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Andrui, Apprentice of Bigby
Posted on Wed, May 19, 2004 by Farcluun
Wavescrest writes "The character Andrui originally appeared briefly in Bigby's Most Home a short scenario from WGR2 Treasures of Greyhawk that served as a sequel to WGA4 Vecna Lives!. Now the character is updated to 594 CY, and we learn more of his history, and of the involvement of Franzier of Halmarn, the Onnwalon nom-de-plum of one Bigby.

Andrui, Apprentice of Bigby
By: Wavescrest
Used with Permission. Do not repost without obtaining prior permission from the author.

Andrui, male human Wiz10: AL N.

A man in his early thirties who is both tall and thin, Andrui is striking with long black hair which shows only the subtlest hews of greys, and is impeccably clean-shaven. He dresses in colourful but impeccably chosen loose-fitting clothes, preferring the colour purple and green.

Andrui was born in the Free City of Greyhawk, where his father was but a humble cartographer. At the age of eighteen he bade farewell to the dismal River Quarter as his father accepted a commission from Szek Elwerd Destron to create a map chart the unexplored regions of the Headlands. During the voyage to Scant, Andrui obtained a spellbook, claiming that he had swapped a set of marbles that the spellbook’s owner desperately needed to complete a thaumaturgical incantation*.

Beginning his new life in Halmarn, the outskirts of Scant, Andrui was frequently left by his father. He took to teaching himself magic from his spellbook. Shortly after he turned eighteen the young Andrui inadvertently started a fire within the family household of Halmarn (the outskirts of Scant). None of the family were killed in the fire, though seven years of his father’s work went up in flames**. He was thrown out by his angry father.

Forced to work on the docks of Halmarn, loading barrels for transport to Scant, Andrui met Fraznier of Halmarn (Bigby) and impressed the mage sufficiently to be taken on as an apprentice. He tended Bigby’s affairs as best he could during the mage’s death in 581 CY, but he has been his apprentice for only one month so many of the master’s traps and escaped experiments caused him problems. He gained a pathological hatred of stirges.

During the Fall of Scant, Andrui was on business in Furyondy for Bigby, he joined his master in Veluna City, but now a puissant mage in his own right he has transcended from apprentice to a respected agent of the Circle of Eight.

* To the astute reader it may seem unlikely that any mage worth his salt would trade an entire spellbook for a pouch of marbles. In fact it was a disguised Bigby who gave the aspiring child mage his first spellbook.
** Perhaps a little too convenient. Bigby was always interested in what uncharted mysteries lay within the Headlands. As Aza'mut of the Muddled Tongue, envoy to Rary pointed out to Andrui during a brief confrontation (which ended with Andrui injured and forced to teleport to Mitrik) was it that Bigby was behind Andrui's accident which caused him to lose contact with his father? His father is now believed to be lost within Scant as a thrall. Assuming these are no lies of Aza'mut - what lies in the Headlands of Onnwal that Bigby wished to remain 'uncharted'?

"
 
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Re: Andrui, Apprentice of Bigby (Score: 1)
by Abysslin (abyss@canonfire.com) on Wed, May 19, 2004
(User Info | Send a Message | Journal) http://www.canonfire.com
heh, you got me digging out WGR2 to check it out!



Re: Andrui, Apprentice of Bigby (Score: 1)
by Yabusama on Wed, May 19, 2004
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Nice work, its good see a minor figure fleshed out more, I have always has a liking of Bigby and this just adds to it.



Re: Andrui, Apprentice of Bigby (Score: 1)
by mortellan on Wed, May 19, 2004
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What an intriguing topic for an article! Heck, it now makes me rethink alot of those minor-NPCs and how they could be updated. You could have a run of them here.



Re: Andrui, Apprentice of Bigby (Score: 1)
by Tzelios (b_steelio@hotmail.com) on Thu, May 20, 2004
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It is good to see that the development is not arbitrary. I would prefer, though, to be written in character.



Re: Andrui, Apprentice of Bigby (Score: 1)
by Tzelios (b_steelio@hotmail.com) on Thu, May 20, 2004
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Forgive me, I cannot expect this type of articles, the ones that describe personage, to be written in character.


]


Re: Andrui, Apprentice of Bigby (Score: 1)
by Zephirum on Thu, May 20, 2004
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I'm curious about your treatment of this character. Why deviate from the canon material instead of filing in the blank spaces of his life? His experience level improvement seems acceptable, yet we do not see any 3.5 game mechanics. More "new" information would have enhanced this article.

I agree that a 1st person style would have helped.

Thanks for sparking my interest in this character.



Re: Andrui, Apprentice of Bigby (Score: 1)
by Abysslin (abyss@canonfire.com) on Fri, May 21, 2004
(User Info | Send a Message) http://www.canonfire.com
It's rather rare a Canonfire submission has an edition relevance, as the member base consists of a variety of players from a variety of editions. Our latest poll, started by Baggins, in the forums displays this.


]


Re: Andrui, Apprentice of Bigby (Score: 1)
by WavesCrest on Mon, May 24, 2004
(User Info | Send a Message) http://www11.brinkster.com/greyhawk
I'm curious by what you mean deviating from canon? What canon have I deviated from? :)

Cheers.


]


Re: Andrui, Apprentice of Bigby (Score: 1)
by Theala_Sildorian on Thu, May 27, 2004
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Treasures of Greyhawk tells us that Andrui is 5'11" and 200 lbs, which is not very thin. He's slightly on the chunky side, probably has a beer belly (and looks like a lot of gamers at Gen Con probably). He's probably not "striking" (implying good looking) with a CHA of 7. They're minor points seemingly, except that seems to be a consistent problem with character writeups in Greyhawk (there are at least three different physical descriptions of Jallarzi Sallivarian).

Theala


]


Re: Andrui, Apprentice of Bigby (Score: 1)
by WavesCrest on Thu, May 27, 2004
(User Info | Send a Message) http://www11.brinkster.com/greyhawk
Really - perhaps I should reread WGR 2 myself. :)


]


Re: Andrui, Apprentice of Bigby (Score: 1)
by Abysslin (abyss@canonfire.com) on Thu, May 27, 2004
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Well, should you have changes ready for amendment just email them to me waves and I'll paste over it ) abyss@canonfire.com


]


Re: Andrui, Apprentice of Bigby (Score: 1)
by TheocratIssak (no@no.com) on Fri, May 28, 2004
(User Info | Send a Message) http://www.GreyhawkOnline.com
I hadn't read WGR2 before reading your post about Andruri. However, if you write about something, research should be the first priority. The lack of research is clearly evident in many WotC / TSR products, so the trend has been set. Although this is the case, fans submitted work should be of even better quality. You know this stuff is going to be reviewed by your peers. Peer acceptance is of the main reason many of us write and post such things to CanonFire. It is that reason that I go into such depth with my critisims and reasoning for a comment....I feel that it is my duty to help the other writers with their writting, story and style so that both of us (and the rest of the readers) get the most out of an article.
I personally do more research for my Greyhawk articles than I do for my college research papers!
~ Theocrat


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Re: Andrui, Apprentice of Bigby (Score: 1)
by cwslyclgh on Tue, May 25, 2004
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cool, I enjoy the fleshing out of minor characters, and you did a good job with Andrui... it is nice to see that he is finaly capable of casting his Baneful Backfire spell ;)



Re: Andrui, Apprentice of Bigby (Score: 1)
by TheocratIssak (no@no.com) on Wed, May 26, 2004
(User Info | Send a Message) http://www.GreyhawkOnline.com
Hi all-
First off, there is no way that this article could be written if first person. As is, this is a report on a person and is set as a biography, although minor. A first person article would make it seem more like a story, than as a piece to give us a background on an almost unknown.

Next, what I would have liked is dates. When was Andrui born. Although this information can be gleamed in learning that he is in his early 30's, or is something that may be in WGR 2, but it something that then should be mentioned or re-printed. Again, it would be nice to know that he and his father left GHC somewhere around 579. Who is Szek Elwerd (is he from a canon source), and what country does he represent. Why would Andrui's dad be selected to travel so far away from GHC, espically if his dad was only humble and had megear earnings (as gleaned by the location of their home in GHC).
Next, what ship were they on that went from GHC to Scant...did they have to travel to Hardby first or did they travel some other way? Also, you state that it is Bigby himself that trades the marbles for the spellbook. Why? Was Andrui showing some promise, is he the subject of a phophesy (sorry, dictionary.com is down, can't get the right spelling)? The next line about his father and Bigby and Rary is all very confusing as well as not compelely explained. I think that this should be further develeoped and not merely a footnote to the article.
Further, if Bigby, Rary and another other person with whom Andrui met, they should have already been impressed with him. Bigby meets Andrui on the docks, yet possibly already gave him a spell book and unwittingly caused a fire in his house. Thus, Bigby had already planned for him to be his apprentice.

What was Andrui doing during the "Great Signing" in which Bigby was killed? What business was he on when Scant fell? Why did he call Scant home, if his father had previously kicked him out, and he had been the apprentice of Bigby? What did Andrui do that was enough to get out from under the shadow of Bigby and allow him to become an agent of the Circle?

These "holes" and possible/potential discrepencies do not make this a complete article. I would love to see both 2nd and 3/3.5 stats on the fellow, but don't believe that to be an outright requirement to make this a better article. I think that fleshing Andrui out further would provide us with more information as well as the hidden gem that is Andrui. Thus, furthering the potential neat and historical information that can be gleamed about Bigby.

As such, I rate this article a 2 of 5 stars. I would love to give it more, but feel that too much is taken for granted. I would love to post another comment on this article after a bit more information.




Re: Andrui, Apprentice of Bigby (Score: 1)
by Zephirum on Wed, May 26, 2004
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I agree whole heartedly. This is more what I would have liked to have seen.

I'm sorry that I didn't responde earlier. I'm still new to this place, and I was avoiding injurying any egos ... at least until I get proper time to address my concerns as Theocratissak did. ; )



]


Re: Andrui, Apprentice of Bigby (Score: 1)
by Abysslin (abyss@canonfire.com) on Wed, May 26, 2004
(User Info | Send a Message) http://www.canonfire.com
You throw your stuff up on Canonfire to get constructive feedback and critism. To become a better writer and to share your ideas on the world we have come to know and love, Greyhawk. Don't worry about egos... Say your piece.


]


Re: Andrui, Apprentice of Bigby (Score: 1)
by WavesCrest on Thu, May 27, 2004
(User Info | Send a Message) http://www11.brinkster.com/greyhawk
>Why would Andrui's dad be selected to
>travel so far away from GHC, espically if his
>dad was only humble and had megear
>earnings (as gleaned by the location of
>their home in GHC).

Because he was a renowned, albeit poor, cartographer.

>What ship were they on? did they have to
>travel to Hardby first or did they travel
>some other way

I didn't really feel that was relevant to the article.

>Who is Szek Elwerd (is he from a canon
>source), and what country does he
>represent.

Err.. Onnwal? Thus the mapping of the Headlands? :)

Andrui called Scant home as that was where Bigby lived pre-wars.

As to why events happened the way they did I'd prefer for the reader to make up his own mind. I only wrote this as a short piece, I didn't want to include everything.


]


Re: Andrui, Apprentice of Bigby (Score: 1)
by TheocratIssak (no@no.com) on Wed, May 26, 2004
(User Info | Send a Message) http://www.GreyhawkOnline.com
Hi all-
First off, there is no way that this article could be written if first person. As is, this is a report on a person and is set as a biography, although minor. A first person article would make it seem more like a story, than as a piece to give us a background on an almost unknown.

Next, what I would have liked is dates. When was Andrui born. Although this information can be gleamed in learning that he is in his early 30's, or is something that may be in WGR 2, but it something that then should be mentioned or re-printed. Again, it would be nice to know that he and his father left GHC somewhere around 579. Who is Szek Elwerd (is he from a canon source), and what country does he represent. Why would Andrui's dad be selected to travel so far away from GHC, espically if his dad was only humble and had megear earnings (as gleaned by the location of their home in GHC).
Next, what ship were they on that went from GHC to Scant...did they have to travel to Hardby first or did they travel some other way? Also, you state that it is Bigby himself that trades the marbles for the spellbook. Why? Was Andrui showing some promise, is he the subject of a phophesy (sorry, dictionary.com is down, can't get the right spelling)? The next line about his father and Bigby and Rary is all very confusing as well as not compelely explained. I think that this should be further develeoped and not merely a footnote to the article.
Further, if Bigby, Rary and another other person with whom Andrui met, they should have already been impressed with him. Bigby meets Andrui on the docks, yet possibly already gave him a spell book and unwittingly caused a fire in his house. Thus, Bigby had already planned for him to be his apprentice.

What was Andrui doing during the "Great Signing" in which Bigby was killed? What business was he on when Scant fell? Why did he call Scant home, if his father had previously kicked him out, and he had been the apprentice of Bigby? What did Andrui do that was enough to get out from under the shadow of Bigby and allow him to become an agent of the Circle?

These "holes" and possible/potential discrepencies do not make this a complete article. I would love to see both 2nd and 3/3.5 stats on the fellow, but don't believe that to be an outright requirement to make this a better article. I think that fleshing Andrui out further would provide us with more information as well as the hidden gem that is Andrui. Thus, furthering the potential neat and historical information that can be gleamed about Bigby.

As such, I rate this article a 2 of 5 stars. I would love to give it more, but feel that too much is taken for granted. I would love to post another comment on this article after a bit more information.





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