Edwin Harper was a successful playwright from the country of Gilramshyre. His success allowed him to enjoy a moderately wealthy lifestyle and he became friends with other wealthy elites. Baroness de Burgh became one of his biggest fans, often payrolling his endeavours. In 525 2e he traveled with Baroness de Burgh to Wickshyre where he planned to put on a grand play in honour of the Flame King. He died at the hands of Jessamine Hin after betraying her and The Dawn's Watch.

Edwin stood at 5 foot 8 inches tall and had brown shaggy hair when not styled back into a fine coif. He had light skin and blue eyes and was of average build for a human man of his age. He often kept his face shaved, but would let some facial hair grow in a light goatee. He had otherwise unremarkable facial features and instead was much more noticeable by his stylish clothing. Edwin wore fine clothes afforded to him by his luxurious lifestyle made of fabrics and patterns you'd not often see on poorer people. He'd layer clothing frequently, usually wearing at least an undershirt, a double-breasted vest, and a coat of some fashion. Occasionally, he'd wear a tie or ascot. It was unusual to see him without a book and writing implement, as he was keen to jot down notes of things he'd seen as inspiration for his writing.

Edwin was a man of resolute determination; this led to him being an incredibly prolific author, even at a relatively young age. He was not reclusive, though he was not afraid to shut himself off from others until he had finished a project. He felt strongly that it was his responsibility to do well in his career to continue supporting the lavish lifestyle his family had come to expect. After his family passed away, Edwin put all of his thoughts into his current work, a play about the founding The Children of the Flame.

He became much more distant than usual to even his beloved friend Baroness de Burgh, often speaking only to Jessamine Hin or the other members of The Dawn's Watch. He confided in them often about his emotional state and thanked them whenever they checked in on him. In his final days, Edwin had gone all but mad. He made harsh rationalizations to excuse his behaviour and even grew to feel betrayed by The Dawn's Watch.

Edwin was born to lower-class parents in the village of Dinham, near the city of Seawatch. He was an only child and his parents wanted him to have the very best chance in life. He and his father would wake up very early each day and ride into Seawatch so that Edwin could receive schooling there.

At the age of 19, Edwin began trying to publish his first play. Theatre was popular in Gilramshyre to a degree that it was difficult to receive attention as a new author. It wasn't until he met his future wife, Vivien, that he would find his break. Vivien was an actress in a prestigious theatre in Seawatch and while they fell in love, Vivien offered to take Edwin's writing to the theatre owner. Edwin was initially hesitant, believing he would deserve any success he earned on his own. Eventually, he accepted her offer and the theatre owner commissioned Edwin's play, Searching for the Sea. The play starred Edwin himself opposite his wife, Vivien, in leading roles. Initial success led to runaway opportunities. Production after production of his sold out and he quickly gained a reputation as a prodigy in Seawatch. He caught the attention of the baroness of Seawatch, Avila de Burgh, who would become one of his largest supporters, even going so far as to fund his future endeavours.

In early 525 2e, Edwin agreed to travel to Westmark in order to write and produce a play honouring the 300th year of the reign of the Flame King. Baroness de Burgh funded the entire trip and his family accompanied him. For the majority of the journey, they travelled in the company of others. They safely made the trip through the Dragon's Teeth and up the Reaching River to reach Riverscar, where their journey switched from boat to caravan. Many new travelling companions joined in Riverscar, including members of the not-yet-established Dawn's Watch. While traveling from Riverscar to King's Gate the caravan was attacked by a horde of hobgoblins. Many died in the battle, and more still were taken captive by the hobgoblins, including Edwin's wife Vivien and their daughter Ledi. Also captured was Ser Bhalmyr, one of Baroness de Burgh's employed knights, who was captured while trying to defend Edwin's family. Many members of the wagon caravan wanted to write off the captives, but members of The Dawn's Watch resolved to go after them. While the Dawn's Watch was successful in rescuing many of the captives, including Ser Bhalmyr, Edwin's family had already passed away from wounds incurred during the battle.

The loss of his family affected Edwin profoundly. Utterly grief-stricken, his first instinct was to commit suicide but was prevented from doing so by The Dawn's Watch. Put under watch for his own safety, he instead turned his grief into an insatiable work ethic. He became determined to write “the greatest play of all time” for the Flame King and frequently sought The Dawn's Watch for help in doing so. First, he asked for them to recover Krathor's Shard for him. This item was rumoured to be in an ancient giant burial mound near Oakfield and was said to be a belonging of the giant Krathor which aided him in the wars against dragons. Edwin argued it would offer an unprecedented level of authenticity to the play. Second, he asked for them to procure a rare plant called Skunkwort. The plant was said to have been used in ancient giant rituals and had been long since thought extinct since being over-harvested by kindled people. Edwin argued he would use the plant as incense, like the giants used to, and offer an unrivalled ambience to the play. Lastly, he asked them to find rune-chalk. The chalk was known to be used by giants to perform rune magic during the first era, and Edwin believed that using it in his play would show an unequalled level of respect for the culture of the Flame King. The Dawn's Watch was able to do all three of these things, for which Edwin was eternally grateful.

After the Dawn's Watch was able to help with finding the elements for his play, Edwin expressed excitement about being able to finally produce the “greatest play ever”. Edwin even went so far as to offer the Dawn's Watch parts in the play as a thank you for all the hard work they've done for him. Though they declined, Edwin insisted they at least be present at the premiere, which they obliged. During the third act of the play, there was a scene in which Edwin's character, Osweald Bray, uses the rune-chalk to cast down a castle wall. However, Edwin used this opportunity to use the chalk to complete a strange ritual, the focus of which was Krathor's Shard. A devil named Zozrameth was released from the shard which had been trapped inside all along. The devil summoned more of its kin and began wreaking havoc, hunting down civilians from the crowd and killing many. Some devils even escaped the theatre. Through the intervention of The Dawn's Watch, the devil was slain and ashen rushed in to place Edwin and The Dawn's Watch all under arrest, suspected that they were accomplices.

While kept in separate cells in the Pyre dungeons, Edwin confessed to Jessamine that he felt betrayed by them for ruining his play. He portrayed a growing disconnect from reality and even lashed out angrily at The Dawn's Watch. He admitted that his “work” wasn't done yet and that he would no longer seek their aid. As Luciana Lovell executed a plan to release The Dawn's Watch from the dungeons, Jessamine murdered Edwin.