Bram Alfredson

Name: Bram Alfredson

Where He Lives: He rents a small and slightly rundown room in Lower Corus. The furniture is old but functional.

Place of Birth: He was born in his parent's house in the Lower City of Corus.

Age, Date of Birth: He is 35 and was born on October 21st.

Occupation: He is a clerk and makes extra money by doing forgeries.

Status: Commoner

Locale: Inn of the Rogue

Magic: Bram has no magic and would not know what to do with it if he did have it. Bram supposes that he might have had a better job with the Gift. However, he realizes that he would have gotten mediocre training at best since his family could not have afforded any better.

Family: Bram's family is very loving and close. His father, Alfred died of pneumonia when Bram was seventeen. Five years later, Bram's mother Ava remarried a man named Denys, who runs his own shop in Lower Corus. His is a kind man and treat's Ava's children as his own.

Bram has two sisters. He is very close to his oldest sister Maeve, who is three years younger than he is. She is married to a carpenter named Fynn and they have two sons. Bram is very fond of his nephews and often brings them treats and toys. Bram's other sister, Larra, is ten years younger than Bram and was recently married. Bram was once betrothed, but it didn't work out. He is currently single. At this point, he will likely become a confirmed bachelor due to his bad housekeeping habits and his bad breath.

Appearance: As a clerk, Bram's most distinctive features are his ink stained and calloused hands. His once trim body is now developing a slight paunch from sitting all day. His shoulders are starting to stoop from hunching over his desk. He is slightly shorter than average. His skin is lightly tanned in summer and almost pale in winter.

Bram's wispy brown hair is just starting to go bald on top. The cut is fairly short but shaggy because he rarely gets it trimmed. His face is clean-shaven. It is still long and gaunt from days when food was scarce. His ears stick out slightly and his nose is narrow. Bram's blue eyes are close set and framed by crowfeet. He often squints, as he has become slightly farsighted from working long hours in less than ideal lighting. His lips are thin and often pressed tightly together, especially when he is thinking.

Clothing: Bram generally dresses for comfort. He wears sensible and comfortable brown shoes in warm weather and equally sensible boots in cold weather. He wears breeches, brown or dark grey in color, and light tan shirts with a vest (usually green, his favorite color.) Bram does not carry any weapons, as he has no training. He carries a penknife in his belt pouch to sharpen his quills and an eating knife to cut up his food.

Personality: Bram's most obvious character trait is his boredom. He is in a midlife crisis because he is bored with his job and his life. As a result of his boredom, he is more likely to take risks that he normally wouldn't in the guise of adventure. He dreams of traveling, but that takes money that he doesn't have. Bram never had the chance have fun when he was in his teens and early twenties. His father was a strict taskmaster and left him little free time. After his father dies, he had to work hard to support his family and had no time left for recreation.

Bram can be quite greedy. He likes having money and material goods. He gets really excited when he gets some, especially when it is unexpected. Bram usually celebrates his windfall by spending it, after which he has little money left and gets depressed. He is so scared of living on the streets that he is able to stop himself before he spends it all.

Bram is a contradiction in that he is often absent-minded when it comes to remembering to do errands, but he has a perfect memory for information that he has read or gossip that he has overheard. Bram likes to make jokes, usually to stave off boredom or relieve tension. Occasionally he misjudges his audience, tells a good joke at the wrong tome, and offends someone. Fortunately, Bram has learned from his mistakes and it happens less often. This has made Bram a more thoughtful and deliberate person, but he still makes mistakes.

Strengths: Bram has a perfect memory for conversations that he has overheard. He is able to authentically forge official documents. He knits his own socks, scarves, and hats, so he stays reasonable warm in the winter.

Weaknesses: Bram is forgetful when is comes to chores like running errands or performing household tasks. When he cooks, the food generally ends up being burnt on the outside and undone on the inside. He usually goes to his mother or sister's house for dinner. He will buy food that needs no preparation, like bread and cheese. Bram can make jokes at an inconvenient time. He has horrendously bad breath. He is greedy, but at the same time, can't hold onto his money. Bram has poor eyesight from his work. He has no training in fighting, which could be bad if he gets into trouble in a seedy part of the city. He often gets lonely living alone, so he spends a lot of time with his family.

History: Bram was born in Corus and has never been out of the city. At a young age, he was put to work learning the basics of reading and writing. When Bram was older, his father, a clerk, took him as an apprentice. He reluctantly learned the trade, and was often rebellious and shirked his lessons. In those instances, Alfred would punish Bram by making him go without supper. Bram's hungry belly finally convinced him to cooperate. Alfred got him a good job at the palace when he was fifteen years old. A little over a year later, Alfred died of pneumonia. Bram has to work hard to support his mother and sisters. He did not particularly like working as a clerk, but it was the only thing he knew how to do.

Once his mother got married, and was no longer dependant upon his income, Bram became less reliable. The burden of providing for his family was lifted from his shoulders. He was often late for work and did sloppy work, which resulted in him getting fire from numerous positions. His betrothed broke of their engagement because she couldn't depend on him and did not want a lazy husband.

Bram couldn't find another job and did some minor forgeries. He started doing forgeries a few years before that when a friend got into some trouble. He asked Bram to forge a document to get him out of that trouble. At first, Bram was so scared that he was going to be caught, but when that never happened, he realized it was fun and gave him a thrill. He couldn't make enough money with his forgeries to support himself, so he had to move in with his mother and Denys. He does not like being dependant on others after being self-sufficient for so many years. Bram got his current job about six months ago. He doesn't really like it and it doesn't pay very well, but it is a steady source of income and keeps a roof over his head.

What is you character most ashamed of? Bram is ashamed of the fact that he is getting old. He doesn't like it that he is losing his hair, getting wrinkles and getting a middle-aged spread. He doesn't like to think that he spent the best years of his life working when he could have been enjoying himself.

What makes your character unique? He is in a midlife crisis and bored with his life and job. He knits socks, scarves, and hats for himself and to give away as gifts.

Why is your character coming to the Inn? Bram is not satisfied with the amount of money that he is making, so he is looking to continue doing forgeries on the side to supplement his income. Also, he likes doing the forgeries. They are more interesting than his normal work and he gets a thrill out of doing it. He heard from a former coworker that the Inn is a place where he might make some contacts to get more business doing forgeries. If/when Bram finds out that the Inn is the headquarters of the Rogue, he will be pretty shocked and not know what he should do. It is one think to dabble on the wrong side of the law. The Rogue is a very different matter. In the end, Bram will probably decide that the benefits outweigh the risks.

Disclaimer: These pictures are of Kenneth Marshall and are owned by Paramount Pictures. I don't own Tortall. That honor goes to Tamora Pierce