Bran Mac Arden is a sixteen year old scullery boy living at The Raging Boar Inn, a better than average inn, with a good reputation. The Boar sits on the trade route to Avalon in Caer Thorne, just outside Arden, approximately one day's journey from Amber City. He stands aproximately seventeen hands tall and weighs near thirteen stone. He has long dark brown hair that has a tendancy to collect leaves, grass, and twigs. His eyes are the dark brown of the wood's rich soil. His clothing is nothing elaborate, but when he has the chance to decide, he tends toward greens and browns. His only distinguishing features are a leaf shaped birthmark and his ever-present smile.

His name comes from the fact that he was found at the forest's edge as a babe and no more suitable name could be found. (Bran from 'bairn' or child, thus Child of Arden, or Child of the Forest) He answers most quickly to "Boy", as that's how he's called most commonly. His adopted parents Wade and Annag Sorley, have provided him a good life, but his eighteen year old adopted brother, Lucian, constantly reminds him that he's not truly one of the family. He's also a bit of a crush on his "sister" Susannah, who's his own age. His chores include cleaning the kitchen, the common room, and tending the stables. He's never had time to learn reading or writing. He'd like to, but as a scullery boy he doesn't seem to have that opportunity. Working in an inn, he does have a good knowledge of coin of the realm.

As early as five he was catching sight of hearth spirits from the corner of his eye, and eventually one of his chores became leaving out the milk for the fair folk, before nightfall. Bran has a bad habit of losing track of time, especially when he's sneaked away into the edge of the forest to pretend with his wooden sword (really no more than a stick, but when alone in the forest, it really appears to be a sword) that he's one of Prince Julian's Rangers or the great Sir Jack Verdigris, dispatching the foes of the forest and crown. As all epic defeats of the dark minions take a great deal of time, Bran realized the shadows in the forest were growing longer. Rushing to get home and leave the offering for the faeries, he called out to them. He knew that he was too far from the inn for anyone to hear him, but when he arrived, after dark, the gwyllion was sitting waiting for him. "I heard ye call, and as ye been good to me so far, I thought I could wait for ye. Slaying the dark lord again, were ye?" he asked with a smile, filled with too many teeth. Bran reacted in shock and amazement, but quickly blessed his good fortune, ran inside and brought the spirit his evening milk. Better to stay on the faery's good side, he thought. The gwyllion drank the offering, smiled and headed toward the wood pile, only turning back as he reached its corner to smile at Bran and say, "Don't make it a habit, son of the wood, but should ye need me again, send the wind your words again." And thus began Bran's involvement with Faery Magic. Now his wooden sword actually does look like a sword, and it's actually sharp enough to draw blood, at least it appears that way to him.

He'd love to discover his true origins, and someday he dreams of becoming a Ranger or even a Knight of the Realm. As a youth, he really doesn't think much further in the future than today. He dreams of finding the lost Seelie court, yet has never seen that as a "real" goal in life. He's two items that he'd never want to lose. One, his wooden sword, fashioned from rowan twigs into a light sword, which he uses to battle the imagined dark lords. He keeps it hidden under his pallet in the top loft of the stable. The second item is a green-grey stone he shaped like a scale from Sir Jack's armor. He wears it on a thong around his neck.

Bran values honor above all. His quest of self discovery has led him to think, you've got to be true to something. Whether self, as the fae, or Crown as the Rangers, there's a higher purpose to strive for. Unfortunately he also has one shortcoming, little white lies. They allow him his release from drudgery, and have kept his abilities secret from his adopted parents. He believes in a child's idealized version of chivalry. Good guys always win. The knight gets the fair maiden. Bad guys wear black, good guys wear white. (Or green)

His only real fears are related to the Dark Lord in his dreams, mostly, if he exists. But daily he worries that he'll be discovered using his abilities by his family and cast out. The nightmare comes in many ways, but normally thus: