The story of 'Edward the Marauder of all that is Evil' begins in the middle. The middle of his career, that is. A time that would change Edward’s focus and prove the pivotal moment in redefining a lost warrior into a local legend fighting for good.

You see, although from a challenging upbringing, Edward had managed, through quirky charm and infectious energy, to land himself among the privileged society by the time he reached his mid twenties. He had received battle training from the kingdom’s finest and had developed a podgy gut via a life of decadence. Having spent those years among the towering mountain peaks, enjoying the crisp, rarified air and regular long swims in the shallow, turquoise waters of Eib Lagoon, it may come as a surprise to learn that Edward soon found himself alone.

Just how he came to find himself on the road, stretching further from home to ever more remote outposts, is perhaps a tale best left for another time. The life of plenty now a distant and hazy memory.

That he spent almost four years resorting to ever more callous acts, is indicative of the chararacter he was becoming. A hard life on the road had honed him, both physically and mentally, into an efficient fighter loaded with guile and deadly tricks.

The day that Edward transitioned from Teddy the Marauder, the feared nomad and ruiner of local livelihoods, into the celebrated yet equally feared Marauder of all things Evil, was a day that ended with death.

Edward collapsed into the scolding sand, the beating sun glinting off his nearby sword. He had lost the battle and lay in a heap, resigned to his fate.

His helmet, removed by his victor to allow her to look into Edward’s eyes as she finished him, was dangling in one of her hands. She towered above him, lifted her spear in the other and moved in closer. A bead of sweat fell from the tip of her nose and landed in Edward’s right eye, the saltiness causing him to squeeze both eyes closed.

Edward heard the shuffle of limbs, a clatter against metal and felt the heavy form of his attacker crumple upon his own body.

A broad snake, startled by the attacker, had appeared from beneath the surface of the sand, beside Edward and had lunged as the spear came down, shattering one fang against her protective wrist guard but landing the other fang deep into the flesh, exposed between glove and arm. Laying embedded in the sand, Edward slipped from consciousness, physically trapped.

When he came to and opened his eyes, he saw nothing. The vista was pure black. It took a few moments to acclimatise and recognise a few shimmering stars in the night sky.

With his exposed face severely burned and blistered from the sun and his mouth clamped shut with shrivelled lips, Edward managed to roll onto one shoulder with all his strength, edging the body from upon him.

He gathered his weaponry and helmet and went to set off. The serpent had lain nestled against his armour, grateful for the body heat. As they made eye contact Edward sensed a connection with the rattle snake and leaned a hand down toward it. The snake happily allowed itself to be cradled in one arm and off they set, to meander through the sands, guided solely by the stars.

Plodding onward, relentlessly, one stifled footstep at a time, it was only as the first sun poked above the undulating horizon of rolling dunes that Edward started to regain hope.

An abandoned market stall stood, not far ahead, on what must be the outskirts of Zaros Oasis. The stall carried the name of the wizard Wizard #4698. It housed a series of unlabeled vials, mostly empty but for dregs of varying shades of green, but that undoubtedly gave Edward the chance to live another day.

Over the 27 lunar months that have followed since that bittersweet battle, he is yet to remove the helmet. The blistering left behind permanent scars, like crevices etched into hardened skin, mainly around his forehead and eyes. But with helmet donned, he went on to make a name for himself, no longer as a force for destruction and pain, but for defending those in need and battling the scattered tribes of evil.

Entered by: 0xC1b3…9D73 and preserved on chain (see transaction)