Saturday, April 2, 2022

d8 Colorful Characters (With Disruptive Agendas) to Meet at a Baronic Birthday Bash



While doing prep work for my Lancer campaign, I found myself making up NPCs for a birthday gala for an aging Baronic noble where the players would be participating in a mech combat tournament. I planned for them to have some time at a banquet before the tournament and I was sure they would want to mix with the other hired help, and since I love randomness I took the NPCs and incorporated them into a table. The NPCs are not specific to my campaign and are intended to provide background color and disruption to the otherwise calm banquet. So I figured I would share them for anyone to use should you also find yourself running a high-society party scene in the Karrakin Trade Baronies.


d8

NPC

1

Benero Atula Jasik the Exiled. (They/them) As mysterious as any Voladore, Benero claims to have been cast out by their people. Despite this, they still refuse to divulge information about Voladore culture or technology, preferring to speak in riddles. Some whisper that they are in truth not actually a Voladore, but a human who stole or salvaged a Voladore suit and is conning their way into high Baronic society.

2

Dramo Halperin. (He/him) Stripped of their title of Sub-Baron, Dramo has been forced to apply their skills as a duelist in order to maintain some position in Baronic society. A master with the rapier and whip, he is riding high on a winning streak that could land him a position as a Baron’s bodyguard. He is looking for a fight to cement his position.

3

Ava Rezim. (They/them) The laid-back genius hacker of the minor House Rezim, Ava defies social conventions by mixing with the lower classes and disrespecting proper Baronic codes of dress and behavior. They’re looking for a good time and someone to swap stories with for the night before causing a scene that will further damage their House’s reputation. Pilots the Veteran Witch-class mech Heartbreaker.

4

Smirking Jaxor: (He/him) A retired knight of the Albatross, he has chosen to leave his makteba and come to the Baronies in search of unlikely heroes. He knows that some Baronics wish to do good, but are constrained by their society, and he seeks to give them a way out by joining the Albatross. He has identified a likely candidate here tonight and is attempting to evade their House guards to make his offer.

5

Dara. (She/her) At first an unassuming servant of the House, those who watch her closely will soon notice her many small acts of defiance. Rolling her eyes, mocking nobles behind their backs, and spitting in drinks. Dara hates her Baronic masters and rebels when she thinks no one is looking.

6

Ignatius Truck. (He/him) A free-spirited Baronic commoner elevated because of his incredible skills as a pilot. Serving as a House guard, he pilots the Veteran Cataphract-class mech Roadkill and is looking to go even faster. He’s set up a meeting with the agents of a rival House offering him an even speedier mech, and he’s entertaining the idea of defecting.

7

Edea Shorr. (She/her) The primary advisor to a largely irrelevant Sub-Baron. Edea is smart and professional and also a secret agent for Smith-Shimano Corpro. Years ago she assumed the identity of Edea Shorr by stealing her face and has been covertly gathering information on various Baronic Houses. Tonight she’s been instructed to burn her identity and assassinate a Baron or die trying.

8

Justice Markov. (He/him) An Adherent of RA who has come to spread the good word. Jovial and good-natured, but zealous about his belief that humanity should be subordinated to RA in all ways. Dressed in ostentatious black and neon yellow, wrapped in holographic chains and armed with endless digital screeds about his religious beliefs, he is here to infiltrate the computer systems and fill every screen and projector with pro-RA propaganda.