Forum Name: Happycrow
Login Name: Russ Mitchell

◦An updated in-depth description of your character's short-term and long-term goals.

1. ST: Destroy the Hand of Death, which lured, ambushed, and humiliatingly defeated the OLC inside the Crypt. Brandeis takes the overwatch role on the Crypt seriously, and knows that a serious bout of necromancy -- or worse -- using the Crypt as a base could destabilize the Old Lands irrevocably.
2. MIDTERM: Assist the Clainthuror. But there are no detailed goals here, as he is their volunteered ally, and being human, will always be an outsider to their primary plans. Neither has he received any interaction from the two Clainthuror that would indicate otherwise, so he regards this as a required act of piety, one which constantly impoverishes him but serves as "tempering" for him. (see below, deity section) He is (unusually) preaching that those who revere Thilias need to keep in mind that the dwarves are Thilias' creation, and thus to be treated with respect (even if they become adversaries -- Brandeis, in a fit of humor, lives for the day that he can see a half-orc follower of his greeting Ruvat or Sagnar with the Sign of the Hammer).
3. LT: Found a Temple. He's still back at Square Two. He's preaching regularly in Larmenius, but his duties with the OLC continually knock him back financially -- he's never possessed more than 4,000 gold since the expedition against the Kurlach, and is worried that he might fail simply because of an inability to raise the coin required to get a temple off the ground. But as a Coiner, he takes a VERY broad and tolerant view of all the various people who could engage in worship at the Temple, and he plans to have at least one Hall of Craft showing off wares and productions, even if it's an unfinished tunnel, showing off everything from locks and lockpicks to horse harness, pottery, skilled weaving, bookbinding, and quality arms and armor.
4. LT: Fix Larmenius: Brandeis is disgusted by the dual-standard of legal priveleges for the supposedly heroic Knights, et. al., who instead seem to do little to nothing besides bask in their ancestors' glory. He's strongly contemplating founding a temple IN Larmenius, right in the old Jawharan Weapon import as a direct challenge to the other temples, by creating a temple that is explicitly aimed at the people who actually comprise most of the populace and will serve their needs.
5. MIDTERM: Produce a Work of Wonder: Brandeis utterly failed to produce anything of note the last time he was in Bardum (ooc: forge is currently broken), but for pride and as an inspiration to the faith, wishes to create an armor, or a shield, or several other items that might visually serve as a beacon of the faith and of the possibilities of craftsmanship in the Fourth Age.
6. Campaign against the Hobgoblins. Brandeis has theoretically been put on retainer to campaign against the hobbos. No lasting plans exist in detail at this point, b/c Jordy seems to have gone "poof" the very day such a thing was supposed to happen. So, this has dropped from front-burner to "will Jordy return as a DM" status.

◦Details of how your character has changed as a person, what he has accomplished so far and what occurances have meant a lot to him.

Brandeis is not a bold person by nature, but has had to become one in order to lead people into combat and to "make things happen." Thus far, he's aided the dwarves in their slow but moving quest to set up a homeland, established a command presence at Vichier's Watch, and taken part in two large, desperate battles, either on or close to the front lines -- a far cry from his logistics and law-enforcement duties on the Isles. Brandeis is proud of the Old Lands Company and its achievements in these conflicts, but is concerned that it has not yet become an institution, and is actively looking for somebody who has what it takes to gradually be groomed as a successor.

◦Your character's opinions on how his or hers homeland is governed.

Brandeis has no homeland per se. However, he's deeply connected to Dagandal, which he sees growing well and doing those things that a new kingdom needs to. Brandeis is torn by the presence of the Saghalla, which he seems as a mild impiety, at the same time as he realizes that his potential inclusion, should he pull off sufficient coups, might aid the Faith.

Brandeis is perturbed with Tyren's utter lack of rule in Teardrop, regarding it as a pathetic waste. Should Tyren ever decide to abdicate temporal rule (unlikly), Brandeis might attempt to step in to govern the place.

Regarding the Fearann, Brandeis has little contact with it now, but is glad that Cadman's no longer in charge of anything except his stockings and a small commando force, given his appalling tendency to spend the lives of those under him like copper pieces.

Larmenius disgusts him, and h e is two steps from trying to start a social revolution, urgent matters pending, which would gradually shift power to the actual functioning part of their society -- the farmers, farriers, craftsmen, and soldiers.

◦A personal account on your character's relation to his faith and deity.

Brandeis' vision upon obtaining the resistance to fire feat (theologically significant to him as a part of the Fire Bath), was that Thilias was heating him in a fire and pounding him into a useful tool upon an anvil. Hartman has never heard else from Thilias... but then again, is anything else really necessary? He knows that he's in Thilias' favor, and is possibly the most senior priest now in existance, pending some VERY old Clainthuror survivor he's not met (given that in an earlier age, he would be at the point where he could have raised the dead -- a far cry from the glorified blacksmith's club at the Isles, and the functional but seemingly sclerotic temple in Bardum). So while he is troubled by his recent complete failure at the Sacred Forge (ic from ooc, it was messed up), and determined to succeed in the future, and to become a useful tool for spreading the faith, he feels comfortable as a representative of the deity.