To help you gain a penchant for the world and characters in Lost Eidolons, our writing team plans on putting together short stories to introduce some of the key members of the rebellion and also about the circumstances of the brooding war. We'll be sharing a Story Feature every Tuesday and Saturday from now until the end of the campaign, each with a different topic. These won't provide any spoilers, but instead give small insights on different people, places, or events to contextualize their place in the story. Today's topic is about our protagonist Eden, with next Tuesday's article talking more about some of his closer companions.
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In Benerio Province, where theatrical forms like opera and puppetry are proud traditions, everyone knows that the best epics starts in small towns, and the best heroes come from nothing.
For example, a charming sellsword named Eden.
If those who know him were to summarize Eden in a few words, they would be "everybody’s best friend.” Hailing from the coastal fishing town of Lonetta, Eden is a kindly wisecracker, a stark contrast from the usual gruff stereotype for those in his line of work. Ever the charitable soul, Eden has built a reputation for helping those in need, without heed for pay... or lack thereof. As a result, he is widely beloved in his hometown, even if his insatiable do-gooding sometimes wears on his friends’ nerves.
Yet for someone so popular, little is known about the circumstances of his birth, including by Eden himself. Supposedly he first arrived in Lonetta years ago, just another penniless urchin orphaned by the war. As fate would have it, he was taken in by the parents of a boy named Leon, who raised him as if he was their own blood, laying the foundations for a lifelong friendship.
On a day-to-day basis, Eden and his scrappy streetwise crew make ends meet by protecting travelers around Lonetta from hazards like bandits and monsters. Though he may not go looking for danger, Eden never shirks from a fight. In combat, his cunning leadership and endless good cheer make those at his side feel as if they could do anything.
Though the spark of greater ambitions burns within him, Eden’s priority most of the time is simply to protect his friends, pay forward the kindness others have shown to him, and hopefully earn some drinking money in the process. But in an empire rife with corruption, it's only a matter of time before anyone with a conscience is forced to choose a side...
... and a small-town merc is forced to become a hero.