Populating the Castle (TCG)

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Okay, your castle is a lonely place of stone and wood. You have a few advisors, a new bride or bride-to-be, and a town is spring. ing up nearby. Now what?
Well, here's a brief list of some of the people you're going to need to make your castle run. Without them, you'd be one busy knight..
==Squire==
Each king or knight has his own personal squire. Most squires are knights-in-training who take care of their lord's personal steed, see that his armor is repaired and polished, sharpen his sword and lance, and otherwise tend to the lord's miscellaneous knightly needs. Many of the noblest PCs will have been squired to a great noble or king. Note that many of the wealthiest lords have more than a few squires, and that such positions are rare and prized within the kingdom.
==Marshal of the Stables==
The Marshal of the Stables is in charge of all of the lord's horses, whether for war or show. He is always attended by many well-treated serfs and while he carries little or no power within the manor, a personal friendship with a horse-loving king is not to be taken lightly.
Some kings have hunting dogs for chasing foxes in the nearby forests, or falcons for hunting small birds, and these duties also fall under the marshal's supervision or those of his staff.
If the lord has a special mount like a dragon or a pegasus, the personal attention such a unique beast requires calls for the hiring of another Marshal of the Royal Steed, who is likely to have an interesting background to say the least.
==Chief Porter==
The Chief Porter and his watch-
men guard the castle during all hours of the day and night. As a rule, they answer to the Lord High Marshall.
==Sworn Executioner==
If a lord is the sworn legal officer in an area, most likely a newly conquered frontier, or he is the king of a land, he will have on his staff a Chief Executioner to handle the messiest of trials. Such a man earns a great deal of respect as it is an ugly job he does, and his loyalty to the king is never in question.
In his off-hours, the sworn executioner might be Captain of the Guards, but he is also likely to be the Master Torturer (if permitted within the castle walls) and/or the only practicing doctor for miles. His talents at breaking bones and severing limbs give him a lot of knowledge about fixing them as well.
==Waiting Women==
The lady of the castle is attended by a large number of serving girls. known as her waiting women. They tend to her every need, and help supervise the many household duties and chores under the lady's command.
==Chief Steward==
The steward oversees the cooking staff and is busy almost all of the time. Feeding an entire castle is not a simple chore! The Chief Steward has a lot of personal discretion, but reports to the Castellan if any problems arise.
==Castellan==
The Castellan supervises the basic cleaning and household management of the castle. His duties are many, and his knowledge of formal affairs and etiquette is second to none.
==Chief Gardener==
If the lady has a garden, it must be tended. Note that these rich gardens are often the personal groves of many retired druids, and are also the first training grounds for many young ones.
==Men-at-Arms==
These are the soldiers that man the castle, protect the lands, and patrol the countryside.
==Assorted Craftsmen==
Large castles have their own dedicated carpenters, barbers, surgeons, tinkers, potters, stone masons, blacksmiths, and so on. Staff craftsmen take the place of those in town who often have other obligations to attend to. Lords tend to hire the best craftsmen they can afford and many a feud has grown out of the refusal of a lord's employment offer that shouldn't have been refused.
==Serfs==
Of course, even the mightiest lord depends, in the long run, on the support of his subjects. These are the "little people" who tend the farms, work the mines, and serve as cannon fodder in military campaigns. Although they are often part of the background in a feudal setting, they are as important as the unseen timbers which support the roof of your home. Without them, the entire structure collapses. For more information on serfs in a feudal society, see "A Day in the Life of a Peasant" later on in this chapter.