I think it’s time you were all formally introduced to one of my main characters, Bran McNeil, the Sword Bearer.
Bran works at his great aunt’s pub in the fictional Cornish village of West Thorndyke, though he was born in Scotland. His father was Scottish, you see. After his tragic death in the Afghanistan war, Bran’s mother Ellowen moved the family to West Thorndyke to live with her aunt and work at the pub. However, tragedy struck yet again, when a car accident put Ellowen in a coma.
Bran is 25 years old, lean-built, red-haired and about six feet tall. He speaks with a Scottish brogue, and prefers wearing a kilt to trousers. He is very skilled in sword-fighting arts, and has won several championship titles in medieval martial arts. He also enjoys hunting, horseback riding, hiking, and playing the concertina.
Through his mother’s family, Bran is one of the last living descendants of King Arthur, and rightful heir of the sword Caledbur, which he wields. Bran has a younger sister, Orla. The two live with their Aunt Marjory, a spinster, owner of the Big Bear Inn, which has been passed down through her family for well over a century.
Bran’s best friend is Archibald Stumbledon, a former rugby player, and current employee of the Big Bear Inn. He and Bran have been friends since the McNeils moved to West Thorndyke. He would gladly take a bullet for Bran. Bran has a love interest named Daphne Wong, who is a paramedic in residence at West Country Energy Corp. Though raised Presbyterian, Bran became a member of the Church of England as a teenager. He occasionally enjoys C.S. Lewis.
Bran was chosen by the Elves to wield the sword Caledbur not only on the basis of his heritage, but also on the basis of character. He does not suffer injustice gladly, either to himself or anyone else. He would give his very life for a just cause, though his Scottish temper often gets the better of him.
You can read more about Bran in my exciting webcomic, Legend of the Sword Bearer available through my newsletter to paid subscribers.