Edric Sadler

"In memory of Edric Sadler, who worked at this apothecary for a short time. Sadler was a friend to many and a hero to some, having saved the lives of two children of a Mask of the Circle in AV 1545, from a vicious ransom scheme. He was raised and died in the village of Rustcliff, far to the north."

-Memorial plaque outside the Rosewood Apothecary in Rosewick

Edric Sadler was a Vulpis and a local hero in Balihr, having rescued the children of one of the Masks of the Circle in AV 1545.

Early Childhood

Sadler was born to a pair of travelling Vulpis merchants who wandered the heathlands of Balihr. Despite most Vulpis actively working to erase the stereotype that they are sneaky and unreliable tricksters, Sadler's parents embraced their cleverness and used it to their advantage. Running a small travelling booth selling lucky charms and herbal remedies to passerby and in towns and villages that they passed through, Sadler's parents were experts at trickery and persuasion. Many of the remedies that they claimed were miracle cures, or that could give one enhanced abilities, were actually fake - mixed from various oils and herbs that were certainly not toxic, but would not have the desired effect. Because they travelled so often, few of their victims noticed these repeated failures, or forgot entirely about the incident.

When Sadler was old enough to speak, his parents taught him to help them with their sales. Sadler would be sent on his own to villages with a bag full of these "cures," claiming to be an orphan, and beg the locals to buy some from him so he could buy a meal for himself. Occasionally, someone would invite him to have a meal with them, and Sadler would enjoy a nice warm meal that was far removed from the scraps he was given by his parents. At the end of these meals, Sadler would slip away before the family could ask him to stay longer. He would return to his parents, who waited outside town, and give them the money he had earned. Sadler also helped to make the remedies when they ran out of stock.

Leaving the Cons

As Sadler grew older, he began to envy what he saw in the villages he visited. There, the young folk were cared for and loved by their parents, and did not have to work as Sadler did. They spent their days playing with one another, making up all kinds of games. And Sadler wanted to have that life. So one day, in a small village called Rustcliff in the foothills of the Talons of the Sky, when Sadler had been invited to dinner by a kind old dwarf couple, he stayed long enough for them to invite him to stay the night as well. And this time, he did. The couple adopted him, as their own children had moved away from their village to seek their fortunes in the mines of Ironforge.

Sadler lived in Rustcliff with his adopted family for several years until AV 1544, when he reached young adulthood and became restless. He had never been to the city despite travelling all across the heathlands, and wanted to see if he could live on his own as a young Vulpis. With a fond farewell to the dwarf couple, and promising to return once he had settled somewhere, Sadler set off with a bundle of baked goods, a generous handful of coins, and a sturdy knife in case he should meet trouble.

The Discovery

On his way to Rosewick, Edric Sadler came across a strange scene. Approaching a small cottage, Sadler found the door open. Within the cottage, he beheld a pair of halfling children huddled in the corner. They were bound and gagged, and looked at the young Vulpis with frightened eyes. Quickly, Sadler cut through the ropes and cloth binding them with his knife, and escorted them outside. Knowing that whoever had left the children there might return and be angry to find them gone, Sadler led them away from the well-worn roads and into the heathlands. Having lived there for most of his childhood, Sadler was familiar with navigating the repetitive landscape and with ensuring he could not be followed.

Once he felt they had gotten far enough away as to not be discovered, Sadler asked the children about themselves and where they had come from. He learned that they were children of a rich wizard in Rosewick, but that they did not know how they had gotten to where they had been found. They had gone to bed one night and woken up in the strange cottage, with a menacing figure warning them to stay put and not make a sound before leaving.

A Hero's Return

Over the next week or so, Sadler and his charges made their way through the heathlands towards Rosewick. Staying off of the roads, the going was difficult, but Sadler was experienced with navigating the sandy soil and peat bogs. They finally entered the city, and found their way to an area the children were familiar with. Here, they were able to help navigate the busy streets to their home, where they were greeted by a teary-eyed woman and a rather large amount of guards.

When the childrens' father returned, it became clear that this family was not simply rich: the father was a Mask of the Circle. Quite accidentally, Sadler had interrupted a ransom scheme by a group of criminals. They had intended to hold the children hostage until the Masks of the Circle put forth a massive ransom for them. However, by stumbling upon the site at which the children were held, Sadler had thwarted their scheme. Although the criminals were never caught, their failure discouraged any further attempts at trying to coerce money or influence from the Masked Circle.

Legacy

Sadler hid his childhood experience as the son of crooks and cons from the world, ashamed of these less than savory origins. He was instead known as a noble hero to the folk of Rosewick, having saved the children of one of their honored leaders. Sadler spent a short amount of time in Rosewick, making an honest living in an apothecary that served the upper class. There, he learned real cures and remedies, and helped soothe the ailments of many a customer. He was friendly and well-liked, but soon grew tired of the hustle and bustle of the city.

Sadler returned to the village of Rustcliff. There he began his own small apothecary and treated the ailments of the folk in the village. He never bragged about his act of heroism, and became a humble but well-respected member of the community. He died peacefully at the age of 54 in Rustcliff. A statue was erected in his honor in the village green, and in Rosewick a small plaque outside the apothecary where he worked tells the story of his rescue. His childhood as the son of travelling cons is not mentioned.