Bruce Longbough
Bruce Longbough
Michael Nardone
Michael Nardone as Ser Bruce Longbough
Personal
name: Ser Bruce Longbough
father: Nikolaes Longbough
mother: Dianna Longbough
spouse: Aleksandra Longbough
issue: 2 sons, Timonthy Longbough (b. 286), Henry Longbough (b. 289)
Appearance
gender: Male
age: 31
height: 5'7"
weight: 180 lbs
eyes: Blue
hair: Brown
Political
honorific: Ser
house: Nayland
position: Knight, Master At Arms
commoner.jpg

Background

Ser Bruce Longbough is a common-born knight currently serving House Nayland of Stonebridge as their Master At Arms. Ser Bruce was a close friend of Lord Ryker Nayland from their time at Riverrun, coming over to act initially as Stonebridge's Captain of the Guard in August 288. He won his knighthood at the Battle of the Bells fighting for House Blackwood. After the Rebellion, he was employed as House Tully's Master of Foot, commanding all of their professional footmen. Though he fought on the side of Robert Baratheon, he does not appear to bear any ill will to those who fought for the Targaryens. He is of mild, friendly character, very fond of discipline and drill when it comes to his job but informal outside of it.

Since leaving Riverrun and becoming Stonebridge's Captain of the Guard in early August 288, Ser Bruce, his wife Aleksandra and sons Tim and Henry have settled in the crossroads town quite well. He reorganized the Guardsmen and adding a considerable amount of training to their duties. He instituted mutual training as well as structural reforms to the Stonebridge Militia alongside Ser Rygar Nayland and has changed the way security is conducted within the town.

His first task when he arrived was to investigate the murder of Nayland retainer Jens Howard in Terricks' Roost. Here, he established a rapport with Ser Jarod Rivers which continued after the conclusion of justice to Master Howard's killer. Other than constant training and patrolling, Bruce also accompanied the Naylands to Riverrun to hear Lord Hoster Tully's judgement on the inheritance of Stonebridge. His attempts to convince his former liege, Lord Hoster, of House Nayland's claim on Stonebridge met with mixed results. He led part of the Stonebridge Militia against the rabble recruited by Ser Jaremy Middleton in November. At the beginning of the Ironborn invasion of the Cape of Eagles, Ser Bruce was in Riverrun on business. He returned as quickly as possible, and commanded the small contingent of Nayland Guards at the Battle of Alderbrook. The initial clash at the Siege of Seagard went well for the Nayland Guards, where he led the armsmen to fill a gap left by withdrawing Stonebridge Militia and successfully held the line. During the next week's events, he led an attack into the narrow streets and during fighting in a house was struck down by an Ironborn's battleaxe. Once recovered and landed on the island of Harlaw, Ser Bruce again took another serious wound. He continued in his duties after recovering and participated in both the Siege of Grey Gardens and that of Pyke, where the men under his command performed very well.

In early June 289, Bruce was afflicked with a weakening fever, likely due to the variety of wounds he received during the Greyjoy Rebellion. Luckily, his position as one of the senior household knights afforded him good care by Nayland healers as well as his wife Aleksandra, and by mid August 289 he's been back on his feet and returning to duty. Around then, the Lady of Stonebridge, Isolde Nayland, alongside the Lord Regent, Ser Riordan Nayland, raised the common-born knight to Stonebridge's Master At Arms position. Around this time Ser Bruce also took a new squire, the quiet lad Hoekenn Stenhammer, son of one of the House's other knights, Ser Karel.

Family

Ser Bruce is married to Aleksandra Brooks, the daughter of a Tully knight Ser Cleyton Brooks and Lady Kaitlin Grell, who herself is a younger sister of Riverrun's Master-of-Arms, Ser Desmond Grell. He has two children, both sons. The eldest is Timonthy, born in 286 and named after Bruce's paternal grandfather. His second is Henry, born in 289 and named after Aleksandra's Lord grandfather, Lord Henry Grell.

His father, Nikolaes, a retired House Blackwood foot retainer and mother, Dianna, brought up a family of five – three boys, including Bruce, and two girls. Nikolaes now spends most of his time tending to his garden, as well as helping drill the Blackwood levies twice a month, while Dianna continues to nag him as ever.

Both of Bruce's brothers served with House Blackwood during Robert's Rebellion. Ser Adrian Longbough, his older brother, served as a horseman (where he won his knighthood) and Erik, his younger brother, as a member of the Black Ravens unit that Bruce commanded. Ser Adrian Longbough is now the Captain of the House Blackwood Guards. Erik Longbough decided to go to King's Landing after the Rebellion ended and enroll in the City Watch, otherwise known as the Gold Cloaks. He's been there for about five years.

His two sisters, Lindsay and Genna, live in the Blackwood lands of Raventree Hill with their husbands and children.

Ser Bruce's former squire, Ser Amos Longbough, is his nephew by way of his older brother Ser Adrian. Ser Amos was knighted after the Greyjoy Rebellion and sent back by his father to serve in the Nayland Guard as a signaller. Bruce has a cousin, Ser Creighton Longbough, who was also knighted at the Battle of the Bells and is in the service of House Redfort of the Vale.

Physical Features

Before you stands a man likely in his early to mid thirties. His body seems to be that of a soldier; he is not bulky, but muscular with a purpose and a look of someone who trains hard. He stands 5 foot and 7 inches tall. His skin is lightly tanned. Below his short brown hair lies two sleepy blue eyes, bushy eyebrows and a prominent nose. His facial bones are somewhat angular. He appears closely shaven, likely taking the razor every few days. Wrinkles and lines have hewed themselves into the man's face, likely from a life filled with hard work and hard experience.

Equipment

Ser Bruce favours weapons and armour that are useful to his particular trade. His sword is of good quality castle-forged steel, long enough to use behind a shield as a striking weapon without being too long to become cumbersome or tiring. He is proficient at the use of spears in both anti-cavalry roles as well as for throwing. Although it is not his strength, he is knowledgeable in the use of crossbows and carries one into battle with the rest of the Nayland Guard.

Years in a professional unit of house guards meant that he served in many roles; he can use both small horns as well as trumpets for sounding communication and is also well versed in the proper use of standard for the purpose of signalling.

His armour remains simple; a mostly open faced steel helmet with nasal bar, cheek and neck guards, mail hauberk on his chest and shoulders, steel bracers for his lower arms, greaves and cuisses for his legs. Underneath his armour, as most people do, he wears a padded jerkin. His shield is a large tower design, made of laminated layers of bentwood which have been curved as they were put together to more easily turn heavy blows away.

His mount is a Blackwood Fell Pony named Maddock. Like Bruce, it is dark, short, stocky and built for work. The Blackwood Fell breed is known for its abilities at travelling long distance with heavy weight in rough terrain rather than its prowess as a battle mount. As such, Bruce frequently uses Maddock as a pack animal. When he does ride the gelded pony, it's general to and from a location - he has only very rarely fought mounted. This seems to agree with the stout pony quite well.

Allies and Foes

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When Ser Bruce was knighted after the Battle of the Bells, he was permitted to take his own sigil. He chose, "Per saltire red and black, an armoured footman in gold."

Typology

ISTJs are often called inspectors. They have a keen sense of right and wrong, especially in their area of interest and/or responsibility. They are noted for devotion to duty. Punctuality is a watchword of the ISTJ. The secretary, clerk, or business(wo)man by whom others set their clocks is likely to be an ISTJ. ISTJs are most at home with "just the facts, Ma'am." They seem to perform at highest efficiency when employing a step-by-step approach. Once a new procedure has proven itself (i.e., has been shown "to work,") the ISTJ can be depended upon to carry it through, even at the expense of their own health.

Bruce is has been classified as a strong ISTJ (54/82/70/91) according to the Keirsey Typology personality test. Full description can be found here.

A version of the test you can take "in character" (or out) can be found here.

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