Brian Devonhyre

Brian Devonhyre, Knight Captain.

Brian Devonhyre was a young human male who served as the Captain of the Royal Guards of Torlynn Castle.  An accomplished swordfighter and master strategist, Brian also possessed tremendous physical strength and endurance.

A Torlynn native, Brian was born in unctual year 3861 and lived in Torlynn most of his life.  He developed an interest in swordfighting at a young age; he was given his first sword at sixteen.  He trained with a proficient swordsman for at least six years, mastering his craft.

Brian had spent several years as a freelance adventurer, traveling with a group of companions called the Light Bringers.  After returning home, he applied to join the elite group of soldiers who faithfully served the country.  He alone passed the final endurance test which required him to stand at attention outside the castle walls for three days straight, earning him command of the Royal Guard as well as the respect and admiration of the soldiers who followed him.

Brian wore an armored suit of multi-colored plate mail and a helmet topped with a large red plume, intended to draw attention towards him and away from his fellow soldiers.  He had acquired the breastplate from a blacksmith living in Angel's Crossing; it had been forged from a metal that had fallen to Earth, and Brian paid a small fortune for it.  He believed the armor had once been enchanted to make it more lightweight and more durable than normal metal. His weapon of choice was a two-handed sword, though he was strong enough to easily carry it in one hand.

Despite his raw strength and skills with a sword, Brian disliked fighting. He fulfilled his duty as required, but he found combat to be utterly distasteful.

The Lost Treasure of Torlynn

In 3887, Brian led the defense of Torlynn Castle against an invasion of moth warriors.  Riding his beloved steed, Whiplash, Brian bravely plowed through the swarm of moth warriors, dispatching them left and right, until he arrived at Lord Xarzuss, who promptly killed the horse and engaged Brian in a dangerous melee combat.  After Xarzuss was killed by one of his own lieutenants, the battle ended.  Brian was initially suspicious of "Four" Wheeler as one of the moth colluders, but after the true purpose of the castle ambush was revealed, Brian was humbled and compelled to accept Four as the new King of Torlynn.

Brian was later assigned to investigate the death of Christabel Miller, the Minister of Science at Torlynn Castle who had died under mysterious circumstances. He came to believe that Lady Deorwynn had poisoned Christabel, but Brian was forced to shelve his findings when Lady Deorwynn ordered him to cease his investigation. He recognized the corruption on the Royal Council, but he realized that if he took action, he would be jailed and unable to serve his people or his country. He remained patient, looking for a way to expose her corruption.

The Quest for the World-Breaker

Brian visits the wizard Tha'aron in White Mesa.

Brian continued his role as knight captain, with ten trusted knights under his command (Algernon, Chandler, Dante, Egbert, Fuller, Geoffrey, Hazlitt, Irving, Jeffrey, and Kirby).  When the Moth Dominion attacked the settlement of Angel's Crossing, King Wheeler accompanied the group as Brian led the men into the Golden Desert and into battle against the moths.  Brian subsequently engaged High Priestess Axziss in melee combat.  What happened next remains unclear; interference from a passing dragon altered the perceptions of the battle's participants.  Brian believed that King Wheeler fled the battle and that it fell to him to successfully drive the moths away.  It wasn't until later that the King's retreat was proven to be inaccurate; all that is certain is that Brian survived the encounter, but several of his men did not.

After the marriage between Mariposa and Four was declared null and void and Mariposa was dismissed from the castle, Brian was instructed by Lady Deorwynn to follow her and to try to keep her away from Four.  With Four's dismissal imminent as well, Brian was compelled to obey the Chamberlain's commands.  He swore a duty to serve Mariposa, a condition that allowed him to continue performing with nobility and honor but also satisfying Deorwynn's conditions.

Brian traveled with Mariposa in search for the Flightless One, whom Mariposa believed held the key to the survival of the butterflies.  He warned her of his misgivings about Four, since his previous experience with thieves such as Randall had taught Brian not to trust them.  Mariposa convinced Brian to release his steed, Triple Threat, back into the countryside after the horse evidently experienced trepidation about proceeding on the journey. 

They made their way to an ancient Tree and met with the legendary Flightless One, who warned the group about the impending danger of the World-Breaker.  Brian suggested that they seek out Tha’aron Mendonshire in White Mesa, an aged sorcerer with whom he had once traveled.  Brian was pleased to see his old friend again, though Tha'aron felt the unannounced arrival was something of an intrusion.  They consulted with Tha'aron, who had several theories but no concrete answers.  He offered them the use of his wagon in their travels; while they were preparing to leave, Brian and the group were trapped in a snow avalanche.  During this time, Talla Unica inadvertantly confessed to the killing of an innkeeper in Darkholm.  Following their return to Torlynn, Brian intended to have her arrested, but Four stepped up and claimed culpability for the murder in her place.

Eventually, Mirabel Miller's band of marauding goblins attacked Torlynn Castle aboard the airship Xanthippe, and Brian once again defended his castle.  In the ensuing fight, the goblin shaman overcame Brian, shattering the bones in both his legs.  The ever-loyal Triple Threat, who had returned to Torlynn Castle recovered Brian and carried his broken body away from the battle.  

In the aftermath of the World-Breaker's destruction, Mariposa took Brian to the butterfly encampment to facilitate his healing, much to Four’s chagrin.  He spend seven months in recuperation.  With the castle destroyed and its knights disbanded, however, Brian’s future remained uncertain.

The Curse of the Fate Shifter

Brian's reputation remained in the public eye; when discussing special abilities that humans possessed, Mirabel Miller wondered what Brian's innate hidden talent might be.  Four was reluctant to discuss the issue, rightfully pointing out that Brian didn't even appear in that story.

Alternate Reality

In one alternate unfolding of reality, created by Four using the fate-shifter relic, the goblin airship crew never recovered their fragment of the World-Breaker after the airship was crippled.  As a result, their attempt to seize Torlynn Castle was woefully ineffective, and Brian never suffered any injuries in their attack.  This alternate version of Brian ceased to exist when Four destroyed the fate-shifter and events were returned to their original, unaltered state.

Embarrassment of Riches

In the aftermath of the castle's destruction, Brian lived a nomadic existence, though he did come back to Torlynn with the intent of participating in the World's Strongest Man competition at the Torlynn Fair.  At some point prior to the contest, Brian was lured to the Forgotten Basin and put under a magical enchantment by Deorwynn Fletcher, the former Chamberlain of Torlynn Castle, who had become a powerful sorceress and who compelled him to do her bidding.  

After Four and Mariposa were accidentally transported to the Old Age through a magical portal, Brian and Mirabel Miller were recruited by Deorwynn at the Forgotten Basin to act as bounty hunters. Accompanied by the dog, Meat, Brian and Mirabel pursued their quarry to the Old Age to prevent them from interfering with her plans.  Mirabel's interpretation of the mission was that they bounty hunters needed to kill their quarry.  Brian, fitfully in love with Mariposa, believed he could make Mariposa see reason and return with him, alive, to the New Age.

Brian and Mirabel encountered a flying drone, disabling it and discovering that it was governed by advanced technology and not sorcery. This was their first clue that they were operating in the Old Age. While Brian was predominantly focused on completing the mission, Mirabel seemed preoccupied by just about anything else—the way Brian trained Meat, in particular, and her inability to recall being hired by Deowrynn in the first place.

After Meat tracked Four and Mariposa to a nearby megalopolis, Brian and Mirabel confronted them, but heavy rainfall forced them to withdraw.

In the aftermath, Mirabel continued to try convincing him that they were both under Deorwynn's spell.  Brian admitted that if they were being deceived, then Four and Mariposa were innocent bystanders and would be stranded in the future if Brian and Mirabel did not collect them and return home with them.

Mirabel was finally able to break Deorwynn's hold over Brian when she interrogated him with pointed questions about why he would willingly work for Deorwynn if he was already aware of her corrupt dealings in Torlynn Castle, including her attempted murder of Christabel. Faced with diametrically-opposed directives, Brian was forced to examine his position and was forced to conclude that he had been under Deorwynn's spell.

Brian and Mirabel chased Four and Mariposa to the local hospital.  Forced to leave Meat behind, they scaled the outside of the building to try to enter through the roof, but fell durign the attempt and were taken into the hospital for medical care.  They later pursued Four to the rooftop, where Four fell and seemingly met his end.  They also found Mariposa laying on a hospital bed, appearing to be dead.  With their mission evidently complete, Brian and Mirabel returned to their own time.

The Veil of Souls

Deorwynn, unaware they had broken free of her control, berated Brian and Mirabel for failing to bring back evidence that Four and Mariposa had been killed.  He and Mirabel were sent to follow the rest of Four's group who had escaped from the Forgotten Basin and destroy them.  Brian pretended to remain obedient, seeking the party with the true intention of joining forces with them against Deorwynn. 

After chasing down Arienne, Brian made peace with her and proposed that they ask Forever the dragon for assistance.  Brian believed that, as a magical creature, Forever was the best chance they had against Deorwynn.  However, it was no longer Forever living in the Swordedge Mountains, but Christabel.  Brian was the first to ride the Elven volley-launcher, despite his doubts about its effectiveness, to arrive at his destination.

Brian and Mirabel confronted the dragon, who was unwilling to help them against the sorceress.  The dragon hinted that Four and Mariposa were not lost, and existed somewhere upon the ethereal plane.  The dragon also provided Brian with the piece of armor he lost during his visit to the Old Age, which had evidently endured the Cataclysm and came into the dragon's possession.  This further reinforced the idea that Mariposa might have survived the centuries-long transition from the Old Age to the New Age.

Unaware of any magical means that might have preserved Mariposa for such a long time, Brian elected to visit Tha'aron once again for advice.  Tha'aron was unaware of any such methods, and indeed appeared to be going senile.  Aside from the wizard making a passing reference to the keystone scepter, which could ampify a mage's powers, the visit seemed largely a waste of time.  Brian expressed concern for Tha'aron and his apparent mental decline, but in the end, he departed and resumed his search for Mariposa.

Following Hissy-Fitt, who had been trained to pick up Mirabel's scent on Syzygy, the group followed the cat into the Badlands.  There, Brian encountered, and was forced to fight, a mutated Ogre who had been twisted by the Dark Energy of that realm. 

Afterwards, the group bumped into Jenna, who seemed unaffected by the Badlands.  She suggested that their love for Four and Mariposa would eventually lead them to their wayward companions.  Arienne decided to amplify the existing heartlink in Brian and Mirabel, which would enable them to locate Mariposa and Four.  After the spell was cast, Brian was overwhelmed by a renewed affection for Mariposa, and was able to sense her presence nearby.  

The group intercepted Syzygy, who led them to the ancient laboratory where Four and Mariposa had been put into cryo-sleep.  Jessyka strongly encouraged Brian to pursue a relationship with Mariposa, citing his past failures with Alia Dragonpaws, but Brian suspected that she just wanted to see Brian and Four fighting over the butterfly princess.

After being rescued by the castle-ship Endeavor, Brian questioned the decision to put Four in command, since Mariposa had been in charge of the original mission against Deorwynn at the volcano.  Nonetheless, Brian was retained as Able Bodied Sailor.

Brian was part of the mission to Breckenridge that resulted in the acquisition of the fabled gemstone.  Following Four's performance during Dreadnaught's attack on Endeavor, and their subsequent descent into the South Oceanic sea, Brian realized Four needed to be removed from command.  Brian was unwilling to take action to usurp Four's role, however.

Brian was placed in charge of making repairs to the castle-ship, whose stone walls had cracked under the water pressure.  Jessyka and Guzzler and Fairweather assisted him.

Concerned about Talla Unica's erratic behavior, Mariposa asked Brian to serve as her bodyguard to protect Mariposa from harm.  After Brian nearly killed Talla Unica with his sword, however, Mariposa realized his feelings were clouding his judgement, and released him from his role as her protector.

Arienne convinced Brian to mutiny against Four so they could place Mariposa in command instead.  Brian was only too happy to go along with this idea.  In the confrontation that followed, Four was thrown in the brig; Brian made sure to confiscate his trick gloves and satchel and vest to ensure he couldn't use his lockpicking tools to escape.

Brian was left in command of Endeavor while Arienne went below decks to discuss terms with Mariposa.  When Dreadnaught returned and attacked the castle-ship once more, Brian vigilantly attempted to defend the craft, until such time as Jenna sacrified herself to neutralize the threat.

After arriving at the Forgotten Basin, Brian and the others engaged a large group of cadavers in close-range melee combat.  After entering the volcano, Brian was among those who managed to confront Deorwynn face-to-face.  He threw his sword towards her, piercing her heart.  This hardly slowed her down; she directed a magic burst at Brian, propelling him across the volcano.

After the battle was over and Deorwynn was destroyed, Brian and Fairweather collected the wounded Mariposa, intending to take her to the butterfly camp for medical attention.

Trivia

Brian's age is established to be 26 in A Butterfly's Tale, which states that he acquired his first sword when he was 16 years old and had been carrying the sword for ten years.

Behind the Scenes

Brian enjoys a rare moment of relaxation.

Brian Devonhyre was originally created by the author as a character in a tabletop role-playing game, significantly predating the first Butterfly Princess story.  Brian was the de facto leader of the role-playing campaign, participating in a host of adventures that were considered, at one time, for the basis of another book series called Tales of Torlynn.  When the time came to populate the first Butterfly Princess story with supporting characters, several of the role-playing characters were appropriated for the novel, including Brian Devonhyre.

Brian will appear in the sixth book, Invasion of the Thought Stealers.