People of the World

Lumendal's guard captain is the kind of man who has seen enough trouble to know it on sight - and the kind of man who still believes it's worth stopping. Graying beard, kind eyes that have gone hard and soft again a thousand times over. He runs a tight guard, treats his people fairly, and would step in front of a blade for anyone under his protection.

The woman who runs the Greenfeld Inn has been doing so since before most of the current city watch were born. Warm, motherly, and sharper than she looks - Marta knows every rumour in Lumendal two days before it becomes common knowledge. She feeds people well and asks nothing in return except that they behave under her roof.

Eight years old, gap-toothed grin, and absolutely obsessed with wooden knights. Pip is Marta's orphaned grandson and has lived at the inn his whole short life. He attaches himself to interesting-looking travellers with zero hesitation and asks questions faster than most adults can answer them. He has a collection of twelve carved knights and has named every one.

A jovial, portly priest who takes enormous personal pride in organising the Festival of Lights every year. Brother Aldous genuinely loves this city and its people, and brings a booming laugh and an open door to everything he does. He is the kind of holy man who thinks the gods are best honoured through a good meal and good company.

Lumendal's dwarven blacksmith has all the warmth of a forge that hasn't been lit yet - or so it seems. Tessian is gruff, direct, and has strong opinions about everything from metal quality to the right way to hold a hammer. Those who earn his respect find there's a quietly generous man underneath the scowl. He's just not going to make it easy for you.

Seraph sets up a curtained stall during the festival season and speaks in careful, layered sentences that could mean everything or nothing. Androgynous, unhurried, with eyes that seem to settle on you a moment longer than comfortable. Whether their readings carry any real power is a matter of debate. What isn't debated is that people leave their tent feeling unsettled in ways they can't quite articulate.