The more I think about it, the more I think an Edwin MOD would be worthwhile. A Romance MOD? I don't know. An Unrequited Love MOD? It might be interesting. A MOD that simply gives him a lot more dialogue and puts him in interesting interpersonal situations? I think that has a lot of potential.
I watched the movie
My Fair Lady this weekend, and it occurred to me that Edwin is a lot like Henry Higgins in some respects. They're both rude, they don't care about other people's feelings, all they care about is their work, and they think they're invulnerable because their minds are so logical, etc. Higgins is shocked when he discovers how emotionally vulnerable he really is, and he's stumped when he finds that he cannot control his own emotions. Affection is the natural product of continued contact with other people, but that is something that people like Higgins--and Edwin--cannot understand. Higgins turns into a wreck when Liza leaves his house. I can picture Edwin reacting the same way if he were kicked out of the party by a woman he admired and depended on, whether he was aware of his own feelings or not. In
My Fair Lady, Higgins undergoes a certain amount of internal transformation, but he's too stubborn to change outwardly. I guess we're supposed to think his internal changes will make a difference, but the movie ends a bit abruptly, so it's difficult to tell. Since Higgins is a comical character, I guess it doesn't matter much, anyway, since we don't take him or the movie all that seriously. But I think if we explored similar issues with Edwin, we might reach some interesting conclusions.
In Shadows of Amn, the PC would never be like Liza Doolittle, so we can't apply the Pygmalian theme to Edwin like the one that
My Fair Lady is based on. (A man creates an artificial woman; he loves her as a father would love a child; she thinks he's the most important person in the world and depends on him; he doesn't think she's a complete person, and he doesn't treat her as an equal; his experiment won't be a complete success unless she grows up and becomes an independent person; when she does grow up, she falls in love with someone else, which makes him feel abandoned, rejected, and betrayed; and he can either kill her, kill himself, or get used to it. Or make all sorts of empty promises to get her back, I suppose.) But I think that Edwin could still undergo a similar transformation if he fell in love with someone who wouldn't put up with his crap. He would have to recognize the "otherness" of other people, and that would make him feel lonely for the first time in his life. He would have to come to grips with feelings he never thought he could have. He would have to learn how to negotiate and compromise and get along with other people if he wanted to be happy and fulfilled. The process would be painful (although it could be partially comical, just like Higgins's experience), but it could have a happy ending. I didn't like the ending to
My Fair Lady (Liza returned to Higgins after declaring her independence, just to give the movie a happy ending, I suppose). But it would really be something if someone like Edwin could win the girl. And some of the dialogues I can imagine (with Viconia, for instance) could be very entertaining.
"Viconia, you're a woman. Tell me, why do women act the way they do?"
"What makes you think I would answer such a stupid question from a male?"
"Don't change the subject! I know everything there is to know about being a male (I could show her a thing or two). But women...I must admit I am experiencing some confusion (although that is hard to believe)."
"Perhaps if you became a woman, you might begin to understand. But it is foolish to speak of such unlikely things."
"What nonsense is this? Of course it is unlikely for me to become a woman!"
"No, I mean that it's unlikely you would understand women even if you were a woman. You don't even understand men, because you cannot see into your own heart."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I am finished talking to you, stupid male."
"Bah! (Women are so difficult to deal with.)"
Why would a woman find someone like Edwin attractive? Well, someone like Liza Doolittle might look up to him or seek his validation if her sense of self-worth became dependent on him. If he was the only person in the world who could help her achieve her objectives, he would be very important to her. But again, I don't think that applies to a PC. From my perspective, my primary interest in installing an Edwin MOD (one which was true to Edwin's character) wouldn't be to romance him, but to study his character. Higgins is an interesting character, and a lot of people seem to like Edwin. At the very least, Edwin might make an interesting conversational foil, if not someone I'd ever want to romance.
Let's think about the reality of an adventuring party. A small group of characters spend all of their time together in close proximity, depending on each other for survival, following a common leader, getting on each other's nerves, sharing triumphs and other special moments with each other, and becoming intimately familiar. They are bound to leave a mark on each other, and they might develop special bonds. Edwin has a strong character (even if he is not immediately likeable) and a strong will. If he fell in love, I imagine he would not get over it quickly, and given his tendency to be in control, I imagine he would be persistent and try his best to solve his problems one way or another. I think he would always remain self-centered, egotistical, and rude, but even men like him can find someone to marry in the real world. Who knows what might happen if he met the right woman?
He might even be more attractive than Anomen.
