Romance on the Borderlands
Inspired by this post on romantic fantasy in classic DnD, I was left wishing the revamp of B2 was extended to the Keep in full, so I did it myself.
The Keep: The Keep has been around here much longer than the settlement itself. It's a big structure of large stone slabs, some parts ruined, some unused. To the north lie many ruins of settlements and forts, some still in recent memory, and the Caves of Chaos, about two to three days travel away. To the south leads a road into more settled parts of this region, with some small villages dotting the way. This is presumably where the party traveled from.
Guards: The Keep wasn't always so militarized, not before the priest started spreading seeds of conflict between the humans and monsters. The Guard is composed of people loyal to the Castellan, as well as hired warriors from the region.
Corporal of the watch: Bertulf, a short, kind of pug looking man. He likes the ladies, but most don't like him back. Can often be seen at the tavern or playing dice with other guardsmen.
Bailiff: Hartgard. Handles disputes, thieves and troublemakers. Stern, not a fan of his job.
Jewel merchant & wife: Travelers from the ruined city far beyond the kingdoms reaches. Fascinated by magical items, jewels and other valuables.
Priest: Sigeric, a calm and friendly man in his mid 30s, long blonde hair in a neat ponytail and clean priestly garb. Part of a sect unheard of in these parts. Once in the past he gave up his soul to Chaos as he believed it was the only way to avenge a loved one he lost. He is long gone now, and truly evil.
Smith: Reuben, strong, kind but otherwise regular man. Black hair, pointy beard. Dislikes the Castellan, but fears he cannot leave the keep without repercussion to his family in the village.
Provisioner: Sam, older man, well liked. Black hair, moustache, balding. He sells his wares at a fair price and tends to like adventurers, will suggest good gear to have out there. He sometimes can be seen watching the guard train or sparring with them, despite his older age.
Trader: Elliot, a savvy trader that set up semi-permanent shop in the keep. Big on jewelry and monster parts, they sell well in the inner cities. He butted heads in the past with the Guild Master over best trading tactics, something they both have not gotten over. Brown hair, moustache, late 20s.
Banker: Callum, part of a large merchant company. Sly and calculating, talks more to traders than townsfolk and is seen seldom around. He once tried to purchase the local inn. Black neat hair, nasty stare. Ties to the thieves' guild.
Clerk: Ophelia, a cold and stern woman, former wizard's initiate turned bank associate, business partner of Callum. They came from the cities to establish a base of operations for the thieves' guild.
Innkeeper: Old Gitsby, grumpy short man. Doesn't tolerate rowdy guests. He and Debra used to be together and run an inn with a tavern.
Tavernkeeper: Debra, ale woman, mid 40s brown hair in a long braid. Loves gossip and is the hub for rumors in the keep. Has a daughter that lives in the village and a son that became a drifter.
Captain of the watch: Lina, ranger-type, she's experienced but not much of a people-person. Her men respect her though. Straight black hair, scowl, dark green and black set.
Guild Master: Sebastian, a man with a lot of gravitas. Has connections in many guilds, including thieves and magic users. Glasses, a rarity, grey neat hair and short sharp beard over his chin.
Corporal of the guard: Aiden, brown hair, he often prefers to meddle in others affairs instead of training his troops. Guard duty doesn't see much action after all. Laid back, friendly, more capable than he lets on.
Captain of the guard: Ronn, light short hair, plate armor with a blue tabard. Well liked by all the soldiers. Loyal to the castellan and his duty. Spitting image of a knight, although he was never pronounced one. It is one of his deepest wishes.
Sergeant of the guard: Olivia, a big strong woman, she stems from less settled parts beyond the caves. Strongest among the guard, but not the brightest. Long brown hair. She likes it here for the food and the occasional fights. Her armor is part guard armor part monster hide.
Curate: Curate Elder and wizened member of the faith. Has a long running feud with the Castellan over his methods, but tries to not escalate it in favor of peace and the community. Longer gray hair, clerical robes of higher rank. He prays to the "Me and the Castellan might have our... differences, but the safety of the keep must take priority. We must stay together in these times of trouble."
Scribe: Brother Alzan, responsible for spreading propaganda promoting the Castellan, spreading fear of the monsters and praising the adventurers accomplishments (if favored, that is). Part of the same congregation as the Curate, left after a conflict over his morality.
Elf advisor: Lanshan, an 87 year old elf, loyal to the castellan for a few years. He has gained his trust with wise advice. Collected aura, paleish skin, long white hair, traditional elf dress, towers over the castellan though he himself is a tall man already. Guides the castellan into conflict with the caves, hoping to escalate the situation so that the elf conclave has reason to intervene.
Castellan: Lord Castellan Reignald. Sworn to the Lord of this land, though he has not been seen in years, during which the Castellans rule went unopposed. Cunning and well spoken, he is a large man clad in gold and dark furs, with a short black stubble and an ugly smile. His current objective is to drive off the monsters of the Caves which he sees as a threat to the Keep and his power, and for that he has sent out of an invitation to adventurers in the region. He also wishes to deal with the bandits harassing the keeps supply from the village and towns.
Bandit leader: Rickard, a young man from the village, tired of the rough tithe the Castellan has been collecting. Black hair, stubble, stubborn but not cruel.
Hermit: Will, former advisor of the Castellan. Set up by the priest and cast out for treason, he has gone somewhat mad living in the forest and adopted a pet giant cat.
Let me know what you think, there's definitely opportunities and things I missed!