Casual Attire [ Regular - Formal ]

Consists of high-waisted trousers, a shirt with a high collar, a short waistcoat, a cravat tie and pointy, well-polished shoes.
In addition, a trenchcoat may be added.

Alternative Outfit [ Informal ]

Consists of simple dark brown pants, ankle boots of a similar hue, and a thick wool sweater with a turtleneck. Generally, he is not wearing a shirt underneath the sweater.
It is not his favourite option but is often used for visiting his father and playing outdoors with his children.

Notable Possessions

Bear Claws [ Earrings ]

The family’s patriarch awarded him a pair of earrings made of two claws. It’s proof he is already a worthy individual capable of taking responsibility within the clan.
Edwin wears them backwards.

Blackthorn wand [ Wand ]

Dark-coated wand with elegant, refined shapes. Her stubborn personality makes her perfect for impressive visual effects. She has a particular affinity for dark arts and refuses healing spells.

Black leather gloves [ Accessory ]

Made of thick leather, Edwin rarely adds them to his casual attire.
However, these gloves are essential when he needs to sleep, as he may attempt to bite his fingers off without proper protection.

Red oak wand [ Wand ]

A handsome red-coated wand with a fiery personality. It’s a remembrance of Edwin’s past.

‘‘Narcissa’’ [ Aberrant Wand ]

A bizarre wand from his former mentor’s blackened ulna bone. Her character is whimsical and greedy. She rejects any other energy but dark magic, and she’s a natural curse caster.
Opposite to regular wands, she demands to parasitise vital energy from her owner to obey his will.

Wedding band [ Ring ]

Beautiful silver ring decorated with elegant filigree on the front. On the inner side of the ring, there’s the engraving: ‘Finally, our finest hour.’

Ring set [ Rings ]

A bunch of Edwin’s favourite rings. They’re all different, most of them with silver and obsidian hues.

Anticonvulsant pills [ Medicine ]

A bottle of prescribed anticonvulsant pills that he may take as part of a medical treatment to avoid suffering convulsions from epilepsy.

Mini notebook [ Item ]

A simple charcoal notebook of white pages. The cover is leathery with a rugged texture.
Edwin keeps it in the inner pocket of his waistcoat, primarily used by him to write down poetry.

EARLY LIFE

Ares McTeine: “I just want ye to ken this will always be yer home, Edwin. Whether ye feel scared or hopeless, with no one to rely on… yer uncle will be on your side. No matter what.”
— Ares reassuring a young Edwin.

Edwin was born on a stormy night to Yvainne McTeine, a cultist witch. Edwin was cursed by Yvainne right after he was born—the same destiny that lived his twin brother minutes before him, who unfortunately passed away victim of the malediction. However, Edwin survived, only meaning Yvainne would feed herself from Edwin’s vital energy later on thanks to the casted curse, turning Edwin into a living sacrifice.

Edwin felt no relevant symptoms of the curse parasitising him during his early days. That was why no one in the family seemed to notice—Except his grandfather Bearnard, a committed druid who often claimed that Edwin was bound to darkness. That was enough reason for him to keep his distance, disgusted by the growing corruption within the child.

Although his father’s opinion, Ares decided to shelter his nephew Edwin from Yvainne’s erratic demeanour. The alchemist convinced her to take the child with him to Abermory for a while—soon becoming indefinitely—with the excuse of homeschooling him until he could enrol on the magic academy.
Edwin knew Ares was nothing but his uncle, but with time and love, Ares became his reference and a father in his heart. Thanks to Ares, Edwin had a fairly happy childhood.

ADOLESCENCE

Ares McTeine: “This is the only thing I can offer ye at this point, son. Are ye afraid of the possibility of eventually being forced to comin’ back to yer mom? I’ll adopt ye if that’s somethin’ it may help ye.”
Edwin McTeine: “Are ye… talking seriously? Adopting me..?”
Ares McTeine: “Aye, but if I do, ye must prove ye want to improve; ye’ll go back to the academy. Och, ye have a brilliant mind, Edwin. Play that on yer favour... an’ nae more runnin’ away from home, please.”
Edwin McTeine: “Nae…, I winnae disappoint ye… father. Nae anymore.”
Ares McTeine: “Is nae aboot disappointment, my son. It’s aboot not losin’ yer life. I want ye to be the successful man I ken ye can be. A livin’ one…”
— Ares proposes to Edwin the possibility of officially adopting him.

When Edwin reached his 10th and joined the magic academy—where Ares worked as the alchemy professor by then—it opened a whole new world to the young boy. Edwin met his first long-term friends there, who accompanied him on many adventures roaming within the academy and outdoors.
Edwin proved himself a popular and academically strong student and a formidable duelist.

But eventually, the curse started taking its toll on his mind, although its symptoms remained partially camouflaged by the rebellious demeanour expected for a teenager. Edwin’s qualifications sank while his frustration grew; he ran away from his uncle’s home multiple times, only to get into trouble—brawls and doing hard drugs were only a few, in addition to abandoning the magic academy.

Ares wasn’t willing to let Edwin down. He offered Edwin the possibility of being officially adopted by him if that would give peace to the troubled teenager, with the only conditions of finishing his studies and choosing safer decisions. Such an offer had incredibly touched Edwin, who realised the havoc of his actions; towards him and his uncle Ares.
Edwin accepted the proposition, giving him a real feeling of belonging somewhere and to someone. Ares was his father, who cared for him and never let go of his hand. Now, Edwin knew it was time to repay for all the good he was given.

Edwin made sure to honour Ares and his word. He returned to the academy to finish his last year with the highest grades and then expanded his studies, learning new languages while working as a waiter for a restaurant whose owner was an old friend of Ares.

ADULTHOOD

Edwin McTeine: “Gentlemen, the possibility of losing yer life today is high.”
Arlow Boggan: “And what with that, Ed? What are friends for if not to fight together against the adversities?”
Victor Harfang: “True. Besides, had nothing better planned for the afternoon.”
— Edwin warns his best friends about the dangers of fighting against his former mentor.

Edwin ended up working as a translator at the royal court of Caerfyr. He moved from Ares’ house, renting a flat in the capital city.
Despite his success, Edwin won’t feel satisfied with anything around him. Unaware of his reality, the curse was already in its last phase, no matter how far he fought to keep his mind clear and build a strong will. Edwin wouldn’t talk about it with anyone.

Edwin always felt interested in the dark arts. For lack of a better excuse than the fact that none of the utility spells would enlighten the mystery within what happened to him, Edwin leant towards these obscure energies. This is how he went after a dreadful warlock and earnt the right to be his disciple, submitting himself to grotesque experiments.
It was a matter of time before Edwin’s abilities were far beyond expectations; he was a quick learner, and his discovered passion for the elegant dark arts started growing. Edwin became a virtuous acolyte through every spell and hex learnt, which only fed his mentor’s ego.

But not even his deep approach to the dark arts slowed down his malediction, which slowly consumed the Gift of Fire, an inherited ability from the clan McTeine. If his inner flame was extinguished, his life would be too. And indeed, the curse had utterly consumed him: memory leaks, mental lapses, and unjustified resentment against the people he loved were some of the symptoms he experienced. This time, Edwin’s appearance deteriorated noticeably; he’d lost weight, and the pallor spread to his skin and hair—which used to be bright ginger—giving him a sickly appearance.

After six months of being missing, Edwin contacted a now weakened Ares through the telephone, who desperately asked for Edwin’s well-being and to come back home, to rely on him if he was in trouble. Edwin soon ended the call, against Ares’ beggings of not leaving the other side of the line.
Edwin spent so much time mesmerised by the beauty within the dark magic, and the research towards his own curse caused Edwin to lose track of the world outside.
To hear his father in such despair and pain felt like a burning arrow tearing apart Edwin’s withered heart. He then wondered, would the sickness take away his father’s life because of his fault? Edwin wasn’t willing to lose that man, the first person who believed in him.

With the fainting remorse enlightening his foggy mind, Edwin slowly remembered fragments of his life before becoming the warlock’s disciple. Only then he knew what was next: the cursed young man traced a plan and abandoned his mentor.

For the first time, he arrived at Ares’ home without needing shelter but was willing to protect the place and its inhabitant at all costs. Edwin knew it was only a matter of time before his former master would find him, but the young warlock had everything under control.
Edwin evacuated Ares to a safe place shortly after his best friends Victor Harfang and Arlow Boggan, who proved the strong ties of their friendship, not hesitating in aiding Edwin even after his disappearance. They aimed to fight the narcissistic former mentor and his lover, Morrison McTeine, who lost no time joining the battle.

The young men performed far beyond expectations, even if that war was crude. They protected the house, which only got minor damages to the first floor. And more remarkable than that, everyone remained alive.
Edwin had the peace of mind to learn his friends suffered from minor injuries. However, right then, he deflected his former mentor from the house by stabbing his eye with his wand, and he received the impact of an aberrant spell that deflagrated the right side of his body. Edwin was too close to losing his right leg, and his expectations of walking again were low. Healing cursed flesh was difficult, and the recovery would be excruciating.
And still, no malediction was as painful for him as the remorse of seeing the pain in his father’s eyes, staring helplessly at his severely damaged figure.

During his recovery, several people were involved, from his aunt Arthur and grandmother Eilidh, father and best friends, to his uncle Meryl, who proved essential in the tortuous rehabilitation. The sturdy Meryl won’t show mercy, pushing Edwin after his limits and tossing at him a harsh motivational speech that served the wounded young man to emerge from the ashes.

Edwin invested his time acquiring enough knowledge to decipher and break his curse. The freedom he felt was nothing comparable to anything he would have experienced before. That allowed Edwin to grow, stepping away from the black storm that had rooted his life until then.

Edwin’s name and achievements as a warlock soon spread like wildfire thanks to his dark proficiency—the reason he was invited to join the Cirque of Shadows, where all great warlocks met. There and, still recovering from his wounds, Edwin met a virtuous warlock of a sharp intellect and astounding beauty. He was Cillian Harrow, his future husband.

DARACHSGÀIL ACADEMY, SANCTUARY OF THE DARK ARTS

Edwin McTeine: “I cannae leave him alone, Cillian. He dinnae have anyone else now. He is just a bairn, a week old. Two at most.”
Cillian Harrow: “Darling, I’m afraid that’s something you can’t do anything about now.”
Edwin McTeine: “Cillian, my love… please, I ken this may—”
Cillian Harrow: “Hush now, love, and listen: what I am trying to tell you is… this little boy drank from me and now sleeps on my chest, near my heart. And with his diminutive cold feet on my belly. Truly you think I am going to let him go now?”
Edwin McTeine: “Does that mean…?”
Cillian Harrow: “He’s already made home in us, Edwin. Just look at how he’s soothed by the mere touch of your hand. He belongs here now. To us.”
— Edwin and Cillian’s conversation after finding and adopting a newborn Andrew.

Time passed by, and eventually, Edwin settled down with Cillian. Their shared ideals towards the dark arts coincided with the fact there was no magic academy in Caerfyr preparing the students to at least fight efficiently against dark magic, which both warlocks considered vital nowadays.
Edwin and Cillian were aware of the abysmal misinformation regarding that subject—Especially Cillian, who belongs to a clan stigmatised by their proficient abilities to weave curses.
Eventually, both warlocks left their cups of tea in the afternoon to make that dream real. A long-forgotten castle in northwest Caerfyr inspired the couple, who didn’t have to discuss why that place must be chosen.

Edwin wanted to prove that, opposite to what most think, there was an undeniable beauty and elegance within such art. Students would take advantage of it, too, as Edwin and Cillian seek the same: to instruct responsible individuals that would clean the name of the dark arts—stained by those who decided to commit atrocities: deceitful people who lost their minds for a ludicrous drop of power.

When Edwin was utterly devoting himself to preparing the castle, he received the best news he would have ever received: Cillian was pregnant with their first child.
Or at least he thought it would be the first. Several months after the great news, Edwin received a letter in which his old ex-friend Mark begged him to go to his place. On that unexpectedly fateful afternoon, Edwin was greeted only by Mark’s inert body, who seemingly shot himself in the head. There he also found Mark’s starving weeks-old baby: Andrew.
An agitated Edwin took the baby to his home in the middle of the night, too shocked to process the situation as fast as he would have wished. Luckily for him, Cillian—already expecting their first baby within the next couple of days—reacted naturally, acting instinctually, even feeding the newborn to sleep.
When Edwin expressed his apprehension about Andrew’s fate, his husband surprised him by letting Edwin know that the baby had already chosen them, in the same way, that would now be Andrew’s home.
A week later, their son Calem was born healthy and raised with Andrew as twins.

Feeling in total awe that turned into invincibility, Edwin made sure that shortly after—and thanks to all the help received by workers, friends and family—the Darachsgàil Academy opened its gates, welcoming its first aspirants, the first of many.

The era of cleaning the name of the dark arts began when these gates opened to the rest of the world.