Cedric was raised in the village of Hommlet during the uneasy peace that followed the first defeat of the Temple of Elemental Evil. His father, a retired soldier who had fought in the original battle against the Temple, filled young Cedric's head with tales of the horrors that the cult of elemental evil had unleashed upon the land — the twisted priests who commanded fire and flood, the demons that walked among men, and the terrible artifact at the Temple's heart. When Cedric came of age, he traveled to the Church of St. Cuthbert in Verbobonc and was ordained as a paladin, swearing to stand eternally vigilant against the Temple's return. He returned to Hommlet just as troubling signs began to emerge: travelers vanishing on the road to Nulb, strange lights seen in the ruins of the old Temple, and whispered rumors that the Elemental Evil cultists were rebuilding their power. Cedric has established himself as Hommlet's defender, working alongside the village elder Burne and his partner Rufus to prepare for what he believes is an inevitable confrontation with the resurgent Temple.