Edgar the Ever-Wandering

Appearance
Edgar is a young man, in his early twenties. One of his most distinctive features is his large leather backpack, so much so that people are prone to not recognize him when he isn't wearing it. He carries a stout walking stick, and wears sturdy, functional clothes that have seen a lot of wear.

History/Background
Edgar was a simple peasant boy, on the noble road to becoming a farmer. Generally a pleasant boy, he had a reputation for going out of his way to help his neighbors.
Because of that, there was a good deal of surprise when he took a dislike to a very self important traveling mystic that happened through town. While he was somewhat overbearing, he wasn't causing any real trouble. For the most part, the fellow would stand near to the center of town and loudly proclaim how he could read the future. He would all but demand that passers by pay him to tell them their futures. When someone was roped in, there was a large amount of hand waving, tossing colored dust onto a small brazier and very loud chanting. The 'customer' would then walk away with absolutely no more knowledge about the future than they could have gleaned from politely asking a teacup.
So when after around a month of the man making a nuisance of himself, Edgar finally snapped. In front of the entire town, he denounced the man as a fake and a liar, and virtually drove him out by himself. Chastising him and threatening him with a stout broom, he chased the charlatan to the edge of the town, where just before he left, the man turned and spoke, with fire in his eyes:
"Know, boy, that your fate is a dark one. You will never have a place to call home!"
Paying as much heed as he had to the rest of the man's fruitless claims, Edgar struck him soundly with the broom, before the man fled for good. Though a little out of character for the calm lad, the rest of the little town was generally in agreement that he had once again made the town a better place. Things returned to normal for a time, with the crops growing and absolutely none of the mans claims coming to pass.
Unfortunately, it seems that the old man, though not a very good diviner, knew a thing or two about curses.
It was a few months later before things began to happen. Almost overnight, all the livestock in all the nearby farms became horribly ill and wasted away, and things only got worse from there. Drought, stillbirth and vermin plagued the small town. Oddly, none of it ever touched Edgar. It was as though he was the single point of normality in a town that was rapidly spinning out of control. He did his best to help, but regardless of how much water he brought from the stream the ground stayed dry, and no matter how many traps he set and poison he layed out the vermin simply continued to multiply.
Eventually, the words of the traveling mystic came back to him. Not knowing what else to do anymore, his family been taken by plague, he left the broken remains of the town.

For a time he wandered, before coming to a rather large town. He settled in, letting the new routines calm him as he tried to forget all the bad that had happened.
After a couple of months, trouble began to brew in the new town. Thefts had increased exponentially, along with violent crimes, the sewers had become backed up and in places were slowly oozing into the street, and not surprisingly the whispers of plague were often heard on the breeze. Deciding that the worst he could do was avoid it, Edgar once again left.

After much wandering, it became clear to him that the old man had spoken true, all those years ago. If he stayed in one place for more than just a few months, the area would begin to break down. Even in the wilderness, storms and bush fires would devastate the countryside. Not having a choice, he began to wander aimlessly. He figures that he might as well make the best of a very bad situation, and see as much of the world as he can.

Special Equipment
There are rumors that his backpack can hold much more than its size would suggest, but in actuality Edgar has simply become almost supernaturally good at eking out every bit of space he can. Of course, if you listen to rumor, there are many things that he is, and there are many properties that his items possess. Sometimes people say that he can strike the ground with his walking stick and suddenly be miles away, or that it's actually a cleverly disguised sword.
Anytime wide-eyed children ask him if any of those things are true, he simply smiles, content to let the rumors and stories bring a bit of color to peoples lives.

Roleplaying Notes
Edgar is a very nice guy, and tries to be optimistic as best he can. He is an excellent contact, for he has learned an amazing variety of odd bits of knowledge on his travels. The answer to question that a learned sage might be stumped at may have chanced to cross Edgar's path, or he may be able to warn people about some seemingly innocuous gesture that is a horrible insult in the area that they're headed.

He makes as much money as he needs by trading, and he rarely needs to spend it unless he needs to replace a worn pair of shoes or on the rare night when nobody makes a friendly invitation to stop by for dinner. He really is quite likable, after all.

If he stays in one place, then within 1-3 months disasters will begin striking in rapid succession. For this reason, he generally moves on after at most a week. He'd rather not chance senseless death and destruction if he can help it.