DM Xanatos Gambit NPCs (Topical)
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Dowager Queen Martha Fisher
Physical Description: There is nothing former about her majesty, for she carries herself with a stately countenance. The elderly woman's hair seems more silver than gray, depending on the light. She is of moderate height, though her warm and shining presence may make her seem taller to onlookers. She is dressed in regal robes that are both elegant and humble.
Public Knowledge: Dowager Queen Martha Fisher is the de-facto commander of a substantial fraction of Peltarch's military. That is due to the ongoing service sworn to her by Defender Captain Renius "Lorn" Hrresh. Hrresh, the longest serving and most popular Defender Captain by far among the soldiery, not only commands and controls Peltarch's navy, but also a land regiment and allegedly certain troops in other regiments who consider themselves loyal firstly to Hrresh than their own superior officers. Other regiments' soldiers frequently request to be transferred to Hrresh's command, due to his stellar reputation among the military.
The Queen is both beloved and despised by the citizenry of Peltarch.
On the one hand, many believe the Queen was unjustifiably cast aside when the late King George, first after the Second Coronation, learned that the Queen could not bear children. The King exiled the Queen away from the city, and instead sought out multiple concubines, fathering children with each (including then Prince and current King Thalaman Fisher). Her exile was shortly followed by the era of military upheaval, in which numerous Defender Captains skirted the official hierarchies to pledge themselves to different guilds and families in Peltarch. Hrresh, for his part, pledged himself to the Queen, for reasons upon which the public can only speculate.
On the other hand, many interpret her inability to bear children as a sign from the heavens that she is and always was unfit for rule, and that she never was a true royal. She is particularly reviled by those with fond memories of King George and his lineage. Critics claim she and Hrresh are both responsible for the fracturing of the military, and insist that the royalty depends on a strong lineage which she was and still remains fundamentally incapable of providing.
Still today, such criticisms remain ongoing, and it's said Defender General Gom cannot remove Hrresh or even publicly denounce him due to the fierce loyalty Hrresh's troops pay both him and thus also the Queen.
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Barton Cade
Physical Description: Hooded, cloaked, and armed with a feyduster knife, a panoply of magical equipment, as well as magical wands, scrolls, and potions, here is a man who has come prepared. His facial features are non-distinct, and his hair kept short beneath the slim hood. He has black eyebrows, green eyes, and isn't particularly handsome nor ugly. His voice is calm, collected, and almost melodic, despite the seriousness with which he speaks, and the violent situations in which he finds himself.
Public Knowledge: A doppelganger of the man was first seen by the Golden Geese adventuring party, during an altercation at the Temple Lighthouse, in the Docks District of Peltarch. This doppelganger was killed by the party. The presumed original and authentic version of the man was then seen by Aoth Sepret breaking and entering into, and attempting to steal sensitive information from, the Daedalus compound. Here, he attempted to chase down and subdue the Geese who witnessed his incursion, presumably to tailor their memories or worse. When Aoth sought assistance from Isolde Garibaldi and Reyhenna Jorino during a chase through the docks, she turned the tables, and he was forced to escape. The Golden Geese then saw him again in the underground laboratory beneath Richard Gale's home in the Residential District. Here he attempted to trap the party in an underground tunnel, but was again rebuked.
On each occasion, the man has opposed the party with trickery, physical violence, and magical items, although he is known to at least attempt to negotiate. He offered Aoth Sepret to subject herself to tailored memories instead of "the alternative." He also offered Ivette Aimery a chance to escape if she left him to his devices with the rest of the party in a vulnerable position. Both declined.
His allegiance is unknown. Nor is it clear whether and to what extent he is working with the doppelgangers that have taken up residence in Peltarch. The fact remains that he was attempting to steal personal information and accounts of Cobin Daedalus, a respected guild leader, potentially on behalf of or otherwise for the doppelgangers, when the Golden Geese stopped him. He has been at odds with them since.
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