Edward Connely

Edward Connely was born to a family of farmers. His father was a farmer, his grandfather had been a farmer, his great-grandfather had been a farmer, and so on for as long as he could keep count. Desiring more than a life of plowing land that wasn't even his own Edward left his home and his family with dreams of wealth by becoming a legendary thief. Unfortunately for Edward, he did not have the skills or the cunning to make a great thief.

Soon after leaving his home with not much to his name beside a dagger and the clothes in his body, Edward found himself soaking wet in the midst of the pouring rain. At that moment he desired nothing more than the warmth of his childhood home, his mothers cooking, his brothers jumping around the house and his father's stern look. As fate would have it in the opposite direction to him rode a man in a horse, he wore a heavy leather jacket but underneath Edward could see we as well dressed, as if he were nobility.

Edward pretended to faint as the man passed trough and grabbed onto his horse. The horse stopped.

"Please Sir, help me a have the fever, I won't make it to town like this. Please spare some food, I haven't eaten in days."

The man came down from his horse to help Edward who as soon as he saw the man in range pulled ou his dagger.

"Give me all your go..."

Edward's slipped in the wet stone road, instinctively he tried to grab onto the man that stood in front of him. His weight on top of the man made both lose their balance, the man tumbled back onto the pavement. Edward got up quickly and pointed his dagger at the man once again.

" As I was saying, give me your gold or I will stab you."

The man lay motionless on the ground. Edward kicked him once and his body felt limp against his feet, putting two fingers on his neck Edward felt no pulse.

"Dammit." he thought.

Quickly searching through the man's belongings, Edward found a rapier concealed as a cane, a dagger, a short bow, 30 gold pieces, and a letter. The letter was addressed to Oswald McStrongmen a renowned explorer and knower of the occult, it invited him to an exposition on occult artifacts in a nearby mansion. Knowing that an exposition in a mansion meant valuable objects on display, Edward donned Oswald's clothes, hid his body on the side of the road and mounted on his horse made his way to the mansion.

### The Dark Idol

Once at the mansion Connely opted for a high and mighty persona, which would be fitting of his status as a renowned explorer and occult scholar. The exposition was being visited by very few people. Only he, the maid, the bard Leomund, the butler Sebhas, a gwarf named Bagrid, an androgynous person named Slit, a cat man named Jargo, an elf woman named Elonia and a tiny man named Tiny Tim surrounded by two hot women were there. The owner of the mansion quickly came down to introduce everyone and start a tour of the exposition. He was very old clearly in his twilight years, with a large painted mustache and a slumped pose.

The exposition was mostly worthless statues made of metal and stone but one caught Edwards's eye, it was ornate with gold and gems. That should be worth something. After going through a tedious explanation of the entire exposition the duke gave the guests the freedom to enjoy the party. Edward kept an eye out for valuables and analyzed the exposition to search for a way to steal the artifact.

Shortly after something was heard falling on the top floor, shortly after that the two hot women left the mansion running with the tiny man after them with a stick. After a short moment, Sebhas came with the news that the duke had been murdered.

Edward took the opportunity to pin the murder on a curse that originated from the golden idol, implying that he should take it and leave. Sebhas wasn't convinced though and insisted that everyone should as to not allow the killer to escape. While everyone discussed a scream was heard from the forest. The tiny man came running out of the woods his screams getting louder as he approached the mansion, his tiny legs tripped and he fell on the floor. Behind him one of the hot women appears slowly walking towards the mansion, with an arm impaled through her chest.

All the guests were horrified at the sight but ran to aid Tiny Tim. He seemed to be in a catatonic state, while the woman behind him was clearly dead. Edward was horrified, this was not going the way he expected it to. Still being the son of a farmer he had seen his fair share of blood and although scared was able to maintain character. Edward kept insisting that the statue with the golden ornaments was cursed and the cause of all these events and that he, as the foremost occult scholar among them should take it to be exorcised. At this point, Sebhas and most of the others began to believe him.

While observing the bodies Bagrid asked to see the dead body of the Duke, wanting to leave the grim sight of the impaled woman Edward followed. Leomund however wished to leave the mansion and stayed outside. The catatonic body of Tiny Tim was brought inside by Bagrid leaving Leomund and the impaled woman alone.

Inside the mansion, Sebhas led them upstairs to the duke's quarters, Before opening the door he warned them that it would be a grim sight and they should be prepared. Edward answered by saying he had seen his fair share of grim sights. As soon as Sebhas opened the door the smell of death and putrefaction assaulted Edward's nostrils, unable to stop the vomit that surged to his mouth Edward excused himself and vomited on the corridor. After getting a hold of himself Edward entered the room once again, he was by no means an expert in analyzing dead bodies but it was clear that the elderly man had been stabbed through the chest. Besides him written in blood was the word "Idol". There were some signs of struggle around the room indicating that the Duke had fought for his life. While Edward pretended to examine the body a scream was heard outside. Looking through the window Edward could see Leomund struggling with something. Scared but remaining faithful to his persona he merely stated "The curse takes another victim". However, both Sebhas and Bagrid left the room, and not desiring to be left alone with a dead body Edward followed.

Once at the top of the stairs Edward could distinguish a black silhouette attached to Leomund's face, he attempted to throw one of his daggers at it, which missed and embed itself in Leomund's shoulder. Cringing at his own failure, Edward approached Leomund in order to get a better shot at the creature. Once he saw what it was Edward broke character for the first time, it was an arm with legs like those of a bug sprouting from the elbow region. Leomund was fighting furiously against it and Slit was attempting to hit it with a battleaxe.

"Ayo, What the fuck is that" he shouted taking off his top hat.

In a panic, he threw another dagger this time it hit true killing the reanimated arm. Edward rushed towards Leomund to collect his knives, now truly horrified he grabbed the man by his shoulders.

"Listen, man, I wasn't supposed to be here I stole the invitation, you seemed like the only one who wanted to leave we have to get the fuck out of here."

Leomund nodded.

"Yes but there are things in the forest I saw them."

"Then we are gonna go back to the house and wait for dawn."

Rushing back inside the house Edward and Leomund barricaded the doors and windows with tables chairs and everything they could move in front of them. Meanwhile, Sebhas and Bagrid headed upstairs for further investigation while Slit saw with his back to a wall and his crossbow ready.

After barricading the doors and windows, Edward sat on a chair facing the door and tried to hide his trembling by grasping onto his cane. A while after Sebhas came down the stairs and informed everyone that a hidden door had been uncovered, however, it was locked. Edward stated he was proficient with locks and came upstairs to try and open it. The first two attempts were failures, but Bagrid kindly repaired his lockpick for him and Edward tried again and this time the door opened with a click.

Beyond the door, there was an altar of sorts depicting a large frog-like creature with goat hooves and a gaping maw filled with teeth. The Idol stood on a pool of purple liquid. From this very liquid came a very disturbing sound and Edward closed the door immediately. Elonia one of the other guests seemed disturbed by seeing the Idol. Edward pointed his cane at her and demanded that she tell him what she knew.

Elonia also seemed scared revealing that she had been part of a cult and she recognized some of the rituals, she assumed that something was trying to be summoned although she did not know what for certain.

While Elonia gave her explanation there a loud knock on the door was heard, Sebhas insisted on going to see who was at the door and some of the guests including Edward followed him. When Sebhas came down to the main floor he found everything barricaded, however, there was a small gap from which he could peek through the keyhole of the main door. butler peeked and when he looked back at the guests he seemed deeply troubled.

"It's me." He said

Edward pushed Sebhas out of the way and looked through the keyhole, there he saw himself looking back smiling. The windows began to shake as if someone was hitting them from the outside, a horse was heard in the distance. Slit ran down the stairs screaming about the headless horseman and then quickly ran back up, a scream followed.

Edward ran up after slit and saw them with their axe raised over the body of the maid. The maid had her womb covered in orange goo, and right before Edwards's eyes she began to change, hooves like that of goats grew from her torso and a large centipede-like member crawled from her nether regions. The creature now part woman, part frog, and part goat gave birth, and a disfigured baby resembling more a frog than a human flopped onto the wooden floor. Edward engaged in combat with the creature but retreated as soon as Slit as they left the room and the rest of the guests arrived on the top floor. Sebhas stomped on the newborn monstrosity that sprouted from the once maid killing it immediately.

Everyone engaged the monstrosity in combat while Slit made their way to the Duke's room where strange sounds could be heard behind the secret metal door. The banging on the windows engulfed the mansion in a cacophony of shattered windows and broken wood. The creature stabbed Leomund through the chest and with its centipede-like appendix tore his throat. Then it turned to Bagrid pinning him down on the floor as it wreathed back to deliver a final blow, Sebhas hit a well-placed stone throw on one of her legs. The creature that was once the maid seemed to almost disassemble herself as all limbs detached from her body and fell to the floor before her torso also fell.

Meanwhile, Slit opened the door to the altar, the room that minutes prior was empty was now crawling with deformed babies. Slit pulled out a scroll and used it, an explosion of flames erupted from within the room, the magical flames engulfed the babies killing most of them but leaving the Idol intact. Slit then uncovered a large book and read it before the altar, then drove their axe onto their own head.

Slit's blood began to slowly flow towards the Idol, Edward tried to stop the blood flow by throwing a jacket on top of it but was stopped by one of the deformed babies that somehow survived the explosion. A roar was heard from the forest and the sound of shattered windows engulfed the mansion again. They were inside...

Then a voice came from the mist, a whisper almost soothing, friendly. "If only someone would be sacrificed to the mist then all this would be over and we would be safe. But who would be the sacrificial lamb?"

"I can't die, I won't die, I dint want to die!" Edward's mind spiraled out of control, the mist, a sacrifice.

Sebhas came into the room and killed the baby monstrosity.

"We have to stop the flow of blood he said."

No, it was too late, there was only one way to live, the mist, the forest, Sebhas.

Edward grabbed Sebhas arm and rushed with him down the stairs, there copies of Sebhas, Leomund, and Bargrid moved out of the way to let the pair pass. Edwards's strength wasn't enough however and Sebhas was able to release himself rushing back to the room. Edward ran after him.

Sebhas, the mist, sacrifice.

Inside the Duke's room, they fought again with Edward trying to throw himself and Sebhas out of the window. Sebhas resisted initially but when Slit came out of the secret room with their head still slip apart by the axe while holding the Idol he jumped as well. The pair landed harshly on the dirt, quickly getting up Edward led Sebhas to the edge of the forest before pushing him into it.

"I have brought sacrifice please spare me, please i want to live." screamed Edward.

But nothing happened, no salvation, and no sacrifice.

Sebhas took Edward's and rushed trough the woods, while visions of Slit, Bagrid, and Leomund appeared beside them in the trees. Edward allowed himself to be dragged.

"The mist, he told me, the sacrifice." He muttered while he was dragged by Sebhas. Behind them, the mansion had caught on fire and, illuminated by the moon and the burning mansion an enormous creature emerged from the trees, with hooves like goats and a head like that of a frog with a gaping maw forming a twisted smile.

As the pair exited the forest the visions of the others stopped and they were finally alone in the night.

### Epilogue

Edward was taken by Sebhas to a nearby village, where he was treated for madness. He never fully recovered however, instead believing himself to be Oswald McStrongmen the man he was impersonating.

Edwards's memories of the incident remain vague but he never again slept a peaceful night, waking up in cold sweats in the middle of the night to nightmares of frogs with goats' hooves and people that looked like people but weren't. Edward developed a paranoia that all the people he knew were clones and not real people, trusting only Sebhas to be a real human and developing with him a signal to always know if he was indeed the real Sebhas.

Edward would never separate himself from Sebhas following him to his family's home and departing with him shortly after for Whoryland.

In the years following his departure, Edward continued studying the occult and preparing himself for the coming end of days his dreams heralded.

## Personality

### Before The Dark Idol

Before the events of The Dark Idol, Edward was an energetic young man with dreams of wealth. Although he did not mind the work in itself he despised working in the fields because of the little profit it brought. He enjoyed picking locks and practicing knife throwing, practices his father looked down upon as "dishonest". His skill with locks earned a reputation around the village and many of the villagers began to call for him when their locks needed tending. Edward enjoyed this as it always put a coin in his pocket and a smile on the villager's faces. Edward was polite and educated to the villagers but despised nobles due to their superior wealth.

### After The Dark Idol

After the events of The Dark Idol, Edward became paranoid, he rarely smiled and trusted no one besides Sebhas. His interest in the occult and the upcoming end of days became an obsession to him consuming him completely.

## Skills and Powers

### Lockpicking

Edward was shown to be proficient with lockpicking as he picked the lock to the Duke's secret room at the third attempt.

### Knife throwing

Edward could throw knives with some accuracy at medium and close ranges.

### Archery

Edward was also sown to be fairly proficient with a bow and arrow severely wounding the maid with multiple arrows during the event of The Dark Idol.

### Occult Knowledge

After the events of The Dark Idol Edward sunk most of his efforts in occult studies, mainly in the study of Yog’Mayur and the World Eater.

## Trivia

* After the events of The Dark Idol Edwards hair grew white.