Ewan/Lore

Profile

Introduction Dialog

That’s a fine piece of metal, kid. The name’s Ewan. I’m a weapons broker. If ya ever wanna part ways with that sword, just give me a holla. I’ll find ya a good buyer. I like ya style, kid. We can get our hands on some beautiful merchandise.

Character Traits

Ewan might be seen as a morally gray character on the surface, concerned only with profit and business. However, his quests reveal that he does take responsibility for his actions, and is in fact concerned for the welfare of his clients despite his job.

Other Info

• Episode, Story, Side Quest Appearances
  • Appears in Ax of Misfortune (Auction Quest)
• Other
  • Briefly refers to Lord Genshin (See NPCs & Other Lore) in his AS quest, at least by implication.

Story

Character Quest 1

The Broker Who Deals in Darkness

Ewan is a specialist broker for weapons with dubious histories. Aldo accompanies him on a new job, and...

The quest begins with a rumor from the Unigan blacksmith: he had heard of a “crazed Katana-wielder” in the Moonlight Forest. Another man then greets Ewan as “Everyone’s favorite broker of wayward weapons!”, and Aldo discovers that Ewan is a broker of cursed weapons, working as an intermediary between buyers and sellers. The stranger wants to hire Ewan to find a cursed weapon for him, and the two agree to meet in Karek Swampland to discuss details. In the course of their negotiations, Ewan attempts to discourage the man by letting him experience Ogre Rancorem’s power, but he is persistent, and would at least like something that is “a tiny bit” cursed. Their next destination is Moonlight Forest, and Ewan promises Aldo a reward for his help.

The blacksmith’s rumor proves true: in the forest, they are approached by a hooded man. Black smoke condenses around his katana, and three monsters appear. Ewan recognizes the curse: the sword controls the owner and gives form to his “impure feelings”. After knocking some sense into the swordsman, he hurriedly gives the katana to Ewan, eager to be rid of it. Ewan approaches the katana and a purple orb appears from his body. He then uses a strange power on the weapon, but doesn’t explain what it is to Aldo.

Back in Unigan, Ewan sells the sword as agreed, quieting Aldo’s protests by explaining that he had “reset” the corruption. It may possess the man one day, but Ewan is responsible enough that he’ll take care of it then. Aldo still has his doubts, but the man was clearly stubborn - if Ewan hadn’t sold him a sword, he may have found someone else, another dangerous outlet, or perhaps done business with someone worse than Ewan. Their conversation concludes with Ewan reminding Aldo of a promised reward, adding that “luckily for me...I didn’t have to borrow much of his power.” When Aldo asks for details, Ewan simply claims that he is talking to his imaginary friend.

In the tavern, Ewan asks for his usual full course, and an extra for his friend. While waiting, Ewan explains that he picked up this job in order to find a cursed weapon that he absolutely has to find. Their food arrives, and to Aldo’s shock it’s a three course meal of desserts. The quest concludes with Aldo dubiously beginning to eat - only to find that everything is, as expected, far too sweet.

Character Quest 2

The Price of Power

When Ewan visits the Rinde Tavern, he has a run in with a rather panicky man. Something’s up...

The quest begins with a conversation over another ultra-sweet dessert. Ewan explains to Aldo that although he doesn’t know much about it other than rumors, the name of the weapon he seeks is “Phantom’s Bane”. While chatting, a Hoodlum dashes in desperation to sell a cursed weapon. When pressed for details, he explains that he was a pirate until recently - a cursed ax had caused misfortune from storms to illness, causing his crew members to die one by one. When Ewan agrees to do business, the new client eagerly dashes out to take them to the ax, and Ewan comments to Aldo that “you’d be in a hurry too if there was a cursed weapon hungry for your life force.”

At the Coast, Ewan sees something off, and the three are subsequently surrounded by zombies. The client runs off, and Ewan and Aldo decide to retreat to Rinde to get the truth. There, the client explains that the zombies were his former crewmates - he had hoped to get rid of both them and the ax in one go. On top of that, he had known the ax was the source of their misfortune because he had been the one to take it onboard the ship, against the advice of his crewmates and his captain’s orders.

Concluding that they can hardly leave the zombies as they are, Ewan agrees to continue business with the Former Pirate despite his deception, commenting that he “reminds [him] of another idiot who did the same kinda thing”, who had also gotten his hands on a powerful weapon that had backfired on him, and even now was “still trying to make amends”. However, as they are about to head back to the shore, Ewan suddenly flinches and falls. He passes it off as a “really intense sugar rush,” but adds to himself, “What’re you pestering me for all of a sudden...”

Back at the coast, they easily dispatch the zombies, but six more appear, surrounding them. A bodiless voice suddenly speaks, and a purple glow begins to emit from Ewan. The same purple orb which appeared in Moonlight Forest emerges once again. Ewan is angry about it, but reluctantly agrees to borrow its power as per their agreement. Ewan is surrounded by a glow of purple power, and he promptly dispatches the zombies with ease. The strange voice takes an equivalent portion of his “waning life force” in exchange for the spent power. Rather than explain what just happened, Ewan instead asks for the ax, which the client runs to fetch.

When he returns, they discover that it is just a regular ax, practically worthless. Shocked, the Former Pirate asks about all of the difficulties they had encountered, to which Ewan replies that bad luck happens; many often invent stories to help them understand and accept their occurrence. He adds that his crew likely had become zombies because they hadn’t been properly buried. The Former Pirate promises to give them appropriate sendoffs.

After burying his former crew, Ewan takes the ax and sends the man away, commenting that, “you might yet make more of your life than that idiot I told you about.” After he runs off, Aldo asks Ewan for more on that “idiot”, but when Ewan doesn’t immediately reply, Aldo offers to treat him in Rinde. Ewan unusually replies that he isn’t in the mood, stating that “Guess I’m more or less on the verge now.” As he walks off, a strange purple mist briefly emits from his body, and Aldo remains behind, puzzled by his words.

Character Quest 3

Negotiations That Get Results

The blacksmith in Unigan has obtained information on a weapon Ewan has been searching for. But wait, there’s more...

The quest begins with the Unigan blacksmith conveying a message: a “shady” chap seeks a weapon to trade, in exchange for information on Phantom’s Bane. While waiting for the mystery man in Rucyana Sands, Aldo discovers that Ewan was, indeed, the “idiot” he had referred to in the past. Their conversation is cut short when the client approaches, offering information on Phantom’s Bane in exchange for a particular weapon: The Phantom’s Lance. The ancient, malignant spirit sealed within gives its wielder immense magical power, but in exchange, the wielder’s life force is sapped dry. “Dry like this desert,” the man adds, “where you yourself agreed to a contract, all those years ago.” The man summons beast accomplices, and himself turns into a beast. They are here to take the lance that they had failed to take all those years ago.

After the fight, Ewan tells his story. He was part of a merchant’s caravan as a youth, he had taken the lance with the desire to keep his caravan safe from danger. But when beasts attacked in search of it, the lance offered the contract, which Ewan took in desperation for his life. Since that bitter night, he has been searching for a way to be rid of the spirit. Now, his endless search has borne fruit: despite their trick, he now knows that the beasts are still searching for the Phantom Lance. They only need to find their associates for more information.

The two search the Beast King’s Castle, where Ewan finds some clues. It seems that the beasts are fully aware of the “untimely demise” for any wielding the lance, but they are desperate to win the war against humans. Ewan reads something else more important to him, though: Phantom’s Lance had been allegedly sealed in Palsifal’s palace in Antiquity. As a safeguard, it was stored along with Phantom’s Bane, the only weapon capable of destroying the lance. However, the last recorded sighting of Phantom’s Bane dates from around 20,000 BC. It’s time to “take a quick trip across the millennia" to pick up the trail.

Ewan experiences another flash of pain which he initially brushes off, but when Aldo asks if this is related to the “untimely demise”, Ewan says that that is probably the case. The contract requires the “continual draining” of his life force, but at times he has been forced to lose a larger chunk in exchange for extra power. As a result, all of his senses have dulled to the point where he can only feel the most extreme pain, and can only taste certain, strong flavors. Moreover, he is constantly reminded of the contract through the pain he often experiences. With nothing else to do about the pain, they make their way to Antiquity.

In Palsifal palace, they are directed to the dungeons when Ewan expresses a worry: the Lance has been unusually silent despite how close Ewan is to putting an end to him. In the dungeon, they have a conversation about why Ewan doesn’t use the lance for more power. Ewan simply replies that he likes something that gives him a satisfying smash. Besides that, he would hate to be reminded of how he was “scammed” every time he went into battle. While chatting, they see a Sentinel speaking with a familiar purple spirit - it is this era’s phantom. The two run up and prevent the contract, but the Sentinel grabs the spear and runs off. Ewan is determined to help the man get back on the right track, as a “living example” of what happens if they screw up this badly. He adds that “If I’ve got to doom myself a bit more to get them back on the right track, then so be it.” Aldo perceives that this is, perhaps, the reason he became a broker - to prevent others from making an equally serious mistake. As they run off, the spirit appears behind them, stating that “I shall now take the liberty of…”

Ewan and Aldo find the Sentinel and the spear, and the ancient spirit turns into a golem, which makes the Sentinel run off in fear. The two quickly defeat the shade, but are unable to fully defeat it without the Bane at hand; the lance disappears, and Ewan comments that he had no idea the lance could move on its own - only to discover that his own is missing. They realize that it planned to take down Phantom’s Bane while Ewan was occupied, and rush back to the dungeon.

They find the evil spirit next to a hammer, which turns out to be Phantom’s Bane. The spirit transforms into a much stronger golem, having been nourished by the life force of humans. They defeat the golem, and Ewan quickly grabs the hammer. However, instead of destroying the lance, Ewan offers a deal: return his life force, and he’ll spare the spirit. Amused at his hypocrisy, the spirit agrees, and they agree on the condition that neither can touch Phantom’s Bane, so they are able to “keep each other in check.” The contract is made, and Ewan’s life force is returned, energizing him. The spirit laughingly claims that he’ll simply drain Ewan once again, to which Ewan responds with the lesson he had learned as a youth: no matter how hopeless things look, don’t get desperate. He nonchalantly places the hammer on the ground next to Aldo who, Ewan explains, was simply a witness, with “no obligation to suppress his desire to wreck you.”

Back in the palace’s inn, Aldo comments that he now sees the appeal of wielding a hammer, and how satisfying it feels to swing. Their following conversation reveals that Phantom’s Bane had also disappeared along with the destruction of Phantom’s Lance. Despite removing the curse though, Ewan will continue being a cursed weapons broker, and Aldo offers his help should there be any weapon that is too dangerous for him to handle alone. Ewan then asks the barkeep for any sweet treats, claiming that he was missing all the subtleties in his favorite desserts. Apparently, his sweet-tooth wasn’t only because of the curse; he’d had a penchant for them ever since he was little, and accordingly, promptly orders every sweet dish on the menu in celebration.

Character Quest AS

Like Some Grass in the Wind

Ewan has regained his physical senses and is once again enjoying sweet tastes. Now that he’s removed the power of the evil spirit, he seems to have some ideas on what to do in the future.

The quest opens with a pile of sweet treats, and a job that Ewan has to do. It has to do with cursed weapons, of course, but this time the client’s in the East. Aldo offers to help, considering Ewan no longer has the same power that he once used to fight curses. Ewan agrees, but sends Aldo to the pier ahead of him. When Ewan arrives, he is dressed in a new outfit. Apparently, the new client has some good terms, so he doesn’t want to dress like a “slob”. At Aldo’s comment that doesn’t seem like the usual Ewan, he simply laughs, explaining that he’s been more concerned about “business manners” lately...although Aldo doubts his words.

The two make their way to Izana, where they meet with Ewan’s client - except it’s an intermediary, not the client himself. Ewan doesn’t mind too much, being used to it, and the intermediary states that if Ewan does this job well, his master will consider hiring Ewan as a merchant. Ewan seems excited by the idea of regular employment, and is eager to get to work. This time, their goal is a weapon called the “Siphoner Blade”, a “lost wicked katana that is said to drain the blood of the people it cuts.” The intermediary sends Ewan to Nagsham, where some had supposedly been attacked by this katana.

In Nagsham, the two come across an upset and severely injured man, who relays how he was injured and weakened. Concluding that this was the work of the katana in question, the youth directs them to Specter Palace, although Ewan is perplexed as to why the youth remains alive. He has no other information to offer, so Ewan decides to go straight to the palace. While he and Ewan converse, the youth flees, unnoticed.

Aldo, suspicious of the circumstances, lingers after Ewan walks off. When another local states that he hadn't heard of the attack, Aldo attempts to find the young man again, and overhears him conversing with the intermediary from Izana. He promises the young man his reward the moment they are certain Ewan “fulfills his role as the human sacrifice.” At that moment, Ewan comes back for Aldo, demanding that they head off before walking away once more, barely paying any heed to Aldo’s protests.

At Specter Palace, Ewan reveals that he already knew that the young man was lying, on account of the lack of demonic energy in his wounds. What he wants to know is why they were deceiving him. He says of his potential employers that, “it’s good to know they’re not a bunch of weaklings”, but also that, “When someone messes with ya, ya need to respond twice as hard. That’s how it works in this business.” They find the katana, but when Ewan approaches it, the weapon immediately begins to drain his life force. Aldo knocks Ewan away from it, and it drains Aldo instead. As it does, a monster appears, and Ewan seizes his chance. He glows with a white energy, and in a flash of white, breaks the connection and pulls Aldo safely away from the katana. The two defeat the monster together, and Ewan chides Aldo for being reckless, although they were able to take care of the curse thanks to his actions.

Ewan explains that the weapon must drain blood from its wielder, not the ones it cuts - it had simply been dormant from lack of a wielder, and required Ewan and Aldo’s life force to materialize the monster. He was able to cut its connection from Aldo because his clothing has a strong resistance to curses and other spells, while his talisman and brace contain anti-magic spells. They were useless against the evil spirit because of his deep connection with it, but now that he was free of the curse, he could use them effectively. They protected him sufficiently, but this prevented the curse from materializing, making him consider, “strippin’ down to nothin’ and lettin’ the curse drain my blood directly.” It was thanks to Aldo that he was able to use his clothing’s power to the fullest. While speaking, their fake victim runs up, and Ewan proceeds to interrogate the man...with some violence.

Back in Izana, they meet once again with the intermediary, and the man is shocked to see Ewan still alive. Ewan lays out the intermediary’s true plans - he had hoped to power the katana, turn it over to his lord, and get a promotion. The man seems unfazed, however; as long as he receives the katana, he doesn’t particularly care whether it is Ewan or the boy who gives it to him. Ewan offers it to him, and when he is shocked to find that it is just a regular weapon, Ewan laughs, explaining that he had exorcised it, a service “on the house.” The man refuses to pay, and Ewan angrily brings out his hammer and breaks the katana, shocking the man. Their conversation concludes with Ewan sending him fleeing, after warning him to never contact Ewan again.

Ewan and Aldo linger, speculating as to the identity of the man’s lord. With so much money and the desire for a wicked katana, Ewan concludes that he must be “some kinda rich low-life.” Coincidentally, both of them only know of one guy who matches that description. Ewan concludes that he’s glad he didn’t end up working for someone like that. Ewan concludes that he works way better with “goody-goodies” like Aldo, so he’ll keep working with him until something better comes along, and Aldo happily agrees. Their conversation concludes with a long list of sweets that Ewan is eager to try out in the east, leaving Aldo hoping that his stomach will be alright after hanging out with Ewan.