Nightwick Abbey NPCs

Lord Eckhard is the appointed governor of Nightwick.  He is a boisterous and opinionated man who was exiled from the Realm several years ago.  He made a name for himself as a mercenary in the Bishop of Lichegate's army and was "rewarded" with this posting after the Bishop had the previous governor executed.  He is a short but broad man with a large beard.  He is fond of wearing his battle scared armor even when it is impractical to do so.

Father Roderick serves as the village priest.  He is a soft spoken balding man of tall stature and thin frame.  He gets on well enough with the pagan members of Nightwick's population.  He believes the Church's chief goal in the area should be to protect the innocent from the horrors that lurk in the forests and old ruins.  This has put him at odds with the Bishop Notker, but Notker has not yet found a priest who will willingly live that close to the Abbey.

Bruno  is the proprietor of the Medusa's Head tavern.  He is a veteran of a number of campaigns both in the West and the Dark Country.  Currently he primarily caters to the men-at-arms in the service of Lord Eckhard, but he has enough rooms to put up travelers.  Bruno looks like an out of shape former athlete, and he loves to hear tales of blood and thunder as they remind him of his glory days.

Rupert van Toad is a Frogling merchant who sells his wares outside of the North Gate.  He is not allowed within the walls due to a law passed by the Bishop.  He has a finely appointed shack that, sadly, lets too much of the cold, and during the winter months he becomes sluggish.  His wares are usually of fine quality, and he "rarely" overcharges.

Duncan  is a simpleton with a surprising gift for making metal objects.  His slack-jaw, scraggly hair and filthy clothes make some newcomers to the village a bit uneasy.  He serves as the town blacksmith and makes weapons, armor, and more mundane things of the finest quality.  His mother was, if rumor is to believed, a witch and so few are willing to take advantage of his decreased mental state.

Halfdan the Black is the local wizard.  He lives in a stout tower only a few hundred feet from the village.  He  is not fond of guests and typically only leaves his tower when he needs to purchase new "supplies" from Rupert.  He occasionally takes interest in magicians who make expeditions into the Abbey, but few know the purpose behind this.  The villagers know him as a man of mercurial moods and believe that he is best avoided.  His hair is long and unkempt and his clothes look as though he took them from the body of a dead noble buried a half a century ago.

Bishop Notker the Unshaven is an officious and arrogant clergyman who presides over Lichegate and the villages and towns that surround it.  He is a small man with a round head and he dresses in the finest vestments possible.  Recent pagan actions against his men and position have angered him immensely and he wishes the governors and priests under his jurisdiction would take a harder stance on pagan practice.