Non-Player Characters in a Sub-Roman game

[Patrice]

We had an "arthurian" game some time ago, on a 5 m long table, it was part of a campaign we have been doing for some time ("Argad!" ruleset). There were five Romano-British players (fighting between them because one wanted revenge from another because of what happened in an earlier games), one Saxon player, and me (referee and NPCs player ).







Not telling the whole story (it was complicated with diplomacy and some players close to change sides in the middle of the battle etc) but I thought you'd laugh to hear about some Non-Player Characters that I did put in this game; I played their role when the players wanted to talk to them.
Note that the context of the game was historical but there could be a very slight amount of magic - just enough to made players uneasy if they don't have a priest etc at hand.

1) In the small marshy lake you can see a miniature, it is a woman bathing:



Players were suspicious about her, they believed she could be  a dangerous water fairy or something. So, some players cautiously send their scouts at her to ask her questions.
The woman was human, she told them that she lived in the nearby village and that she went to this place because a fairy prince sometimes came from underwater to marry her. ...This refers to a song about a legend:

Later when their soldiers talk to other villagers, players are told that this poor woman is fooled by all the young men of the village, who take turns to disguise as water princes.  

2) Some NPC heavy cavalrymen entered the table during the game. With them was a horse mounted by a wisp of smoke (a small piece of white cotton). They took position on a hill, and the smoke bit dismounted and stood on the hill! Patrols sent by players to enquire were blocked by the cavalrymen who told them that the Queen of Orkney was there and must not be disturbed!
Yes it was Queen Morgause that I sent in the game to balance forces and help one of the players, she did not had to fight, her presence on the table was enough to give fear to other players and force some diplomacy.
At some moments she appeared in her human form.



Unfortunately I don't have pictures of the smokey queen on her horse but it was a success.  

3) This Romano-British noble cavalryman, with his standard-bearer, entered one far side of the table and spent the whole game crossing the table length and going to all farms and villages:



All players wondered who he was, and at different times all had their chief character meeting him. Every time, it went like this (in private):
(player): Hello. May I ask who you are?
(me): I am Agravain, son of king Lot. I have a very important mission!
(player, very interested): Oh. What is it?
(me): Could you please help me?
(player, wanting to learn more): How can I help you? What is your mission?
(me): Do you know where the Holy Grail is?
(player): Um… No.
(me): Oh. Thank you. Good bye. (and I immediately went away from the player, leaving him speechless).  

Only the last player that Agravain met in the game, answered differently:
(player, wicked, and thinking fast): Um… I think the Holy Grail is still in Palestine!
(me, aaargh): Oh. Then I must go there.
(player, very wicked): Yes. Or perhaps it has been brought back. By land. You should check the land road.
(me, aaargh again): Oh. Then I must go to Palestine by land, in case it still is somewhere on the road. Thank you very much.
(player, happy): Glad to have been of help.  

[Marine0846]

Very clever with the NPCs.
I enjoy putting interesting little twists in my games.
Some times the players like them, sometimes the don't.
But I have some fun either way.