Anders (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
onetrackminds) wrote2016-11-07 10:04 pm
onetrackminds) wrote2016-11-07 10:04 pm
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bravenewworld
PLAYER INFO
Name: Caten
Contact Information:![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
vikinged, aim: ornicocastle
Time Zone: GMT+1
Characters Played: N/A
CHARACTER INFO
Character Name: Anders
Character Canon: Dragon Age
History: The Dragon Age Wiki
AU History: Anders grew up in Union like a normal kid, with a mum and a dad and a lot of friends, spending his time playing with pokemon and frolicking in the grass, as one does. But as is well known, happy days cannot possibly last, and once Anders reached around 11 years old, he started noticing strange things happening around him. Minor things, at first - he got in a fight with another kid, and the kid was suddenly pushed off him, as if by an invisible force; he found a hurt pokemon and picked it up to bring it to someone who could help, but by the time he got there, it was already healed. And finally, after about a year of this, he set his own house on fire.
By this point his father had been steadily growing scared of his own son. Not that Enlightened abilities are rare, but Anders definitely didn't seem to know how to control it. And after nearly losing his own, he had enough. He called in the authorities, who quickly agreed that Anders would be a danger to himself like this, and that he would need special training. Further, it would be unwise to let him run around outside, where he might hurt anyone. His mother cried; Anders cried even more. They had to take him away by force, because he was fighting the whole time, trying to break free of their grip on him. Sadly though, a small child is no match for adults, and aside from a few minor burns, they had little trouble despite his efforts.
He grew up like that, and he hated it. They noticed that his abilities flared up more with pokemon around; though Anders never mentioned that he felt he could sense their emotions, and that affected his control. Regardless of why it happened, though, it was decided to keep him away from pokemon as well, at least to begin with. And they did his best to teach him, in addition to providing him with regular schooling - it helped, of course, that Anders was a willing enough student. Aside from the part where he kept finding ways to escape.
The first time, he simply jumped out a window, and was caught again a few hours later. The second he hid in a laundry basket. With each time, he'd get better at avoiding recapture, but they'd also make it harder for him to escape. And with each new restriction placed upon him, he'd be more determined to gain his freedom by any means necessary. He also grew angrier. He'd try to get the other kids there on his side, so when he got himself too riled up, they had to isolate him until he calmed down to keep him from inciting a riot. If not for the fact that teenagers are rebellious to start with, they might have thought him a lost cause - they decided instead to give him time to grow out of it.
Instead he escaped again, got into a bar despite being under-aged, got completely drunk, and ended up running down a public street, naked, while yelling "Free yourselves from the Union's clutches!!" at the top of his lungs.
He was arrested five minutes later, and it was back to the institution for him, where he could sleep off his first ever hangover.
In the time he spent at the institution, he essentially split the people working there into two groups: Those who believed he would outgrow his anger, and that he would calm down once he'd been released; and those who believed he'd be a threat to Union. Luckily for him, the former group held more weight, but even they agreed they needed to keep a close eye on him, just in case. Which is why, despite his increasing control of his Enlightened abilities, they were still reluctant to let him go.
One year in particular, towards the end of his stay there, was particularly bad for him. They'd gotten good at predicting his escape attempts, and he found himself blocked at every turn. He also spent long stretches of time on his own, some of his friends having left already, and his continued anger meaning he had to be separated from everyone else for longer stretches of time. He might have lost himself to his anger, then, if not for a sneaky little Espurr. It is a well-known fact that if a cat really wants to get in somewhere, nothing can stop it, and this Espurr really wanted to meet Anders. It snuck into his room, nudged against his hand while he was trying to focus on some homework, and the two quickly made friends from there.
He kept his little Espurr - named Queen Cleopawtra - a secret. But by this point, his powers were more or less under control, so instead of worsening the situation, she helped him. She comforted him, and helped him focus on his goal. By this point, he was in his early twenties and studying medicine, something which he had an aptitude for. The people at the institute encouraged it, believing it would be safer for him to turn his determination towards healing and helping others, and they'd arranged for him to complete a medical degree from there. At this point, to test his control, they did also slowly introduce him to other pokemon, in controlled environments of course. And finally, by the time Anders had essentially finished his education, save for the required internship all medics had to go through, they started to believe that maybe, just maybe, it'd be safe to let him out into society again.
It was gradual at first, short walks while accompanied by someone trusted to see what he'd do. Eventually, they figured the best thing for him would be to accomplish his dream of becoming a full medic. He was accepted into an internship, and the day he walked out of the institution, he made sure to have his little queen Cleo on his shoulder, showing her off and giving the rest of them the finger as he went.
Still, it was gradual at first. He'd come back to the institution in the evening - or late at night, depending on how much he was working. This allowed him to save up the money he earned, though. And finally, after a year, they agreed to let him move out, as long as he swore not to cause any trouble. At this point he could see freedom in sight, and he was so focused on work anyway that he had no time for running around naked. Plus, it really did help that he was no longer a teenager - though the anger at Union was there, under the surface, buried under medical texts and people in need.
And as soon as he finished his internship, and could proudly call himself a medic, he signed up to join the rangers in the field instead, his little queen at his side and ready to take on the world.
Canon Personality: Where Anders is from, nearly everyone follows the Chant of Light, the teachings left behind by Andraste - think Joan of Arc and Jesus all rolled up in one. And growing up, Anders was a good little andrastian. He believed in the Maker, and in His bride Andraste; he knew the Chant; he knew that mages were bad and needed to be locked up; he believed every word of it. So when he then discovered that he was a mage, his world was, to put it mildly, turned on its head.
He discovered it by accidentally setting the barn on fire. Young mages generally can't control their powers, and at first he didn't even realise what had happened. But everyone where he was from feared mages. Soon, his own father grew scared of him, and all for something he couldn't help. But mages have to be locked up, and soon Templars were called in, and Anders was informed he would never see his family again. He got to keep an old pillow his mum had made him, but after that they chained him up and brought him to a strange country, far away from home. There he was to be live his life in a tower together with other mages, and with more Templars around to keep an eye on them. At that time, he was twelve.
Being brought to the Circle (as it's called) was traumatising for him, and it didn't stop there. Every day he would be told that mages were dangerous, repeating the words of the Chant he had so long believed. And some Templars took it further, seeming to think that mages barely deserved to live. To add insult to injury, they would explain that they were locked up as much for their own protection as for the protection of others. He saw what happened to some mages; he did believe it was safe at all.
He made friends in the Circle, and he had many lovers; and he enjoyed learning, especially about Spirit Healing. But he never could settle down there. During his time in the Circle, he escaped at least seven times, each time brought back to face a harsher punishment. The last time they placed him in isolation down in the dungeons for a year. He's still terrified of being locked up and of being alone because of it, and if anything, it only made him more determined to be free. He promptly escaped again.
Once upon a time, Anders used humour as self-defense, and refused to allow himself to grow too attached to any person or place. He knew he would never stay long, and even if he did, the Templars could easily get in the way if they so chose. So he joked and he ran. If pushed, though, his anger at the Templars and the Chantry became obvious. At first he might attempt to be witty about that, too ("yes, I so enjoy being woken up with a kick to the head every morning"), but eventually even the sarcasm would be dropped, and there would be no further attempts at friendship from him.
His sense of humour hasn't gone away entirely these days, but a few things has changed. The last time the Templars caught him, they then managed to get themselves killed by monsters called darkspawn on the way back to the Circle. The blame was shifted onto Anders for this, and the plan was to hang him; instead, he was recruited into the Grey Wardens, a group of people dedicated to protecting the land. They have the right to conscript anyone, and though the Templars objected, there was nothing they could o Becoming a Warden is for life, but Anders knew very well what it meant. His home country is at constant risk for darkspawn attacks, and the Wardens have a strong presence there. He was prepared to dedicate himself to it, thinking it a much better life than the Circle. And he might have stayed, if not for a few things:
The Warden who recruited him was none other than the Hero of Ferelden, who had stopped the darkspawn hordes from taking over the land. She could accomplish amazing things, and being around her made him feel as if one person wasn't such a small number after all. And while travelling with her, he also met a spirit of justice. This spirit was trapped outside the Fade (the dreamworld, essentially, where demons and spirits live), and while Anders was skeptical at first, unsure of the difference between a spirit and a demon, the two eventually learned to get along. And Justice kept pressing him on the issue of mages. Why would Anders try to escape his oppression, while other mages still suffered? Anders had never even attempted to help the others trapped in the Circle.
It still might not have been enough to change anything. But the Hero of Ferelden was stationed there only temporarily, and while she had trusted Anders, other Wardens were more faithful towards the Chantry. And the Templars hadn't given up, despite the fact that they have no authority over the Wardens. So instead they made a deal; one of their own joined the Wardens, and was sent on every mission together with Anders after that, to keep an eye on him. And finally, this Templar-turned-Warden fetched more Templars, not trusting Anders and deciding to turn on him, and it's at this point Anders decided to make his dealwith a demon with Justice and let the spirit possess him.
Neither of them had predicted the consequences, though. Anders had tried to suppress his anger for years, but now Justice felt it as well, and anger can be dangerous for a spirit. It warped him into a spirit of vengeance, and Anders, well. He became more focused. Hard-working. The anger bubbled to the surface and the part of him that joked his problems away was shoved down. It's still there, he can still joke, but half the time he's talking about Templars these days, and the rest of the time he's usually going on about the Chantry. He comes across as whiny, broody and, at best, boring. But he also doesn't care anymore.
He's dedicated himself to his cause of freeing mages, but also to his healing. He opened a clinic in the slums of Kirkwall, treating people for free. Where he gets the money to buy himself food, no one knows. He works, and rarely sleeps, and when he's got spare time he tries to find way to convince people that mages aren't dangerous. So far he's been using peaceful methods, for instance writing a manifesto, although he's getting frustrated in the lack of results. He's also actively helping smuggle mages out of the Circle in Kirkwall. Again, for free. Again, he really doesn't know how to look after himself anymore.
He's also a bloody hypocrite about it all. He has little sympathy for Fenris, a former slave, simply because Fenris doesn't trust mages - despite the fact that he has a really good reason not to. And if Anders believes in freedom for all, he should be able to empathise, instead of always turning it into an argument for his own cause. It makes him self-centered, even if he honestly means well. Further, he'll complain about how the wrongdoings of a single mage is used as evidence to condemn them all; yet when he sees a mage doing wrong, typically by resorting to blood magic as a last resort, he condemns them in the same way. It's their fault for making them all look bad. Of course, blood magic means consorting with demons, and Anders allowed himself to be possessed by a spirit. He's got no room to judge.
But despite all that, he's a kind man as well. He gives everything of himself to help others these days, pushing himself much further than what is healthy. If he can save one more person, then it's worth it, to him. And if you're his friend, then he'll be there for you whenever you need him. It's just too bad for him he's really bad at making friends these days.
Another side-effect of Justice's possession is that he's become more of a private person. Before he might not have minded mentioning what he himself went through in the circle (see: the comment about being kicked in the head, a year of isolation, and more), but now he speaks more in general terms. He doesn't want to seem selfish by making his cause about him; but he might have more success at convincing people if he gave more specific examples. Instead, all they hear is him talking about general injustices, and it's hard for people to realise just why it matters so much to him. Especially combined with his hypocricy.
In short: Justice and Anders were not a good match. But he hasn't lost himself entirely. He doesn't get drunk anymore, but if the mood strikes, he can still join in with card games. He's terrible at them, and he tends to lose his trousers along the way, but the important part is that someone dragged him away from work for five minutes so that he could have some fun. And then he really will surprise them with the return of the terrible jokes.
And it's made him braver. He dares to challenge the Templars these days. It might be because he's not worried about himself anymore, but still. It means he might, if he gets the chance, take some positive risks as well. Such as staying in the same city for years, something he's never done before - it means he's got a real chance to make some friends, if they can put up with how, well, focused he is. To put it nicely.
And if he no longer had a cause to fight for, he might even allow himself to be happy. The fear of losing everything is still there, but Justice helps him overcome it. The irony is, of course, that Justice might disapprove if Anders gets too attached to other people, as they are a distraction from work that needs to be done. He's constantly torn in two directions because of it, which really isn't any easier.
AU Deviation: Because Enlightened are only locked up when their powers are out of control, and are eventually let out again, Anders will be a lot less angry than if it had been as systematic as it is in the DA universe. He'll still hate Union - or at least its leaders, and the people who kept him in that institution, but it won't be a constant driving force for him. Especially since even he can't argue that Enlightened like him don't need help learning to control their abilities - he just believes they should have more freedom even so, and shouldn't be kept from their families. Although he suspects his father just didn't want to see him after everything, and kept his mother from visiting as well, but he understandably tries not to think about that. It's easier to blame it on other things.
He also won't have Justice in his head, whiiich helps. Justice is the reason why Anders absolutely cannot let his cause of freeing the mages go, even for one second. A lack of Justice also means he can still get drunk. /o/
Anders is claustrophobic, and finds the city stifling, and his Child of the Verdant Forest ability on top of that has him preferring to leave Union for longer stretches of time. He'll also channel a lot of his anger into helping Enlightened and pokemon. He believes the Union essentially cutting itself off from the rest of the world is wrong, as humans need to accept its natural part in it. They're not separate, and they're only building on mistakes from long ago. Or so he'll say when he's upset enough, or drunk enough, or finds someone willing to listen. Enlightened are proof, he says. Pokemon are still angry, he says. True harmony cannot be reached this way!!
Because he can't be Anders without occasionally going off on a rant.
But he'll be friendler than he'd otherwise be. He'll still be hard working, but he'll allow himself to have more fun than he does in canon. He'll joke more - and they'll be terrible. And he might still be convinced to strip if his company demands it, although he'd prefer to avoid another arrest. He knows there are still people who think he's a danger, and wouldn't hesitate to lock him up for good this time.
Canon Abilities: First and foremost, Anders is a spirit healer. That means he's got magic abilities allowing him to knit flesh back together, stop bleeding, cure infections, mend a broken leg, and even, to some extent, allieviate mental illness, as long as there's a physical cause to it. He's also had over three years experience running a free clinic in the slums, so he's used to dealing with strange injuries or problems, and he's got some knowledge of herbs should his magic fail him.
His offensive spells are not nearly as powerful, focusing mainly on fire and electric attacks, with some arcane spells mostly geared towards defence, such as mind blast. Compared to other mages, he might deal less damage; Still, he's an experienced fighter as well. And he's used to having to run from people chasing him, which is useful when your enemy prefers a sword.
His special ability in Dragon Age II, called Vengeance, also grants him two modes - panacea and vengeance. The first allows him to cast more powerful healing spells, and more frequently, but stops him casting offensive spells. Vengeance does exactly the opposite, strengthening his attacks but blocking his healing abilities. He becomes more vulnerable as well.
His possession is also affecting his capabilities, although that's mostly limited to the few times when Justice comes out to play. When that happens, Anders' defense skyrockets. A short story written about him has him take a sword through his chest while in this state, which he just shrugs off - because swords can't hurt a spirit.
In addition to all that, Anders is a Grey Warden. They are a group of warriors and mages, sworn to defend the land, and to do so they deliberately poison themselves with blood taken from a breed of monsters called darkspawn. Side effects include: nightmares, hearing Archdemons speak in your head, being able to sense the presence of darkspawn, being sensed by darkspawn in return, and dying a slow death. He's got 25 years left, approximately, depending on whether being possessed can save him. That one's still up in the air.
Enlightened Abilities: Anders will have the Enlightened ability Child of the Verdant Forest, and to start with he'll be a level 8 psychic/fire type.
Anders is first and foremost a healer, and his abilities will reflect that. He'll stand back in a fight, and offer support to his allies, healing where necessary. Though that doesn't mean he can't be destructive. As long as he's not under direct attack himself, he can deal some damage. From a distance. His first few attacks will be basic fire ones, such as ember, whereas his psychic moves will be geared mostly towards healing allies.
At some point I'm hoping to have Anders be temporarily possessed by a Shuppet, to reflect his possession by a spirit in canon. The Shuppet will eventually be defeated, but not killed - and Anders will decide to keep it, having bonded during his possession. His friends will think he's an idiot for it, but he won't care. Sometime after this, he'll evolve into a psychic/ghost type instead. At this point, his psychic healing will greatly increase, and any fire moves will obviously lose some effectiveness. But when working in unison with his Shuppet, his ghost attacks will be stronger for it, a remnant of the possession. He'll also develop a slight blue glow when angry, mostly showing in his eyes.
Finally, he'll evolve again around level 40-45ish. At this point, he will gain two "modes" - one offensive, one defensive. When in his offensive mode, he can deal that much more damage, but he can't heal at all, and any healing done to him will be less effective as well. In addition he sacrifices some of his defense stat. When in his defensive mode, he can't use any moves designed to hurt, but his healing is a lot stronger as a result. He can switch between the two modes at will; as his default state, he will not be in either mode. It will also affect his appearance more, as when in his offensive mode, his skin will appear to crack, with a bright blue light showing through, like so and uh, he might find himself accidentally falling through walls if he leans on them.
Eventually I'd like him to get something to mimic the staffs mages use in Dragon Age - for instance a fire staff. And if anyone wants to call him an old man for having what appears to be a walking stick, they are free to do so.
Starter Pokémon: A level 8 Espurr named Queen Cleopawtra
Notes/Special Considerations: I added Anders falling through walls because I thought it'd be funny. If that's too much of a stretch, that's fine! As a note, though, he wouldn't use it to spy on people, as he's not really interested in that. But him being backed against the wall of a cave during a fight and suddenly disappearing through it, then spending an hour getting back to where he was? Yes, please, let's make things awkward for him. :> It'd be a skill that would be difficult for him to control, in either case.
Actually, if there's anything in here that might not work, let me know and I'm happy to change it!
SAMPLES
(NOTE: You may link a previous entry or thread, including testrun or musebox threads (but NOT Dear Mun), for one or both samples. However, we want to see the character in the setting of Brave New World and specifically in their AU for at least one sample.)
First-Person:
1. Sometimes he can be friendly!
2. And sometimes he takes everything the wrong way.
Third-Person: [Assuming this is some sort of psychological profiling prior to his release from the as of yet unnamed institution where he grew up.]
-What would you say the role of Pokémon is in your life?
They're my friends. [duh.] And my allies, if they want to be. I'd do anything for Queen Cleo. And she'd do anything for me, wouldn't you? [His attention turns towards his pokemon; he's devolving into babytalk here.] Yes, you would. I'm so lucky. And you're so pretty. Yes, you are. Oh, yes. I'd never abandon you, my little queen, no matter what. [Espurr nudges his hand, clearly happy with this but wanting pets as well.]
-What do you feel your role in Union is?
I don't have a role, do I? You've kept that from me. My only job is to prove I won't blow myself up.
-To what lengths would you go to rescue your allies if they were lost in the wilderness?
I'd do anything, of course! [slightly bitter.] I'd never abandon someone I cared about just because it might be dangerous.
-What does the story of the Savior mean to you?
People misinterpret it. We weren't supposed to shut ourselves away, just hoping the gods would forget about what we did. We have to go out there, and we have to earn it. We're part of this world, whether we like it or not. How can we expect them to trust us when there's a giant bloody wall between them and us.
-What do you look for in the Pokémon with whom you bond?
What I look for? Nothing, really. They're my friends, that's all. I've only bonded with Queen Cleo, and she chose me. [babytalk again.] Didn't you? Yes, and I'm so grateful. Yes, I am.
-What do you think your Pokémon respect most about you?
I know she likes it when I scratch her little jaw. And she likes riding on my shoulders when she's tired.
-A human has attacked a wild Pokémon who retaliates in defense. How do you respond and whom do you defend?
The pokemon! Is that a trick question? The human attacked first, like you said.
-You are alone and bereft of your Pokémon allies, upon what strengths do you rely on to see yourself safely home?
How am I supposed to know. You haven't exactly given me a chance to find out, have you, considering you've locked me up my whole life. [whoops, bitter again.] But I might be able to defend myself, if I had to.
-When encountering a rare and powerful Pokémon, what is most important? Researching it, bonding with it, or defeating it? Why?
That depends on what the pokemon wants. Is it attacking or is it friendly? Because I'd like to come out of there alive.
Name: Caten
Contact Information:
Time Zone: GMT+1
Characters Played: N/A
CHARACTER INFO
Character Name: Anders
Character Canon: Dragon Age
History: The Dragon Age Wiki
AU History: Anders grew up in Union like a normal kid, with a mum and a dad and a lot of friends, spending his time playing with pokemon and frolicking in the grass, as one does. But as is well known, happy days cannot possibly last, and once Anders reached around 11 years old, he started noticing strange things happening around him. Minor things, at first - he got in a fight with another kid, and the kid was suddenly pushed off him, as if by an invisible force; he found a hurt pokemon and picked it up to bring it to someone who could help, but by the time he got there, it was already healed. And finally, after about a year of this, he set his own house on fire.
By this point his father had been steadily growing scared of his own son. Not that Enlightened abilities are rare, but Anders definitely didn't seem to know how to control it. And after nearly losing his own, he had enough. He called in the authorities, who quickly agreed that Anders would be a danger to himself like this, and that he would need special training. Further, it would be unwise to let him run around outside, where he might hurt anyone. His mother cried; Anders cried even more. They had to take him away by force, because he was fighting the whole time, trying to break free of their grip on him. Sadly though, a small child is no match for adults, and aside from a few minor burns, they had little trouble despite his efforts.
He grew up like that, and he hated it. They noticed that his abilities flared up more with pokemon around; though Anders never mentioned that he felt he could sense their emotions, and that affected his control. Regardless of why it happened, though, it was decided to keep him away from pokemon as well, at least to begin with. And they did his best to teach him, in addition to providing him with regular schooling - it helped, of course, that Anders was a willing enough student. Aside from the part where he kept finding ways to escape.
The first time, he simply jumped out a window, and was caught again a few hours later. The second he hid in a laundry basket. With each time, he'd get better at avoiding recapture, but they'd also make it harder for him to escape. And with each new restriction placed upon him, he'd be more determined to gain his freedom by any means necessary. He also grew angrier. He'd try to get the other kids there on his side, so when he got himself too riled up, they had to isolate him until he calmed down to keep him from inciting a riot. If not for the fact that teenagers are rebellious to start with, they might have thought him a lost cause - they decided instead to give him time to grow out of it.
Instead he escaped again, got into a bar despite being under-aged, got completely drunk, and ended up running down a public street, naked, while yelling "Free yourselves from the Union's clutches!!" at the top of his lungs.
He was arrested five minutes later, and it was back to the institution for him, where he could sleep off his first ever hangover.
In the time he spent at the institution, he essentially split the people working there into two groups: Those who believed he would outgrow his anger, and that he would calm down once he'd been released; and those who believed he'd be a threat to Union. Luckily for him, the former group held more weight, but even they agreed they needed to keep a close eye on him, just in case. Which is why, despite his increasing control of his Enlightened abilities, they were still reluctant to let him go.
One year in particular, towards the end of his stay there, was particularly bad for him. They'd gotten good at predicting his escape attempts, and he found himself blocked at every turn. He also spent long stretches of time on his own, some of his friends having left already, and his continued anger meaning he had to be separated from everyone else for longer stretches of time. He might have lost himself to his anger, then, if not for a sneaky little Espurr. It is a well-known fact that if a cat really wants to get in somewhere, nothing can stop it, and this Espurr really wanted to meet Anders. It snuck into his room, nudged against his hand while he was trying to focus on some homework, and the two quickly made friends from there.
He kept his little Espurr - named Queen Cleopawtra - a secret. But by this point, his powers were more or less under control, so instead of worsening the situation, she helped him. She comforted him, and helped him focus on his goal. By this point, he was in his early twenties and studying medicine, something which he had an aptitude for. The people at the institute encouraged it, believing it would be safer for him to turn his determination towards healing and helping others, and they'd arranged for him to complete a medical degree from there. At this point, to test his control, they did also slowly introduce him to other pokemon, in controlled environments of course. And finally, by the time Anders had essentially finished his education, save for the required internship all medics had to go through, they started to believe that maybe, just maybe, it'd be safe to let him out into society again.
It was gradual at first, short walks while accompanied by someone trusted to see what he'd do. Eventually, they figured the best thing for him would be to accomplish his dream of becoming a full medic. He was accepted into an internship, and the day he walked out of the institution, he made sure to have his little queen Cleo on his shoulder, showing her off and giving the rest of them the finger as he went.
Still, it was gradual at first. He'd come back to the institution in the evening - or late at night, depending on how much he was working. This allowed him to save up the money he earned, though. And finally, after a year, they agreed to let him move out, as long as he swore not to cause any trouble. At this point he could see freedom in sight, and he was so focused on work anyway that he had no time for running around naked. Plus, it really did help that he was no longer a teenager - though the anger at Union was there, under the surface, buried under medical texts and people in need.
And as soon as he finished his internship, and could proudly call himself a medic, he signed up to join the rangers in the field instead, his little queen at his side and ready to take on the world.
Canon Personality: Where Anders is from, nearly everyone follows the Chant of Light, the teachings left behind by Andraste - think Joan of Arc and Jesus all rolled up in one. And growing up, Anders was a good little andrastian. He believed in the Maker, and in His bride Andraste; he knew the Chant; he knew that mages were bad and needed to be locked up; he believed every word of it. So when he then discovered that he was a mage, his world was, to put it mildly, turned on its head.
He discovered it by accidentally setting the barn on fire. Young mages generally can't control their powers, and at first he didn't even realise what had happened. But everyone where he was from feared mages. Soon, his own father grew scared of him, and all for something he couldn't help. But mages have to be locked up, and soon Templars were called in, and Anders was informed he would never see his family again. He got to keep an old pillow his mum had made him, but after that they chained him up and brought him to a strange country, far away from home. There he was to be live his life in a tower together with other mages, and with more Templars around to keep an eye on them. At that time, he was twelve.
Being brought to the Circle (as it's called) was traumatising for him, and it didn't stop there. Every day he would be told that mages were dangerous, repeating the words of the Chant he had so long believed. And some Templars took it further, seeming to think that mages barely deserved to live. To add insult to injury, they would explain that they were locked up as much for their own protection as for the protection of others. He saw what happened to some mages; he did believe it was safe at all.
He made friends in the Circle, and he had many lovers; and he enjoyed learning, especially about Spirit Healing. But he never could settle down there. During his time in the Circle, he escaped at least seven times, each time brought back to face a harsher punishment. The last time they placed him in isolation down in the dungeons for a year. He's still terrified of being locked up and of being alone because of it, and if anything, it only made him more determined to be free. He promptly escaped again.
Once upon a time, Anders used humour as self-defense, and refused to allow himself to grow too attached to any person or place. He knew he would never stay long, and even if he did, the Templars could easily get in the way if they so chose. So he joked and he ran. If pushed, though, his anger at the Templars and the Chantry became obvious. At first he might attempt to be witty about that, too ("yes, I so enjoy being woken up with a kick to the head every morning"), but eventually even the sarcasm would be dropped, and there would be no further attempts at friendship from him.
His sense of humour hasn't gone away entirely these days, but a few things has changed. The last time the Templars caught him, they then managed to get themselves killed by monsters called darkspawn on the way back to the Circle. The blame was shifted onto Anders for this, and the plan was to hang him; instead, he was recruited into the Grey Wardens, a group of people dedicated to protecting the land. They have the right to conscript anyone, and though the Templars objected, there was nothing they could o Becoming a Warden is for life, but Anders knew very well what it meant. His home country is at constant risk for darkspawn attacks, and the Wardens have a strong presence there. He was prepared to dedicate himself to it, thinking it a much better life than the Circle. And he might have stayed, if not for a few things:
The Warden who recruited him was none other than the Hero of Ferelden, who had stopped the darkspawn hordes from taking over the land. She could accomplish amazing things, and being around her made him feel as if one person wasn't such a small number after all. And while travelling with her, he also met a spirit of justice. This spirit was trapped outside the Fade (the dreamworld, essentially, where demons and spirits live), and while Anders was skeptical at first, unsure of the difference between a spirit and a demon, the two eventually learned to get along. And Justice kept pressing him on the issue of mages. Why would Anders try to escape his oppression, while other mages still suffered? Anders had never even attempted to help the others trapped in the Circle.
It still might not have been enough to change anything. But the Hero of Ferelden was stationed there only temporarily, and while she had trusted Anders, other Wardens were more faithful towards the Chantry. And the Templars hadn't given up, despite the fact that they have no authority over the Wardens. So instead they made a deal; one of their own joined the Wardens, and was sent on every mission together with Anders after that, to keep an eye on him. And finally, this Templar-turned-Warden fetched more Templars, not trusting Anders and deciding to turn on him, and it's at this point Anders decided to make his deal
Neither of them had predicted the consequences, though. Anders had tried to suppress his anger for years, but now Justice felt it as well, and anger can be dangerous for a spirit. It warped him into a spirit of vengeance, and Anders, well. He became more focused. Hard-working. The anger bubbled to the surface and the part of him that joked his problems away was shoved down. It's still there, he can still joke, but half the time he's talking about Templars these days, and the rest of the time he's usually going on about the Chantry. He comes across as whiny, broody and, at best, boring. But he also doesn't care anymore.
He's dedicated himself to his cause of freeing mages, but also to his healing. He opened a clinic in the slums of Kirkwall, treating people for free. Where he gets the money to buy himself food, no one knows. He works, and rarely sleeps, and when he's got spare time he tries to find way to convince people that mages aren't dangerous. So far he's been using peaceful methods, for instance writing a manifesto, although he's getting frustrated in the lack of results. He's also actively helping smuggle mages out of the Circle in Kirkwall. Again, for free. Again, he really doesn't know how to look after himself anymore.
He's also a bloody hypocrite about it all. He has little sympathy for Fenris, a former slave, simply because Fenris doesn't trust mages - despite the fact that he has a really good reason not to. And if Anders believes in freedom for all, he should be able to empathise, instead of always turning it into an argument for his own cause. It makes him self-centered, even if he honestly means well. Further, he'll complain about how the wrongdoings of a single mage is used as evidence to condemn them all; yet when he sees a mage doing wrong, typically by resorting to blood magic as a last resort, he condemns them in the same way. It's their fault for making them all look bad. Of course, blood magic means consorting with demons, and Anders allowed himself to be possessed by a spirit. He's got no room to judge.
But despite all that, he's a kind man as well. He gives everything of himself to help others these days, pushing himself much further than what is healthy. If he can save one more person, then it's worth it, to him. And if you're his friend, then he'll be there for you whenever you need him. It's just too bad for him he's really bad at making friends these days.
Another side-effect of Justice's possession is that he's become more of a private person. Before he might not have minded mentioning what he himself went through in the circle (see: the comment about being kicked in the head, a year of isolation, and more), but now he speaks more in general terms. He doesn't want to seem selfish by making his cause about him; but he might have more success at convincing people if he gave more specific examples. Instead, all they hear is him talking about general injustices, and it's hard for people to realise just why it matters so much to him. Especially combined with his hypocricy.
In short: Justice and Anders were not a good match. But he hasn't lost himself entirely. He doesn't get drunk anymore, but if the mood strikes, he can still join in with card games. He's terrible at them, and he tends to lose his trousers along the way, but the important part is that someone dragged him away from work for five minutes so that he could have some fun. And then he really will surprise them with the return of the terrible jokes.
And it's made him braver. He dares to challenge the Templars these days. It might be because he's not worried about himself anymore, but still. It means he might, if he gets the chance, take some positive risks as well. Such as staying in the same city for years, something he's never done before - it means he's got a real chance to make some friends, if they can put up with how, well, focused he is. To put it nicely.
And if he no longer had a cause to fight for, he might even allow himself to be happy. The fear of losing everything is still there, but Justice helps him overcome it. The irony is, of course, that Justice might disapprove if Anders gets too attached to other people, as they are a distraction from work that needs to be done. He's constantly torn in two directions because of it, which really isn't any easier.
AU Deviation: Because Enlightened are only locked up when their powers are out of control, and are eventually let out again, Anders will be a lot less angry than if it had been as systematic as it is in the DA universe. He'll still hate Union - or at least its leaders, and the people who kept him in that institution, but it won't be a constant driving force for him. Especially since even he can't argue that Enlightened like him don't need help learning to control their abilities - he just believes they should have more freedom even so, and shouldn't be kept from their families. Although he suspects his father just didn't want to see him after everything, and kept his mother from visiting as well, but he understandably tries not to think about that. It's easier to blame it on other things.
He also won't have Justice in his head, whiiich helps. Justice is the reason why Anders absolutely cannot let his cause of freeing the mages go, even for one second. A lack of Justice also means he can still get drunk. /o/
Anders is claustrophobic, and finds the city stifling, and his Child of the Verdant Forest ability on top of that has him preferring to leave Union for longer stretches of time. He'll also channel a lot of his anger into helping Enlightened and pokemon. He believes the Union essentially cutting itself off from the rest of the world is wrong, as humans need to accept its natural part in it. They're not separate, and they're only building on mistakes from long ago. Or so he'll say when he's upset enough, or drunk enough, or finds someone willing to listen. Enlightened are proof, he says. Pokemon are still angry, he says. True harmony cannot be reached this way!!
Because he can't be Anders without occasionally going off on a rant.
But he'll be friendler than he'd otherwise be. He'll still be hard working, but he'll allow himself to have more fun than he does in canon. He'll joke more - and they'll be terrible. And he might still be convinced to strip if his company demands it, although he'd prefer to avoid another arrest. He knows there are still people who think he's a danger, and wouldn't hesitate to lock him up for good this time.
Canon Abilities: First and foremost, Anders is a spirit healer. That means he's got magic abilities allowing him to knit flesh back together, stop bleeding, cure infections, mend a broken leg, and even, to some extent, allieviate mental illness, as long as there's a physical cause to it. He's also had over three years experience running a free clinic in the slums, so he's used to dealing with strange injuries or problems, and he's got some knowledge of herbs should his magic fail him.
His offensive spells are not nearly as powerful, focusing mainly on fire and electric attacks, with some arcane spells mostly geared towards defence, such as mind blast. Compared to other mages, he might deal less damage; Still, he's an experienced fighter as well. And he's used to having to run from people chasing him, which is useful when your enemy prefers a sword.
His special ability in Dragon Age II, called Vengeance, also grants him two modes - panacea and vengeance. The first allows him to cast more powerful healing spells, and more frequently, but stops him casting offensive spells. Vengeance does exactly the opposite, strengthening his attacks but blocking his healing abilities. He becomes more vulnerable as well.
His possession is also affecting his capabilities, although that's mostly limited to the few times when Justice comes out to play. When that happens, Anders' defense skyrockets. A short story written about him has him take a sword through his chest while in this state, which he just shrugs off - because swords can't hurt a spirit.
In addition to all that, Anders is a Grey Warden. They are a group of warriors and mages, sworn to defend the land, and to do so they deliberately poison themselves with blood taken from a breed of monsters called darkspawn. Side effects include: nightmares, hearing Archdemons speak in your head, being able to sense the presence of darkspawn, being sensed by darkspawn in return, and dying a slow death. He's got 25 years left, approximately, depending on whether being possessed can save him. That one's still up in the air.
Enlightened Abilities: Anders will have the Enlightened ability Child of the Verdant Forest, and to start with he'll be a level 8 psychic/fire type.
Anders is first and foremost a healer, and his abilities will reflect that. He'll stand back in a fight, and offer support to his allies, healing where necessary. Though that doesn't mean he can't be destructive. As long as he's not under direct attack himself, he can deal some damage. From a distance. His first few attacks will be basic fire ones, such as ember, whereas his psychic moves will be geared mostly towards healing allies.
At some point I'm hoping to have Anders be temporarily possessed by a Shuppet, to reflect his possession by a spirit in canon. The Shuppet will eventually be defeated, but not killed - and Anders will decide to keep it, having bonded during his possession. His friends will think he's an idiot for it, but he won't care. Sometime after this, he'll evolve into a psychic/ghost type instead. At this point, his psychic healing will greatly increase, and any fire moves will obviously lose some effectiveness. But when working in unison with his Shuppet, his ghost attacks will be stronger for it, a remnant of the possession. He'll also develop a slight blue glow when angry, mostly showing in his eyes.
Finally, he'll evolve again around level 40-45ish. At this point, he will gain two "modes" - one offensive, one defensive. When in his offensive mode, he can deal that much more damage, but he can't heal at all, and any healing done to him will be less effective as well. In addition he sacrifices some of his defense stat. When in his defensive mode, he can't use any moves designed to hurt, but his healing is a lot stronger as a result. He can switch between the two modes at will; as his default state, he will not be in either mode. It will also affect his appearance more, as when in his offensive mode, his skin will appear to crack, with a bright blue light showing through, like so and uh, he might find himself accidentally falling through walls if he leans on them.
Eventually I'd like him to get something to mimic the staffs mages use in Dragon Age - for instance a fire staff. And if anyone wants to call him an old man for having what appears to be a walking stick, they are free to do so.
Starter Pokémon: A level 8 Espurr named Queen Cleopawtra
Notes/Special Considerations: I added Anders falling through walls because I thought it'd be funny. If that's too much of a stretch, that's fine! As a note, though, he wouldn't use it to spy on people, as he's not really interested in that. But him being backed against the wall of a cave during a fight and suddenly disappearing through it, then spending an hour getting back to where he was? Yes, please, let's make things awkward for him. :> It'd be a skill that would be difficult for him to control, in either case.
Actually, if there's anything in here that might not work, let me know and I'm happy to change it!
SAMPLES
(NOTE: You may link a previous entry or thread, including testrun or musebox threads (but NOT Dear Mun), for one or both samples. However, we want to see the character in the setting of Brave New World and specifically in their AU for at least one sample.)
First-Person:
1. Sometimes he can be friendly!
2. And sometimes he takes everything the wrong way.
Third-Person: [Assuming this is some sort of psychological profiling prior to his release from the as of yet unnamed institution where he grew up.]
-What would you say the role of Pokémon is in your life?
They're my friends. [duh.] And my allies, if they want to be. I'd do anything for Queen Cleo. And she'd do anything for me, wouldn't you? [His attention turns towards his pokemon; he's devolving into babytalk here.] Yes, you would. I'm so lucky. And you're so pretty. Yes, you are. Oh, yes. I'd never abandon you, my little queen, no matter what. [Espurr nudges his hand, clearly happy with this but wanting pets as well.]
-What do you feel your role in Union is?
I don't have a role, do I? You've kept that from me. My only job is to prove I won't blow myself up.
-To what lengths would you go to rescue your allies if they were lost in the wilderness?
I'd do anything, of course! [slightly bitter.] I'd never abandon someone I cared about just because it might be dangerous.
-What does the story of the Savior mean to you?
People misinterpret it. We weren't supposed to shut ourselves away, just hoping the gods would forget about what we did. We have to go out there, and we have to earn it. We're part of this world, whether we like it or not. How can we expect them to trust us when there's a giant bloody wall between them and us.
-What do you look for in the Pokémon with whom you bond?
What I look for? Nothing, really. They're my friends, that's all. I've only bonded with Queen Cleo, and she chose me. [babytalk again.] Didn't you? Yes, and I'm so grateful. Yes, I am.
-What do you think your Pokémon respect most about you?
I know she likes it when I scratch her little jaw. And she likes riding on my shoulders when she's tired.
-A human has attacked a wild Pokémon who retaliates in defense. How do you respond and whom do you defend?
The pokemon! Is that a trick question? The human attacked first, like you said.
-You are alone and bereft of your Pokémon allies, upon what strengths do you rely on to see yourself safely home?
How am I supposed to know. You haven't exactly given me a chance to find out, have you, considering you've locked me up my whole life. [whoops, bitter again.] But I might be able to defend myself, if I had to.
-When encountering a rare and powerful Pokémon, what is most important? Researching it, bonding with it, or defeating it? Why?
That depends on what the pokemon wants. Is it attacking or is it friendly? Because I'd like to come out of there alive.