Edwina Kessel

''"I'm not doing what's right or what's wrong. I'm doing what's necessary." - Edwina Kessel''

Edwina Kessel (Born 3092 AC) was a Hunter of the Lycan School and former member of the Hunters. She was also a close companion of Travis Kash who held deeper feelings for him, prior to their parting.

Description
Edwina was a young human woman with short-cut blonde hair and blue eyes. Standing around 5'9 '', she made up for her lack of height with a fearless disposition. She wore blue face paint for some unknown reason she never elaborated on. When in combat she wore a full set of plate armor and wielded a maul. Following the destruction of her maul during the battle with Tyr Esten and Tibarn Freeman, she wielded a claymore.

Edwina, as a lycanthrope, possessed the ability to shift into a bestial wolf form. Her wolf form had thick white fur covering a powerful muscular physique, along with blazing red eyes.

Personality
Edwina was a woman of fiery drive and passion. Dedicated to finding out a way to cure her lycanthropy, which she hated, she never allowed others to get in the way of that. Where Travis Kash was concerned, she had a soft spot and an immensely jealous personality (leading to a short conflict with Amanda following a misunderstanding over her relationship with Travis). Despite asking Travis to help her in her goals due to her love of him, she gradually grew to despise Travis's inability to commit to anything. In her belief, Travis lacked the emotional strength to accompany her on her quest, and as such she left despite her tender feelings towards him.

Edwina hated her lycanthropy, viewing it as a curse or disease that made her a monster. As such, she rarely used her lycan form, only revealing it when forced to survive or when her emotions boiled over and made her lose control.

Abilities
Edwina was a lycanthrope, and a trained Blood Hunter. As such, she could channel lighting or fire onto her blade and cast maledicts using her blood as a catalyst. She could shift into a hybrid or powerful full lycan form, though she hated to do this and only did so if absolutely forced. She was also of surprising physical strength, capable of wielding great weapons with power and precision.

Early Life
Not much is known about Edwina's early life. What is known is that she was born to a minor noble family and lived there for some years before being afflicted with lycanthropy. Her family were disgusted by this and disowned her, forcing her to leave her life of ease and luxury and pursue a life as an adventurer. She began to lose herself to the beast, however, and sought out help from The Order of Hunters, eventually being accepted into the School of the Lycan to hone her control over the beast blood within her.

Hunter Training
During her time at the Bastion, Edwina was trained in combat and most importantly to control her lycan form at will. It was during this time she met and befriended Travis Kash, and the two would eventually become close. During her training, however, she accidentally underestimated her strength during a training bout with a fellow trainee, killing him by mistake. The other trainees turned on her, and Edwina slipped into a deep depression from the guilt. Only Travis stood by her, helping her get through the hard times. She and Travis would be the only two trainees to survive the Trial and become Steel Hunters in the Lycan School. She would eventually take an Oath of Redemption, to make up for the death of the young man she killed.

Meeting the Hunters
Edwina and Travis were assigned to two different parties, with Travis joining the Hunters and Edwina joining the Bloodhawks. Edwina's fiery and driven personality clashed with the self-appointed team leader, G'els Trillen, leading to many conflicts between them. Travis and she stayed close through the early months, despite being in different parties. Edwina eventually joined the party after a particularly bad argument with G'els, after which she joined up with Travis and the rest of the party.

During her time with the group, she grew closer to Artoron L. Graves, whom she confided in about her paladin powers and lycanthropy. She assisted the party in several quests, becoming a bulwark on the frontline.

The Omens Arc
Edwina joined the party during their journey to Ladies' Embrace, witnessing the death of Moshi Anata after she failed to heal the sorcerer in time. Edwina blamed herself for this death as well, falling into another deep depression. During this time, she sought out communion with The Ladies of the Woods, apparently making a pact with them. This pact granted her visions that told her of the Caledonian Curse and Grimsever, as well as a potential cure for her lycanthropy.

Studies
Some weeks later she learned of the tragic demise of her former party, the Bloodhawks, and remained at the Bastion for some time. During this period, she first learned of the legend of the Caledonian Curse and the potential cure in the lost weapon Grimsever. She spent a large amount of time poring over forbidden tomes, gathering what evidence she could despite the Lycan School attempting to hide it. She eventually expressed her search to Travis, asking for his help in the matter. Travis was uncertain, and the two agreed to wait and find out more before embarking on the quest. Little did she know, Travis had been asked by Grandmaster Cragge Raghneroog to prevent her from leaving on this quest.

Departure
Edwina joined the party on their long journey to Heartforge in search of the Runestone of Strength, coming along out of concern for Travis. During the party's stay in Tel'gar, she confessed her true feelings to Travis. Travis was unable to reciprocate (despite holding some feelings inside), and the two entered an awkward stage. Travis then mistakenly brought her to a hookup with Mayah Englebrecht, prompting Edwina to fly into a rage. Sera Lenaice only stoked the flames of her shame and anger, and Edwina locked herself in her room in The Oaken Shield, losing her control on her lycan form from her emotional turmoil. She was eventually calmed by Bromm Tryndamere and Artoron, shifting back to her human form but refusing to speak to Travis.

The following day, she packed and prepared to leave on her journey to seek out Grimsever. Travis attempted to stop her, prompting her to spill an angry tirade against Travis and his immaturity from her view. She then said her goodbyes to Travis and left the city, heading northeast into the Caldaran Mountains. Here she would seemingly abandon her Oath of Redemption, losing her paladin abilities. Travis and Housen Frostbeard reported her departure to Imran Vespel, who informed Cragge. Cragge secretly organized her death to prevent the secrets of lycanthropy from being unearthed.

Travis would eventually leave the group in search of her, finding her in the mountains in the midst of a battle with the Seekers Tyr Esten and Tibarn Freeman, who were sent to kill her before she could find Grimsever. Travis intervened, allowing her to dispatch Tyr. She thanked Travis, but told him she no longer wished to see him, having made her choice to pursue the secrets of lycanthropy. Travis made an attempt at convincing her, but she forced him to admit he could not go on the journey with her, at which point she and Travis parted ways.

With the Baron of Blood
Edwina made a brief appearance during the opening moments of the Curse of Strahd spinoff campaign, clad in a set of full plate armor and carrying the legendary sword Grimsever. From some dialogue, it could be surmised that she was seeking the Baron's aid in searching for a set of armor, which the Baron was happy to provide. She departed soon after to seek this unknown armor, this being her last appearance thus far in the canon.