Ferghail is captain of the Ironhearts Merchant Police Battalion in Lantear, an experienced soldier whose sense of duty is rooted as much in home as it is in uniform. He is dependable, practical and quietly proud of the life his service allows him to provide for his family. He is devoted to his wife and their two young sons, speaking of them often enough that even soldiers who have never met them know something of their habits, mischief and ambitions. Ferghail carries himself like a man with somewhere important to
Read more →When Coin Commands the Watch
The Merchant Police are private battalions maintained by Aranthaes’ most powerful commercial interests, protecting property, trade and the people wealthy enough to command their loyalty.
Meet the officers and enforcers who patrol on behalf of merchant houses, guilds and powerful employers. Well equipped and legally tolerated, they may keep order when it suits their masters – but in a dispute between justice and the interests of those who pay them, there is rarely much doubt which side they will choose.
Ghavus is the senior military commander responsible for Rochpont, Geldfray Keep and much of the rugged country surrounding the Geldfray Mountains. Although his rank could comfortably keep him behind stone walls and a desk piled with reports, he has never developed much talent for remaining indoors when there is work to be done elsewhere. He looks considerably older than he is. Years spent in the cold winds around the keep, riding mountain roads and accompanying patrols through rain, snow and hard winters have weathered his face far more thoroughly than
Read more →Meldwin is one of the senior handlers of Swallows and Ravens employed by the Zephyr Battalion, overseeing a web of informants, social operatives and quiet observers whose reports eventually find their way across his desk. He is an unlikely figure to wield such influence: painfully thin, physically weak and possessed of an awkward manner that can make even ordinary conversation feel faintly uncomfortable. He was abandoned shortly after birth and discovered close to death by a travelling cleric, who carried him back to Aranthaes and placed him in the care
Read more →Vavyin Galpris commands the Crescent Moon Battalion, one of Aranthaes’ most capable Merchant Police forces and the private security arm of Khamsa Oudasi’s extensive commercial interests. She is efficient, intelligent and has a reputation for discovering problems long before they become visible to anyone else. Vavyin was raised in the Aranthaes Wynds and learned early that survival depended as much upon noticing things as doing them. She became adept at remembering faces, recognising danger, overhearing conversations and understanding which people mattered in a street long before anyone bothered to explain
Read more →Raistum Magus is Head of the Zephyr Battalion of the Aranthaes Merchant Police, and one of the city’s most experienced specialists in magical crime. Born into a prosperous merchant family in Aranthaes, he developed an early fascination with the arcane and spent much of his life studying magic long before entering public service. By the time the Zephyrs recruited him in his sixties, Raistum had already accumulated decades of knowledge, private research and contacts among the city’s scholars, collectors and magical trades. His rise within the battalion was unusually rapid.
Read more →Taygor Saraius was born in one of the small hidden settlements deep within the Derkwuds, and has spent most of his long life learning the moods, paths and warnings of the ancient forest. He belongs to the Circle of the Derkwuds Guardian, a secretive druidic tradition whose members watch over the mist-bound woods, guide those who enter with respect, and protect places they believe should never be disturbed. Taygor grew up among people for whom the Derkwuds were neither wilderness nor legend, but home. From childhood he learned that silence
Read more →Akzir was born to famed gold merchant Aurto Aerum and his tiefling mistress in the same year as half-sister Alus, but was kept secret from the public eye, living with his mother. When Akzir was 14 years old, his mother was killed in a raid by the Red Cloaks, leaving him with nothing but his father’s name and the hatred of all bandits. In his late teenage years, Akzir was taken under the wing of the City Guard and trained to become a paladin. He quickly rose through the ranks,
Read more →Ossian Harewood was born and raised in Aranthaes. His parents were both merchants, killed by bandits when Ossian was just a child. The attack left him permanently blind in one eye. His grandfather, Commander Godwin Harewood, took him and his younger brother Galhert in and raised them as his own. Despite his partial blindness, Ossian was determined to become a fighter and wished to follow his grandfather by joining the City Guard as soon as he was able. His proud grandfather trained him in swordplay and combat tactics, and Ossian
Read more →Orilia Thorne’s bodyguard “Darkness” is a formidable half-orc, feared by those who cross his path. He stands at 6’5″ and has a muscular build. His skin is a deep olive green, his hair is raven black, and he has several scars crisscrossing his face, giving him a menacing appearance. Born in a tribe of half-orc mercenaries in the mountains, Darkness learned to fight at a young age. He became his clan’s leader, thanks to his impressive strength and fighting skills. He left his beloved clan to find his younger sister
Read more →Ghorza Hesh is fiercely loyal to the city and the Aranthaes Merchant Police battalion she leads. She takes her job as commander of The Ironhearts very seriously and has a no-nonsense attitude when it comes to dealing with criminals. Despite her tough exterior, she has a particularly soft spot for children and will go out of her way to protect them, wrecking havoc on anybody causing harm to the city’s younger citizens. Ghorza stands at an imposing 6’5″ with broad shoulders and bulging muscles. Her skin is a pale olive
Read more →Urzul is Second-in-Command of the Aranthaes Merchant Police Ironheart Battalion and older sister of Ghorza. Appearance: Urzul is a fierce half-orc fighter with mid-length black hair and iridescent red eyes. She stands at 6’2″ and has a muscular build. She wears studded green and gold leather armor with a green sash tied around her waist. She wields a large greatsword and carries a shortbow on her back. Her face bears several scars from past battles, and she always looks ready for a fight. Personality: Urzul is fiercely loyal to her
Read more →As a wealthy merchant city, Aranthaen businesses are keen to protect their stock and trade with more favor than that provided by the City Guard. Over the space of several years they have built up a significant private police force – not so much focused on the rule of law, but rather a keen dedication to looking after their paymaster’s interests. The Merchant Police are divided into four main battalions, each sponsored by a wealthy merchant family or business cooperative, and with a key exception of The Merchant Volunteers each
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