Anomen Delryn

"When asked about his past, Anomen is quick to state that he has been serving the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart for years, and after his Test he will be a full and true knight. Anomen is reluctant, however, to speak of his noble upbringing, saying only that he entered the Order without the support of his father, Lord Cor Delryn. Since he could not be sponsored as a squire, Anomen chose the route of the warrior and priest of Helm, the god of guardians, and has fought many battles over the years against forces of evil. Anomen often says that he is confident that he will prove worthy of his knighthood, but sometimes seems to be trying to convince himself of the fact more than anyone. "

- Character description from the Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn computer game.

Anomen Delryn is a human fighter and cleric and party NPC in the Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn computer game. When met by the player character, he is squire in the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart.

Anomen's first impression is of someone insufferably vain who constantly brags about battles he most likely never fought. Consequently, he is frequently dismissed as an annoying, one-dimensional character, but in actuality his story is rather complicated, and Anomen himself turns out to be a fairly sophisticated character, as the possible consequences of his knighthood subplot demonstrate. Depending on the player's actions, he may succeed or fail at his knighthood quest, which can change his alignment to either Lawful Good or Chaotic Neutral. If the player character is female, she may establish a romance with Anomen. He can be found in the Slums District inside the Copper Coronet. Anomen holds the distinction of being one of the few blatantly illegal characters under the 2nd edition ruleset, as it's impossible for him to have dual-classed to a cleric with 12 wisdom.

History
Anomen Delryn, a native of Athkatla, is the son of Lord Cor and Lady Moirala Delryn, and has a younger sister, Moira. At the beginning of Shadows of Amn, his mother is deceased and he is estranged from his father. Some years earlier, Anomen’s ambition to become a paladin of Helm was denied when his father, wanting his son to join him in the family merchant business, refused to sponsor him for knighthood. So instead Anomen chose to train as a warrior-priest of Helm, and seeks his knighthood through the sponsorship of the Church of Helm. When he joins the player party he is a squire in the Most Noble of Order of the Radiant Heart, and will soon be facing his knighthood trial.

Anomen’s initial vain, arrogant and overconfident behavior toward the player and other party members is soon shown to conceal deep self-doubts, highlighted when Anomen receives word that his sister Moira has been murdered. When he returns home to his alcoholic and abusive father, Lord Cor demands that Anomen take revenge on the business rival he believes to be responsible for Moira’s death. Torn between familial duty and what he has been taught as a priest of Helm, he turns to the player for advice. Whether the player counsels him to seek revenge or to leave the murder investigation to the authorities will determine whether Anomen succeeds or fails in his knighthood quest later in the game.

The outcome of Anomen's knighthood quest has ramifications for his relationships with other party members, arguably having the most effect on his interactions with the paladin Keldorn Firecam, a highly respected senior member of the Order of the Radiant Heart. As a squire, Anomen’s relationship with Sir Keldorn is strained, but not unfriendly. If Anomen becomes a knight they are much more cordial, and Anomen apologizes to Keldorn for his previous boorish behavior. In contrast, if he fails to become a knight his erratic behavior can cause him to come to blows with both Keldorn and the elven cleric/mage, Aerie.

A female player character can begin a romance with Anomen, which will continue regardless of the outcome of his knighthood trial. However, an active romance with the player character results in another challenge for Anomen sometime after his trial. Anomen receives information that suggests that the decision he made regarding Moira’s death to seek revenge or not was incorrect, resulting in a crisis of faith in himself and his relationship with the player character. To continue the romance--or even to just keep Anomen as an available party member--the player character must help him overcome his grief and self-doubt.

Anomen has no new quests in Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal, though if his romance with the player continues he will eventually ask her to marry him, and gives her a ring that belonged to his sister Moira as a pledge of his love. His fate after the end of the saga depends on whether he is in a romance with player and if the player decides to ascend to godhood or remain mortal. If the player chooses mortality and is romantically involved with Anomen, they will continue to adventure together, finally marrying in a grand ceremony officiated by Elminster himself. Alternatively, Anomen has a crisis of faith in Helm and wanders aimlessly until he reaches Maztica. When an evil cleric raises a demonic horde to conquer Maztica, Anomen strives to aid the besieged Mazticans and in doing so, regains his faith while teaching them the doctrine of Helm. In the end the evil cleric is defeated by the Disciples of Anomen, a new Order for a new land.

Voice Acting
Anomen Delryn is voiced by Rob Paulsen.

Computer Games

 * Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
 * Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal