Non-player Characters

The Marchioness' Court-in-Exile

Resbin Dren Emondav, Marchioness Dowager and Lady Protectress of Sterich - The ruler-in-exile, claimed by right of marriage, of the March of Sterich. She is a handsome dark-skinned woman with exotic features who appears to be in her late 20's or early 30's. She rules in the name of her 10 year old son, Hektor, Marquess of Sterich. Her former husband, Querchard was the adventurous younger son of the Earl of Sterich when she met him in her homeland to the south, the city-state of Sasserine -- nominally loyal to the Sea Princes, and located south of that nation, near the edges of the Amedio Jungle. Her family is one of the nobles who rule that city as part of its Council. Upon their marriage Resbin returned to the north with Querchard. When his older brother died, he was elevated to heir, succeeding his father a few years later as Earl. As a reward for his successful campaigns against the giants of the Jotens and Crystalmists, his nominal overlord, the King of Keoland, elevated him to the title of Marquess. Unfortunately, shortly after, against those giants, he met his fate. He disappeared during an expedition against the Frost Giants who dwell at the headwaters of the Davish River in late 579 CY, and is presumed to be dead. The lords and barons of Sterich were loathe to accept a foreign woman as ruler, and in successive years Resbin's power declined as the nobility fought amongst themselves and jockeyed for position. After the events of the Growfest Council of Peers in 581 she began to rely on Barons Bova and Kline as political allies, as well as Lord Drysdale. During Brewfest of 581, under pressure from Baron Garinac and allied peers, she agreed to have Hektor crowned as Marquess and to install a Privy Council to advise him and rule Sterich. This was a prelude to Garinac leading a coup d'etat and charging Resbin with treason, accusing her of plotting to seize power and displace her son. She was imprisoned in the Black Tower of Krelont Keep, but was rescued by the Owlbears at the command of Lord Drysdale, and with the secret aid of Baron Pelman Drudd. Escaping to the County of Flen in Keoland, she constituted a court-in-exile and appealed to the King for help, but was rebuffed. Her letters to her parents were answered and they sent a ship to the nearest port, the city of Cryllor on the Javan River, where her court temporarily resides, until they can take ship for Sasserine. Her driving goal is to

gain enough political and military support to take back Sterich.

Dendra Penrose, Maid of Honor and Cupbearer - The orphaned 17 year old daughter of Sir Willem Penrose. In 577 at the Tournament of Golden Leaves in Flen, Keoland, she had briefly befriended Gwenn. But her father disapproved of their friendship since Gwenn is a bastard. Her father had been given command of the village of Burwych as a sub-fief of Restwell, by Lord Drysdale, but he was killed by goblin raiders in Patchwall of 580. Dendra is now the ward of Lord and Lady Drysdale. Unlike Gwenn she is very ladylike and feminine, which makes their friendship unlikely, but she seems to admire Gwenn for her independence and forthrightness. She spoke well of Gwenn's character to Lord Drysdale, which might have had something to do with his easy pardoning of them in the matter of Greysen Ramthane's tomb, and decision to swear them to him as retainers. She became the ward of Lord and Lady Drysdale. During the coup d'etat against the Marchioness Resbin in Brewfest of 581, she was among Lord Drysdale's entourage in Istivin and escaped when the Owlbears fought their way through the Istivin City Watch who were blocking the back gate. She is now part of the court-in-exile of the Marchioness, serving as Maid of Honor and Cupbearer. She remains a friend of Gwenn.Lady Lilain Drysdale, Mistress of the Robes and Chamberlain - The widow of Lord Drysdale and mother of his son, Murlann. She fled into exile with the Marchioness and serves in her court as Mistress of Robes and Chamberlain. Murlann remains in the court of Countess Allita Elgarin of Flen, where he is a page and that noble lady's ward. Lilain has chestnut hair and dark-eyes, and at seven years younger than her late-husband, she is still very attractive. The Marchioness hopes to arrange a marriage for her that will be politically advantageous, since she -- and it is presumed, he who marries her -- will doubtless come into lands and titles if the Marchioness can be restored to power. Lilain is a proper lady of gentle birth, but is also practical and hard-working in her capacity as chamberlain in charge of the Marchioness' household. She still holds the wardship of Dendra Penrose and is her closest confidant while also acting as her foster-mother.Lady Alysen Wentwell: Lady in Waiting: The 28 year old wife of Hugo Wentwell, a landholding knight who is a vassal of the Countess Elgarin of Flen. Lady Alysen married at a young age and by now her older husband is currently involved with a mistress and estranged from his wife. However, he is not above using her to try and gain political clout and favor with the Marchioness and Countess Elgarin. Her three younger children -- a daughter and twin sons have accompanied her as members of the Marchioness' court. Her older son has remained in Flen with his father, where he is a squire to another knight. Lady Alysen has become fast friends with the Marchioness and is almost always found in her company. Lady Alysen embodies everything a noblewoman should be.Mistress Alayna Marich: Maid of Honor: The 18 year old bastard daughter of the Countess of Elgarin’s Uncle, Sir Botley Elgarin, Lord of Marich. She had been groomed as a priestess of Lydia, goddess of Music and Knowledge, being educated in the abbey of that goddess at Flen, but her father withdrew her when an opportunity arose to place her in the Marchioness’ household. The Privy Council of Sterich & Allies

Aksul Merrowman - The 18 year old son of Baron Rees Merrowman. Aksul inherited his mother's flame-red hair and good looks. At the age of 13 he already had quite a reputation as a jouster and swordsman, though he also came to be known as something of a hellion -- hot-tempered, impetuous and cruel. In 579 during a jousting match at the Tournament of Flowers in Niole Dra he killed the horse of Daesnar, the son and heir of Baron Kline of Sterich, with whom the Merrowmans were feuding. In the resulting fall beneath his mount, Daesnar's legs were crushed. Despite the best efforts of healers, one of his legs never recovered and the young man remains crippled. In Growfest of 581 he served as one of his father's champions in a judicial duel with the Owlbears to settle the matter of the title to Restwell fief. He and his cohorts were defeated and he bears a great deal of bad blood toward them because of it. During Brewfest of 581 he was betrothed to one of the younger daughters of Baron Willem Garinac, as part of a political alliance between the two families. After the event of the coup of Brewfest 581, it was told that he had taken Restwell Keep and been named lord of that fief as a bannerman of his father.

Baron Rees Merrowman - Baron Rees Merrowman is an experienced, battle-hardened knight in his late 30’s, with wavy, light blond hair worn past his shoulders. He is of pure Suloise blood, the younger son in an old noble family from the Duchy of Gradsul in southern Keoland. He is a Knight of the Golden Lions, a chivalric order made up of knights from the purer-blooded Suloise families of Keoland. When Marquess Querchard first prosecuted his war against the giants of the Jotens and Crystalmists, in 576 he enlisted the aid of a number of Keoish knights, many of them second sons of noble families, one of whom was Rees Merrowman. He distinguished himself in the campaign by slaying Nosnra, the chief of the Joten hill giants. For his service, in 577 he was entitled as a baron and awarded lands that lay between the fief of Bova and the lands comprising the fief of Restwell, which at the time were in the hands of the Six Blades of Fortune. Rumor says that Rees made peace with the Blades, and profited through dealing with them, until Lord Peridin Drysdale captured Restwell in 579. Whether these rumors are true or not it is well known that he made no move against the bandits and his lands did not suffer their depredations, though the lands of the Baron Kline to the northeast did. It was those raids that convinced Querchard to allow Drysdale to take Restwell. He was rumored to be in negotiations with Baron Bova to marry his daughter and heir to Merrowman’s son, so that his family might eventually control Bova, though those plans were upset when Bova openly threw his support behind Lord Peridin Drysdale. He also had designs on Restwell, but any legal challenge he might have made was lost with the defeat of his champions in a judicial duel to settle the matter of ownership by the members of the Owlbear Company. With the loss of leverage over Bova he shifted marriage negotiations toward one of the numerous younger daughters of Baron Willem Garinac, who owns the largest fief in Sterich. He was successful in negotiating a betrothal between Garinac's daughter and his son, Aksul. He now serves as the Lord High Steward of Sterich, and was given the fief of Bova as a reward.The Marchioness believes him to have been instrumental in plotting and carrying out the coup of Brewfest 581, though what his ultimate goal is, she cannot say.