Gender: Male
Race: Cursed Human (red fox)
Height: 5' 4"
Weight: 150lbs
Creator: Christian O'Kane
Date of birth: 4/8/673
Heraldric Emblem in gold is a broad oak leaf with a fox head below it.
Appearance: A red fox. He has a fresh scar on the left side of his face running from his muzzle up to his ear, just missing his eye. Misha is missing his left ear and two fingers from his right hand, both lost in combat.1
History
Misha was born in Morigund to the Brightleaf family. He is the third of four children with an older brother sister and a younger brother. He eventually left home for adventure at around 17 or 18 with the runic axe Whisper that his Great-Grandfather had found and arrived at Metamor Keep just before the Battle of the Three Gates.
Misha adjusted to the change very quickly and likes his present body. His major problem started about six months after the Battle of Three Gates, when he left the Keep to visit his family. He came back two months later, battered, angry and depressed. As to what happened, he hasn't told anyone. There are only two clues: he could not change to his animal form, and he has a long scar on the inside of his left arm that runs from his wrist to his elbow. The scar is from a knife; that much is obvious. As of A Shoving Match, however, he has regained his feral form (much to his delight).
Misha stayed at the keep long enough to pick up supplies and disappeared north. He didn't come back for six months. Misha has avoided contact with most of his family since then, though he did communicate with his sister Elizabeth, a talented mage living in Marigund. Recently, however, he has gone down to visit his family and they have reconciled.
Personality
Misha's personality has changed a great deal. Originally an angry, almost misandrist individual towards anyone who was a "normal" human (including temper tantrums involving throwing or breaking items), he has mellowed considerably since becoming involved with Caroline. People who have not seen him in years would not know the friendly, almost avuncular person he is now.
He has always been more friendly towards his fellow Keepers, however, and has shown a very broad sense of humor. He is very interested is history, especially the history of the Keep itself. His fascination with the automaton magic of the long-extinct Amber Order led him to find and reactivate Madog, who seems to have adopted Misha as his father.
Friends & Allies
Misha is close to all of the Long Scouts, any of whom would lay down their lives for him if need be. The love of his life is Caroline Hardy, with whom he has had an intimate relationship since at least 706. Misha recently proposed to Caroline who happily accepted. As of yet they haven't set a date for the wedding.
Misha is also friends with Rickkter, though the battle-mage occasionally infuriates him with his unpredictable behavior. As noted above, the fox-automaton called Madog is fiercely loyal to Misha and would fight to his own destruction to protect him.
Family
Misha's close family lives in Marigund and although estranged for a long time he is again communicating with them.
Llewellyn Brightleaf - Paternal grandfather (named in Undersiege)
Reuben Brightleaf - Father
Muriel Brightleaf - Mother - a mage
Brian Brightleaf - Older brother - unmarried. Very powerful mage.
George Brightleaf - Younger brother
Rowenna Brightleaf - Wife of George
Amanda Brightleaf - Daughter of George and Rowenna - teenager and mage - specializing in animals.
Mirna Brightleaf - teenager daughter of George and Rowenna
Elizabeth Lumas/Brightleaf - Misha's older sister.
Verner Lumas -Husband of Elizabeth -retired from City watch
Heather Lumas - Daughter of Verner & Elizabeth - engaged.
Brianna Lumas - Daughter of Verner & Elizabeth - unmarried
Ayden Brightleaf - Son of Rowenna and George. Newly married. A merchant in the family wool business.
Edith Brightleaf - Wife of Ayden. Not a mage but a skilled merchant
General Notes
#1 Family name - the current family name is Brightleaf. Originally it was Baraslough (Which means Brightleaf in Lambemma - also called the old tongue) but it has gone out of use centuries ago. It is now only used in the rites of naming.
#2 Misha's favorite weapon is Whisper, an ancient battleaxe that is extremely magical and semi-sentient. He is also proficient with the shortsword and the compound longbow, and makes use of both of these weapons in situations where Whisper would be impractical.
#3 Misha loves muffins. He was introduced to them when he came to the Keep and tries to eat them whenever he's able.
#4 Misha had become very good at killing lutins, whom he blamed (along with Nasoj) for his problems, and there are few people who know more about them than him. In the early years after the battle he would often disappear into lutin territory for months, ambushing and harassing them. His effectiveness at these tactics led directly to Thomas's creation of the Long Scouts, and Misha has been their unquestioned leader ever since.
#5 At that point in his life Misha had one habit that spooked many Keepers: He collected lutin ears. Every time he killed a lutin, he cut off the left ear and added it to his collection, which he has kept at various times either on a metal loop on his belt or on a necklace that he wears into battle. This habit predated the Battle of Three Gates, and he claimed to have picked it up from the mercenaries that trained him. He did have the tact to leave it in his room when he is in the Keep. This has changed. He no longer collects lutin ears nor wears them at any point in or out of the Keep. Instead he has them tucked into a drawer in his desk to remind him of his violent past.
#6 Misha has recently become involved in real estate and now owns several buildings, including the Jolly Collie. He also owns a bakery.
