Sir Cedrik Gwynne is one of the members of the Six Reasons Why. He was vessel and gaol for the fallen angel, Karael.
Biography
Early Life
Cedrik grew up in the Everbloom Forest in an idyllic Firbolg tribe. He'd recall a simple farming life with his parents and the rest of the Firbolgs, maybe a bit too simple for his liking. He and many other young Firbolg left for the big city and abandoned their natural lives, in search for new opportunities. Around this time, he also met a firbolg girl named Clara. Cedrik and Clara quickly fell in love, and they felt like soul-mates even at a young age. He then joined the Crimson Army at age 35, and ended up fighting in a small-scale yet destructive land war against the Lunar Collective in 3E271. After that, he steadily rose through the Crimson Army's ranks for the next hundred years.
However, when he was a Colonel at age 140 in 3E376, him and his company of soldiers were given a highly classified mission that came down from Emperor Sombra himself. They were to locate and capture a rogue Aeterian Warforged named 'Photon'. They found him on a nameless island within the Blood Sea, hiding away in a sealed ancient temple.
His body and engines whirred with radiant power, and he killed almost all of the thirty men and women alongside Cedrik. When Cedrik landed the final blow on Photon, he simply said "My curse as a gaol becomes yours!" as he blew up. Something transferred from him to Cedrik, as he felt a deeply celestial yet malicious energy enter his heart from Photon's. He was given little to no explanation, but the wounds he sustained in battle that day and the trauma of losing his entire platoon made him retire from duty. He and the three-four other survivors were knighted by Emperor Sombra, and using the money given to him for his injuries by the army he bought a mansion in the upper-class suburbs of Sombus, Faithills. At night, the power trapped within him whispered foul celestial into his ears, and he kept it a secret from everyone, even himself.
Though they had spent a hundred years in love together, his wife Clara Gwynne grew more and more distant from him. He kept his condition a secret from her, and in general she could no longer trust someone who refused to trust her. One day, after a terrible fight, she left the home they made together for good and they became divorced. She moved full-time to the Carminus Universum, where she taught art as well as elemental magic. For the next 140 years of his life, Sir Cedrik Gwynne spent his life alone in his mansion, collecting art and artifacts to populate his empty halls. He kept researching the entity that was trapped within him, but over the years he'd only managed a few things: He's a fallen angel, whose name is "Karael". Photon was built as a prison gaol to hold Karael, and now that job has fallen onto Cedrik. Karael attempted nightly to talk to Cedrik, but Cedrik had managed to push his thoughts out so far. However, he'd begun to channel Karael's power as his vessel... While it was easy to keep Karael at bay for more than century, after more chaos entered the world at the beginning of the fourth era in 4E000 it became more difficult to keep him contained.
Beneath the Scarlet Spires
Check the main campaign page for the detailed plot summary.
In the midsummer of 4E016... Sir Cedrik Gwynne prepared for a lecture at Carminus Universum. There, he reunited with his ex-wife Clara and impressed students Silvius Esmer-Gradus and Norah Ward. Later, at their art studio, Silvius’ magic painting accidentally birthed a paint-monster while drawing Cedrik. Afterward, he offered to sponsor Norah's career. Norah and Silvius suspected Cedrik’s secret went deeper than he admitted. Cedrik returned home, haunted and injured.
On 4E016/05/22, Martin Candlewynd, Luciano, and Loras Runestrong were murdered at the society’s warehouse, and artifact “VN Abyssal B” stolen. Cedrik, Tuskon, Vetri, Oscar, Silvius, Esther, Miri, and Edgar all converged on the crime scene and met Inspector Rorax and each other. They discovered signs of necrotic magic and a fourth attacker. Before they could investigate further, Ratti family goons attacked. The group fought them off amid stormy seas, Cedrik invoking his spirit mantle for the first time in years. Inspector Rorax advised them to stay together, and Cedrik brought everyone to Gwynne Manor. There, the party formally introduced themselves.
The next morning, the group shared breakfast at Gwynne Manor before Rorax arrived, questioned them, and formally declared them a party, giving them linked sending stones. Afterward, Cedrik revealed the fiendish angel within him. They split to investigate: Edgar, Esther, and Cedrik visited the Planar Pub, where Edgar met his cousin, negotiated with drunk Ratti goons, and secured invites to Don Ratti’s daughter’s wedding. Cedrik spoke with the mind-flayer owner, Svazzall. The group regrouped at Martin’s penthouse, and took his black money gold bars. They uncovered a secret room, and recovered a demonic letter from Xarkos, gold, and a figurine of Varkanus. When Inspector Gailhel Redeye confronted them, she betrayed them, nearly killing Silvius. The party subdued her and her men, but Gail killed herself magically, revealing she was a Varkanus cultist.
The next day, Cedrik wrestled with Karael, while Tuskon refused to leave his side. Vetri studied the figurine until Oscar and her noticed the weird actions of one of the Cogwork Archvists. They called the party, until the tampered archivist revived a T-Rex fossil in the museum. Cedrik, gravely injured, unleashed Karael’s archon form for the first time to help the party destroy both the skeleton and the archivist. They brought the damaged construct to Yizuko Labs. Xoe and Faktoré confirmed the archivist had been remotely controlled by another artificer. Xoe agreed to investigate further and look into the Varkanus cult. Later, Cedrik deepened his bond with Karael, learning of a ritual requiring a devil bone, black powder, a ruby, and ash from a dead evil humanoid.
The party dressed for Angelica Ratti’s wedding in Sewertown. At the chapel, they met Don Ratti, who offered condolences and revealed his son Rico Jr. had been in charge the night of the murders. The group joined the festivities, but Cedrik noticed Rico sneaking away. Following him, they were ambushed by Carlos, who poisoned Esther and Cedrik. After a brutal fight, the party defeated him and pursued Rico Jr., discovering a prison beneath the sewers. Cedrik disguised himself as Carlos while Miri made Esther invisible. They learned Rico Jr. was working with dangerous allies who wanted the party dead. Esther freed Mya, an imprisoned Rust enforcer, and escaped with her and a gagged Carlos. The group fled through sewage pipes, battled giant cockroaches, and emerged in the Cristol River, hiring a boat back to Gwynne Manor. That night, Cedrik contracted flesh rot from the filth.
In the morning, Vetri visited Gwynne Manor, insisting Cedrik treat his flesh rot. She called her father, Dr. Rakta Yildiz, who awkwardly cured Cedrik with a potion. Meanwhile, under Zone of Truth, the party questioned Carlos, learning Rico Jr. was greedy but not a cultist. He’d been tipped off about Luciano by Selda Hightower. After handing Carlos to the police, Cedrik gave Silvius Clara’s old Wondrous Palette. At Yizuko Labs, Xoe revealed the cogwork archivist was altered with a psionic shard. On their way to CU, Jamison ambushed them near the Starling Agency. After a fiery fight, Vetri downed him, and Rorax arrested him. The party spent the night at the Agency.
The next day, they plotted to confront Selda. Ignoring Clara’s suggestion of a formal inquiry, they tracked Selda to West Sombus Train Terminal. Disguised as Rico Jr., Silvius drew her out, learning she answered to Xarkos and believed she had met Varkanus. She spoke the code phrase “3 tickets to Madness,” transporting everyone into a demiplane with a giant glowing eye. Selda summoned an Aboleth Spawn, but Vetri quickly downed her and the others destroyed the monster. The eye demanded Vetri’s Varkanus figurine and marked her when she resisted. Cedrik performed his infernal-angelic ritual with Selda’s hair, enhancing his flames and getting branded on his arms by celestial runes written in the infernal script. The party interrogated Selda, confirming the cult’s structure and that Rico Jr. was only a minor pawn. Suddenly, cultists and a plague-masked paladin named Yulis arrived, forcing the party to use the exit code “Tickets to Sanity.” For safety, they decided Vetri should remain at Gwynne Manor.
Timeline
3E236 - Cedrik is born in the Everbloom Forest.
3E271 - At age 35, Cedrik leaves the tribe and goes to Sombus. He joins the Crimson Army to fight against the Lunar Collective, and also meets Clara who he later marries.
3E376 - At age 140, Colonel Cedrik is sent on a mission to capture or eliminate Photon in the Blood Sea. After killing him, Cedrik becomes the angel Karael's gaol. He is knighted by Emperor Sombra. He buys the Gwynne Manor in Faithills.
3E381 - Clara and Cedrik divorce, and she leaves the manor.
3E500 - After the Dark Hunt's invasion, it becomes harder for Cedrik to keep the fallen angel fully contained, and he is able to use fiendish powers.
4E016 - The events of Beneath the Scarlet Spires begin.
Gallery
Cedrik during Ch. 1 of BtSS (Credit: Vijay)
Cedrik's Spirit Mantle (Credit: Vijay)
Pixel Cedrik (Credit: Daibik)
