History Literature / BranMakMorn

* CosmicHorrorStory: "Worms of the Earth" most illustrates this. Bran summons a race no longer part of the Earth in his revenge against Rome. The race used to be a different kind of hominids but after their banishment change into something else. The meer Bran casts a stone they cherish also might be inhabited by a nameless water monster, and since it's called ''Dagon'''s meer it is likely not an animal. While Bran is able to retain his sanity from vaguely seeing the worms Sulla goes completely mad from having spent time in their domain.
* CurbStompBattle: In "Worms of the Earth", the chthonic beings level the Roman garrison at Eboracum, smashing walls and slaughtering soldiers. And the one (briefly) surviving soldier that Bran Mak Morn meets seems almost ''relieved'' that he's dying.

* DealWithTheDevil: Bran asks for help from the eponymous "Worms of the Earth". Atla and Gonar both warn him that doing so will have dire results.

* FantasyCounterpartCulture: while historical Picts were a Celtic people related to other early settlers in the British Isles, Howard's Picts were envisioned as a sort of misplaced Native Americans.

* GuileHero: Bran is more than at ease to use tribe politics, deceit and even cower monsters of a forgotten age into doing him a favor with sheer force of character.

%%* CosmicHorrorStory: "Worms of the Earth" most illustrates this.

%%* DissonantLaughter: Atla laughs constantly, usually to unnerve Bran or mock his plight.
%%* DividedWeFall: An overarching theme in "Kings of the Night".

* CosmicHorrorStory: "Worms of the Earth" most illustrates this.

* DissonantLaughter: Atla laughs constantly, usually to unnerve Bran or mock his plight.
* DividedWeFall: An overarching theme in "Kings of the Night".

* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: After the Roman invaders usurp his authority and crucify a Pictish man, Bran swears revenge. He orders his most trusted vassal to amass an army against the Romans, then sets off to recruit evil beings to capture Titus Sulla, the Roman governor at Eboracum. Defied in the end, when he sees the carnage the Worms have wrought, and concludes [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone there are indeed weapons too terrible to use even against Rome]]. As a capper, Sulla ends up as such a pitiable wretch that Bran executes him as a MercyKill rather than out of vengeance.

See also: Creator/RobertEHoward, Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian, Literature/{{Kull}}.

* EnragedByIdiocy: Bran Mak Morn is enraged by Wulfhere's refusal to fight the Romans without a king in "Kings of the Night".

* RoyalBlood: Bran Mak Morn is of a "pure" Pictish bloodline, one that has not been diluted with Celtic or Aryan blood.

* DatingCatwoman: Bran is rather repelled by Atla's reptile side, and she is in no way fond of him -- and she makes that very clear. Nevertheless, her price for helping him is "to have one night of love with a King" -- something that the normal women she envies will never have. He is willing to pay that price, as Atla is his only way of contacting the Worms who can fulfill his revenge on the Roman commander.

* PetTheDog: In "Worms of the Earth", despite that Bran Mak Morn knows Atla is a HalfHumanHybrid and finds her abhorrent, he makes the Worms promise not to harm her for helping him steal the Black Stone.

* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: After the Roman invaders usurp his authority and crucify a Pictish man, Bran swears revenge. He orders his most trusted vassal to amass an army against the Romans, then sets off to recruit evil beings to capture Titus Sulla, the Roman governor at Eboracum. Defied in the end, when he sees the carnage the Worms have wrought, and concludes there are weapons too terrible to use even against Rome. As a capper, Sulla ends up as such a pitiable wretch that Bran executes him as a MercyKill rather than out of vengeance.

* RequisiteRoyalRegalia

* WasOnceAMan: The Worms are stated to have once been a rival tribe of the Picts before the latter drove them underground, where they degenerated into the horrors they are today. Downplayed, in that the Worms' ancestors are also described as having been subhuman even before they were driven BeneathTheEarth.

Some of Howard's notes date Bran to around 100 AD. Others say around 300 AD[[note]]Hadrian's Wall did not exist as of 100 AD[[/note]]

The ''Bran Mak Morn'' stories are a peripheral part of the Franchise/CthulhuMythos. Notably, ''Worms of the Earth'' mentions R'lyeh, and a draft of that story mentions Cthulhu.

* BeneathTheEarth: In "The Lost Race", the Picts set up a new society underground after being driven from their land by waves of invaders.

* CurbStompBattle: In "Worms of the Earth", the chthonic beings level the Roman garrison at Eboracum, smashing walls and slaughtering soldiers. And the soldiers who survived ''wish'' they had been killed.
* DatingCatwoman: Bran is rather repelled by Atla's reptile side, and she is in no way fond of him - and makes it very clear. Nevertheless, her price for helping him is "to have one night of love with a King". He is willing to pay that price, along with many other things he is willing to do in order to get his revenge on the Roman commander.
* DealWithTheDevil: Bran asks for help from the eponymous ''Worms of the Earth''. Atla and Gonar both warn him that doing so will have dire results.

* EveryoneHasStandards: In "Worms of the Earth", Bran Mak Morn is horrified by the carnage and madness wrought by the chthonic beings. He concludes that some weapons are too evil to use, even against the Romans.
** EnemyMine: Two (rather subtle) times in "Worms of the Earth", from Bran Mak Morn. When he listens to the dying Roman soldier's story of how their fortress had been destroyed, it's said "in that moment the dying Roman seemed to him almost like a brother". Later, when he [[MercyKill decapitates the maddened Sulla]], he says ''"Vale Caesar!"'' Despite Bran's hatred of Romans and his conviction they have to be removed from the British land no matter what, or the Pict race will die at their hands.

* GoMadFromTheRevelation: Titus Sulla in ''Worms of the Earth''. The chthonic beings kidnap Titus Sulla and drag him through their subterranean tunnels as part of their deal with Bran Mak Morn. The ordeal leaves Titus Sulla a drooling, maddened wretch.

* HeWhoFightsMonsters: When the titular Worms of the Earth bring Titus Sulla to Bran in exchange for their stolen artifact, Bran calls them monstrous because he has been driven to utter madness by them. Atla quickly mocks Bran's self righteousness, as he was the one who sought their aid after being warned by both friend and foe alike.

* MadOracle: Gonar appears to be this in "Kings of the Night". Subverted, in that it's only a [[ObfuscatingInsanity facade]] he cultivates in order to instill awe in the common people.

* MineralMacGuffin: The black stone cherished by the chthonic creatures in "Worms of the Earth". Bran steals the stone, then promises to return it if the creatures bring him Titus Sulla.

* WasOnceAMan: The Worms are stated to have once been a rival tribe of the Picts before the latter drove them underground, where they degenerated into the horrors they are today.