Edward Skudder, better known as Ed, was a former miner and prospector in Possum Springs before founding The Cult.
Background[]
Ed Skudder worked in the Possum Springs mines around the time of its closure. Sometime later, he and his co-worker Jim Dorney came down into the mines in hopes of discovering minerals that may have been missed by a previous crew.
While they were searching, they (quite literally) stumbled across a pit, described as the "hole at the end of everything". Jim fell in and, according to the Cult, never hit a bottom. Ed called out to Jim, who didn't answer. In his place, the Black Goat is said to have responded and the two began to converse. Over an unknown period of time, the Black Goat gave Ed an offer: bring the Black Goat people and throw them into the pit to be consumed, and as a reward, it would ensure that the town would continue to exist and never disappear.
Ed agreed to this proposition and returned to Possum Springs. However, he realized that he would be unable to gather victims alone.
Forming the Cult[]
To gain followers, Ed exploited the unfortunate situations of his fellow ex-miners and, in places like the local church, slowly brought some of them over to his cause and told them of the Black Goat using something the other Cult members described as "the glimmer". It is unknown whether or not this was a power given by the Black Goat or a naturally formed charisma. After gaining a large enough following, Ed and his cult began their search for sacrifices under one general rule: Don't take anyone who will be missed. During the course of the game, the Cultists have sacrificed at least four citizens of Possum Springs, but are have stated to have killed at least 39 people altogether.
These are:
- Jim Dorney (Prior to the cult forming; the first sacrifice)
- Tom Turney (The first official sacrifice)
- Casey Hartley (allegedly)
- The unknown owner of the mysterious arm
- Cult member Lurv (as punishment for leaving the arm out in public)
- The Unknown HarFest kid
Events of Night in the Woods[]
It is unknown if Ed is still alive. The almost nostalgic way the Cult members describe him implies he may have passed on, though this also leaves open the possibility that he may have abandoned the Cult at some point. It is speculated that Ed is actually Eide, the most prominent cult member seen in the game, and who is the only one that the player can recognize.
Trivia[]
- He appears to be named after American animator Edward "Ed" Skudder.
- His name also may be a reference to Henry "Hack" Scudder, an enigmatic figure featured in the 2003 HBO TV series Carnivale. Of note, the character also held a connection to a mining site that similarly became abandoned through purportedly supernatural events surrounding him.