Ander'Ashan Merëllien
"You are either very brave or very stupid to come after me alone."
A hundred years ago, Ander was considered a prodigy. Born into the noble bloodline of the Merëllien clan, he was given to the Order of Avhalosian Guardians as soon as he could walk, learning how to wield a blade long before he uttered his first words. A fierce warrior as well as a practicioner of elven battle magic, Ander quickly rose through the ranks of the elite soldiers that protected the secluded land of Aendreasas and the white city of Avhalos, household of many elven secrets from ancient ages. But, as quick and unforgiving as a sword cutting flesh, everything changed.
For all his skill in battle, he was always seen as arrogant and presumptuous, giving little to no care for the concerns of others, even those superior to him. This brashness and ill temper would be the cause for the greatest tragedy in his life, something that now keeps him awake for many nights, and that turned him into a cold man of few words, forever ashamed and filled with regrets, with not even the taste of battle being able to sweeten his mood.
Handpicked from amongst the very best of his peers, Ander'ashan had been called one of the most skilled warriors to join the Guardians of Avhalos, and even at such a young age for an elf, his legend was already rising.
Now, that legend is buried within the ruins of the once great and beautiful elven city of Avhalos, with the rest of his family and friends.
Appearance
Born into the noble lineage of the Merëllien clan of Avhalos, Ander was blessed with elegant facial features and exquisite charm, as befits the pure blooded elves of old. His young skin is soft, without any scars or wrinkles, and his hair, fairly long and embellished, can also draw attention due to its fair color. Below, his fierce eyes resemble great oceans, although they now look almost too bland, often times filled with sadness.
In times past, Ander could be seen at all times wearing his elegant armor and long cloak with the bearings of the Avhalosian Guardians, a crest that carried great respect and power within the Aendreasian society.
Following the demise of the land and the fall of Avhalos and the Great Temple, Ander now walks as a common traveler, wearing suits of leather and mail, just enough to protect him from enemy blades without hindering his quick movement.
Ander still wears his cloak as a constant remainder of his failure, now dirty and ragged, deprived of all its former grace.
He also carries with him a sword of fine elven craftsmanship, given to all the members of the Order of Avhalosian Guardians. A blue stone is engraved at the guard of the blade, a magical jewel forged into these swords to facilitate the use of combat magic.
Skills and Abilities
Ander'ashan was born into a family of great elven warriors and savants, and as one carrying such blood, he didn't want to fall behind them. Though not as inclined to the reading of books and scrolls, or to the memorization of ancient elven lore, he displayed great prowess with a blade from a very young age. As a sign of great honor amongst the Merëllien clan, he was given to the Avhalosian Order as the youngest recruit to the Guardians.
His training with the Guardians went on for a hundred years, shaping both his both and mind to their peak conditions. Though he trained with many weapons, Ander always preferred the use of a sword, relying more on nimble movements and finesse strikes instead of brutish force. As part of the Guardians, he also developed his latent affinity for magic, training his mind to harness the elven energy inside him, becoming even more dangerous as a fighter.
Even as the youngest member of the Order, Ander quickly rose through the ranks, gaining enough fame and prestige amongst his peers to be considered their best battlemage, as well as a most feared swordsman. As a expert battlemage, Ander can tap into his magical essences and bring forth energy that can be shaped to his will, enhancing his reflexes or strengthening his attacks, but if used carelessly, the use of such magics can exert enormous amounts of fatigue on him.
--- LIST OF SKILLS ---
- Swordsman: A refined and smart warrior, Ander is incredibly dangerous with a blade in his hand. Relying more on quickness and finesse, he is skilled and fast enough to cut down opponents far bigger than him, and his use of magic come along to make him a even greater threat in a battle.
- Nature Affinity: Ander feels the most secure and comfortable when he is free to wanders the woods. He takes solace in the company of animals, and the peace that nature affords him can often help ease the troubles of his scarred mind. Most animals, if not wild and untamed, are often drawn to his side, finding companionship in Ander and trusting him with their presence.
- Aendreasian Magic: As skilled and deadly as he is with a blade, the true nature of his powers comes from elven magic. Ander was born with magic, as most elves, but he only honed such powers once he began his training with the Guardians, using said talents to bolster his skills.
Aendreasian Magic stems from the purity of the ancient woods of the land, predating the times where the elves lived peacefully, without any conflicts. Most Aendreasians possess such latent magic, in different capacities, but only the Guardians are trained in its most intrinsicate uses. Upon their Joining, all Guardians are marked with the Writings of Avhalos on their bodies, facilitating their use of magic through the sheer focus of their minds, and blessing them with a array of different talents, unique to each Guardian. One such blessing is the attunement of a single pure element, and Ander's element of choice was lightning, enabling him to hurl destruction at his enemies.
- Sword of Avhalos: As the lightly golden energy flows around him, Ander can channel his magic through his sword, allowing him to hit enemies from longer distances with lightning strikes or bolster his melee attacks to greater strength, shattering hardened defenses.
- Shield of Da'lan: A difficult skill to use effectively due to the huge amount of focus required, Ander can call upon his magic to conjure a magic shield to defend him or others. This barrier is more effective against other magics, and Ander loses out on his mobility when summoning it.
- Aspect of Lightning: Ander can attune his elemental magic not only on his sword, but also on himself. He can infuse the marks on his body with the power of lightning, granting him augmented strength, speed, deftness and stamina, but can render him completely exhausted if used extensively.
- Elven Senses: Elves commonly possess a greater awareness of their surroundings, being able to sense and hear things from far away, especially in the forests. With his training and magic affinity, Ander took this awareness to greater heights, being able to sense even the slightest movement from miles away. But this comes with drawbacks, with this ability becoming more of a burden in places with too many voices, where Ander finds it harder to block out the noise and focus.
- Focused Strategist: Something that can go unnoticed due to his presumptuous nature, Ander possesses a sharp intellect. While he wasn't always fond of books and the learning of lore, he took pleasure in lessons of warfare and its strategies, employing many shrewd tactics to his skills. While he is very young and brash for a elf, Ander is still very disciplined, something that shows with his ability to focus clearly on many different circumstances, even under threat.
--- WEAKNESSES ---
- Finesse over Force: Ander is a nimble and smart fighter, and while he is much more stronger than what he looks, he can be at a disavantage in conflicts of brute force. He always seeks to get the upper hand on his opponents with quickness, knowing very well that a stronger enemy can easily overwhelm him with brute strength alone and put him at risk.
- Arrogance: Perhaps his most irritating trait, being born into a noble family turned Ander into somewhat of a spoiled person from a young age. With the knowledge that he was blessed with skills that other people took entire lifetimes to have, Ander greatly relished in his apparent superiority. As the training with the Guardians went on, so too did his arrogance grow, and even his most dearest friends became uncomfortable with some of his approaches to different situations, always wanting to solve everything by himself and belittling others, even his elders.
This arrogance cost him everything, and is something that plagues his mind at every night he spends without sleep. Ever since the demise of Avhalos, Ander tries to change his way of thinking, humbling himself with the tragedies of the past.
- Outsider: Ander lived his entire life in Aendreasas, not once stepping foot outside its boundaries, as ordered by the Elders. His knowledge of places around Arethil came only from small texts that he read, or in images around the salloons of art in the museums of Avhalos. Having left his home, Ander now travels around Arethil with no guidance, and most of the different customs and cultures are still unknown to a foreigner like him.
He can speak the Common Tongue, as he learned back in Avhalos, but he is very gullible when dealing with coin and he is illiterate in reading anything apart from Elvish.
- A Troubled Mind: The tragedies that fell upon his homeland brought great terrors to Ander's mind. While he was once confident and very outspoken, he is now a reserved person, and also very conflicted about the ideals of the world, his only determination being the search for redemption and answers about the evil that attacked his people.
He has trouble sleeping, and can be often seen saddened or in deep thoughts as he tries to accept his new life. Most of the previous joys that he had have now escaped him, with battle being the only thing that still stirs his emotions and gives him will to live.
Personality
Ander can be described as someone who is not exactly easy to be around. He was born into a noble clan of great prestige, his every wish granted while his parents expected him to continue their lineage of greatness. Not only that, but his talents had been made evident very early on, and as such, he was coddled and protected beyond imagination. Over the years, as his potential turned into realization and his talents were honed into skills unmatched by his peers, Ander refused to grow beyond his young years, always carrying himself with arrogance and stubbornness.
Unfortunately, it took a great tragedy for him to finally mature.
Through the loss of his homeland, his family and friends, Ander realized the error of his ways, blaming their demise on his own lack of discipline and obedience. The young warrior, once so assured and flamboyant, became lonely and distant from everything he once held dear, with only the peace of nature being able to put his troubled mind at ease. His confidence turned into fear, his pride wounded beyond repair, and all that was left was a broken man, still so young but already having experienced enough loss to last a thousand years.
Ander now walks with great sadness and regret, often cold and even rude, driven by nothing but a wish to make things right again, forever in search of whatever redemption awaits for him.
Unfortunately, it took a great tragedy for him to finally mature.
Through the loss of his homeland, his family and friends, Ander realized the error of his ways, blaming their demise on his own lack of discipline and obedience. The young warrior, once so assured and flamboyant, became lonely and distant from everything he once held dear, with only the peace of nature being able to put his troubled mind at ease. His confidence turned into fear, his pride wounded beyond repair, and all that was left was a broken man, still so young but already having experienced enough loss to last a thousand years.
Ander now walks with great sadness and regret, often cold and even rude, driven by nothing but a wish to make things right again, forever in search of whatever redemption awaits for him.
Biography & Lore
From the day he was born, Ander was told that he was special - a prodigy of vast potential. The youngest son of the Merëllien clan, he was to succeed a line of warriors and great thinkers amongst the elven society of the grand city of Avhalos, deep in the secluded lands of Aendreasas, far to the southern edges of the Falwood. Much was already anticipated from him ever since he took his first steps as a pup, and even as kid, the thought of bringing shame and disgrace upon his family was the only thing that frightened him into obedience, a rigid routine of training and lectures before he was picked as the youngest recruit of the Order of Guardians.
His father had served with the Guardians up until he married a noble lady of Fal'Addas that he met on one of his ventures, protecting the borders of Aendreasas from outsiders. With his vows forsaken, the future of the clan would rest entirely on Ander's shoulders, and he would embrace that with courage.
He was but 20 years of age when he passed the first trials of the Avhalosian Order of Guardians, before being properly inducted into the Order. This deed had already earned him much prestige in the city, but Ander had no wish to stop there. He relished in the gruesome training, battling his friends from night to morning until exhaustion would force them to bed, and they spent many cold nights of winter guarding the far borders, not once allowed to step outside the boundarius, even if curiosity beckoned the recruits into exploring the outer woods.
The years passed by quickly, and Ander continued to rise towards stardom. A fully pledged member of the Guardians by the time he reached his first hundred years, as well as expertising in the use of his battle magic, the young Merëllien was already held in high respects by the other members, even the well seasoned Masters. But this respect only served to caress his ego, his arrogance slowly driving away his friends and angering his superiors, who were growing tired of lecturing Ander in the ways of patience and kindness. Acting by himself, Ander took down a platoon of trespassers who sought to take some of the fabled Aendreasian wood for their crafts, leaving none alive, much to the fury of his Masters, who even then couldn't contain him, as the young man was too valuable an asset to the Guardians.
As time passed, only the gentle words of his mother seemed to hold back the ambitious Ander'ashan, who sought glory beyond his position as a soldier. But by the time her words reached his ears, a cloud of darkness already loomed over Avhalos, predating a great tragedy.
On the eve of one of Avhalos' most important nights of the year, the city gates were breached. The guards stood no chance and the rest of the common folk proved to be little resistance against the horde of undead that crawled through the streets, laying destruction to everything in their path. At the helm of such attack stood a man, his gnawled face covered and his body enveloped by a intimidating black armor. The Guardians stood ready to push them back, but Ander wanted glory. Ignoring the commands given to him, he took a longer path to circulate the horde and attract the apparent leader to a fighting place - The Grand Temple of Solitude. The man wanted the secrets inside, and Ander wanted to fight.
Their swords clashed for hours, a endless dance with no man giving ground to the other, and no signs of stoppage. But as Ander raised his head once more, he glanced upon the blackness that took hold of his once beautiful city. Everyone was dying around him, the Guardians were falling one by one without his help, and his father did all he could to protect his mother before they were both murdered. Desperate, Ander took a last charge, but his attacks proved futile, his conscience fading away as he felt the man's sword driving through him.
Ander woke up weeks later, confused as to how he was still alive. He roamed the bloodied streets of the fallen Avhalos, a pile of ruins in a place that was once so wonderful. The undead and the mysterious man were already long gone, and Ander was left with the bitter reality of his failure. Ashamed and struck with guilt and terrible sadness, he buried his father and mother on their ancient house before leaving the city, trekking through the now grey woods of Aendreasas, feeling the nature slowly dying thanks to a unknown dark magic that now plagued the land.
He walked aimlessly through the vast Falwood before laying eyes on the distant horizon, where the rest of Arethil awaited, much different from the books he used to read.
His journey for answers and redemption had merely begun. The fall of the Guardian, but not the end of his story.
His father had served with the Guardians up until he married a noble lady of Fal'Addas that he met on one of his ventures, protecting the borders of Aendreasas from outsiders. With his vows forsaken, the future of the clan would rest entirely on Ander's shoulders, and he would embrace that with courage.
He was but 20 years of age when he passed the first trials of the Avhalosian Order of Guardians, before being properly inducted into the Order. This deed had already earned him much prestige in the city, but Ander had no wish to stop there. He relished in the gruesome training, battling his friends from night to morning until exhaustion would force them to bed, and they spent many cold nights of winter guarding the far borders, not once allowed to step outside the boundarius, even if curiosity beckoned the recruits into exploring the outer woods.
The years passed by quickly, and Ander continued to rise towards stardom. A fully pledged member of the Guardians by the time he reached his first hundred years, as well as expertising in the use of his battle magic, the young Merëllien was already held in high respects by the other members, even the well seasoned Masters. But this respect only served to caress his ego, his arrogance slowly driving away his friends and angering his superiors, who were growing tired of lecturing Ander in the ways of patience and kindness. Acting by himself, Ander took down a platoon of trespassers who sought to take some of the fabled Aendreasian wood for their crafts, leaving none alive, much to the fury of his Masters, who even then couldn't contain him, as the young man was too valuable an asset to the Guardians.
As time passed, only the gentle words of his mother seemed to hold back the ambitious Ander'ashan, who sought glory beyond his position as a soldier. But by the time her words reached his ears, a cloud of darkness already loomed over Avhalos, predating a great tragedy.
On the eve of one of Avhalos' most important nights of the year, the city gates were breached. The guards stood no chance and the rest of the common folk proved to be little resistance against the horde of undead that crawled through the streets, laying destruction to everything in their path. At the helm of such attack stood a man, his gnawled face covered and his body enveloped by a intimidating black armor. The Guardians stood ready to push them back, but Ander wanted glory. Ignoring the commands given to him, he took a longer path to circulate the horde and attract the apparent leader to a fighting place - The Grand Temple of Solitude. The man wanted the secrets inside, and Ander wanted to fight.
Their swords clashed for hours, a endless dance with no man giving ground to the other, and no signs of stoppage. But as Ander raised his head once more, he glanced upon the blackness that took hold of his once beautiful city. Everyone was dying around him, the Guardians were falling one by one without his help, and his father did all he could to protect his mother before they were both murdered. Desperate, Ander took a last charge, but his attacks proved futile, his conscience fading away as he felt the man's sword driving through him.
Ander woke up weeks later, confused as to how he was still alive. He roamed the bloodied streets of the fallen Avhalos, a pile of ruins in a place that was once so wonderful. The undead and the mysterious man were already long gone, and Ander was left with the bitter reality of his failure. Ashamed and struck with guilt and terrible sadness, he buried his father and mother on their ancient house before leaving the city, trekking through the now grey woods of Aendreasas, feeling the nature slowly dying thanks to a unknown dark magic that now plagued the land.
He walked aimlessly through the vast Falwood before laying eyes on the distant horizon, where the rest of Arethil awaited, much different from the books he used to read.
His journey for answers and redemption had merely begun. The fall of the Guardian, but not the end of his story.