Building a Skyrim Style ACK Campaign – Part 7: Somerset: NPC Rulers

We have come at last to the final step before we drill down into the regional map where the adventuring starts. We now need to determine who is running this circus and how many clowns are in the car.

On page 235, there are two tables, the Demographics of Leveled Characters and Maximum NPC Population by Realm Type. It give a kind of breakdown by level of how many “level” NPCs are running around or at the very least an rough estimate.

Back to the Spreadsheet, na-na-na-na ExcelMan!

Earldom	Population	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	%
Silverfeld	50,000	2,500	1,000	333	133	50	17	6	3	1	0	4,043	8.09%
Silberrun	2,000	100	40	13	5	2	1	0	0	0	0	162	4.00%
Ostenstrand	48,000	2,400	960	320	128	48	16	6	2	1	0	3,882	8.09%
Eichen Herrenhaus	1,920	96	38	13	5	2	1	0	0	0	0	155	4.00%
Westbrerd	37,000	1,850	740	247	99	37	12	5	2	1	0	2,992	8.09%
Hoch Tårn	1,480	74	30	10	4	1	0	0	0	0	0	120	4.00%
Bretenanmere	25,400	1,270	508	169	68	25	8	3	1	0	0	2,054	8.09%
Fennburg	706	35	14	5	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	57	2.78%
Eisenburg	24,600	1,230	492	164	66	25	8	3	1	0	0	1,989	8.09%
Huntcrest	683	34	14	5	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	55	2.78%
Fýrdracaheald	23,500	1,175	470	157	63	24	8	3	1	0	0	1,900	8.09%
Stone Harbour	653	33	13	4	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	53	2.78%
Wulf Dúnland	22,000	1,100	440	147	59	22	7	3	1	0	0	1,779	8.09%
Wulfholme	792	40	16	5	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	64	3.60%
Isenhelm	21,500	1,075	430	143	57	22	7	3	1	0	0	1,739	8.09%
Bordweall	774	39	15	5	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	63	3.60%
Stánhold	20,000	1,000	400	133	53	20	7	3	1	0	0	1,617	8.09%
Stonehafen	720	36	14	5	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	58	3.60%
Total	281,728	14,086	5,635	1,878	751	282	94	35	14	5	2		8.09%

I am pretty I am doing this right, so now I have a rough idea of the number of NPC’s in Somerset. As a rough guide I am assuming that 66% of the NPC’s are some kind of fighter, another 15% thievish, 12% clerics, 5% are going to be some kinds of mage. 2% of the remaining is going to cover some of the more exotic classes.

Now there is a minor discrepancy, the totals of each Earldom, do not match up with the population of the kingdom as a whole. This is due to the nature of the Kingdom and those pesky fractions.

Earldom	Population	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Total	281,728	14,086	5,635	1,878	751	282	94	35	14	5	2
Fighter (66%)	185,940	9,297	3,719	1,240	496	186	62	23	9	3	1
Thief (15%)	27,891	1,395	558	186	74	28	9	3	1	0	0
Cleric (12%)	3,347	167	67	22	9	3	1	0	0	0	0
Mage (5%)	1,673	84	33	11	4	2	1	0	0	0	0
Other (2%)	33	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

The above table is just a rough guideline and I not beholden to it.

So for the elites of my kingdom I have two 10^th levels, five 9^th levels, and fourteen 8^th level NPCs.

I have the following important positions that need to be filled.

• Earl of Silverfeld – 9^th Level Fighter <- Current High King
• Earl of Ostenstrand – 8^th Level Fighter
• Earl of Westbrerd – 8^th Level Fighter
• Earl of Bretenanmere – 9^th Level Fighter
• Earl of Eisenburg - 8th Level Thief
• Earl of Fýrdracaheald – 8^th Level Cleric
• Earl of Wulf Dúnland – 9^th  Level Fighter
• Earl of Isenhelm – 8^th Level Fighter
• Earl of Stánhold – 8^th Level Fighter
• Arch-Mage of the Drýmann Lodge – 10^th Level Mage
• High Skald of the Skald’s Hall – 9^th Level Bard
• High Priest of the Temple of the High Father – 10^th Level Cleric
• Knight Commander of the Order of Dawn – 8^th Level Paladin
• Guild Master of the Thieves’ Guild – 9^th Level Thief

I am not going to sit here and stat out every one of these folks, with one exception. Instead I am just going to have a Name, Title, Level, Class, Age, Alignment and a short bio. The exception is going to the Earl of Wulf Dúnland because this is where I planning on focusing my regional map on.

NPC Rulers

 

 

Sifkning Fire-Eye, High King of Somerset, Earl of Silverfeld, 9th Level Fighter, Neutral

The grey and bent 65 year old Sifkning has been the reigning High King for the past 20 years since the death of High King Athelred. His reign has been a prosperous one for Silverfeld and his allies. His policies are progressive with an eye for making the kingdom less of a backwater and more cosmopolitan. He has welcomed the envoys from the Dökkálfr (Dark Elf) Empire into his court and is on good terms with them, much to the consternation of the traditionalist faction who do not trust the southern elves and their decadence.

Arnulf Wavebreaker, Earl of Ostenstrand, 8th Level Fighter, Neutral

The 40 year old Arnulf has been biding his time, waiting for old Sifkning to die. Arnulf has his eye on being the next High King and he has the backing of the more traditional Earls. The Wavebreaker Clan has long been rivals with the Silver-Shield Clan of Silverfeld. The fact the last two High Kings have been from the Silver-Shields Clan has been a sore point for him and his clan. He has been working to negotiate a treaty with the northern dwarves, in the hopes of counter-balancing the Dökkálfr’s influence in the high court.

Ringel Shield-Wall, Earl of Westbrerd, 8th Level Fighter, Neutral

The 50 year old Ringel is one of the few female earls in the history of the kingdom. She is a strong supporter of Sifkning who supported her claim to the seat after her brother was killed during a hunt. There has been some tension however due to the fact that she has a small number of Ljósálfar (light elves) Fastnesses near the borders of her earldom. The Shield-Wall clan has had a good relationship with them since the founding of the Earldom. This has put her on the wrong side with the southern elves who believe the Ljósálfar to be heretics.

Ulfgar Red-Spear, Earl of Bretenanmere, 9th Level Fighter, Chaotic

The brash and bold Ulfgar is the 35 year old Earl of Bretenanmere. He is a moderate who welcomes some of the reforms of Sifkning.  The Red-Spear Clan has been staunch supporters of the Earls of Silverfeld. Ulfgar has his eye on expanding his domain east. Ulfgar is the only Earl who has non-humans nobles; a decade ago he became blood brother to an orc warrior named Guaron Badbu. Guaron brought his clan into Ulfgar’s earldom and he is currently a sheriff of his own shire with several orc thanes.

Bormir the Finehair, Earl of Eisenburg, 8th Level Thief, Neutral

Handsome and honey-tongued, the 37 year old Bormir is the Earl of Eisenburg. Rumors abound about his younger days as a wastrel and gambler with rumored close ties to the Thieves’ Guild.  He is a skilled diplomat and a savvy business man who has managed to keep on good terms with both the progressives and traditionalist factions in his kingdom.

Thonro Hard-Heart, Earl of Fýrdracaheald, 8th Level Cleric, Lawful

Hard as stone and cold as the northern sea, the 50 year old Throno is the Earl of Fýrdracaheald and the High Priest of Njörðr, God of the Sea. As the Earl of the oldest settlement in the kingdom, he is the heart of the traditionalist faction. For the first two centuries, the court of the high king was in Stone Harbor (formerly named Scylfigport).  Thronro wishes for it to return there. He detests Sifkning and loathes Ælfríc Wulfson.

Beornwulf the Grim, Earl of Wulf Dúnland, 9th Level Fighter, Neutral

With furrowed brow, the 28 year old Earl of Wulf Dúnland rules a troubled earldom. The Dúnlands was for a longtime nothing more than a borderland province that was home to brigands and outlaws. Over the decades the struggle to settle and civilize the land has been difficult. Trolls, giants brigands and wolves frequently plague the countryside, attacking farmers and their steadings. The Earl’s men are stretched thin and he is looking for help. He is a supporter of Arnulf and the traditionalists, but is uneasy having Sigurðr Snake-in-the-Eye as a compatriot.

Alfred the Stout, Earl of Isenhelm, 8th Level Fighter, Neutral

The beer bellied 44 years old Alfred’s girth is only matched by his merrymaking and good cheer. The Earl of Isenhelm has never met a horn of mead he could say no too. In his youth, he was a feared warrior who once knocked out a troll with one swing of his hammer, úhtsceaða. Now he spends his days feasting and drinking. He is a supporter of Sifkning, but has little interest in politics.

Sigurðr Snake-in-the-Eye, Earl of Stánhold, 8th Level Fighter, Chaotic

The 37 year old Earl of Stánhold is known for two things, his cruelty and his ability to hold a grudge. His earldom is poor in resources, but rich in seamen. His dragon ships have been seen south of the Dökkálfr colony raiding. He holds a personal grudge with Sifkning for refusing to allow Sigurðr to marry his granddaughter Thyra.

Solding Stormcrow, Arch-Mage of the Drýmann Lodge, 10th Level Mage, Lawful

No one is really sure how old the master of the Drýmann Lodge is, he has outlived the last two High Kings and might out live his third. He has taught several generations of Sælíðenda the ancient arts brought over the sea from the ancient eastern homelands.  From the great lodge in Silverrun, Solding has advised many of the Earls and is considered one of the wisest men in the kingdom, if not one of the most feared. He is wary of the Dökkálfr who are in the High Court and cautioned the High King about finding out what their true intentions are. He also has a strange friendship with Tymvirri the High Skald which consisting of him making constant threats of turning Tymvirri into a bullfrog to improve his singing.

Tymvirri Bold-Lute, High Skald of the Skalds Hall, 9th Level Bard, Neutral

The 55 year old Skald has travelled the width and breadth of the kingdom and some lands beyond. His skill with the lute is legendary as is his poetry. His epic readings of the time of the High King Athelwulf and the first landing are always in demand.  Through Solding the Arch-Mage has threatened to turn him into a frog to improve his singing. There are also rumors that he is having an affair with Ringel Shield Breaker.

Ælfríc Wulfson, High Priest of the Temple of the High Father, 10^th Level Cleric, Lawful

The grizzled one-eyed High Priest of Wōden has been the voice of reason and calm for many years in the High King’s court. At 48, he has gained a life time of experience first as a warrior and then later as a priest. He is at heart a traditionalist but a moderate one. He has clashed with Thonro Hard-Heart on more than one occasion about the other’s extremist views.

Sigered the Dawn Lord, Knight Commander of the Order of Dawn, 8th Level Paladin, Lawful

Sigered and his knights are the descendants of a priesthood once dedicated to Bealdor, the god of justice and light. A century ago a clan of vampyr attacked the temple and brunt it to the ground. The Order of Dawn is dedicated to hunting down and destroying all vampyr, shape-shifters and undead. They fanatical pursuit of this cause has cause tension between the order and the earls.

Ceolred the Cunning, Guild Master of the Thieves’ Guild, 9th Level Thief

Ceolred the Cunning is the ruthless Guild Master of Somerset’s Thieves Guild and rules it with a velvet fist and a sharp dagger. His rise to power has been dramatic and bloody. He ended the century long feud with the Assassins Guild by killing off the leadership of their guild and absorbing the remaining assassins into the Thieves Guild. His biggest concern has been the influx of foreigners from the southern elves penal colony to the south. These colonies are the breeding ground for unsanctioned brigand bands that have been plaguing the earldoms of late and has been disrupting a number of guild businesses.