Braigan the Burned

Appearance
His appearance has every hallmark of a seasoned war veteran with scars that are deeply ingrained into his tanned flesh. The left side of his face is marred with severe burn scars that continue down his chest and left arm. He has recently let his hair grow longer and has thick dark eyebrows that curve stiffly around a set of pale blue eyes which betray a long history of grisly experiences. He has a sharp nose which shows signs of having been broken at least once and adorning his weathered, angular face is a newly grown beard, fashioned into a small chin-braid. Big, bulky and strong, he's on the taller side for a nord, and a force to be reckoned with against his foes.

Personality
Braigan is a blunt man who embodies every trait one would expect from someone whose adolescent life once lay dependant on every singular decision made. In a world where the slightest display of emotion risked a night of hunger and exposure to the harsh elements of the life of a slave, Braigan developed a steely and composed demeanour befitting the most brazen of men. But it's a demeanour that has begun to thaw over the last couple of years. From his time among the impoverished and fearful, one of his most potent defense mechanisms was the deflection of any emotional probing through sarcasm or bravado when confronted with a potentially trying situation. On the outside, Braigan is capable of enduring many challenges that would break a lesser man, opting to push his emotional responses to these hardships deep inside to be dealt with another time. To most, he can come across as a man who cares little about any plight other than his own but underneath his iron exterior, Braigan possesses a strong sense of protection and concern for all those he has grown to like and trust.

Observable facts:

 * Severe burn scars on the left-hand side of the face and further down along his chest, arm and both hands.
 * Can quite often be spotted strumming away at his lute on his free time, joining in with Shaydis and Nancy whenever time allows.
 * Spends a lot of time with, and seems very close with the ship's sawbones Beithe.

Rumors:

 * Some crewmen have mentioned that the giant nord used to be a slave.
 * There's talk about how he fought a giant sea serpent on the deck and sent it packing, only to fall unconscious afterwards.

Traits

 * Forest Stalker (Passive)Thanks to his upbringing as a hunter, he knows how to track and move in a forest environment. +1 to perception and agility rolls when relating to hunting, navigating or trekking through a forest.
 * Bloop
 * Blort

Adjanah
"Likeable, dependable and friendly. Except.. Well, the friendliness.. I don't know, it all seems like a game to her. Like a cat playin' with its next meal. Y'got no clue what's gonna happen when she gets bored of it. But got no reason to think she'd do anythin' bad.. Just a feelin' y'get sometimes. And there's none other than her on board the Seasmoke that could do the job half as good as she can."

Aeironn
"Heh, the Captain.. I don't think we see eye to eye on most things, really. But we understand eachother. And that's somethin' I'd value much more than havin' someone who agrees with everything. New perspectives are always better, no matter if y'like 'em or not. Although.. He seems to have some kind of deal with a sea monster. Not sure if I should feel safer about it all, or if I should be more scared?"

Astrid
"The Bosun. She's a Nord, so.. You know what you get? No nonsense, a beast inna fight and companion like no other when y'fight next to her. Or share a drink."

Azmoda
"She cooks my food and she does it well. Hell I might even say I love her for it, but then she has to go and be some fire mage and ruin it all. Everyone knows it's just a matter of time before y'explode and kill everyone around you. It's a fact, yeah?"

Beithe
"The most infuriatin' person I've ever met, but also the most important to me. She's not lookin' past the scars. She doesn't see 'em. I didn't have to be Braigan the Burned. I could just be Braigan... Never met anyone like her..Although that ain't so weird considerin' what she is. But it's not that. She understands."

Bleeds
"Good kid, although I know nothin' about him. And I mean nothin'. Good in a fight, we stood shoulder to shoulder against pirates and I'd do it again. He cares about folks and while I'd call that a weakness, it ain't anythin' I can fault him for. Shit, he'd be someone worth riskin' yer life for."

Evie (Phora)
"First person of the crew that I got to know. Although know is a strong word.. Y'could read her like an open book. If said book was burnt, had its ashes swept up and then locked inside a vault that y'threw into the sea. But I like her. She's scrappy, and dependable. And she's got a good head on her."

Guldren
"Well uhh.. Okay that's tricky. On one hand he's perceptive and experienced, on the other hand my first impression was that he was a naive gloryhound, far too carin' for his own good. It's hard to tell.. Sometimes y'feel like you've known em for ages only to realise it's been a couple of months? I guess I can't fault him for that? Well.. If it wasn't for the fact that my life is quite literally in his hands, bein the commander of the vanguard and all. At least he ain't half-assin' it, and a damn hard worker when it comes down to it."

Litharith
"One of few people I just can't stand. But I have to say that it takes some skill to speak so much without actually sayin' anythin' of worth. Just 'cause y'cover a knife with honey before y'shove it in someone's chest doesn't make the delivery any sweeter. Yer a shit no matter where you put it."

Lucian
"Ho boy.. Okay, okay.. He's a decent kid. Just wish people wouldn't try to make him into somethin' he ain't. No matter how much y'shine a piece of shit, it's still gonna remain a piece of shit.. Albeit a bit shinier. Let him stay where he's useful instead of gettin' him killed, y'know?"

Naya
"The Dunmer? People seem to always expect you to hate 'em. But she seems as good as any? I would've pegged her for a pencil pushin' desk dweller but I'm happy to say she's proved me wrong. Judgin' by her savin' the life of the First Mate on her own and how quickly she seems to piece things together, I can only say I'd have her frequent the ship more often.. Reckon' she'd be an asset."

Niketh
"How about we talk about somethin' else?"

Shaydis
"She knows her music. What else is there to be said? Okay, fine.. She's manipulative, sneaky, full of bluster and has a way with bluffin' like y'can't imagine. She's hard to pin down, to read, but y'can't mistake the calculatin' intelligence in those eyes. Surprisingly enough I'd say she's far more dependable than half the crew, and that ain't sayin' the crew ain't dependable. Well, maybe a little."

Tziphora
"Heh, callin' her shady doesn't even begin to hint at the meanin'. If Shaydis is sneaky, this one's a shadow. Seems to have some weird fascination with the Captain. My bet is she really wants to jump his snake.. Then again, she seems oddly close with the first mate, maybe she's just tryin' to get at the higher ups?"