Anduin Greywatch

Name

Anduin Greywatch

Greywatch, portrait by Belvane (Used for both Gladrien and Greywatch)

In his time out of the military, he became a sell sword. His company went to Pyrewood, long before the Shattering, he encountered a Worgen and in a hard pressed fight, he killed it, though only barely. He earned the name Worgenslayer.

Physical Traits

Anduin is a tall man, and well built. He stands over a mighty seven foot.

Atop his head is a thick mop of black hair. It falls around his head, with two thick strands falling by his face on either side. Anduin's face is cut and torn, showing signs of battle. A single scar runs through his right eye, or where it would be had he one. A hollow, ragged socket is all that remains of it. One the right side of his face is a ragged collection of scars. Three running parallel of one another from his ear to just by his nose. The middle of the trio of scars cuts through his left ear. Another of his notable scar runs from his chin, through his mouth and up the side of his nose to just below his right eye. His remaining eye is pale blue. Along a broad jaw is a ragged black beard.

The scars that mar his face continue to his body. The scar which runs to his jaw continues on, cutting down his left pectoral and the side of his left abdomen. He has countless scars running along his arms and hands.

His physique is still one in its prime though Anduin is not. His arms and legs are thick and well muscled. From chest to waist, though rarely shown, is still hard and toned, though the skin itself is somewhat loose with age.

His voice is rough. When he talks it emits a coarse, harsh tone. Serving in martial organsistions his entire life has given him the ability to make himself heared over the roar of battle, to command at all times.

Race and Class

Human Knight

Affiliated Organisation

None.

Occupation

Without.

Family

Though he has a large number of relatives in both his own house and House Greytower, his direct family include:

Father - Lanathor Greywatch, died in the second war at the Battle of Blackrock with Anduin's namesake.

Mother - Allyana Greywatch(Randall), died of old age in Blackfall.

Brother - Lanathor Greywatch II (first son), a Marshal of the Alliance, back at Blackfall, recently deceased.

Brother - Adam Greywatch (third son), a Sergeant Major in the Alliance, new Lord of Blackfall.

Brother - Arathon Greywatch (fourth son), served as a Knight Lieutenant to the Alliance, died in Andorhal recently.

Wife - Kaeran Greywatch, died suddenly at Blackfall, the seat of Greywatch.

Son - Anduin Greywatch II, died as part of the Valiance Expedition in Northrend. Specifially, died at the treachery of the Foresaken and the plague at the Wrathgate.

Family Background

Centuries ago, the House of Greytower was a wealthy and influencial family of Arathor, and played a great part in the kingdom's affairs. The seat of House Greytower in those times, was Whitefall, a keep high in the Arathi mountains, north of where Stromgarde would be established. The keep was like many others consisting of several buildings, but the main building, where the family lived was a large tower, name the Grey Tower, that soared higher than some of the surrounding peeks. They kept this place as their seat for uncounted years, until the empire fell apart. The Greytowers, ever loyal, followed the Arathi south, as they founded the kingdom of Azeroth, later named Stormwind.

In their time as lords of Arathor, they accepted the high elves, and traded with them frequently. One of Anduin's ancestoral uncles took a high elven woman, Anariel Sin'Belore as his wife, but the high elven blood was never passed down the male line.

The woman taken was part of a high elven house of renown, and as part of the union of two great houses, a high elven greatsword was forged, Sin'dinoriel. It was gifted to the Lord of Whitefall, by the the patriarch of House Sin'Belore, and then handed down the line of male heirs, until it was lost in the movement south. It was speculated for some time that it remains in the ruins of Whitetower.

An ancestor then established the seat of Greytower in the forests of Elwynn, and they prospered there for many years. As owners of great lands, they made their riches from the fruitful land and mines of the forest. And for decades they ruled their land, and traded with the city peacefully. This new keep was called Blackfall, to respect the great keep of Whitefall, but here too a great tower of grey stone was raised, also called the Grey Tower.

The House of Greywatch was established by Anduin's grandfather. Barathor Greytower as he was born, was the second son of Gandon Greytower II. Gandon, a lord of the House of Nobles, was a harsh man, and left everything to his first born, Gandon Greytower III. His younger brother, the second born would be left with nothing, and early in his life, just in manhood, he was ordered out of his home, and sent to Stormwind to ensure he never interfered with his older brother's inheritance.

Barathor was left penniless and homeless in Stormwind. He took up a job as a city watchman, and over the years rose to the rank of captain of the the city's guard force. With his diligence and ruthlessness, he took the colours of his father's house, and the standard of his new home and his old family sigil. Thus, Barathor brought House Greywatch into being.

He laid down a simple principle that every son of Greywatch would be allotted an inheritance (because he suffered the injustice of noble inheritance), but the first born son would inherit lordship of the House. Also, each son of the House was trained to become a knight, excluding the heir, spending the better part of their entire youth on the path to knighthood. At the tender age of 7 they would begin as pages.

In the first and second wars, all eligible male heirs of House Greytower died at the hands of orcs, or of injuries sustained from the orcs, and when the lands were retaken, and the keep rebuilt, it would be Lanathor, Anduin's eldest brother, who would inherit the lands of Greytower in Elwynn, and the great house of Greytower in the city.

Background

Anduin was born fifty one years ago, and named for the young knight of the Stormwind court, and friend of King Llane Wrynn. Claiming to be descendants of Arathi lords, the Greywatch and Greytower Houses habitually named their son's after Arathi men of renown, particularly the line of kings.

He was given a grounded upbringing, often thrashed for misbehaviour, and he was trained with a sword in his family's keep's courtyard. The time came when he would began his path to become a Knight, and he was made a page at the tender age of seven and was sent to another noble, his third cousin, Lord Raimen Greytower, and thus he began his true training, he spent five years cleaning and tending to duties about the keep. Along with these common menial duties he was instructed in true knightly skills: swordsmanship, archery, jousting, and horse riding. After his five years as a page, he was then made a squire and began the harder training, building his strength, fitness, endurance and skill with various weapons . He took to it with more fierceness than most boys his age. After two years, he was attached to his second cousin, second son of Lord Raimen. He cleaned his cousin's armour, and tended to his sword, as well as taking care of his steed.

Eventually he came of age twenty one, he was knighted by King Llane Wrynn as a Knight of the Realm. It was about that time the Dark Portal opened, and the First War began. He fought as part of the defence of Stormwind but fled the land with his people with the Lion of Azeroth leading them north across the Great Sea.

There he remained as part of the refuges, training green boys and drilling veterans, feeling his training from a knight would better help the common men taking up arms. He took part in many of the clashes that occured in the time between the First and Second Wars. When the five years passed and Lothar led his forces back south to take the Kingdom of Stormwind. Greywatch, by then, was a well respected Knight of Stormwind, an empty title without a kingdom, but an officer nonetheless. Battles were faught, and the kingdom was won. Greywatch remained behind to help martial the kingdom and rebuild New Stormwind.

Just after the retaking of Stormwind, Anduin Greywatch was partnered to be married to strengthen the House of Greywatch's place in the House of Nobles. They soon gave birth to an heir. The years that followed were peaceful and joyous, excluding that Kaeran could no longer conceive. When Lordaeron fell, Anduin urged Nobles to take the fight north and battle Scourge, but he was ignored. He argued that his namesake, the late Anduin Lothar, would rage at the cowardice displayed by the Kingdom. Many men agreed, and they abandoned Stormwind. They were captured and punished for the discretion. Anduin was stripped of lands and wealth, and sent to prison for three years, for his treason. Having lost faith in the new Kingdom of Stormwind, Anduin began working in the north, as a sell sword in Khaz Modan, while his wife remained in Ironforge, as a librarian, angered at her husband. While their son remained in Stormwind as a squire, in the tradition of the Greywatch House. Anduin's giant sized earned him renown, and he was easily hired for his skill with the sword.

The Dark Portal opened, and men and women began moving south to defend the Eastern Kingdoms. At this time, Anduin was hired by the Pyrewood poeple, or rather, his old sell sword company was hired, and they were trying to deal with the worgen problem. It was at this time Anduin earned the title Worgenslayer.

When the war in Outland was done, and people began returning home, Anduin returned south, drawn home for a reason he could not explain. Upon return to the city, Anduin implored his elder brother and Lord of House Greywatch to persuade the Nobles to allow him to return to the army. His wife began living in the city, in the home of the Greywatch lord, tolerated only through loyalty from one son to another.

The war in Northrend began several months later and, as usual, Anduin went to war, with his son in tow. He served as a common solider, while his siblings led battlions and armies. Even his son was ranked ahead of him, as a Knight of the Alliance, a military rank, not a rank bestowed upon as a defender of the Realm like his father before him.

The war was bitter, gruelling, and most of all, deadly. His son died at the Wrathgate. Anduin left Northrend in rage, and returned to try and raid Undercity to kill the Grand Apothecary traitor. He never made it out of Menethil, much less into Tirisfall.

He abandoned warcraft, returning to his home city to find his wife had turned cold and hateful in the result of his son's death. She blamed him, even though he was not at the Wrathgate. He began to work as a common dock worker, looking for something simple. He felt old, and did not want to continue working as a soldier. His wife would be taken care of by his brother, even if she would not say a word to him.

In the Elemental Invasion following the death of Arthas, Anduin took up his blade and struggled with the hundreds of others to throw the invaders back. Hour after hour, of each day they were fought. Of all things, he would not allow his home to be invaded. When Deathwing returned to take his children's head, he watched in terror with many others as the dragon wreaked havoc in the city.

After the Shattering, Anduin felt he could not mourn his son any longer. But his older brother tasked him with going to Theramore, to treat with an ally of his. His wife wrote to him, angered more than he had abandoned her for his brother. He felt honourbound to follow her wishes. "Never return to me", she wrote. And he dutifully complied. He did as she commanded. She called him cold, and stoney. With nothing but himself, his armour and his sword, he was left in Theramore.

He joined the Theramore Task Force there in the recent autumn, and quickly moved up ranks. In an unfortunate series of events, his eldest and youngest brothers, and his wife died. Though she had alienated the knight in recent years, his love for her never died. His grief led him down a dark spiral. He was troubled with drink prior to the descent, his consumption of alcohol to forget the pain increased, leaving him a broken man.

The weeks following, he dragged himself out of his stupor and spent time regarding his life and what had led him to this low. In his eyes, he saw nought but the House of Nobles. With the death of the Lord Blackfall, the lordship passed on to Anduin's younger brother, Adam, third brother of the family. Though the knight was rightfully heir to the seat, he was refused this, and his brother was made Lord. With that insult, Anduin realised every failing in his life was not his own. It was the kingdom's fault. With the death of the last true hero, Anduin Lothar, humanity failed. In his mind, the bastion of humanity, Stormwind City is a cesspit of corruption and power grabbing. The once loyal knight opened his eyes to the dark shroud in Stormwind. The war mongering king at its head, and the foul, weak, craven and greedy nobles beneath him. In an shock, he decided to take up arms against his king and country, forsaking the vows he made to King Llane Wrynn.

With his abandonment of his kingdom and the laws. He treked north to the ancestoral home of House Greytower of Whitefall. Looking for the mythical relic Sin'dinoriel, he tore the ruins apart. After days of searching the ruins he uncovered the sword buried beneath the ruins of the Grey Tower. With the relic in hand, and his inheritance claimed, he rode back south to Darkshire, to remain there with his prize. Constantly on hand, wrapped in thick leathers.

Criminal Record

Arrested and imprisoned for abandoning the army with a hundred and twenty men.

• Sentenced to three years in prison.

Reprimanded several times over his career for abusing new recruits, and beating them severely.

Quotes

'Anduin grinds his teeth rather loudly', is a common sound, so often, it's worth quoting.

Personal Notes

• Anduin, being raised with a sense stoicism, was a dutiful and loyal man to his kingdom. He remains steadfast in all his decisions and rarely regrets anything he has done. Though having been practically been betrayed by his kingdom and family, he abandoned his sense of duty and loyalty.
• In his time in the army he became apt at commanding in the field and maintaining trained and ordered men on and off the field.
• He has spent almost two decades drilling men and women in arms, training them and maintain solid discipline within his ranks.
• He rarely speaks. When he does it's blunt and to the point. Similarly to his personality. This seems to be the origin his wife's statement of him being "cold and stoney".
• Of the times he speaks openly, it's talking with those he serves with. He maintains those who live and serve together should know each other and turst each other, and sets about learning each man he serves with.
• In the years since being arrested for treason, Anduin has never claimed to be a Knight of the Realm. It has been ten years since he has been called Sir Anduin Greywatch.
• In his spare time, Greywatch has taken to writing poetry. He's yet to be questioned over the matter or has it been revealed to anyone that he writes. His reasoning for it is so far unknown, but it's quite an uncharacteristic trait for the disgraced knight.

Current Status

Abandoning his vows of old, he has taken up arms against his King in defiance of all the wrongs commited by the both the King and the nobles.