EDWIN

"I have ruled before and I shall rule again."

Prince Edwin is a strenght-based tank hero of the Graveborn faction who has been mentioned numerous times in lore. He was the brother of Thoran and Theowyn, both of whom he was responsible for killing in a violent coup. He at one point had a son who was cursed by Mortas.

Bantus' foreign wars never truly stopped. Even if they appeared to, it was merely to prepare for the next territorial expansion.

Edwin had not long been of age when he voluntarily requested to go to the front line.

The crown prince of Bantus the time was his elder brother Thoran who, along with his dearly beloved sister Theowyn, was often consumed with worry over his safety. But Edwin was confident and driven, bringing necromancy to battlefields and countless victories back to the king. All would-be invaders were confined outside the Bantus borders by his Graveborn army.

His outstanding military achievements and combat decorations made Edwin the youngest-ever general in the history of Bantus to score so many victories. The people called him the "Blade of Bantus," and he earned himself a seat on the

prestigious political Council. Dignitaries from all over the land flocked to fawn at him and curry favor, thrusting him into the limelight.

After sipping from the cup of such intoxicating power, Edwin dreamed of riding out at the head of his armored cavalry. His authority would be unquestioned, if he could bring all of Hathor under the dominion of Bantus.

However, when the old, bellicose king died and Thoran ascended the throne, suddenly everything ran counter to his perfect vision of an imagined future. Edwin was officiating at a memorial to honor fallen warriors when a messenger burst in. He had come from the distant royal capital, thousands of leagues away, bearing the new king's declaration: Princess Theowyn was about to depart for Thalonia, a powerful nation on the western border, there to wed the crown prince. lt was the king's sincere wish that border forces cease hostilities, and that the soldiers return to the royal capital to celebrate together with the nation.

Edwin and the king had fallen out over just such a thing in the past. In his mind, the superiority of necromancy more or less assured the eventual domination of Bantus, so there was no need for the pampered princess to leave and get married. Attempting to make Thoran feel guilty, Edwin even abandoned his customary courtesy and brazenly questioned what their sister meant to him. But the king, always the soul of kindness, displayed nothing but an unusual indifference in the face of this question.

"Years of constant war have brought myriad hidden dangers. Bantus needs a new path," Thoran said, "This is her inevitable sacrifice, and her duty, as a royal princess."

Faced with the king's unflinching attitude, Edwin could not object further. He knew well that only the power one held counted when making decisions.

After the princess was married off to Thalonia, the relationship between the two countries gradually improved. This paved the way for the steady implementation of Thoran's future policies, and the influence of the pro-war faction waned day by day. After he abolished necromancy, which had done nothing but drag the people towards the abyss, the chorus of public praise and support swelled ever louder.

But it was a slap in the face for Edwin. To neuter the country's greatest strength was like intentionally removing its armor and exposing its weak and vulnerable underbelly to all. Edwin was adamantly opposed while Thoran, always loving and indulgent of Edwin, was likewise adamant about enacting national policy changes. War and necromancy brought nothing but disaster and suffering to the people; only by pivoting to benevolence could the future of the kingdom be assured.

He not only reprimanded Edwin publicly over his proposal to rearm the troops, but also ordered him to conduct a thorough self-reflection... while confined to the palace.

Edwin, bereft of all support and authority, was enraged by this. Peace and national rejuvenation? Nothing but excuses, excuses that ignored the achievements of the living and trampled on the sacrifices of the dead. Only cowards dare utter such foolishness! If only he had the power of the throne, his counsellors would not have to abide by such incompetent decisions, his noble sister would not have to be offered up as some kind of sacrificial pawn, and his long-suffering people would not need to endure the shame of other countries invading their territory.

Edwin was blinded by his resentment and rage. Thirsting for power, murderous intent soon arose in his frenzied heart.

In order to seize all the power he envisaged, Edwin lured Theowyn back under the guise of asking her to mediate between himself and the king. But at the feast held to celebrate her homecoming, Thoran's death was the main course.

Edwin felt no guilt as the tip of his sword pierced the chest of the king. Rather, he felt happier and freer than ever before. Finally, at long last, he had all of the Bantus in his grasp. All the criticism he had faced, all the humiliation, would vanish like smoke in the new dawn of a new regime. His regime...

However, dessert had yet to be served, and the excitement was not yet over, as Edwin's life was also abruptly snuffed out.

"Go to hell, you damn traitor!"

Thoran's devoted bodyguard, already slain, had become Graveborn under the power of necromancy. The sword he held skewered Edwin mercilessly from behind, before going on to slaughter all the traitors at the bloody banquet.

Edwin fell to the ground, eyes wide in disbelief. He somehow still managed, before death claimed him, to stretch out one hand towards the fallen crown.

The Lord of Fear never lets go of any resentful, unwilling soul. Inspired by the whispers of Quaedam, Edwin realized a new opportunity had been gained. While the coup had ended in the death of both king and rebels, Thoran was resurrected as the Fallen King by his most devoted and loyal servant, and under his brutal dictatorship Bantus became a kingdom of the dead.

After Edwin was reborn, he stepped once again into the great hall. In the dim, flickering candlelight, the ruler of Bantus sat silent as a rock upon his throne, his loyal guards standing by with lowered eyes.

Edwin touched one hand to his shoulder and bowed deeply to the ruler atop his dais. Hidden in the shadows, both his smile and his intention were unfathomable:

"Shall we go on as we were, dearest brother?"