Bronwyn Amyna is considered a full-blooded Emestrian. She grew up in the isolationist country of Emestria in Solstice, the capital. Her father served in the Emestrian Royal Guard Corps and was conscripted to fight in the war over Lynnfield. Bronwyn’s father died at the Battle of Lynnfield and due to the mystery of the event it is unclear whether he perished in regular combat or was one of the many causalities of the event that destroyed Lynnfield and the surrounding area.
Prior to her father’s death, Bronwyn had shown interest in martial occupations like the guard, but after her father perished, Bronwyn at the age of ten became fixated on becoming a guardswoman. She started training daily for an eventual career as a guardswoman. At first she practiced in secret using branches, then more formally with whittled down swords. Her mother did not discourage the practice and when Bronwyn turned fifteen she obtained a true practice sword (a wooden weapon with steel weights to make it similar to a true swords). After obtaining that practice sword, Bronwyn increased to daily trainings to morning and late afternoons.
Bronwyn’s focus on martial fervor and her belief that her father died protecting Emestria from its enemies resulted in Bronwyn sharing a world-view common in Emestria, outsiders can’t be trusted and it’s every Emestrian’s duty to keep the world out of their borders. However, Bronwyn was born with golden hair, a trait unheard of in Emestria despite her family not having bred outside their borders to anyone’s knowledge. Because of her hair color, Bronwyn grew up with suspicion that she wasn’t truly Emestrian. Because of her full-blood status, she was more than able to prove her strength when challenged. Being othered while growing up gave Bronwyn compassion toward other discriminated people.
Upon completion of schooling, Bronwyn joined the Royal Guard Corps. Her discipline and fervor led to her rising up the ranks. When the current Captain of the Guard retired, Bronwyn chose to participate in the tournament to select his successor. Although no woman had served as Captain of the Royal Guard Corps, Bronwyn wasn’t the only woman to enter that years tournament. Women were allowed to enter, but often their bouts were met with jeering and catcalling. Bronwyn wasn’t the youngest at twenty-four to enter that year either, a sixteen-year-old boy entered as well.
Bronwyn herself didn’t believe she could win the tournament but chose to partake to prove the benefit of her strict training regiment. She had to content with better armored opponents as well as ones that could use magic in their offense or defense. Without knowing magic herself, Bronwyn developed a fierce and unforgiving fighting style in the tournament. She rushed into every fight, giving her all because she knew if she let an opponent overwhelm her with magic, the bout was lost.
As the tournament continued and Bronwyn defeated opponent after opponent, she still never saw herself as an eventual victor. She only concentrated on how each win proved her life of martial strictness was valid. Bronwyn couldn’t believe it when she made the top eight, or the top four, or found herself competing to be the tournament victor. Upon her eventual victory, Bronwyn expected the audience to be as shocked and as jubilant as she. She proved that with the right training, ones gender didn’t matter. A well-trained Emestrian woman could beat a well-trained Emestrian man in combat.
Instead of approval, Bronwyn faced accusation and rumor as to how she won the tournament. A particularly absurd rumor claimed she kissed the man she faced off against in her final bout to put him off guard then kneed him in the groin. Despite Bronwyn’s convictions that she had won the tournament fair and square, she didn’t expect to be appointed the next Captain of the Guard. She only competed to show the legitimacy of her lifestyle.
Every single noble in attendance of her final bout decried her performance and made accusations of her cheating. Bronwyn shrugged off the complaints because she didn’t enter to win, she entered to prove something and she had proved it. Bronwyn hadn’t wasted her time every morning and late afternoon training. When the King finally spoke and spoke in favor of Bronwyn becoming the next Captain of the Guard, everyone was shocked.
King Bryant’s intervention led to Bronwyn becoming the youngest and first female Captain of the Royal Guard Corps. King Bryant’s support solidified all of Bronwyn’s faith in him as a good man. Bronwyn’s dedication to training took on a new aspect after her promotion: she didn’t need to just train herself, she needed to train a nation. Within her first year as Captain of the Guard, war broke out with Rouke and Bronwyn expected to lead part of the army in Emestria’s defense.
In the past, in Emestria, during times of war, the General led the offensive while the Captain of the Royal Guard Corps headed the defensive battle plans. However, women were never allowed to serve in the army. Emestrians believe that any woman serving in battle would be violated by enemy soldiers if ever taken. Bronwyn’s appointment as Captain of the Royal Guard was the first time the ban on women serving would be in conflict of the duties of her position. Neither the rank and file of the guard or army or the nobles knew what the King’s ultimate decision would be on whether Bronwyn would serve on the front lines or not.
When the King announced that, despite her position, Bronwyn was still a woman and unable to serve her job duties on the front line, Bronwyn suspected that there was more than her gender at play. Only nobles and those of a certain military position were allowed to study magic in Emestria. Despite being allowed to learn magic with her new position, Bronwyn was unable to command the most basic of spells. She suspected that her inability to use magic was the deciding factor that resulted in King Bryant barring her entry to the war.
Bronwyn loves Emestria and its king deeply. Despite injustices that had been shown her, she knows the people are good deep down. Her position is challenged almost daily but she perseveres knowing that her strict regimented training is not only what allowed her to achieve her unprecedented position but also to keep it. She is a sledgehammer, not a scalpel and willing to give any guard member she commands a physical reminder why she won the tournament of captains.
As a character, Bronwyn is headstrong, physically tough, fervent in her beliefs, but willing to accept new worldviews if presented the information in the right way. Her strengths are her unwavering moral conviction, martial prowess, and compassion. Her weaknesses are her inability to use magic, trusting too easily of others she thinks shares her convictions, and unwillingness to listen to others’ solutions on resolving conflict.