Edd the shopkeep

From a remarkably young age, Edd demonstrated an extraordinary understanding of commerce.

While other children collected interesting stones, Edd collected interesting stones and sold them back to their original owners.

By the time he was old enough to count, he had already discovered three fundamental principles of business.

First, everything has a price.

Second, that price should ideally be higher than whatever he paid for it.

Third, a sufficiently enthusiastic description can transform an ordinary bucket into an essential adventuring accessory.

His family was not particularly impressed.

Edd considered this their loss.

Today, his General Store supplies adventurers with everything from basic weapons and tools to fishing equipment, food, and an alarming number of buckets.

Edd maintains that there is no such thing as an unnecessary purchase.

There are only adventurers who have not yet discovered what they need.

His cousin Eddie frequently accuses him of selling inferior equipment to inexperienced travellers.

Edd counters that not everyone can afford a sword worth more than their entire house.

Ed, meanwhile, has repeatedly asked Edd to stop offering discounts on metal that does not belong to him.

Edd insists that the entire situation is a misunderstanding.

He had clearly advertised the metal as "subject to availability."

His relationship with Dr Chris is somewhat more complicated. Chris considers Edd's business practices an excellent example of the dangers of excessive ambition.

Edd considers Chris's medical practice an excellent example of a business that desperately needs a gift shop.

He has already suggested selling branded bandages.

Chris has threatened to prescribe him a lengthy period of silence.

Despite his relentless enthusiasm for profit, Edd genuinely enjoys helping adventurers prepare for their journeys. He has seen countless inexperienced travellers set out into the wilderness carrying little more than a sword and an unreasonable amount of confidence.

Many return hours later, exhausted, hungry, and desperately searching for supplies.

Edd is always delighted to see them.

Not because he enjoys their suffering, of course.

Because they have finally realised that they should have bought the bucket.

• An additional D, an additional profit. Edd claims that his extra D stands for "Discount." Ed insists that it stands for "Dishonest."

• The bucket philosophy. Edd firmly believes that no adventurer should leave town without a bucket. He has never provided a satisfactory explanation for why.

• A questionable investment. Edd once attempted to sell Thomas a premium hammer. Thomas examined it, declared it rubbish, and offered to melt it down. Edd immediately advertised the resulting metal as a limited-edition collaboration.

• Family loyalty. Eddie receives a generous family discount at the General Store. Unfortunately, Edd's definition of a generous family discount is remarkably similar to his regular prices.

• An untapped market. Edd has proposed that Dr Chris sell healing supplies through the General Store. Chris objected when he discovered Edd intended to market ordinary bandages as "Legendary Adventurer Recovery Wraps."

• The customer is always right. Edd firmly believes in this principle, provided the customer agrees with him about the price.

• An excellent memory. Edd claims to remember every customer who has ever visited his shop. Strangely, he is considerably better at remembering outstanding debts than outstanding favours.

Edd sells general supplies at the General Store, including equipment, tools and everyday adventuring necessities.

Although his enthusiasm for commerce sometimes irritates his relatives, he is genuinely pleased to see adventurers succeed, particularly when they return to purchase additional supplies.

• Ed - His smelter relative and an unwilling participant in several of Edd's business ventures.
• Eddie - His cousin, an armourer who believes quality should always come before price.
• Dr Chris - His cousin, whose medical practice Edd considers a tragically underdeveloped commercial opportunity.
• Thomas - The renowned blacksmith whose opinion of Edd's business ideas has rarely been favourable.
• Bucket - Quite possibly the finest investment an adventurer could ever make, according to Edd.
• Fishing Rod - One of the many useful supplies available at the General Store.