Crownsguard

Depiction of a Crownsguard, by Anna Veltkamp from Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p.49.

## Basic Information

### Goals

Keep the peace in the Empire and Nicodranas

## Relationships

### Allies

Righteous Brand

The **Crownsguard** is the primary law enforcement arm of the Dwendalian Empire. As a hired and trained gendarmerie, 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 appointed 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 rules on 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.

## **Present**

### **Alfield**

The Crownsguards' attention in the city is mostly split between policing the borders and watching over public safety. The lack of support from the Empire and the relatively small Crownsguard presence opened up opportunities for charlatans and thieves who often swept through town in an attempt to relieve the townsfolk of any loose coin. It also provided the opportunity for the Myriad's rise to power in Alfield.

* **Watchmaster Bryce Feelid**, a gender fluid half-elf with shoulder-length blond hair, who held the position between approximately 831 and 836 PD, de-facto managing the city.
* **Reggie**, a young Crownsguard who reluctantly provided a horse to the Mighty Nein to aid in their mission against the gnolls attacking the town.

### **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.

### **Druvenlode**

* Watchmaster **Quin Theramas**, supported Starosta Uvilia Whek with her crownsguard regiment.

### **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, the crownsguard presence was was concentrated in the evening hours to coincide with the nightly festivities and rambunctious partying crowds. The human crownsguard present 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 for production of war machines, work would often be continued during the night and a heavy guard presence was stationed around the factories. On their backs, as opposed to spears or shields, these guards wore long metal firearms.

* Watchmaster **Bram Gulchswattle**

### **Rexxentrum**

* **Sydnock Truscan**
* Watchmaster **Brunda Gleshin**

### **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 had 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**

### **Zadash**

* **Lawmaster Orentha Stonegrasp**
* Former **High-Richter Dayana Prucine**
* **High-Richter Dolan Thrym**
* **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 crownsguard who was present at the Victory Pit tournament.

## **Outside of the Empire**

### **Shadycreek Run**

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

### **Nicodranas**

The Empire had crownsguard stationed in Nicodranas as a means of protecting their political and trade interests within the valuable coastal trade of 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.[*citation needed*]

## **History**

### **The Traveling Carnival of Curiosities Incident**

At a performance of The Fletching and Moondrop Traveling Carnival of Curiosities, 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, the Lawmaster Norda was highly suspicious of the party 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**

In "The Open Road" (2x05), 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.

### **The Improvised Heist**

The Mighty Nein stole a Luxon Beacon from the Crownsguard after they had retrieved it from a Xhorhasian soldier they had killed in the sewers.1:19:50.

### **War of Ash and Light**

As of early 836 PD, there were 5,200 Crownsguard across all the cities of the Empire, with a large number stationed in Bladegarden. A large regiment was stationed in Felderwin following the Kryn Dynasty raid on that important agricultural town. Crownsguard and local Zhelezo both kept the peace in Nicodranas, as imperial laws held sway alongside those of the Clovis Concord there.

## **Trivia**

* Matthew Mercer stated on Twitter that he envisioned the Crownsguard as resembling the army of the late Byzantine Empire (1200s to 1453).
* All fines and punishments for crimes against Crownsguard members are doubled.

## **References**

1. ↑ See *Explorer's Guide to Wildemount*, pp. 180–Tiefling.
2. ↑ See *Explorer's Guide to Wildemount*, pp. 180–Gnome.
3. ↑ See "Curious Beginnings" (2x01) at 0:18:50.
4. ↑ See "The Open Road" (2x05) from 3:18:16 through 3:18:34.
5. ↑ See "Curious Beginnings" (2x01) at 0:18:11.
6. ↑ See "Zemnian Nights" (2x11) at 3:13:31.  This is why it is so difficult to bring anything incriminating about the high-richter to the lawmaster's eyes.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 See *Explorer's Guide to Wildemount*, p. 78.
8. ↑ See "The Open Road" (2x05) at 1:19:38.
9. ↑ See "The Open Road" (2x05) at 3:15:25.  In 835, Bryce says they are in their fourth year in Alfield. As of 836, in "Between the Lines" (2x78) at 1:21:47, they had been transferred to Bladegarden.
10. ↑ See "The Howling Mines" (2x06) at 1:13:34.
11. ↑ See "Labenda Awaits" (2x20) at 2:44:05.
12. ↑ See "Labenda Awaits" (2x20) at 2:49:57.
13. ↑ See *Explorer's Guide to Wildemount*, p. 98.
14. ↑ See "Have Bird, Will Travel" (2x23) from 3:26:04 through 3:29:22.
15. ↑ See "The Hour of Honor" (2x24) at 1:24:04.
16. ↑ See "Have Bird, Will Travel" (2x23) at 3:26:04.
17. ↑ See "Waste and Webs" (2x10) at 3:17:20.
18. ↑ See "Zemnian Nights" (2x11) at 3:19:16.
19. ↑ See "Harvest Close" (2x17) from 0:32:16 through 0:32:30.
20. ↑ See "Whispers of War" (2x18) at 1:13:48.
21. ↑ See *Explorer's Guide to Wildemount*, p. 35.
22. ↑ See *Explorer's Guide to Wildemount*, p. 81.
23. ↑ See *Explorer's Guide to Wildemount*, p. 84.
24. ↑ See *Explorer's Guide to Wildemount*, p. 44.
25. ↑ See Matt's tweet.
26. ↑ See *Explorer's Guide to Wildemount*, p. 38.

**Art**

1. ↑ Depiction of a Crownsguard, by Anna Veltkamp from Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p.49. This page contains unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Wizards of the Coast Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
2. ↑ Fan art of the Crownsguard Shield Blazon, by Aaron Larsen. Work contributed to the Critical Role Wiki by the artist. Used with permission.
3. ↑ Fan art of the Crownsguard based on late Byzantine soldier attire, by Aaron Larsen. Work contributed to the Critical Role Wiki by the artist. Used with permission.