Ingo the Drover
(General Illinar V of Aerdy, in exile)
Faction: Publicly Neutral (Quiet Loyalist Leanings)
Role: Retired Mercenary Officer / Source of Guards and Marines
Race: Human
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
NPC Type: Veteran (5e)
Appearance
Broad-shouldered and battle-worn, with a long scar running along the left side of his face. Weathered skin and steady grey-blue eyes that study a room before speaking.
Dusty brown hair streaked with grey.
He wears well-kept leather armor—old but once expensive. Reinforced shoulders and subtle embossing hint at a man who once served in a more formal command.
Everything about him suggests discipline rather than display.
Faction Alignment
Ingo publicly remains neutral in Saltmarsh politics. He refuses to take visible sides in the Loyalist vs. Traditionalist divide.
Privately, his instincts lean toward the Loyalists, toward order, discipline, and lawful authority. His friendship with Eliander Fireborn strengthens that pull.
This creates tension within him. To side openly with Eliander would invite scrutiny.
At the Table
Speaks calmly and directly
Listens more than he talks
Studies people before trusting them
Respects competence and discipline
Has little patience for arrogance or foolish risks
Keeps emotions tightly controlled
He works best as a steady veteran presence—measured, observant, and difficult to provoke.
Overview
Ingo is known in Saltmarsh as a retired mercenary officer who helps captains hire reliable guards and marines for difficult voyages.
He understands ships, discipline, and logistics, making him a trusted intermediary along the docks.
His reputation is simple: if Ingo recommends someone, they can be trusted to hold a line.
He keeps a quiet friendship with Eliander Fireborn, one soldier recognizing another.
Hooks / Use
Reliable source of guards or marines
Military perspective on threats around Saltmarsh
Connection to Eliander Fireborn
Discreet intermediary between sailors and captains
Possible advisor when discipline or tactics matter
Quiet observer of smuggling activity along the docks
Secret
Ingo is General Illinar V of the Great Kingdom, a condemned officer who led a failed coup against the Overking.
Beneath Ingo’s house lies a hidden cellar passage leading to a reinforced sea cave.
Inside he keeps the remnants of his former life: a rack of well-maintained swords, immaculate plate armor, military medals of the Great Kingdom, and a faded tapestry bearing imperial heraldry. Charts of the Saltmarsh coast cover a nearby table, marked with smuggling routes and coastal positions.
The medals alone could reveal his true rank to anyone familiar with Aerdian honors.
The cave also opens to a concealed tidal exit along the shoreline.
It is both his refuge and his escape route should the past ever catch up with him.