Bran the Brave
At the behest of our great Holy Roman Emperor King Henry IV, I write this account to
record the noble actions of Bran the Brave, A poor, kind, wise, humble man his entire life, Bran
the Brave was a true and supreme exemplification of what it meant to be a merchant under our
Holy Roman Emperor. Born of a saintly nature, in the city Zara During the year of our lord 1028
in the month of April to a minor household in the Republic of Venice. The son of Gerald III of
Zara and Cristen of Corsica both possessed by a man with no name only known as Simone, Bran
was destined to become one of Simone’s personnel property piece’s for his whole life until his
father found out what Simone had planned for his son. The following evening Gerald III killed
Simone and rushed his wife and child onto a cargo ship heading for Venice, As the ship was
departing Gerald was apprehended by local authorities and was executed on the spot in front of
Bran and Cristen just before boarding the ship. Since then Bran sought to follow his fathers
accomplishments and swore at the age of nine, to become the best merchant the Franks ever laid
their eyes on. He succeeded in his efforts to become a merchant only to be lost at the age of forty
and two for protecting his merchandise and our Holy Roman Emperor King Henry IV from a
band of heathens and drunks.
Bran was a merchant of the highest honor, and honor was something that Bran was
passionate about. Keeping true to the vows made to his father he succeeded in becoming the
most successful merchant in all of Venice. He had done so by learning about the exports and
imports of the city, who bought what and when, and he learned about people through
observation. Taking daily strolls through the market he observed what caught people's attention
and what drove it away. Bran tried resolving conflicts with as much equitability and dignity He
could muster. But one afternoon stroll through the market had led him to a crowd of people.
Approaching the crowd, he saw an Arab merchant being laughed at by the crowd while all his
items lay on the ground and became tarnished in the process (Usmah., Autobiography) but the
kindness of Bran had started to take over, he approached the crowd and intervened. Helping the
Arab man on his feet he started to question everyone on why they put themselves above another
that is only trying to better themselves. The vicious mockery had silenced and dull shame
washed over the crowd. As the silence filled the air the crowd dispersed and The Arab man
thanked Bran for his kindness and gratitude and left on his way(Usmah., Autobiography)
Bran’s success in Venice allowed him to look past the small, humble markets and move
onto direct merchandising. He did so by traveling all throughout the Holy Roman Empire and
going directly to the Duchy’s to sell his goods. While on his way to the Duchy of Bohemia he
stopped in Passau, Strolling past a church which was nearly destroyed and abandoned by all (T.
Cel., VSt.F. X) Bran had taken notice of it and found himself pulled toward it. Upon entering
Bran was met with a group of thugs that had taken the church as their own. Being taken hostage
he kept calm and steady so as to not alarm any of the thugs, for he may have been presented as
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calm but inside he feared for his life. Thinking of his feat, Bran offers his cart with all of his
goods in return all he asked for was his life, and the life of his servants. Accepting his offer the
thugs put their arms away and allow Bran to leave. The Pious and wise nature of Bran that
resulted in the curious nature of himself is record of his contribution to a merchants life.
The day of Bran the Braves death, started just as any other day. Although on this day his
attire had changed from his usual wares. He had worn a linen shirt and linen breeches, and above
these a tunic fringed with silk; while hose fastened by bands covered his lower limbs, and shoes
his feet, and he protected his shoulders and chest by a close-fitting coat of otter skins (Ein. VC.,
23). Bran started the day in his hometown Venice, managing the markets, meeting with the
Doge, and setting prices for newly imported goods. Strolling through the market Bran had
noticed that some merchants started to raise the price of their silk without consulting himself,
after confronting all of them Bran had proclaimed by edict that such clothing could not be sold
for more than eight gold coins a pound (Proc. Anec., XXV). enflamed, Bran went on a walk
outside of the market district, where he had met our Holy Roman Emperor King Henry IV, who
was passing through the state to see how his empire was flourishing. Shaken by his grace, he had
offered his sincerest apologies for not offering a gift for his Emperor, so he asked the Emperor if
he would accompany him to the market district where he could pick out anything he wanted.
Agreeing with this offer Bran had rushed ahead to prepare for his arrival in his district.
Concerning everyone with the arrival of his grace, Bran heads towards the Emperor waiting for
his arrival. Examining his surroundings he notice’s 3 curious figures with death in their eye’s
heading towards the Emperor, Alarming the guard, Bran intervenes between the heathens and the
Emperor sacrificing his life for his King. Feeling the cold embrace, such was the result of the
Kindness of Bran the Brave, His memory shall be a matter of fact for the exemplification of what
a Merchant should be.
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