Edison's Illness (Lore)
Lore
Though most humans refuse to speak of the Necromancer, there is one man who appears to have no issue talking about his past, those he has met and the Necromancer himself, this loose tongued man is none other than Edison, the travelling salesman.
Edison has told many the story of his life, so it is very widely known that Edison is not a healthy man. He is plagued with a condition called rotwind, an infection in the lungs that causes his breathing to be irregular and his muscles slowly get less and less oxygen from his breathe. Strictly speaking, this should have killed Edison years ago. But as he has told many, making a deal with the Necromancer has many benefits.
Edison was a dying thief back in Grinstol, with a large skill set and a way with words, The Necromancer saw potential for information gathering and, according to Edison, knew of a material in the Aether that could prevent Edison’s condition from taking his life.
Ambrosium, the Aether’s common fuel source, is what Edison was looking for. Its miraculous healing properties have successfully kept Edison well for over twenty years.
Unfortunately if he stops ingesting it, the rotwind won’t be the only thing threatening Edison’s life. Ambrosium residue is extremely dangerous to delicate organic tissue, so overusing Ambrosium dust or ingesting large quantities over a long time and then stopping will rapidly degrade muscle tissue and damage organ integrity. A swift but painful death usually follows.
This is why Edison made a living from trading, connecting with plenty of sources allows him to take in a steady supply of freshly mined Ambrosium.
But Edison’s large network of trading has raised many questions. How is the Necromancer benefiting from this “deal”? Where does Edison find his goods? Many believe Edison runs a secret network of spies, trading information and dealing in espionage. Edison has refused to explain this aspect of his life, but has not denied that he is working for the Necromancer in some fashion.[1]