Edward Cruft

"'We are the one thing standing between civilization and madness.'"Edward Cruft was an accomplished mage and soldier, initially serving in the Gregoreich army in the years preceding the Redeemer War. During the Redeemer War, Cruft fought for the Union against the pro-imperial insurgents.

In the years after the war, Cruft was selected by Altean Special Forces for his unique abilities with combustion magic. He became a special agent tasked with the neutralization of insurrectionists in the Free Territories.

Background and Early Life
Little is known about Edward's early life or background. He was born in Gregoreich in 1842. Unlike many military battlemages of his time, Edward did not use Violet to obtain his powers. He instead learned through a more traditional form of elemental magic at the Wyrdling Academy in Cerelia. At age nineteen, he joined the Gregoreich Army as a battle mage. During the Redeemer Rebellion, Edward was recruited into the United Altean Military to join it's special forces division, and was assigned to hunt down and eliminate Redeemer holdouts in the Outlands.

Attack on the Grand Union Railroad
In August of 1869, Edward Cruft boarded a train to Sanctuary City at Fort Bridge. While aboard the train, he met a masked traveler who struck up a conversation with him, as well as a kazin hunter named So'hinn. After scolding some soldiers for displaying bigoted attitudes towards So'hinn, Cruft spotted a young boy who appeared nervous and feverish. At the suggestion of the masked traveler, Cruft tried to reach out to the boy to see if he needed help. The boy refused, insisting that he was alright and was merely sick with the cold. Cruft took the boy at his word and left him alone.

Minutes later, the boy activated a dark spell to attack the army soldiers Cruft had reprimanded earlier, collapsing their bodies into a single orb of flesh and bone. Though Cruft tried to save the boy, So'hinn took the initiative and killed him with the help of the masked traveler. Shocked by the display of twisted magic he'd just witnessed, and furious that a child had been killed, Cruft scolded the callous So'hinn, who brushed off his reprimands.

When the train finally arrived at Evansville, the three travelers were interrogated by the sheriff, who seemed to suspect them of being responsible for the attack. Cruft and the traveler, who revealed himself to be Zach, investigated the attack themselves, uncovering a clue they'd missed before; a small, leatherbound book, engraved with arcane symbols that Cruft didn't recognize. Zach took the book himself, insisting that it was too dangerous for Cruft to handle.

That same day, the three travelers met Susie Hagfish, who had stirred up a commotion in the town with her antics on the roof of the train. So'hinn had already been causing trouble during Cruft's investigation, further reinforcing the sheriff's belief that they were responsible. When it became clear that the sheriff intended to arrest and charge them with both murder and the attack, So'hinn and Zach started a rumor that raiders were on their way to sack the town. In the chaos that ensued, the newly formed party managed to escape, but not before So'hinn killed the sheriff, much to Cruft's dismay.

Arrival in Almy
In the days that followed, Cruft reluctantly followed his new companions, hoping that by sticking with them he could solve the mystery behind the train attack and clear his name. He assisted the party in it's encounters with twisted wildlife, bandits, gol mercenaries, and Templars. He was furious with So'hinn when the kazin slaughtered a team of Templars with dynamite, in a conflict that Edward believed was needless.

When the companions arrived in the town of Almy, they found the town under the reign of a cruel gang called the Deadwind Gang. Within minutes of arriving, the companions rescued a saloon girl named Christa from being assaulted by a member of the gang, a man named Dewey. Always looking to help civilians in danger, Edward went to the sheriff of Almy to ask about the gang and how to defeat them. He determined that the sheriff was corrupt and in the gang's pocket, so he interrogated the lawman to find out where the base was.

Edward and So'hinn led the party to the base, where the met with the gang's leader, Chamberlain. Chamberlain offered them membership in the gang if they completed a job for him; attack and raid a supply wagon coming by town. Edward, of course, declined the offer, and was disgusted by So'hinn and Susie's eagerness to to take it. While the others did the job, Edward prepared to abandon the group.

The night So'hinn killed Chamberlain and took control of the gang, Edward confronted the new bandit leader for his inaction in regards to the train attack. After a brief brawl in the Almy saloon that Zach had to break up, Edward returned to the Deadwind camp, looted Zach's tent for the leatherbound book, and took off into the night to continue the investigation on his own.

Capture
With the only clue to his investigation finally in hand, Cruft headed back towards Evansville with his new evidence, hoping to prove that he wasn't involved in the attack. Upon arriving, he was brought to the Union barracks to present his evidence. Upon showing the local commander the book, he was immediately arrested and knocked unconscious. When he came to, he found himself in a dark room at an unknown location. That was the last conscious thing he remembered.

What followed were what seemed like years of psychological and physical torture that broke the young mage's limits. Flashes of consciousness gave him brief glimpses of his captors, some of whom appeared to by affiliated with the army. Others were obscured figures in the dark, or tall, thin creatures clad in black robes, their faces hidden behind grotesque leather masks. After what felt like years of this hell, Cruft was able to break free from his bonds and kill the figures operating on him. With newfound power unlike anything he'd felt before, the mage burned everyone in his path, setting everything he could on fire. After escaping, he focused on the clearest recent memory he could, and started back towards where he remembered last seeing his former companions.

Return to the Deadwinds
Cruft quickly realized that the years of torture he had endured were actually a mere three days, leading him to conclude that he'd been trapped in some kind of pocket dimension. Regardless, his body was covered in gruesome scars, including a large, "X" shaped wound in his chest which seemed significant. He also possessed arcane power far greater than he'd had before, allowing him to cast devastating fire spells, as well as summon what seemed to be elemental beings or spirits. He used these abilities to fight his was back to the Deadwind camp, destroying several small bandits gangs along the way. When he finally arrived at the Deadwind camp, his former companions were glad to see him. Even So'hinn begrudgingly expressed as much. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, Edward was unable to recall much of what had happened to him despite Zach's attempts to help. The mage was inducted into the gang as a senior member and introduced to the newcomers such as Atty and Christa. He was also refitted with new clothes and equipment, as his army-issued weapons and uniform were either destroyed or lost.

It wasn't long before Cruft began displaying abnormal qualities, uncharacteristic of his previous behavior. Far less idealistic than before, he held a deep distrust for the army and law enforcement, and was prone to flashes of rage which, if severe enough, resulted in severe fire damage to his surroundings. Within two days of returning, he had already set fire to several tents and trees during his flashes. Things came to a head when, during the gang leadership's weekly meeting with the sheriff of Almy, Edward lost control and summoned a flaming wolf, who immediately attacked the sheriff, tearing out his throat and incinerating his remains. The rest of the gang quickly learned to keep their distance from the unpredictable mage.

Days after his return, Cruft was attacked in Almy by Templar assassins. After incinerating one, he interrogated the other, learning that a whole Templar strike force was on it's way to the Deadwind camp. He immediately ran back to the camp, only to find it already under assault by the Templars. In the battle that followed, Cruft led the Deadwind counterattack on the battlefield along with Susie and Atty, while So'hinn, Zach, and the rest of the senior members held the wall. Despite summoning two massive fire elementals and a team of flaming soldiers, the Templar force was overwhelming. Fortunately, Edward had an idea upon seeing Atty display his wings, and ordered the mech to take Susie up into the sky and attack from above. The plan was effective, but not enough; once the Templars had confirmed that Atty was on the battlefield, the rest of the Archangels were dispatched, and Deadwinds were brought to their knees.

When Other Zach appeared through a hole in the Wayscape, Edward took advantage of the surge in power and summoned an army of burning soldiers, who quickly overwhelmed the Templar force. This combined with So'hinn killing the Grand Paladin defeated the Templar force and drove the survivors to retreat. As things calmed down, the surviving members of the inner circle took stock of the situation and discussed where to go from there. After some deliberation, it was agreed that they would bury their dead and go their separate ways. So'hinn and his remaining followers went further into the Free Territories towards Sanctuary City. Susie went East toward Vir, and Atty simply flew off into the distance. Edward, resolved to get to the bottom of his framing and torture, went back West towards Spire City, sneaking over the border back into the Union's territory.

The Burned Man
In the two years since the Templar assault, Cruft has dedicated most of his efforts towards uncovering the conspiracy that led to his torture as well as the bombing of the train. Declared officially dead by the United Altean Military, he has since acquired the alias of "The Burned One," thanks to witness accounts of his clashes with Union agents in the Outlands. He is wanted alive by the UAM.

Skills and Abilities
Edward is a fire mage, and therefore the vast majority of his magic takes the form of fire. One of his primary spells is a simple but powerful fireball that emanates from his hand. He can throw up a wall of fire to protect himself and his allies. He is also able to manipulate fire already in existence, such as candle flames or campfires.

After his torture at the hands of the Union military, some special power was unlocked in him, making him incredibly powerful. His preexisting abilities became more powerful, sometimes too powerful. He also gained the ability to summon beings of flame, such as massive fire elementals, flaming wolves, and even soldiers. This may be a form of necromancy previously unknown to him, as the soldiers take on the appearance of fiery ghosts. Unfortunately, despite his new powers, Edward is incredibly unstable and can sometimes lose control of his powers, which can cause incredible but unintended destruction.

So'hinn Bloodsinger
Cruft and So'hinn do not get along initially, and their relationship does not significantly improve over time. While Edward is capable of understanding some of So'hinn's anger towards the Union, and eventually shares some of them, he is unable to condone So'hinn's reckless violence. While working together in the Deadwind Raiders, the two build a begrudging respect for one another, but as of their parting of ways after the Templar assault, they are by no means close or even all that friendly.

Zach
Though ideologically opposed most of the time, Zach and Edward have a working acquaintance and hold each other in relatively high esteem. Edward views Zach as an exception to the rule, an honorable thief in a den of murderers. The two share a history of being hurt and used by the Union military, and are able to bond over said history to some degree.

Trivia

 * Despite the similarities, Edward is not based on the character Corporal Mustang from the manga and anime, Fullmetal Alchemist. Locard created the character for the Savage Worlds campaign long before watching the anime, and was shocked and amused by the similarities once he was introduced to the show.
 * Along with his powerful new fire abilities, Edward can apparently briefly look into alternate realities. This ability began as a joke; Locard rolled high on a Perception roll, but nothing was in the room, so Zero described Edward breaking the Fourth Wall, perceiving the real world, and temporarily going mad over the realization that he was a character in a game. This eventually became an actual ability for the character, however, albeit a rare one.