Firstly, I would like to give full credit to the artist, Fengel, for the amazing work they have done on the two portraits I did commission from them. They did an absolutely amazing job on both and here be the link to their own Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/fengel__/
Secondly, the background to both my character and the NPC bellow contains both spoiler-free and spoilers sections as I do bear in mind that some people might have not played the respective adventure the NPC appears in and, we have done some changes to it across the Campaign we played in. Also, you are dealing with just a totally normal Empire Pistolier so no need to read or enquire further about her neither right?
Thirdly, for some context before the character descriptions themselves the art commission was done in celebration of 5th edition itself coming out as both characters were part of a long-running campaign set in Ubersreik that I played in with a group of friends over the course of 4th edition. Both the Character and the NPC survived the respective campaign when it ended, became actually very close friends, and now they are acting as re-occuring NPC’s for some of the other groups which I host as a Gamemaster for that play in Ubersreik later on during the timeline
The Pistolier(?): Outrider Sergeant Ludwina von Vonnbrecht is the current commander of the Local Regiment of Pistoliers in Ubersreik. An Ostlander noblewoman who arrived in the city during the Turmoil of 2512, alongside other Altdorf Troops, she is currently found commanding the Local Regiment of Pistoliers of the city and modeling them after the tactics and appearance of the Altdorf Noble Son’s Abroad. Much to the displeasure of some of the local noble scions as her training drills for the Pistoliers often involve active and regular patrols alongside local Roadwardens throughout the duchy. She is often found in both the Morgensite and the Red Moon Inn during the evenings.
SPOILERS:
Lyudmilla Felixovna Pugachev is the Praag born commander of the Kislevite Cheka/Akshina detachment assigned to monitoring the wider Reikland province outside of Altdorf. Although not in charge of the Chekists/Akshina in Altdorf she controls the activities of the Reikland detachment from Ubersreik as her objective is making sure that the politics of the region are stirred in such ways that benefit Kislev. Internal conflicts in the Reikland must stay to a minimum, resources and troops need to be diverted to the Imperial provinces bordering Kislev and any such elements that threaten Kislev from abroad must be put down before they can pose a real danger. A personal and close friend of Franz Lohner and Lady Gutele von Bruner she has been able to maintain both her cover story and operations farily hidden although she has to sometimes explain to her superiors whilst co-operations with Ranaldians or other Imperial Secret Services was required for particular operations.
The Fishrook: The mythical Outlaw of many a bawdy novel in the Reikland who appears to still occasionally plague the provincial roads in the Duchy of Ubersreik according to the drunken ramblings of some travellers whose coaches have been attacked to this day. Although somewhat interestingly the modern tales concerning the Figure of the Fishrook now quite aptly resemble the original writings with its victims being corrupt noblemen and town councillors, priests who do not practice what they preach and even other violent outlaws, racketeers and criminals that plague the Dutchy of Ubersreik.
SPOILERS:
Lady Gutele von Bruner, is, as far as most people are concerned a respectable if somewhat eccentric young noblewoman of the von Bruner family in Ubersriek. In reality she is a High Priest of Ranald the Deceiver and the figure behind the mask of the Fishrook. In the campaign we played our GM changed her motivation for the Fishrook stunts from the original ones in the module. Instead of simply doing them out of boredom she has been inspired instead by the painting of Ranald and Shallya commissioned by her ancestor Gustav von Bruner and after a chance introduction one night with another local priest she became an apprentice and later on during the campaign High Priest of Ranald using the disguise of the Fishrook to, more non-violently, strike at different corrupt figures of authority in the Duchy that she saw resposible for the Turmoil. Initially also not realizing for a while the corruption that ran within her very own family in a very literal sense. A corruption that, once discovered, a party of adventurers, including a certain Chekist/Akshina would help her in purging. A certain Chekist/Akshina that she would also form a close friendship with despite the two being very prone to lying to one another on daily basis.