Edith Applegarth
| Edith Applegarth | |||||||||
| Edith Apple-Guard-Garth · Eldeth | |||||||||
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Edith Applegarth is the elderly confectioner of Eldwythe, met when Hugo dragged her from a fire at her shop in session 12. She offered the party 10gp each plus a batch of her favourite desserts to find the arsonist. The investigation traced the cinnamon-bun crumbs to Phil Flowerforge’s bakery and his secret dragon. A children’s storybook found later in Uncle Nibblecheek’s Candy Cottage depicts a young Edith visiting the cottage and “betraying her brother” by striking a bargain with the hag [3] — a betrayal of her brother Bubblegum Halfling (canonical name Asger, per DM 2026-05-17). Edith’s betrayal of Asger is probably based on a real event, but the storybook is not an objective historical record. Asger was killed in the Aurelian ambush in s15; the planned reunion is therefore closed (impossible). Eldwythe is under Aurelian occupation; Edith’s status is unknown.
Overview
Edith Applegarth is the confectioner of Eldwythe, an elderly woman who runs a squat log shop at the village’s tree-line edge. The party met her in session 12 when her shop caught fire; Hugo kicked the door open (taking 5 fire damage on a Dex save) and carried her out while Caelumn used Control Flames repeatedly to put out the fire and Vasquez organised a bucket brigade by intimidating local townsfolk. Edith offered the party 10gp each plus a batch of her favourite desserts to find the arsonist (s12).
A charred painting in the burned shop showed a young Edith with a small boy — her brother, who had disappeared into the woods years ago. A children’s storybook found later in Uncle Nibblecheek’s Candy Cottage depicted a young Edith visiting the cottage and “betraying her brother” by striking a bargain with the hag [3] — the last pages were blank “because the story isn’t over.” The boy was the Bubblegum Halfling (canonical name Asger per DM 2026-05-17), rescued from the cottage in s13 and restored to a normal halfling by Uncle Nibblecheek in the s14 surrender terms. Asger was killed in the Aurelian ambush in s15.
Per DM clarification 2026-05-17: Edith’s betrayal of Asger is probably based on a real event, but the storybook is not an objective historical record. The betrayal happened in some form; the storybook framing may exaggerate or stylise.
Edith was therefore quest-giver and quest-target. With Asger dead, the planned reunion is impossible; the party owe her information about her brother’s fate but the brother can no longer hear or respond to anything.
Appearance and demeanour
Small, elderly, confectioner. Survived the fire badly shaken but alert enough to negotiate a reward in the same conversation in which she was handed water. The painting suggests a long, settled life in Eldwythe.
History / role in the campaign
Session 12 — the fire
A thick column of black smoke rose from her squat log building at the edge of the woods. Edith screamed for help from inside. Hugo kicked the door, Caelumn cast Control Flames, Vasquez intimidated the local bucket brigade. Within five minutes the fire was out. Edith introduced herself, named the missing-brother painting, and offered 10gp each plus dessert as a finder’s fee.
The investigation pointed at Phil Flowerforge’s bakery (a half-eaten cinnamon bun behind Edith’s shop matched). The arsonist turned out to be Briochebane, the small dragon Phil had been raising. The reward has not yet been collected.
Session 13 — the storybook
The party did not encounter Edith again, but in Uncle Nibblecheek’s rock-candy library Caelumn found a children’s storybook depicting a young Edith visiting the cottage and “betraying her brother” by striking a bargain with the hag [3]. The bargain’s terms are unspecified. The last pages were blank because “the story isn’t over.”
Session 14 — the brother restored
Uncle Nibblecheek, surrendering to the party at Vasquez’s grapple and Brioche’s breath weapon, agreed to lift all curses and transformations. The Bubblegum Halfling was restored to a normal halfling. Whereabouts post-rescue are unspecified; he was last seen in Bubba Walker’s room. Edith herself is not mentioned in s14.
Session 14 onwards — Aurelian occupation
Eldwythe was occupied by Aurelian forces at session 14’s end, with wanted posters of all five PCs at the gates. The party have not been able to return. Edith’s status under occupation is unknown.
Relationships
- Bubblegum Halfling — her long-lost brother. They have not yet been reunited. He does not know about the bargain.
- Uncle Nibblecheek — the hag with whom young Edith bargained. The terms of the bargain are unrecovered.
- Phil Flowerforge — fellow Eldwythe shopkeeper. Phil suggested visiting Edith for caramel in s12.
- The party — owes them for the rescue; owes them an answer about her brother; owed by them an answer about her own betrayal.
Notable quotes
“That’s my brother. He disappeared into the woods and never came home.” — Edith, on the painting, s12
Disposition toward the party
Grateful. Trusting. Ignorant — as far as the party can tell — that her childhood bargain has come back into circulation.
Status as of session 16
Alive (presumed) in Aurelian-occupied Eldwythe. Reward unpaid. Brother rescued but separated. The full storybook revelation has not been delivered to her or her brother.