I really like this. There are enough little details about Edgar to highlight his personality and how he has responded to adversity.
Possible plot hook: Edgar is wrongfully imprisoned. He fully expects to be exonerated, but only after his trial, which will be in about six months. How can he prove that keeping him locked up will only spell disaster for the locals?
Great canvas for a desert area! Enough to use and the mysterious things don't even require a solid explanation. Some things can simply be unknown and unaswered.
The Twisted Paths
Intertwined upon the barren ground are small, grooved trails that serpentine amongst the landscape in no discernible pattern. Following any will inevitably cross another with the crossover leaving no firm clue as to which was the original trail.
If attempted, non-destructive spells seem to have a little more power where these paths intersect and if they find a spot where more than three intertwin in a nearby area, extremely rare, it would be found that spells act almost normally and hold their power.
However, if magic is attempted along a line then the destructive power of any spell is absorbed and released randomly somewhere else down the line. If attempted often enough, the location of the spell results can be somewhat predicted and used to advantage.
NPCs (Minor) (Travelers)