Howdy Greyhawkers! It’s a short week for me, so let’s add another noble to my roster of Sea Princes from 576 CY! To see my previous entries, go to the Best of Greyhawkery and scroll down to the list in the Sea Princes Campaign section. Enjoy!

His Noble Lordship, Luther Rhola III, Baron of Ensar. (House Rhola, Prince’s Fleet, Fighter 6)

Luther, like his cousin Prince Jeon II, is a distant relative of royalty in Keoland. His family has ruled the town of Ensar since it was once an early outpost for the Lion Throne in their crusade against Toli piracy. The baron is an experienced mariner and a seasoned swordsman, though he has traded his life at sea for rulership at home since he married Krystal of Jetsom Isle (Rogue 1), the youngest sister of Baron Deran Insley. Thanks to Luther, Ensar enjoys legitimate trade across the bay with the Keoish ports of Saltmarsh and Seaton.  

Politics and Intrigues:  Ensar exports an abundance of foodstuffs and imports a good amount of cloth despite its small size. A business war is brewing as Luther rails against the shady practices of his neighbors up the coast, House Tydan of Port Torvin. Incidents of dumped cargos, sabotaged ships, and price undercutting have become a source of drama in the House of Peers. The baron cannot prove it, but he believes the count of Port Torvin is also smuggling weapons from Keoland for some unknown purpose. 

Baron Luther makes a good low to mid-level contact for characters in a coastal urban setting. Ensar is a decent small town to call home or to launch heroic adventures abroad. For example, a DM can introduce the classic “U-series” modules starting with the Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh (found in Ghosts of Saltmarsh 5E) by sending PCs across the bay to Keoland.

House of Peers in the Sea Princes

The Hold of the Sea Princes comprises thirty domains, divided amongst a dozen noble houses. A few of these houses can trace their lineage back hundreds of years to the first Suel migrations, while most are merely fabricated hereditary titles of pirate captains who settled down a century ago. While the Hold is currently ruled by the Prince of Monmurg, the Prince of Port Toli has led the House of Peers for much of the Holds’ history. In political situations, the twelve houses are evenly divided between naval factions called the Princes’ Fleet and the Toli Armada. Those Sea Princes captains who choose to avoid house politics, nominally defer to a fleet named the Hold Flotilla in times of war.