Bronau Jimajen (BROHN-ow JIHM-ah-jehn) was a non-royal luarin prince of the Copper Isles and a member of House Jimajen, a corrupt, cruel, and wealthy noble house. He was the younger brother of Rubinyan Jimajen. He was killed by Dovasary Balitang in 462 HE, after murdering Mequen Balitang, his old friend and ally, by stabbing him in the stomach.
Biography
Early life
Bronau trained for knighthood in the Copper Isles with Mequen, and formed a solid friendship with the older man, who was also a friend of his older brother's. Bronau and Rubinyan developed a strong rivalry and soon began to hate each other. He was a lady's man in the Rittevon court, and was suitor to a number of high-ranking noblewomen, including Winnamine Fonfala before she became Duchess Balitang. He began turning to vices such as drinking, women, and gambling, which threw him in a lot of debt.
Exile of the Balitangs
Upon learning of the Balitangs' exile at the Grey Palace, Bronau hastened to their townhouse in Rajmuat to warn them. It was there when he first met the luarin slave Alianne of Pirate's Swoop, who went under the alias Aly Homewood. Bronau told her that he didn't like when luarin were kept as slaves, as it gave the raka the wrong idea. The Balitang family was still forced to leave, but was grateful to Bronau for the warning.
Visit to Tanair
Prince Bronau visited the Balitang family at Tanair on Lombyn Island after they had been settled in for a few weeks[1]. His visit was a complete surprise to Winnamine and Mequen, but they received him anyway, because of their old friendship[1]. They learned that Bronau was out of favor with King Oron, and came to Tanair to visit with the Balitangs in his disgrace. Bronau brought them all gifts, each chosen to appeal to each Balitang family member, but it was his gift for Sarai that was the most interesting. He brought her earrings that were clusters of peach-colored moonstones and a gold necklace with a matching pendant. Aly thought this was more of a romantic gift or a token, and so did Duke Mequen and Duchess Winnamine, when they saw the exchange[1].
Aly later learned that there were two royal spies in Bronau's service[2]. She also learned the amount of debt that the prince was in. When she mentioned to Duke Mequen that Bronau was in debt, he waved off the news at first, saying the prince was always in some kind of debt. When she told him the sum, the duke and duchess were shocked, and Sarai said that he'd spend the rest of his life repaying that. Aly did say that the prince didn't seem concerned, or seemed to have a plan, in his letters to Duke Zeburon, another powerful luarin nobleman. Sarai assumed that he was planning to marry an heiress, or a rich widow[2].
The prince later accompanied the Balitang family in various tours of raka villages around Tanair. He wanted to see the villages of Inti and Pohon. Aly went with them. Aly was later shocked to see that the prince did not have any tact when it came to dealing with the raka villagers, who served Lady Sarai and her company their tea and gave them hospitality. Bronau insulted them by calling their tea swampy, and that there must have been salamanders in it. He angered Sarai and the villagers[3]. Bronau displayed indifference to Sarai's raka side because of her luarin, Rittevon, bloodlines. Since Duke Mequen was the next heir to the throne after Dunevon Rittevon, Bronau conspired to wed Sarai and force Mequen to make him king.
During his courtship of Sarai, Bronau did not stop with his womanizing, and took Pembery the maid to his bed every night he had been there. When Winna and Mequen mentioned this to Sarai, the girl was furious.
After the crowning of Dunevon Rittevon, Bronau returned to Rajmuat for a time. He tried to kidnap the young king in order to gain power, but the attempt failed. It might have worked if Bronau had been more understanding of the boy, but his nervousness made his tongue sharp. This was sighted in one of Aly's dream visits hosted by Kyprioth the trickster. After the attempt, Bronau fled back to Tanair. His brother and sister, knowing that Bronau would probably do so, did not pardon the Balitang family immediately.
Assassination and murder
Bronau returned to Tanair with the purpose of forcing Mequen to stage a revolt and then name him as the king, with Sarai as queen. The fight was a large one, and Bronau killed Mequen; he originally thought that the duke would survive the wound, but it was a deep one in his stomach and he received no magical or healing attention for a long time before help came. He briefly fought a very angry and sad Sarai, who attacked him with Mequen's sword after he had stabbed his old friend. He disarmed her easily and threw her on the bed, telling her that she would obey him. He was killed by a griffin-fletched arrow that was shot by Dove.
Physical description
Bronau was five feet nine inches (5' 9") tall, although he looked taller. He had a warrior's build, broad shoulders and heavily muscled thighs, and weapon scars on his big hands. Bronau had grey eyes and reddish brown hair that grew as long as his shoulders and fell in waves. His nose had once been broken and he had winged brows. Bronau also grew a beard, but he kept it closely trimmed. His lips were "thin almost to the point of invisibility".[4]
Like most luarin nobles in the isles, he dressed in the fashion of the Eastern Lands, with tunic and breeches, although slightly adapted to the jungles of the isles with airier material.
Personality and traits
Bronau is greedy, impulsive, and prone to vices like gambling. He lost most of fortune from gambling and was too greedy to be without money for long, so he conspired against his old friend Mequen. He also was power hungry, and wanted the throne for himself, even though he was not a Rittevon, nor married to one. He was cruel and heartless, and not a good judge of wounds—in what we see with Duke Mequen's injury. Bronau, like many of the other luarin nobility, looked down upon the raka and saw them as beneath him. His cruel and racist words while visiting the raka villages of Pohon and Inti prove this.
Nawat Crow referred to him as a "hawk", a heartless and cruel creature that would raid nests without a care for the occupants.
Appearances
He appeared as an antagonist in Trickster's Choice and was mentioned in Trickster's Queen.