Andren the Plaguebearer
Penitent Healer
Andren the Plaguebearer is a somber and enigmatic healer, a human and elf whose origins are shrouded in the whispers of those he has blessed with divine cures—or those he admonished for their misdeeds. Tall and lean with a weary yet resilient presence, Andren’s face is marked by faint scars and dark circles, signs of a prolonged struggle with a mysterious, lingering sickness. At its worst, his dark brown skin turns pale, almost translucent in dim light, giving him a spectral visage. He wears simple but well-made robes in muted white and gold, the colors of Solanthra, his patron goddess, and over this, he dons a layer of chainmail and a sturdy cloak for protection on his long journeys. Around his neck hangs a talisman carved from the bones of a fiendish beast—a relic believed to embody Solanthra's will, shielding him from the ever encroaching darkness.
Andren is quiet and contemplative, often lost in thought as he surveys his surroundings. His voice is soft yet firm, carrying the weight of experience that draws respect from those who listen—or fear from those who cross him. Though he speaks little of his own past, he is a careful and empathetic listener, often taking in far more than he reveals. Despite his grim aura and the haunting shadows of his past, Andren exudes a quiet, steady warmth—a healer’s empathy that earns trust even in the most remote or suspicious communities.
Patient and empathetic, Andren is driven by an unshakable sense of duty, and while his experience with the plague has made him wary, he treats each person with quiet respect—regardless of their status or past. Deeds are what Andren judges, not appearances or origins, and from the same comes his drive to heal and protect—he is fueled by both his devotion to Solanthra and the guilt of a dark bargain he once made to preserve his own life.
Andren’s story began with a different name—Ndaren—during the great plague that swept through his homeland in the grassy plains of the Virrakahar years ago. The terrible disease claimed a great many lives within mere days and left desolation in its wake.
Born to a poor farming family of the Kesannu tribe, Ndaren was raised amidst simple yet enduring traditions of healing and communal care. Within his community, he studied medicine and the healing arts and, like many others, he fell ill early in the outbreak—but Ndaren miraculously survived. Though he recovered, a remnant of the illness remained within him, a sickness that left his skin pale and his body weakened.
During his recovery, Ndaren was driven by survivor’s guilt and a need to protect others from the fate shared by so many. In desperation, he turned to a hag reputed to hold knowledge of rare and potent remedies, and though he resisted at first, Ndaren ultimately accepted the hag’s price. From her, he learned the recipe for a tonic that could keep his illness at bay—but never cure it—and each dose requires ingredients that burden his soul. He must take it to survive and continue his sacred mission.
Years later, Andren travels widely, studying disease and offering healing, dedicated to serving others while atoning for the price of his own survival. The moniker he now uses is a variant of his given name, “assigned” to him by a Solanthran priest and mentor whom Andren held in high regard—but who struggled to pronounce the proper inflections of his birth name. He carries the name still, a tribute to his friend as well as a practical concession while navigating the wider world where “Shielders” struggle pronouncing his given name. Now, Andren scours the land, searching and praying for a cure to his affliction—one that would free him from the cruel preservation he endures, allowing him to devote himself fully to those in desperate need. Few know him as “Plaguebearer”, a title he reserves for himself—a reminder of his responsibility and his curse.
Roleplaying
Andren is a figure of quiet resilience and solemn compassion, marked by a somber presence and a careful, steady demeanor. His voice bears the sorrow of his past as well as the burden of his illness and its dark remedy. Andren respects those with genuine intentions, but he is unyielding toward those who would exploit others’ suffering. His words are few, each spoken with precision and thought, and he often seems to gaze beyond the present moment, tormented by visions of those he could not save.
“Life is sacred, but it is also fragile—and none understand this more than those who fight for it.”
“Every cure has a price—some are paid up front, others over time. When I can, I will shield others from that burden.”
“I have walked the line between life and death—and learned to honor them both.”
“I am here to heal, but do not mistake my compassion for weakness.”
Andren’s work as a healer and protector has blessed him with unique abilities, each born of his devotion to Solanthra and his harrowing past with disease.
Healing Touch: Andren can use an action to cast cure wounds at 1st-level without expending a spell slot. When cast in this way, the spell temporarily suppresses the effects of any diseases affecting the target, nullifying them for 24 hours—but it does not cure them. He can use this ability once, and he regains the ability to do so when he finishes a long rest. This ability does not suppress his Lingering Sickness (see below).
Sense Illness: Andren possesses an innate ability to sense sickness and disease. He has advantage on Medicine checks made to detect if a creature is afflicted with a disease or other contagion, whether mundane or magical.
Purging Flame: Calling upon the radiant power of Solanthra, Andren can summon a cleansing flame to cure sickness and dark magic. As an action, he can purge corruption, instantly curing a single disease or curse on a creature, ending the ailment and all its conditions. This power leaves him fatigued, however, instantly inducing a bout of his Lingering Sickness (see below), and he cannot use it again until he recovers. Andren uses this gift rarely and judiciously, knowing that the cost for him will be severe.
Lingering Sickness: Andren is afflicted by a unique illness that resurfaces with disheartening certainty at the rising of a new moon. These bouts leave him weakened and feverish, prone to visions that may be painful memories, glimpses of future calamities, or simple hallucinations of his wearied mind. He gains two levels of exhaustion and cannot benefit from a long rest until he consumes his special, curative tonic. This mysterious ailment is a mark of his survivor’s burden and a reflection of his enduring fight for survival, and it cannot be cured except by extraordinary means, such as the intervention of a deity or the completion of a legendary quest.
Andren the Plaguebearer is a healer bound by compassion and an unyielding sense of duty, tempered by the shadows of his past. His quiet strength and tireless devotion make him a respected figure and a source of comfort for the suffering. However, his hidden bargain and his dreadful, self-preserving tonic leave him haunted by guilt. Andren’s journey is one of redemption, healing, and vigilance—a path that may draw adventurers into his orbit, either as allies in his quest or as witnesses to the complex price he pays to endure.
Character Hooks
Andren’s supply of the key ingredient for his life-sustaining tonic has run out. He seeks aid from the players to gather the grim materials—but they may discover the true cost of his survival, forcing them to confront whether to help him on this quest, oppose him directly, or perhaps seek another cure.
A village is ravaged by a mysterious, rapidly spreading illness. Andren believes it to be an evolved strain of the plague he once survived, perhaps tied to his lingering sickness. He enlists the players to investigate, leading them to the source: a dangerous cult might be to blame—or cursed artifact, recovered and hidden within the village.
Andren’s fevered visions warn of a calamity tied to an ancient disease that could engulf Velanaura. He needs the players to help interpret the visions and locate the cause before it manifests, possibly uncovering connections to Vaelda Umbra or other sinister forces.
A powerful faction or individual demands Andren’s services to heal an important figure suffering from an incurable affliction. However, Andren knows the tonic needed will cost more than he is willing to pay—forcing him and the players to seek alternative methods or navigate dangerous negotiations.