Brandon Airgetlámh

"Look, you can fear what hurts, but instead of giving into it, use it to burn with greater strength and more brilliant light. That’s the true power to be feared."

- Brandon Airgetlámh

Brandon Airgetlámh is a professional Huntsman and a graduate of Sanctum and Beacon Academies.

His weapon of choice, called Claíomh Solais, is a Celtic long-sword that uses Fire and Electric Dust. The weapon was originally owned by his father before he left for unknown reasons. While he attended Beacon Academy, he became a member and the leader of Team BLSM with former students Luna Primula, Samantha Blodwen, and Michel Redwood.

Appearance
Brandon is a clean-shaven young man with a tan complexion who has short, wavy black hair with a silver streak running through the center. His eyes are typically a dark blue, but they become darker in the absence of sufficient light. There are 3 large scars on his torso from taking a Beowolf's claws without his Aura.

Brandon wears a dark-gray t-shirt with black cuffs that showcase his muscular arms. The back of this t-shirt displays his emblem, which is embroidered in yellow. On his hands he wears a pair of black fingerless gloves to maintain a stronger grip on his sword. He also wears a pair of black cargo pants that cover the entirety of his legs and a pair of black steel-toed combat boots. When taking up missions, he dons a silver chest-plate with his emblem displayed in yellow and metal spaulders on both shoulders. His weapon is strapped to his back on a small magnetic plate.

As seen in flashbacks, Brandon's clothing choice during his time at both Beacon and Sanctum Academies didn't differ too much. At this time, he did not have his armor pieces or the magnetic plate. Instead, his shirt had a small strap on the back to stow his long-sword. There was one key thing his younger self lacked, though, and that was the signature silver streak that now runs through his hair.

Early Years
Not a great deal is known about Brandon's early life, but from what he's mentioned to his teammates, it wasn't a great childhood. Born in Mistral, his parents were both Huntsmen that attended Haven Academy. After they graduated the school, they settled down together. Shortly after his birth, his father and mother, who were never really a compatible couple anyways, had a severe falling out, and his father stormed out and never came back. After that, his mother turned to alcohol and cigarettes as a coping mechanism, and her condition has slowly gotten worse over the years. To this day, his mother refuses to say his father's name, for it brings her too much pain and hatred.

Money was always tight, but after Brandon graduated from Sanctum Academy near the top of his class, he began looking at applying to Haven Academy. However, his mother specifically advised him against it on the grounds of refusing to answer the ever-present questions about his father that would inevitably be brought to the table by his attendance there. So instead, he decided to apply for Beacon, to which he gained acceptance. His mother Sienna was quite happy about this, as she would never have to think of her early life at Haven Academy along with her unmentionable husband. From the meager earnings of his mother's job at a business office, they managed to scrape together enough money to go, and soon moved to a small apartment in downtown Vale. After graduation, his long withheld curiosity concerning his father's whereabouts won out over staying near his new home, and he soon set out on his long trek there.

He made his way back to Mistral, and ever since then has continued to travel across every last corner of Anima in search of answers, taking odd jobs along the way to pay for his travels during the times when the Mistralite Council did not require his services. Occasionally, he turned to jobs that worked in a moral gray area culminating into something more sinister when he helped to track down a bounty hunter and kill him at a time when he was desperate, out of funds and out of luck. This event has unfortunately set a great number of cross-hairs on him from several avenging assassins that work in the Mistralite black market. He tries to keep in touch with his former teammates back in Vale, but after the Fall of Beacon and the Vale CCT, it's been nearly impossible for him to stay on the radar, and he's been out of contact for several months, a worrying sign for the rest of his friends. Even before that, assassins had pursued him, forcing him away from contact for long periods of time to maintain his safety. Even still, his former teammates have retained faith in his capabilities, knowing he can handle himself just fine without much issue.

During a fight to save a village from a Grimm attack, he received his scars when finishing off the last Beowolf. Not noticing his Aura was depleted, he took the Beowolf's claws near the stomach as he killed it. The only reason he survived was by luck: the village he was passing through had a small clinic where a doctor kept him from bleeding out. It is thanks to his event that he now exercises a little more caution when fighting, instead of impulsively rushing in as he used to.

Personality
During his time at the academies, Brandon was an awkward, friendly guy who was well-known for consistently self-deprecating any of his good qualities. By his 3rd year of Beacon schooling, however, he had managed to overcome this bad habit and became more confident in himself and his abilities, especially upon the discovery of his Semblance. At that point in time, Brandon was a seeming open book, and it was quite easy to get to know him. He was especially protective of his teammates and friends, and would take a hit meant for them if it meant they'd be okay. He was quite impulsive, knowing his teammates were there to back him up, which often times led to dangerous situations he had not previously foreseen.

Post-Beacon and during his Anima travels several years later, he began to come across several villages that had been attacked by bandits and the creatures of Grimm, and his outlook started to turn cynical. The once outgoing but awkward student became a self-assured, but pessimistic wanderer. His protectiveness still remains, however, as seen when he fought off a large group of attacking Grimm single-handedly to save a village from otherwise inevitable destruction. It was during this fight he received the scars on his torso when finishing off the last Beowolf without his Aura. Thanks to this near-death experience, he now exercises a little more caution when fighting, instead of impulsively rushing in as he used to do so often.

He has mentioned to his former teammates that his personality inspired his Semblance, which involves the idea of taking a blow ("Taking the heat," as he calls it) for someone else and throwing it right back at whatever was attacking.

He has also demonstrated an ability to play tactician, though he dislikes the job because it was this ability that forced him to become leader of team BLSM. He honestly prefers to fight, which he takes to somewhat impulsive levels. His severe self-deprecation has pushed him to try and work even harder to appear better to other people, almost to the point where it's not even necessary. This has diminished a little bit after the village incident which nearly cost him his life.

Weapon
Brandon demonstrates notable skill at handling his sword, being able to handle it in his left hand nearly as well as his right hand, implying learned ambidexterity. His slashes are strong enough to cut through a brick wall, as shown when he slashed with enough force that a shock-wave cut through these bricks. It should also be noted, however, that he was also using Fire Dust in this attack, meaning that his attacks may not have as much power as is implied.

His sword contains Dust compartments for both Lightning and Fire Dust. He uses these Dust types to augment his strikes, but he can also use these Dust forms to power up his Semblance, if he so chooses. His lightning attacks have been shown to go in a rough straight line towards a target, and can leave his opponent incapacitated for a short time. More often, though, he chooses to use Fire Dust, which has a shorter range but much greater power in fighting. Fire Dust is released is an arc like fashion from the sides of the blade while Lightning is done from the tip of the sword.

Semblance
Discovered very late in his Beacon studies, Brandon's Semblance is known as "Energy Absorption and Redirection," which allows him to absorb the effects of intense heat and electrical energy and redirect or store it. This ability can also augment the Dust he uses for more powerful attacks through the blade or his hands. This power does not work with any other energy types, nor solar-based heat. Absorption works for both Dust attacks and naturally occurring events, such as a wildfire or non-Dust created lightning strikes. If he absorbs too much, he risks damaging or incapacitating himself through electrocution, exhaustion, or even burns if his Aura is low enough. It should be noted that whenever he is using this ability, his arms and sword glow with a silver outline, as these are his main conduits for absorption. Other areas of the body are not as well-versed in using his power, so he rarely uses these unless it's absolutely necessary.

Early on, he could seemingly only absorb heat and electricity to a limited degree, with heat being the easier of the two. As time goes on, he has greater control over both elements, with heat remaining the easier option of the two, and the more common Dust type to find being used.

His semi-situational power is inspired by his protectiveness and his previous inability to help people when they most need it, which frustrated him to no end. This might also stem from moments of impulsiveness, which often result in great bursts of energy and lapses in judgement on his part.

Notes/Trivia

 * Brandon's last name, Airgetlámh, (Alternatively spelled as "airget lámh") is a word from Old Irish/Gaelic that translates to "Silver arm" or "silver hand."
 * His last name Airgetlámh is a direct reference to the Irish King of the Gods, Nuada Airgetlámh, who lost his arm in combat and later had it replaced with a prosthetic made out of pure silver. This could also allude to his Semblance typically being used through his hands, which glow silver when he does so.
 * His sword, Claíomh Solais, [literally meaning "sword of light"] was often attributed to be Nuada Airgetlámh's sword in Irish and Scottish folklore.
 * In keeping with Team BLSM's plant motif, Brandon in Old English and Irish means "gorse/broom-covered hill." Gorse is a plant material that was often used to make the sweeping end of a broom.
 * The flowers of both gorse [Ulex ] and broom [Genisteae ] bloom in yellow. When combined with the rest of the meaning, this would evoke an image of yellow flowers covering an entire hill. [Click here for reference image. ]
 * Brandon in Teutonic and Old English can mean "from the beacon hill," referencing his attendance at Beacon Academy.
 * Brandon's Semblance also references the properties of elemental silver, which has the highest electrical and heat conductivity of all elemental metals.
 * Whenever asked about how or where he got the silver streak in his hair, he responds with, "By living." It's unknown whether or not he's joking in this regard.
 * Brandon only has 3 scars because the back claws of the Beowolf failed to hit him.