[[Category:Monarchs]]
  
[[Category:Monarchs]]
 
[[Category:The Last Wish characters]]
  
[[Category:The Last Wish characters]]
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[[Category:The Tower of the Swallow characters]]
 
[[Category:The Witcher 3 characters]]
  
[[Category:The Witcher 3 characters]]
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[[Category:Blood and Wine mentioned-only characters]]
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[[Category:The Witcher Role-Playing Game characters]]

Revision as of 06:41, 7 June 2020

Big Quote Left
 Smooth seas this morn. As if the gods themselves were payin' respect to the great Konung Bran.
Big Quote Right
- Sjusta, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Bran Tuirseach, called "the Conqueror", was jarl of An Skellig who ruled as King of the Skellige Isles in the 1250s before the ascension of his brother Eist Tuirseach and from 1267 until 1272.

Though initially a marriage of his nephew Crach an Craite and Princess Pavetta had been planned, King Bran managed to form an alliance with Cintra by marrying Eist off to Queen Calanthe in 1252. With crown passed to Eist, the bond elevated into a personal union.

After an interregnum following King Eist's death, Bran regained the iron crown of Skellige and ruled for a few more years. Once he felt too old, Bran set out to hunt a bear and died.

Biography

Early life

Born in 1192,[N 1] Bran had two siblings, brother Eist Tuirseach and a sister who later gave birth to his nephew Crach an Craite.[3] As a member of Clan Tuirseach, Bran eventually inherited the title of the jarl of An Skellig and thereby the clan's leadership.

After the previous Konung died, Bran submitted his candidacy and proved himself worthy by slaying a dragon named Evren. The display of valor won the hearts of the jarls, and Bran was given the crown.[2]

Gwent cardart skellige bran tuirseach

Bran with the honor guard

Primary reign

King Bran united the clans through the way unknown to his predecessors: compromise. He invited his rivals to banquets and with sweet words, coin, and barrels of mead persuaded most to join his side.[4] During one such feast, warrior Uve Jabberjaw got drunk and insulted the king. Angered, Bran let Uve live but ordered him to tear out his tongue and therefore retain honor.

At some point, Bran had met the love of his life Birna who, although not his first nor last lover, had always been closest to him and had become the mother of his firstborn son, Svanrige Tuirseach.[2] To keep rivals in check, King Bran was aided by his wife, who told him every suspicious rumor or deed that she had noticed during the feasts.[4] Aside from her, King Bran had druid Mousesack as an advisor and confidant. His brother Eist who by then rose to be the jarl of Skellige, commander of the armed forces, was an advisor as well.[3]

When Queen Calanthe of Cintra set up Pavetta's 15th birthday feast in 1252, would-be suitors arrived. Bran sent his nephew Crach an Craite with Eist, Mousesack and Draig Bon-Dhu as an entourage but the event turned out unexpectedly. While Crach didn't win Pavetta's hand, Eist married the queen.[3] Bran was pleased with the result as it seated the remote islands at the same table as the mightiest dynasties of the Continent.[5]

Pause and continuous reign

Despite his wife's repeated requests, the King refused to champion their son Svanrige as rightful heir to the throne. He perceived the concept of hereditary monarchy as preposterous and believed that the boy would earn the crown himself was he worthy.[4] By 1257, the crown has been bequeathed to Eist while Crach became the new jarl of Skellige.[6] The reign of his brother and Queen Calanthe, titled Ard Rhena (High Queen) on Skellige, lasted for over ten years until they died fighting the Nilfgaardian Empire.[7]

After a brief interregnum during which Jarl Crach an Craite was effectively the steward of the Isles, leading the Skelligers against the Black Ones,[8] Bran was reinstated as the king.[9] For the next few years, Bran continued to rule as before, keeping the clans under him and leading them on profitable raids. Nevertheless, he never united the jarls as one massive fleet which could seriously threaten Nilfgaard.[2] Bran's reign was marked by continuous peace and he was given an epithet of "the Conqueror".[1]

Last hunt

Tw3 the king is dead

Bran on his final voyage

Bran lived long and reached 80 years of age in 1272. When his hands began to tremble and his ideas wandered off mid-sentence, Bran decided to go into the woods of An Skellig to hunt a great bear armed with only a knife and dressed in delicate cloth, leaving the world on his own terms.[4]

His body was put on a drakkar in Kaer Trolde Harbor by Tuirseach warriors with all items he could need in an afterlife. When everybody bid him farewell, his young lover willingly lay next to his body as the ship was set out to sea and set ablaze by his nephew, Jarl Crach. One shepherd sacrificed his best mare for the king, while a group of An Craite warriors offered Bran their manes, swearing to remain bald until a new king had been chosen.[2]

Legacy

Tw3 cave of dreams Bran

The specter of Bran

On the same day, a wooden bust of Bran with detailed trimming was carved out by the harbor's artisans to be put up on the shore of Larvik where, the islanders believed, its fierce gaze would protect them from Nilfgaard.

At the wake in Kaer Trolde citadel that ensued straight after the funeral, Bran was recalled as a hero by all present. Holger Blackhand remembered him fondly for keeping Birna in line and hoped for the next king to be his equal. With toasts raised to his memory, there were still likes of Cerys an Craite who felt Bran did little to resolve old quarrels.

To prove himself a worthy candidate to the crown, Blueboy Lugos set out to best his fears in the Cave of Dreams. He took along witcher Geralt of Rivia and two warriors, Uve Jabberjaw and Jorulf the Wolverine. Inside, Uve saw specters of Tuirseach warriors and Bran. As his fear of insulting Bran once more came true, Uve had to defeat the warriors before he could continue.[2]

Bran was also commemorated as a leader card in Skellige Gwent deck by Igor and Martin Monnier, counts of Toussaint inspired by their visit to the isles sometime prior to 1275.[10]

Personality and traits

Big Quote Left
 Sit at my table and let's drink!
Big Quote Right
- King Bran, Template:Gwent standalone
Audio version: Media:King Bran voice line.ogg

Unlike the other jarls and konungs of Skellige, Bran knew how to use compromise to his advantage. In his early years, hospitality and friendly demeanor enabled him to easily win over any opponent and turn him into his vassal.[4] However, by the end of his reign, memory began to fail Bran and he could no longer unite the clans to pose a serious threat to the Nilfgaardian Empire.[2]

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Journal Entry

King Bran, former King of the Skellige Isles, lived a long and storied life. When he finally felt decrepitude taking a hold of him, he went into the woods to hunt a bear armed with only a knife – and thus ended his reign. It was remembered as an honorable and respected one, though some complained he preferred raiding to confronting the Isles' long-term problems, and that he let his wife's tongue wag too freely. Some connected the two, claiming Bran sailed out to fight overseas battles to put off dealing with the ones awaiting him at home.

Associated Quests

Template:Gwent standalone

Bran is a leader in the Homecoming version.

Reward Tree entries

Scroll 1: They say it is easier to tame the seas crashing against Skellige's shores than the Skelligers themselves. Yet Bran did just that. He united the isles and the clans behind him – and long ruled with an iron fist.
Scroll 2: What was his secret? How did he succeed when others failed? Was it courage? Cunning? Intimidation? No, nothing of the sort. Bran tapped into a power previously unknown to the isles' inhabitants – compromise.
Scroll 3: When others would reach for ax and bow, Bran invited his rivals to banquet. With honey-sweet words, purses laden with coin, and barrels heavy with mead, it proved difficult to disagree with Skellige's king for long.
Scroll 4: Despite never slaying an ice giant or raiding the City of Golden Towers, Bran is remembered as a truly great ruler. Though not a hero in his own right, he delivered peace to the Isles, ushering in a period of growth and prosperity for the next generation of Skellige's champions.
Chest 1: Bran's closest advisor and confidant was his wife, Birna. During banquets, she always sat at his side, silent, nearly unnoticeable in the bustle. She could recall every uttered rumor, every knowing wink, every raised eyebrow. Then later, in the bear skin-adorned bed of the royal bedchamber, she would whisper into her husband's ear all that she had learned...
Chest 2: Despite Birna's repeated requests, Bran refused to champion their son, Svanrige, as rightful heir to the throne. He believed if the boy truly deserved the crown, he'd earn it without the king's intercession. If found unworthy, so be it. Bran found the Continent's long history of dynastic rule preposterous. Birna, on the other hand, could not be persuaded to feel the same...
Chest 3: Bran lived a long life – a very long life. When, just after his eightieth birthday, his hands began to tremble and his thoughts began to wander mid-sentence, he set out with a small hunting party. Wearing only delicate linens and armed with only a knife, he departed for An Skellig in search of a bear... And an honorable death.

Trivia

  • In Middle Welsh, brân means "crow".

Gallery

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 In Template:Gwent standalone, Bran is said to have just passed 80 when he decided to end his life. As The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is set in 1272 and it mentions the king as "recently-departed", Bran's birth year can be deduced as being 1192.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 A Fractured Land: Tales of the Northern Realms
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The Last Wish
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Template:Gwent standalone
  5. ↑ The Art of the Witcher: Gwent Gallery Collection
  6. ↑ Genalogy of Ciri - Eist
  7. ↑ Blood of Elves
  8. ↑ The Tower of the Swallow
  9. ↑ The Witcher Role-Playing Game
  10. ↑ Blood and Wine expansion

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