Braius Doomseed

Braius Doomseed
Official art of Braius Doomseed, by Hannah Friederichs.
Type	Player Character
Actor	Sam Riegel
Character Information
Pronouns	he/him
Titles	Nascent Might of the Platinum's Call
Also known as	Paladin of the Hells (by himself)
Creature type	Humanoid[presumed]
Race	Minotaur
Class	Paladin (Oath of the Ancients) Bard (College of Tragedy)
Alignment	Tentatively evil
Languages	Common, Minotaur[presumed]
Places	Aeor (first appearance) Kryn Dynasty (birthplace)
Connections	Suzy Greene (ex-fiancée) Bahamut and Asmodeus (former deities) Bells Hells The Traveler (friend)
Profession	Herald of Asmodeus (self-appointed)
Status
Status	Alive (in 843 PD)
Stats
Level	15 (Paladin 12/Bard 3)
HP	118
AC	22
DC	17 or 18
Str	20
Dex	12
Con	14
Int	12
Wis	8
Cha	19
Reference(s)
Appearances
First seen	"The Nox Engine" (3x98)
Last seen	"A New Age Begins" (3x121)
Stream	Campaign Three (18 episodes)

“

My goal is to make sure that my god is preserved, whatever that means.

”

– 

Braius Doomseed

[!h]

Braius Doomseed is a minotaur paladin/bard, a follower of Asmodeus, and a temporary ally of Bells Hells. He is played by Sam Riegel.

Description

Official art of Braius Doomseed, by Hannah Friederichs.

Appearance

Braius is a "hot" minotaur. He is a muscular 6 feet 4 inches tall (without the horns), with black fur on his body and pale grey peach fuzz on his face. He has long black hair, a humanoid-appearing face (which becomes more bovine when he gets angry or excited), and two sharp horns. His hands are somewhat hooflike, with three fingers. He has a tail that he uses to scare away bugs. When Bells Hells encountered him within the ruins of Aeor, he wielded a flail with twin balls dripping a black liquid and wore white armor with the horned icon of Asmodeus emblazoned on its chestpiece. One side of his armor also bears the signature of Teven Klask.

After Highbearer Vord spoke with him and decided to let him represent the followers of the Platinum Dragon in the mission against the Ruby Vanguard, Braius removed his original armor to don Truthbearer, a holy relic made of silvered platinum, and he was given a black cape with silver edges to maintain his white, black, and gray aesthetic.

Personality

Braius flirts with everyone he meets. He seems to be very interested in having a relationship of some kind, but also aware of boundaries, asking constantly whether the people he likes are single or not.

Biography

Background

According to Braius, his family moved from the Kryn Dynasty to the Dwendalian Empire seeking religious refuge when he was a child.

Fan art of Braius' backstory, by Rann.

He told Bells Hells that in his youth he had followed the Platinum Dragon, later expanding this explanation to tell of how as a young minotaur he served the Platinum Dragon in his temple in Zadash, being in charge of security. In 835 PD, two vandals, a goblin and a tiefling, broke into the sanctuary by deceit, setting it on fire and desecrating it by drawing dicks everywhere. Braius was blamed for failing in his duty, thrown out of the temple, and rejected by his family (who were deported back to Xhorhas, no longer having the protection of the temple) and his girlfriend, and has sworn to find and destroy the two vandals. He eventually received a vision that he ascribed to Asmodeus, the King of Lies, and ended up becoming his follower, calling himself his herald to find new followers for the archdevil and fight demons in his name.

At some point after he became a follower of the Lord of the Nine Hells he teamed up with Stanley, a handsome human warrior, to fight a common threat. The latter, however, was a follower of the Dawnfather and stabbed the minotaur in the back, just to be killed by his Smite immediately after. Braius decided to use his remains for art, painting with his blood a portrait of Asmodeus being stabbed by Pelor, praying in front of it, although without getting an answer, and skinning the human to create a cup in which to drink the blood of his enemies.

In 843 PD after the apogee solstice, Braius and a group of companions wanted to help their lord's cause, and infiltrated the Ruby Vanguard with the intention of killing its leader, Ludinus Da'leth, since he wanted to destroy all the gods. They became part of the archmage's escort to Eiselcross, although on their way to the Aeorian ruins Braius did not pay much attention to his target's plans, as he was too focused on looking for an opportunity to attack him. When they were exploring the fallen city beneath the ice, the influence of Dominox, a grand demon sealed in the Nox Engine, started affecting Braius and his companions, both allies and Vanguard members. They started seeing visions that confused them and attacked each other. One of them seriously injured Braius, who hid in a closet to protect himself.

With Bells Hells

Fan art of Braius, by Hugo Cardenas.

Two days after he saw Ludinus last, and after locking himself inside the closet, Braius heard people arriving in the room where he was. He stayed silent, focused on self-preservation. When he heard someone knocking "Shave and a "Haircut" on the door, he knocked back. The door opened, revealing Bells Hells. They initially asked if he was Dominox, and Braius assured them he wasn't, using his Divine Sense to confirm that they were trustworthy. When he saw that Teven Klask himself was with them, he decided they were fine, and started sharing all the details of his mission with them, only to discover that the adventuring party was already aware of everything he knew since they were there to stop Ludinus too. Ashton Greymoore gave him a healing potion and Dorian Storm cast Cure Wounds on him, after which Braius thanked him and called him a powerful man. Braius and Fearne Calloway exchanged compliments about each other's hooves and knees. The paladin shared his recent experiences in the ruins, and when asked about his god, he evasively told the group he had followed the Platinum Dragon in his youth, avoiding Fearne's questions when she showed interest. When the group accepted him as an ally, Teven threatened to kill him if he harmed Fearne, leading the minotaur to show interest in the nature of the relationship between Lord Klask and Fearne. However, he seemed glad to be with them, especially after learning their group name. As Braius kept talking with Teven it became clear he was somewhat starstruck, calling himself a "herald champion" of his god and being sad when the devil immediately declared he wasn't a champion. Dorian, noticing this, encouraged Braius, telling him not to lose confidence.

They continued exploring. When Braius told them that he didn't know much about Ludinus Da'leth's plans, Ashton reproached him for not paying more attention, although to soften this they called the minotaur pretty, causing him to return the compliment. Before entering the engine room, Braius cast Bless on Dorian, Fearne, and Chetney Pock O'Pea, after which he positioned himself near Teven. The group interacted with Dominox, who in the form of a little girl tried to convince them to take the purple crystal in the room (the Pinion of Service) to free him. Braius tried to climb towards the crystal, and Imogen Temult surprised him by asking him telepathically if he could move the crystal instead of hitting it, since she was worried that he would hurt himself. Braius appreciated the sentiment and asked her if she was single. Imogen replied that she wasn't sure, but immediately clarified that she did not intend to give him hope in that regard.

As the party's conversation about what to do continued, the paladin was surprised by how much the adventurers talked and asked if he should hit something. Shortly afterwards Dominox lost patience and attacked them, using his Writhing Chains to drag them towards him. Braius managed to avoid them, helping Dorian with his Aura of Protection, who inspired him in return. Understanding it didn't make sense to keep hiding it, the minotaur admitted out loud that he was a follower of Asmodeus, and attacked Dominox with Blinding Smite, wielding his Poison Pen and confirming that, like many other demons, Dominox was immune to poison; frustrated, he attacked with Divine Smite, causing more damage this time. The battle continued and at one point the Grand Demon of Loathing was suddenly yanked towards the Pinion, causing Braius to fall prone. Braius, however, was still aware of his surroundings, and used his Sorrowful Fate to ensure that Dominox would be affected by Dorian's Irresistible Dance spell. Then, noticing that Ludinus himself had joined the battle, Braius cast Moonbeam against him for minor damage. Braius asked Teven to speak to Asmodeus about him, and after the champion promised to do so if he helped defeating the demon, Braius combined his Hammering Horns and his battering shield to push the enemy through Gate to the Abyss that Ludinus had created, allowing Teven to destroy him permanently. Braius then asked the Retribution of the Hells for an autograph, and the devil signed his armor.

Ludinus told the group that he wanted to talk to them, and they followed him. Orym was very wounded, so Braius used Lay on Hands to heal him a bit (he also asked if Orym was single, to which the halfling responded by pointing out the extreme difference in size between the two, although the minotaur was fine with that). Braius stayed with the group and they watched together the recording of the fall of Aeor, after which the adventurers argued with Ludinus about their very different conclusions regarding the gods. The paladin of Asmodeus was quiet most of the time, but when his new companions mentioned that Da'leth's behavior reminded them of Father Milo Cowst (the mortal avatar of the Lord of the Nine Hells), Braius rejected the idea, stating that Milo was right in his position and that it was the other gods who had rejected him; he also commented that the Prime Deities were bad, since they betrayed people like him, and suggested that the Betrayers themselves should be released, which caused Ludinus to argue that few deities hated mortals as much as them. The minotaur also said that he identified with Cassida Previn, but when asked about it he said he did not wish to talk about it. Braius told the group that maybe they shouldn't trust the recording at all, and that there might be similar devices elsewhere showing an entirely different version of the story.

Eventually Ludinus left after causing Laudna's warlock patron, Delilah Briarwood, to manifest in the chamber and attack the group. Ready to fight, Braius attacked her spectral form with Sacred Flame and inspired Dorian by complimenting him. He kept attacking and moving through the battlefield using his magic, until he defeated Delilah using a Divine Smite with his Poison Pen, forcing her to retire inside Laudna. They talked for a bit, and the minotaur, curious, asked about the enemy they just fought, confirming it was the source of Laudna's power. When Bells Hells started preparing to leave, Braius wasn't sure about going with them and he decided to pray in front of the symbol of Asmodeus he had created with the black ichor produced by his weapon during the fight; at first he didn't see any sign, until he noticed eight independent drops going down the wall until they converged, symbolizing the adventuring party and him teaming up, so he went through Essek's Teleportation Circle with them to the drow's home in Rexxentrum. There, Braius spoke with Fearne for a bit, telling her that regardless of the result of the conflict with Ludinus, someone would end up becoming more powerful, and they should be careful about which person rose to power; he also used his Lay On Hands to gently heal the druid. As the group was talking, Braius checked if he actually knew their names (he got Dorian, Fearne, Ashton, and Essek right) and formally introduced himself again. Shortly afterwards, he annoyed Essek by questioning his arcane capabilities, and although the wizard didn't express anger out loud, he pranked the paladin by casting Immovable Object on his armor, locking it (with him inside) in space.

During the ritual to seal Delilah inside the Pinion of Service, Braius and Dorian inspired each other, and Braius helped Dorian to modify the runes in the anchor by correcting him every time he saw a mistake. When Laudna then tried out her powers by summoning her familiar Pâté de Rolo, Braius attacked him and destroyed his physical body. During a celebratory game of "What the Fuck is Up With That?", Braius told the group about his past in the Empire as a follower of the Platinum Dragon, and how, after being expelled from Platinum House in Zadash, he found a new purpose serving Asmodeus. Braius said that in his opinion the Prime Deities were all hypocrites who did not deserve respect or their association with all that is good; however, he was willing to work with Bells Hells even knowing that they did not have the same opinion. They continued partying, and Braius inspired Chetney so that he could convince Essek to stay with them for longer; although the minotaur was interested in playing Spin the Bottle, Ashton convinced him to smoke his Pipe of Remembrance instead, allowing them to see his most heroic moment killing Stanley and honoring Asmodeus through it; when Dorian asked if the god had liked it, the minotaur explained that the Lord of the Hells manifested in very subtle ways (although more noticeable than Bahamut ever was). However, as the conversation progressed Dorian noticed that Braius was getting nervous having to answer many questions about his past and his contacts with the Nine Hells, so he helped him by changing the subject and asking him if he would paint a portrait of the group, a commission the paladin immediately accepted, using a canvas to create an image with dark and light spots in a very creative way (although giving everyone a slightly goth and edgy air). He asked Essek if he wanted to keep the portrait, but the drow told them it was theirs.

The following day Braius commented that even though he didn't like demons, he was okay with Chetney's new Demonshell Armor as long as it made the blood hunter stronger. After Essek Teleported the group to Vasselheim, where the Exandrian Accord forces had withdrawn, Braius painted his armor to show a black sun instead of a horned crown, only to change it again to a dragon's head when he was told they were going to the Platinum Sanctuary; he shared some advice about how to behave around religious people, but as they walked through the city, Imogen noticed how he acted while pretending to be a law-loving follower of Bahamut and telepathically asked him not to oversell it.

During the Accord meeting, Braius used his Divine Sense to detect the presence of several celestials in the room, and supported Bells Hells' argument about people's potential reaction to the recording of the fall of Aeor, explaining that in times of trauma, even the most fervent followers of the gods could lose their faith. After they left and walked with Keyleth and her friends, Braius admitted it was his first day with the party and was expressed to learn they had been to Ruidus. He playfully compared his height with Grog's and suggested they do some arm wrestling later. Braius also mentioned he had a spell to help with making sure people were speaking truthfully and asked Lady Vex'ahlia if she was single. Braius was certain that the Prime Deities' complexity would cause trouble when Ludinus' message was broadcast and argued that the Exandrian Accord should accept help from the followers of the Betrayers; however, when Keyleth answered that she had been in the Nine Hells already and wasn't interested in such company, the minotaur was immediately interested in that fact.

After Orym communed with The Wildmother at the Birthheart, Braius asked him if he trusted the visions and the god that had sent them; when Orym confirmed that he did, the minotaur suggested that he give some of his faith to the Wildmother so that she would do the same for him, but Orym argued that he preferred to work with her as a partner and ally rather than a follower. Braius joked about the group behaving like the mortal avatars had, making plans to destroy a dangerous machine; he also acted offended when Ashton mentioned how messy artists could be, until they added that sometimes they were like that in beautiful ways, and that the paladin was pretty. The group played Truth or Spin the Bottle to try the minotaur's Zone of Truth spell and have some fun. Braius admitted that although he had never interacted directly with Asmodeus, he believed in their connection and was happy serving him, and although he initially spun the bottle to avoid talking about it (somewhat awkwardly kissing Imogen), he acknowledged that since Bells Hells had been good to him, he had no reason to betray them, not even if he had the opportunity to take revenge on Bahamut (against whom he held a grudge, but not enough to prioritize him in a mission). Shortly after, when Fearne spun the bottle and kissed Chetney, the minotaur used Mage Hand to make the bottle point at himself, but Laudna saw it and just assumed someone had accidentally hit it; later, when Ashton went directly to the faun to kiss her, Braius just stared at them until Imogen covered the pair with a blanket to give them privacy.

The next day, after a brief meeting in the Trial Forge they started making their way back to the Platinum Sanctuary and Imogen told them about her most recent vision, in which her mom told her about Ludinus' plans in a ley nexus and in the Fey Realm (with Braius expressing surprise after learning the group had visited the Plane of Faerie). As they were walking Braius approached Fearne and apologized for flirting with her, since apparently she was with Ashton, although she immediately clarified she wasn't with anyone; he adviced her to be honest with her feelings and the people she was involved with, and when she wondered if he was with anyone, the minotaur immediately asked if Orym had asked, clarifying right after that he was looking for a relationship. When they reached the meeting place Braius inspired Dorian before the event started. As the meeting progressed, Highbearer Vord asked Athudashionus (a silver dragon Braius recognized) to activate a Zone of Truth in the building, but Braius resisted the effect. When Bells Hells were presented as the right agents to send against Ludinus and the Ruby Vanguard, some of those present began to question their capabilities and loyalties. Braius, despite not being affected by the Zone of Truth, carefully spoke about the tenets of the Platinum Dragon and how the group was following them, and mentioned that the Wildmother had recently visited Orym, so the fighter showed Seedling to the audience, and its new gold gems shone, impressing the people there. Vord, interested in the paladin, asked him which of the saints of the Platinum Dragon was his favorite, and Braius talked about Graham the Fallen Saint and his story of redemption; Vord then approached and touched his chest, asking if he would be willing to dedicate himself to that cause, and when Braius agreed the elf returned to their seat.

After Keyleth gave Bells Hells new titles and Highbearer Vord ended the meeting, the latter approached Bells Hells, and when he noticed, Braius broke his old symbol of Bahamut inside his pocket. When the Highbearer asked if they could be trusted, Braius paladin showed them the symbol (although saying that it had been broken by Overseer Marlow), explaining he had been banished from the Platinum House, but that he still had hopes of being redeemed; after Pike Trickfoot's brief intervention speaking in favor of Braius, Vord, despite not being fully confident (something Braius noticed), agreed to let the minotaur represent the Platinum Dragon and his followers, and made him wear Truthbearer, a fabled magic armor, to have a proper gear associated with the Prime Deity, staring into his eyes while some assistants put it on. After Braius promised to be worthy of the armor, Vord left. When his friends asked, the minotaur told them that he felt good, even declaring that maybe all of that had been a sign. After that Bells Hells visited the home of Scalebearer Waylon Amaredda, and at one point he fainted because of the emotion, so Braius had to wake him up with Lay On Hands. The minotaur suggested to spend the night there so that Chetney could enjoy the attention a little bit longer; after Laudna mentioned that Braius could paint a portrait of Waylon and Chetney, the minotaur asked the toymaker if he could have something signed by him. That night the adventurers spoke about their next step, and decided to travel to the Fey Realm, and meet with Ira at Ligament Manor; Bells Hells were very excited about Braius meeting Nana Morri for the first time.

The next day, while they were speaking with Keyleth, Braius was asked about his gods, and he considered the possibility of worshiping both Asmodeus and Bahamut, although thinking about it, he realized that the deities might notice if deep devotion was suddenly divided; he also wondered, given the unusual circumstances after the Red Solstice, if the gods would really care about such a thing. When Keyleth sent them to the Feywild, as requested, both Dorian and Braius were amazed by the strange plane, and as the latter walked through the Harrowcall Fens, the vegetation around each of his steps became grayish. When they arrived to Ligament Manor, Fearne's grandmother, Morrigan, was very happy to meet Dorian, but became completely infatuated by Braius, who flirted a bit with her as Dorian used Gust to make him look even more debonair; he also mentioned that the Hells (and him) considered Fearne very attractive, and the hag told him to be careful. When Ira Wendagoth arrived, he began to act competitively around Braius, standing up to be even taller than the minotaur; in response, he knelt to gently kiss Morri's hand, causing the Nightmare King to kiss the other. The Fatestitcher gave Bells Hells and Ira spectral steeds to reach Pravenier, and as they were leaving, the hag slapped Braius's ass. When they reached the ruins they started exploring them, and Braius inspired Dorian, who sneaked up to the area where his enemies were, and was able to locate several hidden guards. When Bells Hells and Ira started attacking and killing the guards, Braius used Silence to prevent one of the guards (who had noticed Dorian sending their Yeth hound away) to alert the others, and Imogen and Laudna killed them; as the adventurers kept attacking the Unseelie, Braius used Silence again to make sure they stayed unnoticed, since Ira was no longer using his own magic to do so. When Bells Hells were done, they focused on the building in which Ludinus and Zathuda were meeting with the Unseelie, and started planning on how to deal with them.

When the fight began Braius showed Fearne a portrait he had made of her the night before, inspiring her. During the battle he attacked Ludinus with his Divine Smite, but was quite close to him, so when Ashton destroyed his Simulacrum form, the detonation that occurred hit the minotaur as well. Shortly after that, with Ludinus gone, Athion Zathuda asked to have a conversation, in which he expressed the interest of the Unseelie Court to follow the plans of the Ruby Vanguard until the moment was right for them to betray them and allow Fearne to seize the power of Predathos (comparing it to a crown, which confused Braius until the Sorrowlord clarified it was a metaphor); upon hearing this Braius declared that those ideas were against Bells Hells' own mission. The adventuring party hesitated and the paladin telepathically suggested to kill the fey; when they started fighting again Fearne tried to ride Gloamglut but fell, just to be saved by Braius, who propulsed her back to the dragon with Thunderwave. When they managed to knock Zathuda unconscious Imogen used her powers to move him towards the minotaur (who was praying for a sign just before seeing the Unseelie captain). The temple started collapsing, and the adventuring party started to leave, and as he was doing so Braius noticed a representation of the Arch Heart's smiling face, and he smashed it; the building went down before Braius and Imogen were out with the Sorrowlord, and the paladin protected their unconscious hostage with his own body to make sure he survived. However, shortly after the temple was magically rebuilt, and after stabilizing Zathuda they went inside, finding the animated and repaired statue of the god of the fey, who asked Braius if hitting their face was really necessary, to which he responded by explaining that his lord didn't have the best relationship with him.

The Arch Heart sent them to their realm in Arborea, presenting themself in front of Bells Hells, and talking to Braius directly, asking what was family to him; after the minotaur explained he was looking for a new family, the god declared it was endearing, and told him that if he swore fealty to them, they would let him live. When Braius explained he couldn't without betraying and angering his current god, the Arch Heart laughed, declaring they thought they had him, and welcomed the group. After the Prime Deity exposed their plan to them (to seize the power of Predathos and control it before anyone else, in order to force the gods to leave the world so that they could be together and mortal life could prosper on its own) Braius asked if that plan included all the gods, and after confirming it commented that he would be willing to free the Red End if it was Asmodeus who asked; that caused the Arch Heart to try to trick him again, lowering their voice and creating a horned figure with stars, just to drop it shortly after and declare that the Lord of the Nine Hells was too proud to ask something like that. When they started imitating the Dawnfather's voice as they talked about mortals, Braius immediately identified the god, and the Arch Heart admitted he was delighted with the paladin, alternating between love and hate towards him at every moment, which was entertaining; in turn, shortly after Braius was one of the adventurers that declared that the god was very attractive, causing them to blush. After they granted them a boon Bells Hells were sent back to their temple, where Braius offered Imogen to heal her wounds, arguing he felt a connection with her since the game of Spin the Bottle; she said it wasn't necessary, but the paladin restored some of her health anyway.

The adventurers, with Ira's help, tried to Modify the Unseelie prisoners' memories to make them believe they had been attacked by Ludinus, but it didn't work very well so they had to knock them unconscious. Braius, shortly after knocking Zathuda unconscious too, suggested that they could trick the Unseelie showing them fake events whenever they regained consciousness; when Dorian wondered if he could use Geas to give Cashadoor a task that would take a long time, Braius joked by saying that if it took long enough, by the time the emissary was free to chase them down the group would be already dead and living in the third circle of hell (which caused Ashton to join the joke wondering if the paladin wouldn't prefer the first circle). They decided to follow the minotaur's plan, and he Disguised himself as Ludinus and pretended to fight in different scenes as they hurt and healed the Unseelie emissary so he could watch some of it. When Sorrowlord Zathuda tried to run away using that distraction he was knocked unconscious by Chetney and died just as Gloamglut was trying to rescue him; Braius Misty Stepped there and used Nature's Wrath and Sorrowful Fate to try to grab the dragon with vines, unsuccessfully. Dorian arrived to the scene shortly after that, being very confused for a moment when Braius told him that Zathuda had transformed into a dragon. When he saw that Fearne was calming Gloamglut down, Braius stayed ready with an Ensnaring Strike, although it ended up not being necessary; before they left the minotaur took a moment to return inside and draw a moustache in the face of the Arch Heart. When Bells Hells wanted to leave Gloamglut carried the two Ruidusborn in its back, and grabbed Braius, Orym, and Chetney too, without dropping Zathuda's corpse; while they were flying Braius tried to shout to Fearne if she wanted her father to live or not, but she just wondered if someone was singing.

Later, in Ligament Manor, Morrigan used her Loom to turn Zathuda into a sentient tapestry they put in the tiki bar; Braius suggested that maybe his portrait of Fearne should stay in that house too, and their host was very pleased wth the idea. Bells Hells interrogated the Sorrowlord for a bit, and when Braius approached the tapestry he made a joke about his long face (Athion tried to spit at him, but he had no saliva), and then asked about any potential siblings of Fearne; Zathuda confirmed he had put all his hopes in one single child, even though he had had the opportunity of sire more of them. After the adventurers dealt with their Unseelie prisoners (letting Morri transform Cashadoor into a bush and sending Kamal back to the court with a mission and new memories) the adventurers decided to spend the night there. Braius decided to paint in one of the walls of the house, praying (to Bahamut or Asmodeus, whoever answered) about what should he do if his group pursued the plan of chasing the gods away; the painting started burning, and through it the Lord of the Nine Hells told the paladin that if such situation was inevitable, he would like to be the only member of the pantheon left. When Braius blinked that was over, and he fervorously rubbed his face with burnt paint. Nana Morri appeared shortly after and praised his artistic work; Braius told her that after seeing how happy his friends were together, he didn't want to spend the night alone, and the hag, after explaining to the minotaur that the others were just trying to forget they were miserable, slapped his ass and told him she would wait for him in the Cherry Blossom Suite.

The next morning, during breakfast, Braius arrived with a limp after a passionate night, and Morri greeted him warmly. He and his friends spent some time speaking and planning their next steps, and when the Fatestitcher opened a portal for them to return to Exandria, Braius said goodbye with a kiss (competing with Fearne to see who stayed the longest with the hag), and their host flirted with him, reminding him he knew how to find her. Back in Vasselheim they went to the Raven's Crest to commune with the Matron of Death; there they were told they had to get inside a pool of blood and voluntarily "drown" in order to speak with the goddess of death. Braius asked if the ritual would cause them to become servants of the goddess, but he was told it wasn't the case; he inspired Laudna as she went in, and when he saw Orym hesitating he told him that if he wanted to stay outside, he would stay with him, although shortly after they both jumped in, followed by Fearne. They woke up in the presence of the Raven Queen, but she was cold and distant, and told them to go home; after they insisted, the goddess of fate showed them different people that had been crushed by destiny, and one of them was Opal, a friend of Orym, Fearne, and Dorian; Braius asked the latter if she was single, but Fearne angrily told him she wasn't. After Imogen made a powerful statement about the virtues of Bells Hells (which included describing Braius as a mighty man who, despite his indecision, would walk any path he chose with strength), the Matron of Ravens decided to test if the adventurers would be able to do what was necessary, and made the images of Opal, Liliana Temult, and Vespin Chloras attack them. Braius attacked Liliana with Divine Smite and Shining Smite, but shortly after he failed to hit her again she Reversed Gravity on most of the group; when they got free of that effect the minotaur attacked Opal with another Divine Smite combined with Ensnaring Strike, restraining her. He also attacked Vespin, destroying some of the doubles he had created with Mirror Image.

When they proved they worth the Raven Queen agreed to speak with them, revealing that, like the Arch Heart, she didn't want to destroy the Divine Gate and cause a second Calamity. She answered the adventurers' questions, and revealed some of her experiences as both a mortal and a goddess; when Braius asked what would happen with the souls if she disappeared, the Prime Deity theorized that the cycle of rebirth in Exandria might be restored, since it had been her divine predecessor and partner the one who established the current afterlife system for the souls. When Chetney asked for a boon the Matron of Death offered them a magical mask, and Braius was the one who offered to take it; before give it to him, the goddess told the paladin that she could see he was a crossroads, and that she hoped that her gesture would give him a push in the right direction. Braius allowed Laudna to examine the mask with her Mage Hand, and shortly after that, the goddess of death sent them all back to her temple. Braius briefly wondered if red looked good on him before getting cleaned up, and he left one gold piece as an offering, although Lieve'tel Toluse, the local priestess, didn't look very impressed by it.

When they left, Braius told Laudna that she could keep the mask, but since the Matron had talked to him, he wanted to use it to pray for a few minutes and see if it gave him some orientation. After Imogen spoke with her mother via Sending she told the group that she was keeping Ludinus at bay, and when Braius questioned if it was true, the sorcerer argued that not everyone was a liar. Shortly after the group encountered Captain Xandis, an old friend that introduced themself to both Dorian and Braius, complimenting their looks and assuming that the minotaur was the squire of the air genasi; instead of correcting them the two bards played along, although they stayed silent most of the time, and when the captain was leaving he addressed them again, telling Braius to keep Dorian safe. As they were going back to the Platinum Sanctuary they talked a bit about what else they could do in the city, and Braius said he wanted to pray to the Platinum Dragon; he also showed interest when Laudna proposed to organize eulogies for themselves before their potential last mission. They met with Allura Vysoren, and when they told her about their mission in the Fey Realm she asked if they had guarantees that the Unseelie Court was going to abandon Ludinus; Dorian summoned Coriolis and asked the mount if it had fulfilled its mission bringing Kamal back home; Braius offered to communicate with the creature using Speak with Animals, but since it didn't work (it wasn't a beast) Coriolis followed Dorian's indication and hit the ground twice, confirming its part of the plan had gone well, although the minotaur still pretended he had understood the equine dragon perfectly. Before leaving Vasselheim, the adventurers wanted to go shopping, and Braius joined Imogen, Orym, and Chetney as they tried to find diamond dust for resurrections; in one of the shops Braius and Chetney persuaded a shifty shopkeeper so that he would sell them his jewels, as well as some Marquesian drugs and some painting utensils. After that both the blood hunter and the paladin spent some time carving wood and painting respectively. When Dorian returned to them he seemed so cheery that Braius asked if he had had sex, to which he responded that he had played sexy music. The group had a brief encounter with Kryn Dynasty agents, and although it had a positive purpose (to give them a dunamantic present for their mission) Braius kept his hand on his weapon, and the soldiers kept their eyes on him; after they were gone the minotaur told his group that the few days he had spent with them had been very crazy.

Bells Hells returned to the Platinum Sanctuary, and after saying goodbye to Allura they met with Leeta and Maeve, Orym's sisters-in-law, and they all traveled to Ria'Doin; when Leeta mentioned they had read a warning about a danger in the town, Braius used his Divine Sense, but he didn't perceive anything strange. While they waited for the other team that was going to go to Ruidus, the started drinking, and Braius talked to Dorian in private, asking him how to befriend their group better; the air genasi shared some advice, telling him to be more honest (the paladin noted that more than half of the things he said were truths), to see himself as part of the group instead of an outsider, and to consider each of the adventurers a potential friend instead of a sexual goal.

Fan art of Dorian and Braius' talk, by Kaw.

When Braius mentioned that he wanted to befriend Orym first so that the others would fall more easily, Dorian pointed out that he shouldn't word it like that, but he approved him liking Orym nonetheless; however, when the minotaur mentioned he still wanted to have sex with the halfling, Dorian told him they would continue that conversation later, and after mentioning they have known each other for 100 hours, decided to celebrate by drinking more. After a while the group they had been waiting for, the Mighty Nein, arrived to the town, and Bells Hells welcomed them at the door, posing to try to look cool in front of them; one of the newcomers, Veth Brenatto, seemed extremely excited to see Braius. He, however, was focused on Jester, recognizing her, and started making questions about their past and their connection with Zadash, and when the tiefling realized he had been in the city when she first visited it, she hugged him and declared it was fate; she started talking about her deity, the Traveler, but Braius angrily declared that Jester and her goblin friend had ruined his life, wielding his weapon and causing Yasha Nydoorin to grab hers. Jester failed to Charm the paladin, and despite the tension, all the adventurers decided to have dinner instead of starting a fight.

During dinner Braius and Caduceus Clay exchanged some compliments, but he was still tense, so Veth dragged him away to help him relax; however, when Jester went looking for him she found him alone and still grumpy in a corner. She apologized for her past actions, explaining some of her personal context at the time and declaring it was a form of artistic expression to honor her god; although the minotaur was exceptic at first, when he got confirmation that she had painted some of the portraits in Essek's house, they started talking about art, and showed each other their works in progress: Jester showed him a nude portrait of Fjord and was praised for adding a crown to adorn the half-orc's penis, and Braius showed her a portrait of Orym and had to explain that the long shape was his sword and not his penis. The tiefling argued that in a way, she had helped Braius find his purpose as an artist, and when he mentioned some of his past, including his ex, Suzy Greene, Jester offered to cast Sending to tell her how amazing he was now. After some hesitance, the minotaur agreed to the plan, giving Jester some underwear and the description of the woman, and she used the spell twice to deliver the full message; when she was done, she told Braius that Suzy had let herself go and did not feel worthy of the paladin. When the potential fight with Yasha was mentioned again he said he would be fine having a battle to release some stress after dinner. When they were about to cross the portal in Lake Umamu, Yasha left Veth with Braius, who held onto him since she was scared of the water; he, however, lost some of the interest in her flirtatious attitude when he got confirmation that she was married. When they were in Ruidus they Teleported to a basement in Kreviris and decided to spend the night in Widogast's Nascent Nein-Sided Tower; there they enjoyed a Heroes' Feast, and Veth and Braius danced to the music that Dorian and Yasha played, and although they managed to have some conversation the halfling eventually ran away, flustered, just to return immediately after to eat. During dinner he let Laudna take the Mask of the Matron so that Fearne could Identify it, after which he kept it. Later, Caduceus approached Braius to ask him about his conflict regarding the gods: the paladin admitted that having met Bells Hells had make him want to lean again towards the Platinum Dragon, despite his betrayal, and the cleric pointed out that perhaps he had forgotten that it had been people who betrayed Braius, not the god himself. Although Braius tried to change the subject for a moment asking about fusaka (it was good, according to Caduceus), he revealed that the other option for him to worship was Asmodeus himself, and Caduceus declared that he had heard worse, and that although it wasn't bad to stay in a dark place if it helped one heal and gain strength, it was important not to get stuck there; he also encouraged the minotaur by telling him he knew how it was like to be the new member of a group that needed him, and Braius decided to call himself a "paladin of the Hells" for the time being, until he figured out which "Hells" was he representing. When it was time to go to bed Braius asked Dorian for inspiration to work on Orym's portrait, and with that and Jester Guidance he finished a magnificent piece of art before going to bed.

The next morning, after breakfast, the two groups talked about their next plans. When they considered using disguises to move through Kreviris without drawing attention, Braius agreed, but recommended the group to use the harness at least one last time, which they did. Afterward, the paladin mentioned he hadn't had the chance to fight Yasha; she punched him,and he retaliated with an elbow strike, leaving both of them satisfied. As they were leaving the tower, the minotaur took a moment to draw a symbol of Asmodeus among the many dicks drawn by Jester in the walls. Disguised as Ruidians, the adventurers moved through the city, making a brief stop to free a petrified Planerider Ryn in an Exandria-themed shrine. Eventually, they encountered a blocked tunnel leading to Vaterra Kreviris; Jester opened it by polymorphing into a dire mole, prompting Braius to compliment her destructive capabilities, to which she dramatically asked him to follow her. Upon arriving at the impressive underground level of the city, they met Gaz Tomo, a member of the Volition. Braius attempted to determine Gaz’s trustworthiness but struggled, unfamiliar with reading Reiloran facial expressions. Although the paladin's approach was initially aggressive, Dorian intervened, convincing Gaz to share information about his faction, which reassured the two adventurers upon confirming their shared goals. While they waited for the Mighty Nein to leave with the Volition, the two groups stayed together and talked. When Bells Hells shared the information they had about the gods' opinions about their mission, they also mentioned that they weren't so sure about the Betrayer Gods, but when the Mighty Nein asked about their relationship with that part of the pantheon, Braius simply stated that they had done their research. They debated for a bit about what to do when they had to handle Predathos and its power, and the paladin declared that whatever they decided, they should stay together. Later, he told Chetney he wanted an RTA tattoo like his, and although Jester offered her tools for the task, they ended up doing it with the gnome's chisel, the minotaur's ink, and a lot of alcohol, since the process was very painful. When Braius heard Jester and Fjord talk about their wedding plans and their lack of time organizing things, he (after learning they had been engaged for just a few weeks) told them that they would have plenty of time to plan. When the Mighty Nein were about to leave Braius apologized to Jester for judging her too harshly, and she hugged him, telling him that everything that had happened with him had a purpose; when he told her that he hoped her god wasn't devoured, she clarified that the Traveler wasn't actually a god, so she would be fine. Laudna asked the minotaur for the mask he had taken from the Matron of Ravens, and after some conversation they agreed to hold it at the same time and pray to see if they received some kind of sign (although it was actually a fake mask he had painted to keep the original one); when he felt an invisible force pulling it towards the warlock, he agreed to let her keep it, and then told the rest of Bells Hells that it had been amazing to meet them, and that he wouldn't change his situation for anything.

Fan art of a sad Braius holding a portrait, by Rann.

Since the conversation had led some couples to talk among them, Braius took his portrait of Orym and tried to talk to him, but he found him kissing Dorian, so he left; he then took another portrait he had made for Ashton and went to find them, but left too when he found the barbarian with Fearne. When Imogen informed the group that she had had a vision of Ludinus harming Liliana with his own Quintessence Array, Braius offered to use Locate Object to find them faster; although initially the sorcerer tried to mentally show him the harness, in the end she showed him the locket that his mother was wearing, much more familiar and easier to spot (and whose design Braius praised). They decided to wait until they were closer to their destination before using the spell, so they headed to the heavily guarded entrance to one of the tunnels and pretended to be a group of Ruidians who had captured an escaped Exaltant, Fearne; Braius quietly inspired Imogen to talk to the enemies, and to act tough kicked the "prisoner", embarrassingly causing a Reiloran juggernaut to tell him that such behavior was not necessary. Once they were inside the tunnel Braius used his magic and confirmed they weren't close to Liliana yet. On their way there they were attacked by three avadons; two were pushed inside the portable hole, and although the third attacked Fearne, the paladin compensated his previous behavior by helping her and shoving that monster inside the hole too. Shortly after they encountered myceits that became their guides, and although Braius was tense, his Divine Sense didn't detect anything dangerous; however, in one of the chambers he ended up being restrained by a fungal entity connected to the myceits, which only let him go after Fearne persuaded it.

Eventually they located the structure of the Prime Pillar, and thanks to the minotaur's Labyrinthine Recall, were able to keep going until they found the place where Ludinus was absorbing Liliana's power; they had a moment of preparation, during which Braius inspired Imogen again, and cried a little when he saw Orym kissing Dorian on the cheek. Shortly after a battle ensued, and Braius, after casting Misty Step to approach, killed an Exaltant with a single Divine Smite, splitting it in half with his pen. Although the paladin was attacked too, he stayed in close range, and as he was making eye contact with Orym, he hit another Exaltant to remove them from the psychic ritual that protected Ludinus; after that he cast Healing Word on Laudna. When the barrier finally fell, Braius immediately tried to attack the archmage, but he used his acquired powers to make him miss twice; however, shortly after Dorian trapped him inside a Forcecage, ending the fight and saving Liliana.

During the conversation with Ludinus, Braius mentioned that gods sometimes responded when called. Ludinus asked each of them about their motivations, and when Fearne started talking about her ideas of how to use the power of the Red End, Braius had to remind her it wasn't a genie; he also told Dorian that his logic about Ludinus being a villain for thinking he was right technically applied to their own group too. Braius admitted he saw aspects of his own past in Ludinus' and was genuinely sorry for his losses; however, he added that even though he didn't know what he wanted, being with friends gave him some direction, which was something Ludinus had probably lacked for some time. After that he moved away and after painting a symbol in the wall, prayed to Asmodeus for guidance: his painting burned and turned into a window to the home of the Lord of the Hells, where the paladin saw him sitting on a throne adorned with horns and clawed fingers. They spoke, and the Betrayer God told him to destroy Ludinus and stop Predathos from being released. He confirmed the minotaur's loyalty, and confirmed that he would have what he wanted (a home and a family) if he proved able to defend it; he also added that if it wasn't possible for the paladin to stop the Red End from being released, it was his mission to control or destroy its vessels. After that, the vision ended, and the painting burned completely. Near the Hallowed Cage a new battle ensued, during which Braius inspired Laudna, Fearne, and Imogen, cast Silence on Ludinus to prevent him from using verbal components, and cast Moonbeam. After Orym killed Ludinus the group rested for a bit (after Chetney broke their Sphere of Dunamantic Restoration against Braius), Braius suggested smoking some fusaka, but was told to wait until after the mission. Inside the Hallowed Cage they met the "shadow" of Predathos in the vague luminous form of a reiloran child. During their conversation, Braius asked what the entity would do once they got free, and they responded they wanted to create more of their kin; later the paladin asked if they would consider sparing some of the gods, but the Red End simply stated that they needed to eat.

As their battle against the Red End started, Braius tried to keep it from moving with Nature's Wrath, but the entity broke the vines and started floating. His friends started attacking, and at one point the minotaur reminded Ashton that if they had to kill Imogen to defeat Predathos, they should; then he combined Ensnaring Strike with Divine Smite and managed to restrain and damage the enemy, although he noticed that the radiant damage wasn't as effective. The God Eater attacked both of them shortly after, and Braius used Truthbearer to defend the barbarian, although he couldn't stop the hit; he then Misty Stepped and cast Thunderwave against the crystals, since Dorian had revealed they were vulnerable to sonic attacks. Channeling one of its powers Predathos blinded several of the adventurers, including Braius, who, after trying to heal himself and discovering that the entity was absorbing his healing, Misty Stepped again to move away from it.

Fan art of Laudna using the mask, by Elaine Tipping.

When he finally regained his sight he noticed Fearne and Laudna being mad at him, and the latter trying to take the Mask of the Matron from him; he said he had kept it to complete his mission, but the warlock ran towards him and put her own face against the item, activating its properties. Bells Hells were pulled from combat for a few moments, speaking with the Raven Queen and telling her about Predathos and the potential solutions to deal with it; Braius expressed his concern about how definitive the control of Imogen over it would be, if she managed to do so. After it was suggested that the gods could hide in Exandria as mortal avatars to avoid Predathos, the minotaur pointed out that the option should be offered to the entire pantheon, not only the Prime Deities, and Ashton added that whoever wasn't interested was free to leave the world; when Laudna asked him if such a plan worked for him and his mission, Braius admitted that it was a way to preserve the gods, although he wasn't sure of how to convince Asmodeus of renouncing to his power and status. After receiving boons from the Matron of Ravens, the fight resumed, and with renewed power the adventurers kept attacking Predathos. Braius apologized to Laudna and Fearne, and used Misty Step to get closer to the God Eater and attack it with Divine Smite (supported by Orym's Bountiful Luck). Dorian destroyed the form of Predathos with Chromatic Orb, but when they thought they were done, the Hallowed Cage started shaking, and the actual body of the Red End started emerging from the ground. As the battle entered a new phase Braius used his armor to protect several of his friends (shouting its name and origins each time), but he also focused on dealing damage, using the Matron's empowerment to cast Staggering Smite, combining it with Divine Smite to deal massive damage; as he did so, he channeled infernal power that caused his appearance to become more devilish. At one point Laudna made sure that her Fireball wouldn't hit him and the minotaur expressed surprise, since he thought she was angry at him. He tried to focus on fighting again, but when Fearne was hurt Imogen persuaded him (by showing him a boob) to heal their fallen friend instead, and he did so; then he inspired Laudna by throwing a painting of her in her direction, causing the warlock to admit she liked it. After that the paladin attacked Predathos combining Staggering Smite and Divine Smite again, but seconds later the entity knocked him and Dorian unconscious with a powerful blast; however, Orym healed the genasi with a potion, and he, in turn, woke up Braius with a Mass Cure Wounds, inspiring him and telling him that, despite everything, he still trusted him. Eventually Imogen defeated the God Eater with a thunderous Meteor Swarm, and absorbed its remaining energy.

The Hallowed Cage started crumbling, so the adventurers fled with Liliana, trying to heal themselves at the same time; Braius gave Chetney a potion, who told him he would make up with him later as a thanks, although both (along with Dorian and Laudna) got hurt again by glass shards caused by the falling rocks. They ended up being rescued by Planerider Ryn, who Teleported with them to the secret portal to Exandria. Although they found a holy army ready to fight them, eventually (with some divine assistance) they were allowed to pass, and were escorted to Vasselheim. With the help of the Matron of Ravens and her priestesses, Bells Hells were transported to an extraplanar space in which they had a meeting with the gods to explain their plans and the idea of them becoming mortals with the Rites of Catatheosis created by the goddess of death. During the conversation Asmodeus looked at Braius and he immediately felt warmth in his chest; the god claimed outloud that he didn't like the idea and that he preferred the dignity of oblivion rather than perpetual mortality, but as he did, he started a telepathic conversation with his paladin, telling him to help him chase and punish the gods that did follow the plan; in response, the minotaur thanked him for everything but prayed for him to accept the Raven Queen's offer, since he hoped he could make connections of his own that way. The archdevil made an aggressive gesture towards the group, but in the mental conversation he showed some interest; when his paladin declared that he had lied to him when he told him he would betray Bells Hells for him, Asmodeus laughed outloud, and stepped back to go with the rest of the gods. During that whole conversation Dorian noticed that his friend was communicating with the archdevil and inspired him; in return, the minotaur inspired him back when the air genasi was trying to tell the deities about how fun it was not knowing what the future would bring. The gods ended up agreeing, and the Matron used her ritual with Ashton's dunamantic head as a focus, which killed him. As the Rites of Catatheosis were taking effect, Asmodeus sent a vision to Braius, asked him if he was satisfied with the situation and adviced him to stay playing the hero for the temples, promising him they would do great things together once he returned; however, the archdevil then questioned if the paladin's lies about loyalty were just words or actual facts. Braius answered that even though he liked the clear path Asmodeus had given him, he preferred the chaos of not known what to do, and boasted that if the god wanted to punish him for it, he would have to deal with Bells Hells; the Lord of the Hells was furious for being rejected so easily, and promised him to return, and that he and his forces would haunt the paladin until then. He then disappeared, and Braius returned to reality. Watching Ashton fall but being unable to reach him in time, he started walking in that direction as he painted, but when Chetney Banished the barbarian that gave the minotaur time to run and reach the group, casting Plant Growth to create a softer area of impact (although Caleb Widogast ended up using Telekinesis to catch Ashton, and resurrected him with Essek's help).

After Imogen released Predathos on Heaven's Stair Mountain the entity left the planet, unable to find suitable prey; when Braius gave the sorcerer a portrait of her as a reward (which she liked a lot), Fearne commented that the paladin should dedicate more time to paint instead of murder. Bells Hells then encountered old friends of the group: Deanna Leimert and FRIDA. Braius and Dorian hadn't met them before, so they introduced themselves, after which they talked for a bit; Braius even mentioned his connections to both Asmodeus and Bahamut. When they were going down the mountain some of the holy warriors of the city tried to stop them, angry after what had happened, and Braius immediately got protective of Imogen, but they eventually left them go. Bells Hells attended a meeting in the Platinum Sanctuary to talk about what to do with the Ruidians; when Braius was allowed to speak, he said that the last few days had been crazy, and that even though he had met very different people deep down everyone wanted similar things and the people of the red moon weren't so different, they were people just like them. Since people were paying attention to him he also tried to use that chance to apologize to his friends for his treacherous behavior, but they immediately stop him so he wouldn't ruin the moment. When they were finally alone he remembered the vision sent by the Lord of the Hells (getting a nosebleed), and told Bells Hells about it, getting paranoid about meeting a baby or a potential lover that was actually the Betrayer God (Imogen told him the second option was easy to avoid if he didn't date people two decades younger than him); his friends gave him different advice (like staying with Morri, training constantly, or hoping Asmodeus would have a change of heart), and after he rejected the possibility of seeking Bahamut (since he was boring) and considered following the Traveler instead, Ashton told him that since they knew him the best decisions he had ever made were the ones that didn't take other people's opinions into account. They all ended up agreeing to be there for each other, and the minotaur gave portraits to the members of the team that didn't have one already. In the following days he joined Bells Hells in a trip to Jrusar to see the place where the group had first met.

Retirement

After leaving his ties with Asmodeus behind Braius focused on his artistic career, creating different collections (like nudes inspired by the Fatestitcher, or evil babies inspired by his fear of the reincarnated Lord of the Hells), and even exposing his work in Jester's gallery, befriending her and honoring her drawing small dicks in his own paintings. Through that connection, he ended up befriending the Traveler at some point before 847 PD. At some point he also had a brief tryst with Deanna Leimert.

Relationships

Asmodeus

Braius initially claimed to be a "herald champion" of his god, but Teven Klask, a confirmed champion of the Lord of the Nine Hells, was completely unaware of his existence, and declared that the minotaur wasn't a champion at all. Despite this, during the battle against Dominox Braius still called himself a herald of Asmodeus, and asked Teven (whom he admired a lot) to put in a good word for him with the Betrayer God.

Braius used one of Asmodeus' epithets, "King of Lies", to refer to him and was appropriately secretive about admitting being one of his followers. He also seems to be prone to looking for signs of the god in the smallest details, to the point where he sometimes deceives himself by claiming that the god is responding/reacting to his offerings and prayers.

After the conversation with Highbearer Vord Sam Riegel admitted that Braius was seriously considering the possibility of being redeemed as a follower of the Platinum Dragon, since Asmodeus is ghosting him. The next time he prayed, however, Asmodeus answered in person, and he did so again in Ruidus; during that second conversation with him Braius admitted he had been close to ending it all before the Lord of the Hells saved him in the past.

After meeting Asmodeus in person and convincing him of becoming mortal Braius decided he valued his friendships in Bells Hells more than the path given to him by the Betrayer God, which caused the latter to be angry and threaten him, and Braius to seek connections and protection in adventurers and other powerful entities in the following years.

Fearne Calloway

Braius has been extremely unabashed in his attraction to Fearne, going out of his way to flirt with her, and seems to be fascinated by her connection to Asmodeus and the Nine Hells through her deal with Teven Klask. She is friendly with him, appreciating another hooved adventurer in the group, although so far hasn't acknowledge his advances in any significant way.

Dorian Storm

Braius and Dorian first met when, through a rhythmic knocking, the genasi revealed the minotaur bleeding out inside a closet. After he healed him, the paladin became thankful and slightly flirtatious towards Dorian, and while they explored the Aeorian ruins and fought a demon, they supported and encouraged each other. As they kept traveling together Braius admitted that he paid attention to Dorian because he was "hot".

Both bards seem to understand each other as the members of the team that have been part of Bells Hells less time, and Braius confides in Dorian when dealing with issues he doesn't know how to handle.

Character information

Notable items

• Poison Pen, a flail with twin balls dripping a black liquid, which causes additional poison damage on a hit
• White armor with the horned icon of Asmodeus emblazoned on its chestpiece, signed by Teven Klask as recognition for Braius' part in the battle against Dominox
• Suzy Greene's underwear
• Rusty and recently broken symbol of the Platinum Dragon
• Battering Shield (requires attunement)
• Stanley Cup
• Truthbearer, given to him by Highbearer Vord (requires attunement)
• Bottle of essential oil made in the Blooming Grove, a gift from Caduceus Clay

Former items

• Portrait of Fearne Calloway (originally meant to depict Chetney Pock O'Pea), left in Ligament Manor.
• Forgery of the Mask of the Matron, made in secret and given to Laudna, who discovered the forgery when trying to use it.
• The Mask of the Matron which Braius kept after pretending to give it to Laudna. When she discovered the forgery, she managed to place her face into the true mask while it was hanging on Braius' belt, transporting the party to the Matron of Ravens. The mask broke after its use.
• Portrait of Laudna, given to her.
• Portrait of Orym, given to him.
• Portrait of Ashton Greymoore, given to them.
• Portraits of Chetney, Dorian, and Imogen, given to each of them.

Abilities

Minotaur abilities

Unless otherwise noted, the following abilities are assumed from the standard Dungeons and Dragons materials.

• Horns
• Goring Rush
• Hammering Horns
• Labyrinthine Recall

Proficiencies

• Skill proficiency: Religion
• Skill expertise: Intimidation,^{[citation needed]} Persuasion^{[citation needed]}

Paladin features

At 15th level, Braius has 12 levels as an Oath of the Ancients Paladin. He has access to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd level paladin spells, in addition to the following:

• Divine Sense
• Lay on Hands (90HP)
• Fighting Style: Blessed Warrior^{[presumed, due to Sacred Flame]}
• Spellcasting
• Divine Smite
• Divine Health
• Sacred Oath: Oath of the Ancients
  • Oath Spells
  • Channel Divinity
    • Nature's Wrath
    • Turn the Faithless
  • Aura of Warding
• Extra Attack
• Aura of Protection
• Aura of Courage

Bard features

At 15th level, Braius has 3 levels as a College of Tragedy bard. He has access to bardic cantrips, 1st, and 2nd level spells, in addition to the following:

• Bardic Inspiration (d6)
• Jack of All Trades: He can add half his proficiency bonus (rounded down) to any ability check that doesn't already include proficiency bonus.
• Song of Rest (1d6): He and his allies add extra healing when rolling hit dice on a short rest.
• Expertise: Deception, Persuasion
• Bard College: College of Tragedy
  • Poetry in Misery: When he or an ally within 30 feet roll a natural 1 he can use his reaction to soliloquize and regain one expended use of Bardic Inspiration.
  • Sorrowful Fate: Once per rest he can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration to turn the saving throw a creature is making (because of Braius or an ally he can see) into a Charisma save instead. If the target fails, Braius rolls a Bardic Inspiration die and the target takes psychic damage equal to the result, and is plagued with regret for 1 minute. If the target is reduced to 0 hit points during this time and can speak, they are magically compelled to utter darkly poetic final words before succumbing to their injuries.

Spells

Spell level	Spell	Class
0 (cantrip)	Sacred Flame	Blessed Warrior
0 (cantrip)	Mage Hand	Bard
1st	Bless	Paladin
1st	Disguise Self	Bard
1st	Ensnaring Strike	Paladin (Oath Spell)
1st	Speak with Animals	Paladin (Oath Spell)
1st	Thunderwave	Bard
1st	Wrathful Smite	Paladin
1st	Healing Word	Bard
2nd	Gift of Gab	Bard
2nd	Misty Step	Paladin (Oath Spell)
2nd	Moonbeam	Paladin (Oath Spell)
2nd	Shining Smite	Paladin
2nd	Silence	Bard
2nd	Zone of Truth
2nd	Locate Object
3rd	Blinding Smite	Paladin
3rd	Plant Growth	Paladin (Oath Spell)
3rd	Protection from Energy	Paladin (Oath Spell)
4th	Ice Storm	Paladin (Oath Spell); While Braius was temporarily 17th level (a boon of the Matron).
4th	Staggering Smite	Paladin; While Braius was temporarily 17th level (a boon of the Matron), he chose and cast this spell.
4th	Stoneskin	Paladin (Oath Spell); While Braius was temporarily 17th level (a boon of the Matron).

Appearances and mentions

• Campaign Three
  • "The Nox Engine" (3x98) (first appearance) (first appearance played by Sam)
  • Every episode from "Reconciliation" (3x102) onward except: "Assault on the Malleus Key" (3x113), "Fight for the Bloody Bridge" (3x114), "The Weave Mind" (3x116)
• Specials
  • "Freaky Thursday: A Bells Hells Charity One Shot" (Sx91), mentioned only
  • "Tag Team at the Teeth – The Misty Ascent" (Sx97), mentioned only (unnamed)

Quotations

Fan art of Braius, by @zhellers.

• Sam: (describing Braius) In the history of Exandria there have been many hot minotaurs, but perhaps none as hot as this minotaur.
• Braius: (about the group's vision of Downfall) The Prime Deities are squabbling children who don't deserve the power that they have.
• Braius: [Asmodeus] showed me, as he will show all of you, that there is no such thing as objective truth. There is only power and victory. [...] There are those who matter and those who don't, and he matters. Through his guidance and his power, we can find purpose.
• Braius: In times of great trauma, even purely faithful can fall from the path and make alliances with unholy or terrible entities.
• Braius: (to the Lord of the Hells) When I promised you I would betray them... well, I guess I lied.

Trivia

Fan art of Braius, by Kaw.

• Sam has said that "Doomseed" was simply the first name that came into his head. In-universe, Braius told Bells Hells that "Doomseed" wasn't always his last name, and that it was bestowed upon him because of his oath.
  • Unintentionally, this randomly chosen surname causes the character's full name to become an anagram that includes "Asmodeus" in its combinations.
• The official artist for the Campaign, Hannah Friederichs, posted an explanation of some of the thought processes and discussions that went into Braius' official art.
• When Braius was introduced in "The Nox Engine" (3x98) he had a bleeding wound in his throat. This was a conscious decision by Sam because of his oropharyngeal carcinoma, which he had been fighting between FCG's death and his new character's arrival, to have an in-universe excuse in case he had difficulty speaking properly during the session. After recovering enough, he returned to Campaign Three, which he had missed, and asked his friends (through the characters) to help him heal his wound, presumably leaving a scar matching the one the actor has in his own neck.
• Before choosing Braius as his new character, Sam considered multiple options, including bringing back a former character, playing as a brain in a jar, or turning Darrow Allocke into a player character.
• According to Sam's mother, Lenore, as a child he said he wanted to be a minotaur when he grew up.
• Braius likes to express himself through paintings and artwork. Although most of what he creates is in service of his master, he also paints for his own sake, and he is talented, although his style and chosen subjects tend to be crude and edgy.
• Since he only has three fingers on each hand, he tends to count by threes or sixes, instead of tens.
• So far Braius doesn't have a defined alignment. Although Sam was considering exploring an evil character at first, part of the reason he didn't fully embrace it was because things were getting messy in the real world during the ending of Campaign Three, and he didn't want to add to that.
• Braius claimed that as the herald of his god, one of his duties is to find new followers for the archdevil, even though he is aware that not many people appreciate the Lord of the Nine Hells.
• Braius is an only child with no siblings.
• Redditor u/ralph2190 was able to transcribe some of Braius's character sheet from a close-up during the live show. However, because this information got leaked, Sam planned to change some of the backstory that was shown on the internet:
  • He wears a signet ring with the symbol of Asmodeus.
  • His parents are called Zeke and Alma. Zeke is a hot, horned minotaur. Alma is a human woman, a horny human woman.
  • He was also dumped by his girlfriend at the time, Suzy Greene. She was his childhood sweetheart. Kind, fun with strawberry blonde hair and an infectious giggle. When she dumped him, it sent him into a downward spiral. He still writes her letters from time to time, and gets the occasional reply. But it's more like stalking your ex on Facebook. Every time he hears from her she tells him about her wonderful life - she's married to a well known preacher(?), has 3(?) kids, a nice house, does yoga. It infuriates Braius that --- ("she's doing better off without him"?)
• He is the first player character who uses one of the subclasses first presented in Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn.
• Much like Taryon Darrington in Campaign One: Vox Machina, Braius Doomseed was not an idea nor an inspiration from Liam O'Brien since it's not the beginning of a new campaign.
• When Sam described Braius as a hot minotaur, many people, cast included, remembered Sunbreaker Olomon from Campaign Two: The Mighty Nein where Sam's character Nott the Brave found Olomon very attractive and even flirted with him.
  • Braius Doomseed's most notable feature, his humanoid-looking face, becomes more bovine when he is angry or in battle.
  • Sam admitted that he designed the character to appeal to the rest of the party in one way or another, so that he could potentially seduce each of them.^{[citation needed]}
• Although Braius had fought demons, he wasn't aware of the difference between them and devils.
• He doesn't like sweets, and prefers bitter flavors.
• According to Morrigan, he smells like shadow and bad choices.
• Braius's pursuit of Fearne Calloway is reminiscent of how in Campaign One Scanlan Shorthalt pursued Pike Trickfoot, in that both characters are voiced by the same actors.
• Braius is the seventh player character to replace one who had been killed or retired.

References

Art: