Edrington Grunwald

Edrington Wilhelm Grunwald (30 November, Year 6 L.C.) is a member of the Grunwald Family, a small family of landowners in Southern Elwynn.

History & Background
Originating from Soutshore, Edrington has through his family been able to afford a thorough education and ample financial opportunities. He trained and apprenticed as a merchant and economist in his youth. After his time learning and growing as a budding merchant, he was called to arms by his kingdom. At the age of nineteen, towards the end of the Third War in the Year 25 L.C., he decided to enlist in the Stormwind Army. In the King's Service, his skills led him down of a scribe, not a front-line soldier. Instead of taking the fight to the Horde during the multiple factional conflicts throughout the land, he served as mostly in the rear lines.

For the remainder of his time in the Army, he tended to the duties of any porter: ensuring the transportation of goods, troops, and arms. He also learned a variety of support roles, including cooking, leather-working, and engineering. He took a keen interest in the work that went into constructing fortifications, creating siege engines, and using a variety of weaponry ranging from the humble ballista to the awesome cannon. This diversification in skills was allowed thanks to the fact that he had ample spare time since he was mostly away from any serious fighting. However, he never considers himself a veteran because of his role as a logistics officer, rather than a proper soldier.

After serving the Army during Burning Crusade and the opening years of the War in the North, he was given an honorable discharge after completing four years of service. At twenty-three, Edrington applied for membership in the Stormwind Trading Company. Within the year, thanks to his father's connections, he was able to receive membership as a guild associate. For the next five years, he became a rather prosperous merchant. The tumult brought about by the Cataclysm and the War in Pandaria led him to make a fortune on weapons armor. Although he traded in more common trade goods, Edrington became blinded by the lucrative nature of the arms market. When the War in Pandaria ended in the Year 34 L.C., he met his end as a merchant. Greedily, he had invested a large portion of his fortune in arms towards the end of the conflict. When he went to trade in his goods, he found that they were mostly worthless. Had he held off, the crisis emerging from the arrival of the Iron Horde would have kept him afloat. However, in his haste, Edrington declared bankruptcy and nearly lost his title as a guild associate. He would no longer work as a merchant, but his father spared him the disgrace of being kicked out of the Company.

Having been bailed out by his father's generosity, Edrington sought to atone for his personal sins. With his parents now in their older years, he seeks to repay them for their aide during his darkest times. He found his calling in serving within the ranks of the King's Army yet again, but this time he was compelled to fight on the front-lines. Whether it be a hint of patriotism or a want for redemption through blood, he now serves under Duke Montclair's First Regiment as a footman. Most of his pay goes to his family, which has been experiencing financial troubles of their own as of late. Edrington feels personally responsible for these woes, and strives towards a better tomorrow for himself, his comrades, and his family.

Appearance
If one word could describe Edrington, it would be simply 'average'. He stands at roughly 5'11, the standard height for most Human males. Weighing in at roughly 180lb, he's well-built enough to handle most tasks required of him. Edrington is, however, by no means at the height of his possible physique. His features are not something to lauded over, nor is he necessarily a man of poor looks. His hair is usually neatly trimmed and combed. It can be described as a dark shade of blond in color. On his face, he sports a mustache and goatee, refraining from growing a full beard in most cases. His eyes are a standard hue of green, with his skin only slightly tanned.

His body is generally intact, with few scars and marks to speak of. Besides birthmarks and such, the horrors of war have left him untouched not because he was a skilled warrior, but because his line of work relegated him to duties away from most of the fighting. Whether it was the battles against the Horde, the Burning Crusade, or Arthas' Scourge, Edrington can claim that he's only taken a few meager gashes and cuts from minor skirmishes near the rear of the front-lines on whichever front he was serving on as a scribe and porter.

Personality & Morality
Edrington tends to approach life as a whole in a very calculating manner. He mulls things over constantly, can be incredibly self-conscious, and tends to be overly apologetic. However, his time in the military has given the man some spine at least. He is disciplined, well-mannered (both due to military conduct and his upbringing), and tends to be observant and attentive. Being a merchant as well, he has a good eye when it comes to judging bluffs, one's character, and can be generally persuasive when he tries.

When it comes to tackling challenges, Edrington will analyze the situation carefully, devise a suitable 'plan of attack', and be open to the possibility of failure. He believes himself to be a man of reason and logic, willing to take on criticism and always being eager to learn new ideas and methods. However, he does draw a line in the sand. Edrington is a firm believe of law and his faith in the Holy Light. He understands the necessity to do things that are, at times, not agreeable with most -- all in the name of the "greater good". Yet, he would not go as far as to break any laws or disrupt the natural order of things.

All in all, Edrington attempts to live his life along the middle-of-the-road. Although some may see him as weak-willed and weak-minded for this, he tries his best to balance both the best and the worst of his own character and whatever the world may throw at him.

Quirks & Misc. Information

 * He has a deeply crippling phobia of spiders. This is due to an encounter during his childhood inside a cave nearby his family home. Within, he found a large nest of spiders, which then began to swarm around him in a frenzied panic. Edrington is so afraid of spiders that he refuses to eat anything or look at anything resembling a spider, including crabs!