The other Anduin.

Greetings. You've reached Anduin's voice-mailbox. You can leave a message for me to hear after the chime plays and, when I can, I will return your message. Good day to you!

PLAYER

Name: Sophie
Age: 36
Contact: philosophercat@gmail.com
Other Characters: None.
Interests: Adventures of all sorts, character scenes, diplomatic intrigues, exploration, and silly fun times as well.

CHARACTER

Name: Anduin Llane Wrynn
Canon/OC: Warcraft
Canon Point: World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth
Journal: lil_lion
Age: 18

Canon World

Azeroth is a world largely in a medieval level of technology and government, blended with sci-fi elements (ancient machines, magic, and airships). The planet is home to several sentient races common to generic fantasy settings (humans, dwarves, elves) but also unique races, and aliens some of whom have brought space-faring technology (which has not been fully utilized in any meaningful way). Anduin is the leader of the last independent human kingdom, as well as high king of a faction known as the Alliance, which represents several races. He is a skilled diplomat and healer. His healing powers derive from a force called the Light, which is a cosmic energy found in all things and has a benevolent alignment. He is also able to draw on the opposing energy known as the Shadow, to cast damaging spells that afflict the mind. Both powers affect the emotions: the Light soothes, protects, and grants courage; Shadow sears the mind, induces fear, despair, and delusion.

History

Anduin is the only child of Varian Wrynn and Tiffin Ellerian, monarchs of the kingdom of Stormwind. His mother was killed during a riot when he was an infant while his father was captured and ransomed when he was ten. During his father’s absence, he ruled as king with the help of advisors. Being a pacifist in a warrior culture, he has been plagued by fears that there is something fundamentally wrong with him.

His father returned a changed man. Anduin, although a child, discerned that something was terribly wrong. He watched as his father buckled to the manipulations of one of the women at court who led him to side with nobles against the interests of the people. The king had been tortured by her, magically split into a calm, servile self, and a vicious and indomitable one- which had escaped. In time, the two would accidentally reform into one man in time to save Anduin from her, but their relationship would enter a long and troubled phase.

Varian remained troubled by chaotic personality shifts, and persistently became over-protective of Anduin as well as aggressive and dismissive of his strengths. Anduin’s martial training was a disaster, but in time he discovered a gift for healing and became a priest, deepening the rift with his father. This culminated with Varian physically assaulting Anduin in a paroxysm of fear that his son would leave him. Anduin did leave home to study healing and philosophy. When he returned, he proved himself by foiling an assassination attempt and resurrecting Varian with divine magic.

At 15, after being shipwrecked on a strange continent, he eagerly sought out the knowledge and customs of the cultures there and took every opportunity to help any he saw in need. While there, he peacefully prevented all-out war but was crushed in the process leaving him with chronic pain from which he will never recover.

He is now 18 years old. His father was suddenly killed in battle leaving Anduin to rule over the Alliance when it faces the seemingly impossible task of defeating the universe-scourging demonic forces of the Burning Legion. Against these odds, the Alliance allied with the Horde defeat the Legion. In the aftermath, Anduin desperately tries to broker lasting peace between the two factions, an effort that ends in failure when the peace talks are marred by violence. Simmering distrust and old wounds boil over and the Horde declares war, devastating allied lands and commiting genocide. Despite his longing for peace, Anduin commits himself to defending the Alliance and claiming justice for the loss of innocent lives. Anduin departs his canon during his retaliatory strike on a Horde capital, previously the heartland of the Alliance.

https://wow.gamepedia.com/Anduin_Wrynn

Personality

Anduin is compassionate and wise. In interacting with others he is typically open, honest, sociable but also quick to take moral stances. Although not judgemental or intolerant by nature, the thought that doing harm to others is sometimes in the service of a greater good deeply disturbs him. This brings him into conflict of a sorts with those who are more pragmatic than idealistic. He will also find aggressive, selfish, and forceful personalities difficult.

He is intelligent and curious, especially about history and philosophy. His faith is akin to Taoism; he has a belief that the Light is an energy (like chi) which permeates the cosmos and that increasing happiness in this system is the greatest purpose. The opposing force, Shadow, was created organically out of the Light. As a discipline priest, Anduin balances these forces to protect, heal, harm, and disrupt. There are no gods, saints, or scriptures in his faith. He believes that humans are evolved from golems created by Titans to guard the planet, and that these titans are now dead. That is literally true in his canon, but he will be curious and mentally flexible enough to consider and accept that this is not so in Thedas.

 

Self-doubt is a problem for Anduin. He has a perfectionist streak. He can come across as aloof at first glance; from a young age he was schooled to conceal his emotions and carry himself with a serene dignity. He 'puts on' this demeanor when called upon to lead, or when meeting people in a formal capacity.

Anduin’s greatest struggle is with anxiety. At his worst, he can be completely paralyzed by it. And even at his best, he is keenly aware of the fear that he is too weak to protect his people and realize his lifelong dream of ending generations of war. In Thedas, he would be motivated to help people however he could and especially if his efforts could help to heal the emotional wounds wrought by the Mage-Templar conflict. He would be naturally drawn to any attempts to bring the fighting to an end but couldn't hesitate to fight if necessary.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Anduin is not physically strong, and has chronic pain from old injuries which canonically will never fully heal although he is able to function well enough in most situations. He is unsuited to melee combat, both due to his build and injuries but also his aversion to doing harm. Despite being trained from childhood in martial combat, he uses a greatsword like a club, swinging wildly and without conviction or force. More often than not, he gets knocked down in such situations. He is often underestimated, written off as too "soft."

Regarding his injuries, Anduin aqcuired a mysterious oracular ability where he is able to determine if an action is unjust. His bones respond to injustice with incompacitating pain until Anduin chooses a course of action. He is able to prompt this effect in the form of meditating on a question. Like all oracles, its usefulness is limited by how Anduin puts the question and interprets its answer. It has already failed him, so it would not make him infailable by any means.

His hands are very steady, which is reflected in his proficiency with bows and throwing knives. He's a discipline priest: he uses divine magic to shield and heal allies. Very rarely, in emergencies, he uses void magic which is associated with madness. He has only used this kind of magic to buy himself time to run away from threats. He's a natural, intuitive diplomat. His sincerity puts even his enemies off guard. He's studious, curious, and eager to see more of the world. He has also resurrected the dead once.

Suggested Nerfs

Anduin's power level is comparable to a high ranking Circle Mage. The closest model for Anduin's abilities would be a healing-focused knight-enchanter. His healing powers are the most important for his character, and those granting blessings of courage or shields. Resurrections are possible but they are actually rarer than in Thedas. I suggest that he become a spirit healer with a relationship to a Spirit of Hope (Anduin is strongly aligned with the concept of Hope, and he is one of only two mortals mentored by a semi-devine being of Hope: Chi-Ji the Red Crane Celestial), although he is also strongly aligned with Compassion.

I do not know how to translate his oracular bones into Thedas, if the effect stays with him at all or changes in any way. It is a recent revelation in his lore, so I would feel comfortable with diminishing it or placing limitations so that its use is less frequent or even less reliable, at the discretion of the moderators. He is very much a character of the Wounded Healer archetype.

Arrival Inventory

When he arrives in Thedas, Anduin will be riding a war horse which looks like a percheron and is called 'Reverence.' He has a full face steel helm shaped like a lion's face, and gilded steel armor. Under the armor, he is wearing a grey, steel blue and silver trimmed greatcoat, with a sash bearing a lion’s face on the top near his shoulder. Under his coat he is wearing a natural/grey linen shirt with silver buttons down the front, a wide leather belt, a white linen vest with gold buttons over the shirt, blue cloth pants.

 

Additionally, Anduin has small clothes, a scroll with a broken seal, a large leather-bound book, a broken compass, prayer beads, a locked locket on a chain, the key to the locket, a very striking and clearly enchanted greatsword called 'Shalamayne,' approximately ten sheaves of official stationary, a traveller’s inkwell and quill, blue sealing wax and signet ring, and approximately 1 000 gold pieces in a satchel (Probably adjusted down, but still in a reasonable range for a king to be carrying around).

'Human'ization

N/A.

Fit

Although Anduin has become a leading character in his canon, he is quite restricted and acts on the sidelines as a figurehead tethered, more or less, to the throne whereas in the past he was free to slip away and have adventures and development beyond his political function. I hope that in this game he can be free to develop in his own way, confronting the realities of conflicts such as the Mage-Templar war from the pov of someone without the kind of power he holds but also resents in Azeroth. He can have his wish of being free to live a more contemplative life, but learn that in truth his own nature thirst more for justice than mere retirement and serenity.

Anduin has also lived almost completely isolated from peers, so even simple and light-hearted scenes would push his character. Lastly, by virtue of being a mage in Thedas, Anduin will have a completely new experience of oppression. Whereas before he was empathetic and tormented by the suffering of others, he has never experienced it himself. I'm hoping he will come away with a more mature understanding.

SAMPLES

Test Drive Thread
Sample thread.

 

Anduin tugged his jacket close. It was a surprisingly cool day for midsummer, he thought. Back home this would not be long after the Fire Festival. The brisk breeze, the cool fresh air suited him, though- especially today. He strayed from the groomed paths winding through the park and headed into a grassy spot overshadowed by a ring of shade trees. It was up an awkward slope, and he knew its position meant he was unlikely to be disturbed.

It took him a moment to situate himself on the grass. Since his travels in Pandaria, Anduin had experimented with Pandaren meditation postures. Although he was not able to levitate like a proper monk, the crossed-legged posture was more comfortable than the kneeling he had been accustomed to from the Church. He also lacked the crystal Velen would use. That also suited him- he wished to be as self-sufficient in his practice as possible, and the fewer paraphernalia he required, the better.

He became very still. The wind whipped through his hair, the ponytail bobbing behind him and his bangs lashing his face, and stirred the hem of his jacket. A pained expression crossed his features.

The world melted away into blinding white light. Fog rose around him in greys and blues. The wind blew fiercely now, and particles of frost gathered in his hair, crusting it as he sat, eyes open and unfocused. The ground was covered in snow. The grass was gone, replaced by glacial ice. Anduin shifted at last. He looked up at the dim, light of the shrouded winter sun and stood. A soft snow began to fall.

"Bolvar," he said as if to someone standing by. "I need clarification," he walked on, deliberately until he reached a sheltered cave. Inside, the howl of the wind played its music. "Bolvar, I know you'll come." There was silence. Anduin walked on until he reached a round chamber. In the centre, a jagged formation of glacial ice, and perhaps blue-tinted crystal grew together like a rough dais. A great-sword was plunged into it.

Anduin stood and gazed on the sword. Frostmourne. He sighed. A figure emerged from the passage behind him. He turned, unsurprised to see a knight clad in torn cloak, jagged helm, and every inch of armor twisted into forms of writhing dead. Where the man's eyes should have been blue flames danced and sputtered. Anduin squared himself. "Why did you come to me before?"

The knight inclined his head in a slow movement. "It was a gift," he rasped, his voice sonorous, deep, but distant as if carried over snows of Northrend. "I take it, you have not used it."

"I'm not in the habit of using gifts from the Lich King, Bolvar," Anduin smiled ruefully. "Are... you even still in there?" he tried to peer through the helm, into the flames to see if there was anything he remembered of his childhood guardian. "You were a father to me," he said, finding nothing.

Anduin opened his eyes to a flash of green. The fresh breezes of Petros Park had chilled him in the shade. He wriggled his fingers, and rubbed them across his face. He still did not know why Bolvar, the Lich King, had come to him in a vision. It was shortly after he had discovered an odd, abandoned cottage in the countryside. At least now he knew he could seek him out. Perhaps he could learn more of this 'gift' in time.