Hugh Branch was originally one of the Soulless created in Skira. He didn't have the blood of a trueborn and so the soul that was inside him quickly left his clay body and he ended up entirely dependant on people in his village to feed him and care for him. When hard times hit, the Soulless were the first to go and so Hugh was kicked out of his home and sent to wander.

By chance, he encountered the Acryn party stuck in Skira who took pity on him culminating in the Splintered Man bestowing a soul into Hugh and giving him his own free will. Booker bestowed the blessing of the Traitor and hoped to see Hugh as a brother, expecting Colin Fletcher to bestow some of Booker's memories into him. Fletcher did no such thing, and Hugh inherited instead the Traitor's attitude to family. For good measure, Howard the Splintered Man also blessed him, making him in part the son of Howard and Booker.

Hugh joined the Acryn party and got split up from them when they investigated the Citadel and the Vault in Skira, but reunited with them to join them back into the World where he is now making his way.

Recently, Hugh has his original face on Wanted posters plastered across Acryn following a debacle outside the party of Arlean Terrec…

Recently gone by the name of Grant Smith, a bearded sailor. Acquired a scar of the heart and so is more frequently updating his form to that of various barmaids around the docks taking on the name Laura Fitz.

Having acquired enough money to buy a bigger boat, he's now looking for a more permanent solution to his identity…

…and having realised he can solve his identity by using Identity Theft on himself, Cap'n Branch is now back on the Bigger Boat hunt, as well as a way to take a boat, well, anywhere…

…and now having been funded by House Darrish, the Crimson Mother, the terror of the sea around Acryn, is mercilessly sinking any ships that Darrishes or Terrecs would rather didn't reach their destinations, being one of the more profitable entities in the Great Acryn Trade War…

…having learned how to utilise Dragon Gates, things are on the up-and-up for Hugh Branch, though a nasty altercation in a Wayfinders' Guild facility forced him to Flux Resurrect and mysteriously lose his abilities to utilise the Flux but allowing him to use magic. These new abilities are fascinating to him, but now little use as he inhabits a pile of meat…

Names gone by (shamelessly nicking this from James):

• Hugh
• Hugh Branch
• Quartermaster Branch
• Grant Smith
• Bandit #2
• Laura Fitz
• Ruby
• Howard Branch
• Saga, Priestess of Shatu
• Dauntless
• Captain Branch
• Unit-22
• Cap'n Branch

Hugh Marsh was originally from a village south of Margush. He is the child of Geraldine and Lukas Marsh, and lived a quiet life, sailing on the lakes (to which he took quite a liking and displayed quite an aptitude for) until the events of the Upheaval occurred at which point he realised he could manipulate the Flux, that he was a Wayfinder. Things picked up considerably for Marsh, who travelled to Acryn to join the Wayfinders' Guild, but found things quickly slowing down after the first couple of years: though he began doing adventures for the sake of the city (acquiring in the process the Divine Favour of someone who'd quite like to protect it; making the acquaintance of Carlaeon and the Oracle both of whom he was quite intrigued by the agendas of; earning the ire of and a scar from a wizard; and acquiring the blessing of two gods of Lasra) the exciting Wayfinding job reduced to a desk job.

Things became stagnant and boring. Hugh got involved with various people who turned up to the Guild to discuss matters with him, far too many of them Divine. He made the terrible choice to listen to Guild Councillor. Sarmandastra for too long and gained his Favour; he humoured Mr Branch when he came in to investigate an anomaly for too long and assisted him well enough to gain his Favour; he was particularly taken by a conversation with a young Councillor from Acryn who seemed to have his act together and got his Favour.

Eventually, things changed on the fateful day when he and other guild members were sent out to hunt down an anomaly. Things went bad, and one by one the party were struck down by the anomaly, until it was just it and Marsh… then things get a bit hazy. What Marsh next remembers for certain is ripping the anomaly to pieces with his bare hands.

Such self-chosen action attracted the attention of the Abnegator, who has helped him come to realise his own power, and to hone his capabilities. He adventured, heading into a Dragon and discovering a Dragon Gate, gaining its power and using it to improve himself, and now having discovered that he's Flux Resurrected, he's working out what to do about Karl/Hugh Branch who appeared to be a notorious pirate. Luckily, it seemed this “Karl Branch” wasn't very together and the ship that he seemed to be in ownership was swiftly claimed for justice by Marsh.

Now he's on an agenda to rid the city of criminals, starting with the hive of scum and villainy that is the Acryn Dockyards. Cpt Hugh Marsh, notorious Pirate Hunter of the Crimson Mother, is to prove himself a force to be reckoned with.

Having discovered that Branch is a necessary part of himself, Marsh with great assistance from Evan and others in the realm of the Arcane Arbiter managed to procure back from Karl the memories and mind of Branch. It was restored to Marsh in a powerful magical ritual, and since then the two have lived as they should inside one body. The two minds disagree on a lot, and as Hugh attempted to introduce himself managed to introduce himself as “Captain March”. This has stuck, and the branched Hughs are attempting to now understand their place in the world…

…having acted for the sake of balance, March was placed under suspicion by the Leader Church. No evidence or formal charges were brought against him and therefore he operates freely. House Darrish and House Terrec are actively trying to sink the Crimson Mother. Both Branch and Marsh agree this is good cause to aggressively return fire. March is also harbouring and offering sanctuary to Tabitha Terrec, “Joy” (Prim), and Anabel aboard the Mother…

Briefly having enjoyed the perks of being a Wayfinders Guild Councillor, Cpt March now works for the entirely more reasonable East Empire Company. He is also somewhat more Wanted by the Guild.

Having discovered Xavier's ascension to unlimited cosmic power at the hands of the Dragon Slayer, and being a bit worried about it, Hugh's had a bit of a perspective shift, and is currently concocting a plan to deal with this problem…

…the plan happened. Hugh died, choosing to use his oracular realisation of how the culmination of the plan would go disastrously wrong to save Tabitha's life instead of his own, and Flux resurrected as something worse. Something much worse.

Younger brother of Marian Terrec, the recently empowered godling, The Cleansing Tide, has made his beloved older sister very proud, and continues (despite frequent arrests due to mistaken identity) to try and do right by his family and do what he can to help Marian to the seat of power she rightfully deserves.

And definitely has no feelings whatsoever toward his wayward cousin Tabitha.

The Cleansing Tide, Hugh Terrec, Branch and March, has offended Sinna, the Shadow of Dusk and consequently cannot hold onto secrets, with anything learned slipping from his mind by the end of the encounter in which he learned it. Whether this has caused the godling to become more forgetful or more forthright has yet to be discovered.

The Cleansing Tide, however, is known amongst Tender Church circles as a fickle, uncaring godling. Suggestions this is to do with a Tender Priest abandoned in the desert are completely unfounded.

Having spent a wild journey through an impossible universe inside a cube, The Cleansing Tide managed to recover some of his body in completely random circumstances, and gained enough money to purchase a new boat. Having created a black swan in which his friend Anabel now resides, it's aptly named The Crimson Swan. The curse from Sinna was also removed, at the cost of permanently black lips.

Hewett Strang, a Strossbourgian Pathfinder on the ark carrying the Strossbourgian people to Acryn. During the journey the sky cracked and fragments of mirror rained down upon those guiding the ark. Doctors quickly removed glass from the injured, but despite him having wounds they were unable to find any shards. The terrible truth was quickly revealed the next day, he became aware of the entities which had possessed him and their terrible nature. He immediately informed the mages, hoping that he could be saved by an application of magic, but the resources of the ark were limited and could not stretch to empowering him as a perfected warrior. After much discussion about what could be done he volunteered to be set adrift, better to die at sea than risk the lives of those on the ark with either a God draining their life force or risk the cataclysmic destruction a God might unleash if killed aboard ship.

Unfortunately the power he inherited has denied him even this, you were washed up on an island and recovered by a passing merchant ship. He reached Acryn ahead of the Ark. There is only one glimmer of good news, somewhere on this continent is his brother Otto, who will definitely know what to do next.

Unable to meet with Otto, Hewett worked with the Mages Evan and Thorn to remove the divinity through a large ritual. The other personalities under suggestion from Evan agreed, and the Cleansing Tide was removed from Hewett. In the process, though, by giving each “Hugh” legitimacy, the idea of control has been somewhat thrown up in the air.

• 8

Class: Wayfinder

Background #1: First Aid

Background #2: Divine Favour of the Traitor

Background #3: Weaponry - Bastard

Background #4: Very Tough

Class Feature: Wayfinding

Epic Trees:

• Expert Sailor
• Understanding of Impossible Geometries
• Oracular Vision
• Gatekeeper
• Armand's Divine Favour (coerced)
• Organisational Ties (Postal Corps)
• The Canvas of Creation
• Splintered Man's Divine Favour (imposed)
• Cleansing Tide’s Divine Favour

Quirks

• Palm of Dawn, Fingers of Dusk
• Certain Identity
• Wayfinder Contacts switched to East Empire Company

Wayfinder Insight: Barrier Master

• Find the Path (free)
• Know the Flux's Touch
• Inertial Barrier (+4 Armour in Flux)
• Lash Out (BLIND 5 twice an encounter in Flux)
• (Traitor) Miraculous Power: Concussive Strike (20s chant = next blow MASS ZERO STRIKEDOWN (or shatter on stationary item))
• Tough
• Use Bastard Weapon
• Affiliation: East Empire Company (one question)
• Tough (Very Tough)
• Emergency Aid
• Soul Pact (Traitor) (free)
• Soul Pact (Cleansing Tide) (free)
• Miraculous Power: Cleanse The Wound (Cleansing Tide)

• Flux Shaping - Items (5 mins)
• Traitor's Cloak
• Restore the Form (Heal 4 self between encounters in flux (+2 hits if already healed))
• Choose the Path
• Expert Sailor
• Bastard Weapon Talent 1
• Reputed: East Empire Company (another question)
• I Knew You Were Going To Do That (+1 DODGE (can be used against Ranged attacks)) (Oracular Vision)
• Tough (Very Tough)
• Patch the Cracks
• Resuscitate
• Patch Up
• Divine Aura of the Cleansing Tide

• Concussive Bolt
• Durable Inertial Barrier
• Repairing Inertial Barrier (5s RENEW BARRIER 1)
• Barrier Master: Granted Barrier
• Bastard Weapon Potency
• Flux Shaping - Landscaping
• Shake Reality's Fetters
• Gate Knowledge (Gatekeeper)
• Tough
• Backing: East Empire Company (major task)
• The Shortest Distance Between Two Points is Defined by Seven Mutually Perpendicular Lines (Impossible Geometries)
• Shape of Things to Come (Oracular Vision)
• Heal the Flux Flesh
• (Traitor) Greater Miraculous Power: Playing Dead
• Ocean Traveller (Expert Sailor)
• Sea Lore (Expert Sailor) - Journeyman Knowledge: The Weather
• Surgery
• Tough (Very Tough)
• Greater Miraculous Power: New Starts (Cleansing Tide)

• Flash Defence (expend full barrier to RESIST any call)
• Resilient Inertial Barrier
• Fragment Blast
• Flux Shaping - Worldshaping
• Flux Summoning
• Enter the Domain of Triskelion (DISAPPEARING once per encounter) (Gatekeeper)
• Pass through the Domain of Triskelion (weapon call as ranged OR SHATTER weapon when struck once per encounter) (Gatekeeper)
• Placed Within the Domain of Triskelion (Store 3 items in Triskelion) (Gatekeeper)
• Tough
• Councillor (partner?): East Empire Company
• Visual Glitch (Impossible Geometries)
• Prior Preparation and Planning (Oracular Vision)
• Feel the Weave
• Airblade Shaping
• Tear the Flux Flesh
• Scourge of the Waves (Expert Sailor) - Fearsome Corsair
• Destabilisation

• Diamond Barrier
• Restoring Inertial Barrier
• Flux Resurrection
• Hole in the World (Gatekeeper)
• Left (Impossible Geometries)
• Annihilation of Form

• Hit for DOUBLE
  • 1 WOUND 10 / encounter
  • 1 STRIKEDOWN / encounter
  • 1 DISARM / encounter
  • 2 +1 damage / encounter
  • 1 ranged weapon call OR reactive SHATTER / encounter
  • 1 DISAPPEARING / encounter
  • 1 SHATTER / adventure (bastard weapon in 2 hands)
• 8 Body Hits (18 in Flux)
• 3 Armour Hits
• 8 Armour Hits in Flux (Restoring) (Grantable) (Diamond)
• 1 DODDE (can be used against non-magical ranged attacks)
• 1 DODGE (aura) in Flux
• 1 ranged STRIKEDOWN (Divine Aura)
• 2 LEFT in Impossible Geometry Flux
• 1 encounter of BLIND 3 on barrier in Impossible Geometry Flux
• 1 DODGE and 2 RESIST STRIKEDOWN on boat
• 1 FEAR against Merchant Navy / encounter
• 10s work for HEAL 4 on character on 0HP
• 10s work for HEAL 6 (3 times before WEAKENing)
• 30s work for HEAL FULL
• Radiant Blade, Shadow Guard / Uniter of Light and Darkness once per adventure
• Floating Diamond Barrier once per adventure
• Move faster in Impossible Geometry Flux. Run away after 10s of fleeing
• Magical Scar on cheek
• Identity reflection effect from Prison of Your Own Device
  • Each encounter not aboard the Crimson Mother or not alone, Hugh takes on the appearance and personality of a random party member.
• 3 items stored within Triskelion
  • One book
  • One faerie finger
  • Empty slot
• Certain Identity: using a Splintered Man miracle in an encounter causes Hugh to gain a belief of one of the targets. Hugh is not affected by the Splintered Man aura, Identity Theft or Belief Enhancement.
• Income: 9R
• 2 questions of the East Empire Company
• 1 major task from the East Empire Company
• 2 x 2 questions about the future
• 1 x Prior Preparation and Planning
• Feels the Weave of reality
• Shadow is recognisable to Tabitha Terrec
• Ocean Traveller - aware of customs, etiquette and can avoid hassle at coastal ports
• Journeyman Knowledge: the Weather

• Superior Light Armour
• 1 Bastard Sword
• 1 Buckler
• 28R
• Corvette: the Crimson Swan.
• 1 scribing flip book of a hilarious wayfinder fight
• Portable FEAR Turret
  • You have a small orb which can (with 30 seconds work) be deployed into a large stone column. While in column form it cannot be moved via any means and allows you to call an ARC FEAR every 10 seconds (with your arms parallel). It takes a further 30 seconds to restore to orb form.

• Hugh is to hand over all the information he found pertaining to the Darrish-funded trade war, and to not use his ship to attack the trading interests of the Cargan-Graves family or House Graves. (Bound by Lucian)
• Favour owed by Richard Silver for an honourable purpose.

Not that he's bitter.

• Howard
• Booker
• Xavier
• Batts
• Nobody
• Felicity
• Marian
• Lucian
• Karlos

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