written by Alison Weaverdyck

Who is Ewan Qadir? He’s a Mysterious Stranger…

Unlike the rest of our core cast of characters, Ewan has no counterpart in the Robin Hood legend. The closest you can get is in movie adaptations. For instance, in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and its parody Robin Hood: Men in Tights, there is an “outsider” type character who aids the Merry Men after Robin saves his life. Though Ewan is devoted to our Robyn and her cause, the origin of their relationship is a secret that both of them hold close to the vest.

This has been both good news and bad news for the writers on the Quivalon team. There were no constraints on who Ewan is and what his role in the story needs to be. But we also had to entirely create him and his place in the world from scratch. 

From the Promised Land…

Even though we do have a place called “the Promised Land” just as there was during the real Crusades, Al-Murooj is a very different place that created a very different conflict. The Crusades were fought in the Middle East for religious reasons, but the Promised Land Campaign in our story came from a lack of resources. Due to advanced climate change, places like the Anglia Isle (England) experienced catastrophic flooding. Huge swathes of land were lost to the sea, and the people couldn’t grow enough food to survive. (Want to find out more about how climate change has affected the World of HOOD? Check this out.)

The Promised Land, however, is a place sustained by powerful magic. Far into the desert, the oasis of Al-Murooj prospers, thanks in part to the special seeds they’ve developed that can grow just about anywhere.

Robyn Loxley, King Richard, and many more set off for the Promised Land to take the seeds by force after diplomacy failed. But they were defeated by a magical protector – the Red Phoenix.

With a Deep, Dark Secret…

Hycathic magic doesn’t only grow seeds in sand, it can bring life to the dead. Or at least, a half-life. Ewan is one of these “Fated Ones”, both living and dead, but left numb in the process. He can no longer feel love for his wife and children, and is determined to find a cure for his curse. (You can read more about Ewan’s background on his wiki page)

At some point after Robyn’s capture in the Promised Land, she and Ewan became friends. Robyn told him about the coven of Hycathae in Nottingham, which might be able to help him. Ewan already believed that Al-Murooj was wrong to withhold the seeds from the Anglia Isle, so with the hope of a cure and bags of stolen seeds, the two fled The Promised Land and returned to Nottingham.  

Intrigued? You can follow along with Ewan and Robyn’s journey in our newest podcast HOOD Origins: Escape from the Promised Land. Coming your way August 2022!

Ewan’s Function in the Story

Ewan is the only person who really understands who Robyn Loxley is now as opposed to who she was when she left home. The war took its toll on all of the survivors, but Robyn is more deeply affected than most. Something mysterious has happened to Robyn that causes terrible nightmares and hallucinations, and Ewan is the person who can calm her. And not only have they both lived through the trauma of war but there are also secrets they can only speak about to each other.

As an outsider, Ewan can also be a helpful stand-in for the audience. He has to learn about Robyn’s world, so we learn about it right alongside him. He also knows far more about lore and magic than anyone else, so he is our way of sharing those aspects of our worldbuilding. 

Sound Off

Do you think it would be a blessing or a curse to be a “fated one”? Was Ewan right to betray his homeland in order to seek a cure?