Worgen mages can be a tricky thing. A once good friend of mine is a worgen mage, and has always found it difficult to balance the scholarly class with the savage race. I wish you luck, in that regard. There is also a shortage of worgen mage characters in lore to reference, for a variety of reasons addressed in post 20 if you havenāt seen it yet.
Why do we never see worgen mages in lore?
š„ Worgen Lore - Ask me questions! - #20 by Raedolf-wyrmrest-accord
Now when it comes to backstory and training, I would surmise that you could āgo off to collegeā at whatever age is fitting for your characterās backstory. When did their talent with magic begin to manifest? When was it realized? How important was it to your character or their parents? But then, as you mentioned, there is the wall to consider.
The wall was built at year 18, and it fell at year 28, so it was standing for about ten years. If Tillis was stuck inside the wall at that time, there are still some possibilities on how to have learned arcane magic. Archmage Arugal and Myriam Spellwalker are two Gilnean mage NPCs that were present in Gilneas, proving there was a mage presence in the country, when it quarantined itself from the rest of the world.
- āThat reminds me, someone was asking about you. It was a named Myriam. She mentioned something about you being āready.āā
- āA disciple of the arcane always finds a way forward. Iām glad to see you, (name).ā
- āThe path ahead is difficult, (name). We must devote the entirety of our mental power to the task at hand. Yet sometimes, that is not enough. Sometimes the situation calls for raw firepower. I know just the spell for such a situation and Iāll be more than glad to share it with you. Once youāve learned it, practice using it against the Bloodfang Worgen to our west. Youāll only get the chance to use your new spell after casting a different spell.ā
- āI always knew you were a quick study!ā
- āYouāve learned with such speed and ease. Soon youāll be the one doing the teaching.ā
Two good options would be to have gone to a āschool for exceptional childrenā, as it were, or to have gone into an apprenticeship as if with a tutor. Either are perfectly possible and fit well with the victorian era Gilnean style and culture. In fact, Myriam Spellwalker speaks as if she knows you directly, either as a teacher of many students or a personal tutor, further supporting this possibility. After all, the whole point of cutting themselves off from the Alliance was pride and self-dependence; Gilneas needs no one else. Gilneas firmly believed it could feed itself, fend for itself, and prosper on its own.
- āDamn the orcs, damn the Alliance, and damn you! The last thing Gilneas needs is sponges from other nations drawing from our resources, Dalaran wizards meddling with our affairs, and someone elseās enemies killing our soldiers! Gilneas is its own nation and it always will be. This is the last time Iāll ever talk to you, Terenas, so I hope you were listening.ā - Genn Greymane, (RPG, non-canon, but was inspiration towards the canon)
- āI listened to you and Crowley before, and look where it has gotten us! Dead Gilneans, torn apart by those green scoundrels, and now the Alliance, oh, this āAllianceā you were so certain would be a boon to our peopleā¦ they want more and more every day. They take and take, but what do we receive in return? Where is the great reciprocity you both were so certain of?! Now they want us to send them gold for that keepā¦ Nethergardeā¦. What does that outpost have to do with Gilneasā¦with my people?ā Genn wasnāt in the mood to be challenged. - Lord of his Pack, pg 3
- āWe took the hand of the Alliance. We gave it our support, and look what it gave us. As a nation we are poorer, while it reaps the benefits of our contributionsā¦. There were orcsā¦ bloody, savage beasts. You saw them, what they are capable ofā¦. Now Terenas wants more of our gold. Perhaps more of our blood. Nay, I say!ā Gennās words were spoken with the clarity of a man who had been given a vision. - Lord of his Pack, pg 3
There is also a Gilnean tutor character in lore itself, the long-lost brother of Tobias, Stalvan Mistmantle. Originally from Silverpine forest, he taught at a school in Moonbrook, before becoming a personal tutorā¦ which is where his story begins.
Dear Noble Sir,
Word of your need for a tutor for your children has traveled to me here in Goldshire, where I take up temporary residence in the Lionās Pride Inn. Due to the unfortunate state of events in the region, I was forced to abandon my post as Headmaster of the Moonbrook Schoolhouse. Please accept my application to serve as tutor for your offspring. Headmaster Crillian of the Academy can speak to you of my abilities if necessary.
I shall travel to meet you in person when the winter rains subside and the roads are suitable for travel once again.
Until then,
Stalvan Mistmantle of Silverpine
https://wow.gamepedia.com/Stalvan_Mistmantle
https://wow.gamepedia.com/The_Legend_of_Stalvan
In conclusion, I would say that being tutored in Gilneas by another mage would be a good path. Much like in lore, having a tutor character in your backstory you apprenticed under can have potential for a dramatic history, depending on your relationship with that mentor, their own motives versus your own, what happened to them, and where they are today. Alternatively, going to a small school for it could be possible, as well as having been stuck -outside- the wall for those ten years. Or, like Archmage Arugal, the character was in Dalaran studying, and moved back into the walled up Gilneas once they graduated. After all, they could have used a portal back to Gilneas.
I hope this helps! I hope the mage character turns out well, and have fun! 