The Son of philanthropic artist Abraham Kortenaer, Brecht is a willful and often stubborn young man searching for meaning in his life. Uncertain of his past, Brecht barely remembers his mother, and his father is often reluctant to tell him of her for unknown reasons.
Regarded as a freak by most of his peers Brecht is not very popular in school. Brecht has often displayed strange abilities; sensing feelings of others, seeing things before they happen, able to move just slightly faster than anyone else.  Even his relationship with animals and nature seem unusual.  Most of Brecht’s relationships have ended poorly, his best friend for as long as he can remember is Ada.  A girl whom he is sure he has known since childhood, but cannot remember exactly how they met.  Yet he is sure that a chance meeting in a field is where they made a strong bond with each other.
Â
Often told by his father that he is “Heir to some Great Land” Brecht regards his life as mundane. The one constant thing in his life which continues to plague him to this day are his dreams. Nightmarish visions of gigantic shadow-like creatures taking him captive, and another gigantic hand coming to his rescue. As suddenly as his nightmares begin, they soon change to a serene tranquil open field where he and a young girl are playing. Brecht can remember only a few spoken words with the girl “Laden Paarde We Shall Be!”.