Crownsguard

Fanart Concept of a Crownsguard Shield Blazon

The Crownsguard is the primary law enforcement arm of the Dwendalian Empire. As a hired and trained, paramilitary gendarmarie, they are sent throughout each major city in order to keep the peace, while also acting as a national secret police that observes and eliminates any opponents to King Bertrand Dwendal's reign. Tensions frequently brew among the common folk due to the chafing watch of the Crownsguard.

The Crownsguard in the Marrow Valley are trained in Bladegarden. The standard uniform and equipment of the Crownsguard consists of vermilion or maroon robes, bronze scale mail breast and arm plates, a shield, greaves, a helmet, a crossbow, and a basic longsword.

Organization

Lawmasters

Lawmasters are magistrates that act as the local leadership for each Dwendalian town and city. Acting as both mayor and judge, they speak with the authority of King Bertrand Dwendal and each one is instated directly from Rexxentrum. It is customary to bow to the lawmaster.

Richter

The position of Richter serves a function similar to that of an associate judge to the lawmaster. Whereas the lawmaster dictates only high profile judgments, a richter would see most lower cases first, and gauge whether they were important enough to be decided by the lawmaster. The most senior richter in a town or city is known as the "high richter", and commands more prestige than the other richters in the area.

Watchmasters

Watchmasters act as the captains of local Crownsguard forces. Each watchmaster answers directly to their local lawmaster.

Members

Trostenwald

• Lawmaster Norda: A tough dwarven woman in her middle years. She headed the investigation concerning the Carnival of Curiosities zombie incident, and presided over the subsequent hearings and trial.
• Watchmaster Jossyd: A man in his early forties. He has short brown hair with patches of grey, and was described as having "sort of jaundiced skin."
• Stockade Jailer Theeds: A man with a heavy bushy beard, wearing a dark leather mantle and a simple cloth tunic. He was described as having burly arms, a heavy torso, and very scrawny legs, and having a widow's peak. He examined the injury Beauregard sustained from the zombie creature and managed to discern that it was mostly bludgeoning damage.
• Other named guards
  • Damon
  • Flynn
  • Lucas
  • Jonas
  • Sivelmen

Alfield

• Watchmaster Bryce Feelid: A gender fluid half-elf with shoulder-length blond hair and wears ornate armour. They were in their fourth year as Watchmaster of Alfield when they suffered injuries during the gnoll attack on the village and their weapon of choice in battle is a morning star. Bryce recruited the Mighty Nein to dispatch the gnolls in their lair inside the Howling Mines after the group took part in the defence of Alfield, promising compensation at a rate of 30 gold pieces per set of gnoll ears, 25 gold pieces per survivor recovered, and 10 gold pieces for each body recovered for families to bury; upon the Mighty Nein's return to Alfield, they compensated the party in full.
• Other named guards
  • Reggie. This young man in his mid-20s had long hair that had been heavily braided on the sides of his head and then pinned in the back to form a short, tufty ponytail. The party stopped him as they happened to cross his path in the street, and they asked him whether they could have a horse provided by the Crownsguard so that they could complete the mission that Bryce had given them.

Zadash

• Lawmaster Orentha Stonegrasp
• High-Richter Dayana Prucine
• Herald of the Hall Voloshin
• Other named guards
  • Reeve. Escorted Jester to the Pillow Trove in the Tri-Spire.
  • Cloen. The only survivor from a party of Crownsguard that went down to investigate the disturbance in the sewers. He was later called upon to identify the creature to prove completion of the Roving Beast Task.
  • David. One of two guards stationed by the sewer entrance near Ruen Road and Dewmist. When the Mighty Nein attempted to sneak into the sewer without drawing attention, Fjord cast Crown of Madness on him, forcing him to fight the guard he was stationed with. He was eventually pinned to the ground and dragged off by several other guards just as the spell was broken, much to his confusion.
  • Sipes. One of the two Crownsguard that were running the Trebuchet game during the Harvest Close Festival.
  • Captain Jeremiah Simon. A more decorated crownsguards which was present at the Victory Pit tournament.

Berleben

There were a handful of Crownsguard stationed in Berleben who looked to be "somewhat lackluster." Their armor wasn't shiny and well-kept when compared to the soldiers positioned in other cities. They were likely not particularly appreciative of their situation, and had tried their best to adapt to life in the Labenda Swamp.

• Alexander. One of the two Crownsguards that saw the Mighty Nein enter the Puddles.

Hupperdook

The Crownsguard stationed in Hupperdook consisted of a mix of gnomes, dwarves and humans. Due to the majority of townsfolk keeping busy with their work during the day time the crownsguard presence was fairly limited sleeping during the day. Though this presence was greatly expanded to coincide with the nightly festivities and rambunctious crowds that would emerge from the partying. The human crownsguard presence within the city kept a stern posture during the festivities, while their gnome counterparts were more inclined to join their fellow townsfolk and enjoy the party atmosphere.

Due to the increased demand and production of war machines, work would often be continued during the night and around these a heavy guard presence was quite considerable. On their backs, as opposed to spears or shields, there were long metal firearms affixed with a wooden buttress at the end.

Outside of the Empire

Shadycreek Run

Being outside the Empire and also a centre for crime and lawlessness, the city has no Crownsguard presence.

Nicodranas

As a valuable coastal trade center outside of its borders, the Empire had crownsguard stationed in Nicodranas, as a means to protecting political and trade interests within the Menagerie Coast. Although the local Zhelezo enforced the law within the cities under the Clovis Concord, the stationed crownsguard could enforce the Empire's laws if they felt that such action served its interests, without straining relations. Such enforcement could include the detention of worshipers of forbidden deities.

Significant Encounters with the Mighty Nein

The Traveling Tent of Curiosities Incident

Two Crownsguard, Flynn and Sivelmen, were turned into zombies by Kylre, attacked the Mighty Nein and were slain. After this occurred, the group were forced to evade the Crownsguard forces and track Kylre down. They then returned to Trostenwald with his body.

Unfortunately, Norda, the Lawmaster was highly suspicious of them and it was with great difficulty that they were able to clear their names and persuade her that they were not responsible for the events detailed in:

• "Curious Beginnings" (2x01)
• "A Show of Scrutiny" (2x02)
• "The Midnight Chase" (2x03)
• "Disparate Pieces" (2x04).

The Attack on Alfield

The Mighty Nein later encountered an injured Watchmaster Bryce Feelid in the middle of a gnoll attack on the town of Alfield. The town had suffered much loss of life already and was being severely damaged by fire. Bryce told the party that they had originally been with a group of four Crownsguard that were currently exchanging volleys with the gnolls, and who were tending to their own injuries as well.

These events are covered in "The Open Road" (2x05).

The Improvised Heist

The Mighty Nein were forced to steal the Luxon from the Crownsguard after they had retrieved it from a Xhorhasian soldier they had killed in the sewers.

These events are covered in "Lost & Found" (2x13).

Trivia

• Matthew Mercer has stated on Twitter that he envisioned the Crownsguard as resembling the army of the late Byzantine Empire (1200s to 1453).

  

  Fanart Concept based on the idea of the Crownsguard resembling Late Byzantine soldiers