Hilis Brastok

Hilis Brastok, most often styled Sir Brastok, is a human knight and guard associated with Angel Rannek. He served as one of Angel’s principal protectors during the journey through Malterdale, the search for the Emerald Shield of Spring, and the crisis surrounding the Malthrek-Travertine wedding.

Service to Angel

Brastok was attached to Angel’s household retinue and acted as her personal guard during the Rannek party’s journey to the Travertines. His duties placed him near the political and magical dangers that gathered around Angel, including Reformist surveillance, the recovery of shield shards, and the protection of Angel’s immediate family.

His relationship with Angel was both professional and personally close. By the time the Ranneks were drawn fully into the Malterdale and Travertine crises, Brastok was trusted enough to accompany Angel away from larger groups, travel under assumed identities with her, and help manage decoys meant to protect her from hostile observers.

Malterdale and the Emerald Shield

Brastok accompanied Angel and Branrum Malterdale during their return through Malterdale after the rescue of Magnus Bramok, the Bishop of Rannek. While traveling between Port Sera by Malterdale and Fort Malterdale, he helped investigate a Reformist traveler who appeared to be searching for Angel’s emerald shard. During the same sequence, Brastok used the cover identity Matthias Corning, presented as the son of a merchant family, while Angel traveled as Lilibeth Corning and Branrum as Victor Corning.

Brastok was also involved in the earlier discovery of Angel’s first shield shard. After Sister Rislas showed Angel the ruins attached to the Battlement Inn, Angel later returned there with Brastok and found the shard hidden in connection with the stained-glass image of the Green Lord.

Travertine Crisis

At the Travertines, Brastok remained part of the Rannek protective circle as the wedding of Luke Malthrek and Pallia Travertine collapsed into a Reformist and hag-related crisis. After Pallia was defeated in her lair and left unconscious, Brastok helped guard her in the infirmary alongside Angel, Maria Rannek, and Gwyniviere Rannek until Jessica retrieved her for questioning.

The events around Pallia confirmed that Angel’s guards were not merely ceremonial attendants. They were expected to protect her while she served as a bearer of the shield shards, a source of celestial healing, and a politically important daughter of the Rannek house.

Later Protection Duties

As planning expanded toward Rannek and the western crisis, Brastok was treated as one of the likely helpers for Angel’s continued recovery of the Emerald Shield shards. He was also assigned with Hellion Blanchimontt to help protect Angel and her family, especially as aberrant threats and religious extremists became increasingly linked in the judgment of Angel’s allies.

During this period Brastok was expected to be heavily equipped for dangerous work. He was given or lent a large magical halberd known as Brannag, a weapon that could be dismissed and recalled by name. His vigilance over Angel could be intense enough to seem constraining, but it reflected the degree to which Angel had become a target of both Reformist and aberrant interest.