Art by Anders H |
The Keep
The Keep described in the module is Snowhall Keep, an outpost of the Empire of Vardessy, and the political center of their portion of the Ukian March. It was established as a garrison against further incursions by Ukians, as well as the orcs and goblins that also call Ukiah their home. In addition, it is a place where those expeditions going deeper into the March to hold the line against the forces of the Khan can rest and resupply. To that end, there are many soldiers and mercenaries that pass through here, but also caravans from further afield looking to trade with Ukiah. Though the Keep has grown into a self-sufficient settlement of its own, it still wears its history as a fortification on its sleeve, with the people living a regimented life and experiencing few of the comforts that might be better known to those within the imperial core.
- The corporal of the watch is Wulfram Nohl, a sellsword who pledged his service to the Margrave and was eventually appointed to his position when he was impressed with his service. He was a wanted outlaw in Vardessy, but fled to Ukiah knowing he would be pardoned there. His reputation is known by the guards, who regard him with suspicion, but aren't willing to test his patience.
- The bailiff is Sir Tycho von Beckenbau, one of the Margrave's knights. He is rather paranoid about security, and takes great pains to ensure the Keep's defenses are not compromised; to this end, he holds his men-at-arms to exacting standards. His coat of arms is a pattern of blue and white wavy horizontal lines, recalling waves.
- The jewel merchant is Mikhail Otten, a wealthy trader from Halvardy who is here to do business with the nobles of the Keep. He hopes to expand his enterprises into the Ukian lands and do business with the clans, but finds the tension between Vardessy and the Ukian clans an unseemly obstacle to his plans, and is frustrated that the peoples aren't on better terms. His wife, Sylvia, is less pleased with the more spartan conditions of the Keep and would wish to return to the comfort of home as soon as possible.
- The priest is Hadrien du Romaine, and he and his acolytes are members of the Rightful Order of Lescatie - those that hold the opinion that Wilmarina I is a pretender to the position of Matriarch. He had fled to Ukiah in the face of persecution in his native land. He is not a spy for the Caves of Chaos; however, he is a coward who will sell out his loyalties to their denizens in exchange for safety when he feels himself threatened.
- The smith is Karl Warner, a vassal of Sir Beckenbau who accompanied him to the Keep to lend his services. He is a loyal man, sworn to the service of his liege. His two apprentices are Inga Salzwedel, a patient, obedient, and clever girl, and Johanne Seiker, a boy with dreams of something bigger who has been known to be a troublemaker.
- The provisioner is Rudolf Hummel, a merchant who chose to stay in the Keep to do business with the mercenaries who pass through. He is a proud member of the Margrave's militia and fancies himself a great fighter, though his wife, Cornelia, feels that his training is little more than a formality and that he shouldn't make such claims.
- The trader is Wendelin von Langenburg, and was once a soldier in the first Ukian Wars against Jahken Khan. Though he has settled down since, he is still a member of the militia, as are his sons, Andre and Pepin. In his stint in the military, he did much business with fur traders among the Ukians - and became quite aware of how brutally cold the winters could be.
- The banker is Sigmar Lehr, a former mercenary who settled down in the Keep after being hired to repel raids by the hobgoblins years ago. He regards the hired guard, Diedrich Jansen, as a protege of his and has helped him train in the fighting arts, though Diedrich is loyal only to money and only sees Sigmar as a paying client. The clerk is Greta Falke, an old woman with a sharp tongue and a few magical tricks up her sleeve.
- The captain of the watch is Sir Werner von Bram, a knight in service to the Margrave. His coat of arms shows a goat's head in silver on a red field, with two silver spurs in the chief. He is a firm believer in the ideals of chivalry and judges those who do not abide by him as beneath him.
- The innkeeper is a stout man by the name of Taln, who lives with his wife Nina and their son Paul, and the inn is called the Emperor's Arms. He is a modest but honest man who only wants to sustain his family, though he is reluctant to get involved with trouble, even if things get rowdy in the inn.
- The barkeep is Dmitriy Sieger, a Kvessian man with Northman blood in his veins, and his tavern is called the Stumbling Reindeer. He is a jolly soul and will often strike up conversations with his patrons, and offers toasts to great heroes frequently.
- The guild master is Kurt Hofer, an emissary of the League of Three Crowns - a prominent association of merchant guilds primarily operating on the Sea of Bartel. Although Ukiah is far from their sphere of influence, he hopes to expand its reach into the March, and his exacting standards are in the aim of securing dominance over trade routes in the area.
- The curate is Gerhard Bader, the Archbishop of Ukiah, and an official in the Cult of Voltan. He is a loyalist to the Matriarch, though he has never been to Lescatie in person. All Voltanite cults in the Marches report to him, though in other lands, he is regarded as something of a backwater hooligan, with his diocese being on the far edge of civilized lands. Like many important officials in the Cult, he is a monk and has devoted his life to the study of theology, philosophy, and magic.
- The captain of the guard is Sir Matthias of Leistadt, a knight in the service of the Margrave. His coat of arms is a white swan on a green field. The sergeant of the guard is Sir Alwin Fulchard, a close friend of his even if they don't see eye to eye on Alwin's rowdier ways. His coat of arms shows three boar's heads in gold on a black field, with a gold chevron in the middle.
- The two corporals of the guard are Borislav Ruslanov, a Kvessian mercenary, and Josefine Mainz, an outlaw who fled to Ukiah seeking shelter. Both view each other as boorish louts and thugs of ill respute, and they have a fierce rivalry over the favor of Sir Matthias.
- The scribe is Sir Jacob Hasse, an official of the Keep and a warrior-priest of Mimir. He has pledged his service to the Margrave, though he finds his current position to be far less interesting than what he was promised. His coat of arms is a white book on a blue field.
- The advisor is Lamminkyla, an elder of one of the elven tribes that dwell in the forests of the March. He came to live in the Keep as an ambassador to the Margrave, though he came to enjoy the comforts of his new home and has eschewed the more rustic ways of his ancestors.
- The castellan is Margrave Godebert Sturm, the official in charge of the Ukian March, and the feudal lord of all Vardessian nobility therein (though there are not many beyond the Keep). His coat of arms shows a gold raven perched on a white wall, against a purple background.
- The merchant in area 24 is Steffen Bunchoten, a member of the League of Three Crowns whose caravan was ambushed. His wife, Anja, is an enchantress and made her dagger herself.
- The Shrine of Evil Chaos is now Broken Skull Canyon, a cavern that once belonged to the gnolls in area J, but that has now been taken over by a cult of necromancers. The gnolls avoid the cavern, as they can smell the stench of death on the air. The cult worships Bune, the Mighty Great Duke of Hell - a demon who has taught them in the arts of necromancy. It is led by Sir Hans van Russem, the evil priest; he was once a paladin of Torvald, but was corrupted by the very demons he swore to oppose, and went mad with power. For now, he is content with gathering his followers and waiting for further directions from his master, but how long will that last?
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